A day with Chris Small

[itsnoteasy]

Hmm, i hope a coach reads that and gives their perspective on it, i know what i think but its not for me to say really, way above my pay grade(as they say) all i will say is to cue smooth, stroke the ball dont hit it,even most screw shots can be smooth, thats all i know, bloody hopeless isnt it lol, i really hope one of the coaches put their tuppenceworth in here.
I would refer you to post 190 on this thread by Chris.

[Terry Davidson]

The approach to the shot, called 'the pre-shot routine' by Nic Barrow is very important and in my opinion cannot be over-emphasized.

You should stand behind the shot and imagine a cue sticking straight out of your belly button with the head (I use the nose) directly behind the line of aim. You should be standing somewhere around 1ft behind the final address position. Now here is where there is some difference between coaches.

Some recommend the player place the cue on the line of aim once the head is on it and others say have the cue across the hips and bring the cue over as you fall straight down into the address position. My own personal experience is I find it better to hold the cue over the line of aim (see Shaun Murphy) and then bring the body into the address position and always bring the body to the cue. I've found this practice makes sure (at least for me) that I have my eyes on the object ball as I drop down into the address position and in addition it helps me to drop the head straight down on the line of aim.

But whatever you do ensure you do the same thing all the time even if it's different from what I've described above as it's very important with snooker to be consistent with everything, as even if it's not 'textbook' the brain will still learn how to deal with it properly as long as you do the same thing every time.

Terry

[tedisbill]

Alabadi:

I really think it's probably just because you get lots of easy shots in the coaching sessions. So you're confident in your potting and all seems well.

However, frames of snooker against your mates just are nothing like as easy as those practice routines. Balls are in the way, position is harder. Pots require flicks of side to get in perfect position. Instead of being 2.5 foot from the black, you're 4 foot away. Balls are covering other balls and stopping them potting. And all of these things make a massive difference.

[itsnoteasy]

Totally agree with Terry, it's so very very important, where in the learning process do you think it should come Terry, for me it's right behind basic stance ,grip stuff, then this, (line of aim,walk in, staying online etc)long before positional stuff, what order do you think this kind of thing should be done, as the order of coaching of things like this isn't really discussed much.

[chrissmall147]

Hi itsnoteasy

First its the basics like grip stance bridge set up position then comes the advanced technique like cue action eye movements line of aim pre shot routine then its shot making ie straight pots angled pots long pots thin pots then you move on to positiknal play firstly from straight pots withvarying distance bbetween balls then moving on to angled position which is harder for beginners then once you have all this in your armoury you can then move on to getting your breakbuilding better.

Cheers Chris small

[alabadi]

Alabadi:

I really think it's probably just because you get lots of easy shots in the coaching sessions. So you're confident in your potting and all seems well.

However, frames of snooker against your mates just are nothing like as easy as those practice routines. Balls are in the way, position is harder. Pots require flicks of side to get in perfect position. Instead of being 2.5 foot from the black, you're 4 foot away. Balls are covering other balls and stopping them potting. And all of these things make a massive difference.

yes i think you are right there, i have mentioned this to the coach when we have been practicing with him, i said if playing the same shot or types of shot over and over, eventually you get good at it, however the chances of having the same shot come up in a game is very rare, add to the fact the presure of the game and the importance of positional play add to the difficulty.

i do understand what the coach is trying to do here, he is trying to guide me away from thinking too much of the consiquence of the shot, i.e he doesn't want to to think and just play it.

we did some routines on the blue and he wanted me to pot the blue come of the top cushion to pot it again. the exercise was to come down both sides of the blue, i was doing this very successfully until he put the pink on its spot and told me to pot the blue and canon the pink, i then ended up missing the blue.

he did this to make a point, he is trying to get me to make all the decisions about positional play, the power to use and the height while i am standing, but when down not to think of anything but execution. this for me is one of the biggest barriers to my game. i have to stop trying to think about everything once down on the shot and just trust that i have made the right decision.

i think once i can do this i might see improvements because i know i can pot any type of shot, its stringing them together which is the hard bit. i think more and more focused solo play is needed to get all the basics nailed down so i don't have to think about it and just do it.

Alabbadi

[itsnoteasy]

Hi itsnoteasy

First its the basics like grip stance bridge set up position then comes the advanced technique like cue action eye movements line of aim pre shot routine then its shot making ie straight pots angled pots long pots thin pots then you move on to positiknal play firstly from straight pots withvarying distance bbetween balls then moving on to angled position which is harder for beginners then once you have all this in your armoury you can then move on to getting your breakbuilding better.

Cheers Chris small

Oh dear I have a long way to go lol. At best I'm halfway through that.

[itsnoteasy]

I don't get to play other folk much, but today one of the lads came in who's quite good so we had a few frames.First frame 19,27,29, so a decent start, second frame, 34,39 the 39 should have been much more but still good for me, third frame I couldn't pot a thing I was cueing across the ball for some reason , got thumped, so next frame just concentrated on technique, lost the frame but got my game back a bit,fifth frame another 39 then I was on 34 and the lad said I'm off to the toilet just carry on and the frames over when you miss I potted a red and a pink, then missed a dolly of a red on 41 he wasn't back so I stuck it in the bag and cleared to the blue and he came back and asked what I was on 55 I said but I have missed once lol,took the blue pink and black for a 73 that's how close it was to a decent break. Next frame I was on 40 exactly had a brown which I could have stunned in and left a 3/4 table shot but screwed it back to come off side Cush and get closer to the reds and screwed into the middle bag grrrrrrr, I lost that frame the lad played really well and deserved it, last frame all to play for, and again I was on34 had three reds left I'm on the pink into the middle not quite right, an easy pot but just not right for easy position, so after a long discussion (shouldn't have done it) I played my pink ,potted it but ended up betwixted and between and missed the next red with the rest, I was very very close to a decent break today, and it was good to see my practice has payed off a bit, one day I will get a fifty, fingers crossed.
Does anyone have a tip for opening the pack I must have tried umpteen times today and had very limited success

[Byrom]

Concentrate on the line of the shot if you get an easy red so you can drop in around the black spot - VERY IMPORTANT TO LEAVE AN ANGLE to finish level with or slightly low on the black - you can also split the pack by finishing high on the black but there is more chance of sticking in the pack.

You can also split the pack finishing high on the blue and then stunning down off the blue of course which I am sure you are aware of.

I used to practice splitting the pack by using the wooden triangle on the table in place of the reds then I would place balls on the black spot and practice screwing the ball in the pocket and crashing into the triangle as if it was the reds - this saves replacing the balls in a real fashion and is quicker.

[DeanH]

A day with Chris Small

if the noise of the triangle being hit is disturbing to others in the club then put three reds in the corners of the triangle and remove the triangle. You will easily see if you get a shot right if the cue ball goes between the reds

[Byrom]

Did not think of this - of course there is also plastic triangles too

[DeanH]

A day with Chris Small

I do the same when trying the pack break from the blue

[SouthPaw]

I was going to say just use your chalk to mark a triangle but that might not go down well in certain clubs! You'll be hitting 50 plus in no time if you steadily make 30 plus breaks...

[rovnos]

Hi all,
i've been reading all the posts on this thread and feel i've taken some good info from it. I would also like to say what a top bloke and coach chris Small comes across as. The one thing that i can't get my head round is this,...every snooker coaching thing i've seen or read ALWAYS advocates having the standing foot on the line of aim. What Chris says, as i understand it, is to keep feet together when in line with the shot and the line of aim running through the centre of the body. Then when going into the shot, keep that line of aim central by keeping your nose on that line. So, how do you end up with your right foot on the line of aim ? If the line of aim runs through the centre of my body then even with feet together i only have the edge of my heel on it and then when going into a shoulder width stance my right foot would be well off ? I,m clearly missing something somewhere, can anyone please explain ?

thanks in-advance.

[Terry Davidson]

rovnos:

You start when standing behind the shot by imagining you have a cue sticking out of your belly button and along the line of aim and ensuring your nose is pointed at the object ball. Then you shift your straight leg foot onto that line of aim and then place the other foot where it's comfortable but you will have to lean over a bit to keep that nose pointed at the object ball (lean to right for right handed and opposite for left handed).

You then concentrate on dropping the nose (actually the head) straight down while keeping the eyes on the object ball. One good way which I've been experimenting with lately is to place the cue on the line of aim before I get down using just my grip hand and then keeping the cue still and dropping the body onto the cue without allowing the cue to move at all. This has seemed to help, especially on long potting.

Terry