A day with Chris Small

[alabadi]

Well done Jim on your collection , maybe soon your collection will have higher values to add.

I'm waiting for my first 50 , I'm confident it will come, hopefully sooner than later

[cyberheater]

Well done Jim on your collection , maybe soon your collection will have higher values to add.

I'm waiting for my first 50 , I'm confident it will come, hopefully sooner than later

With your cueing ability. It won't be long mate.

[itsnoteasy]

Alabadi, thank you very much. As Cyberheater said above it won't be long for you, I don't understand how you can cue like that and not be banging in big breaks all the time, not bragging but I cue quite well( better than most when I look around my club) but nowhere near as nice as you, I would like to see the ton machines on here try that exercise and do it better than you did, I think you would be surprised. Is that a quick table, you have to batter the white to get three lengths on ours, and basically take a lunge to get four.

[itsnoteasy]

I went up to see Chris last week for the day, had a great time again, the good points being everything he showed me last time I am still doing, the bad bit was my eyes not locking on(my dreaded nemesis ) he gave me a different eye rhythm to try out, which on the day was very hit and miss for me, this was a much more ,how to play snooker, orientated day,rather than technique as that was fine, so the routines were all about cue ball control and position, and landing the white where I wanted it. Some exercises I did quite well on(pinks from the spot with white on the yellow spot potting pinks onto bottom green side bag ) I potted a high percentage of, (just checking my cue action) and the colours plus a red across the table level with the pink , potting low blacks and stunning up to hit the colour nominated by Chris, also did this with the white high on the black having to play with a bit of side to hit the furthest ball, this was done from both sides of the table, I felt I did this pretty well. We also did a blue off the spot routine playing for position , this was where Chris noticed I wasn't focused on the ob , I was locking on far to early so by the time my forward swing started I was either in a daydream or looking at the wall or the floor or anywhere but the ball lol, so now I am watching the cue just start back straight and then switching , today I felt a little bit more comfortable with it and I honestly believe this is my thing, if I get this sorted(I have always known it was a problem, but I didn't realise how bad it was) I will have cracked it, as my general understanding of cue ball pace and positioning and how to get hold of the white was better than I thought it was, it's not brilliant but it's not bad. I have a roller coaster type of game just now, and when I went up I was just coming out of a big dip ( after a good high all within a month)so I wasn't playing well but not totally horribly , I think this is a better time to go than when I'm playing well as my everyday faults will all be there to be seen.
The day was fantastic , I tested Chris patience once or twice,(I won't mention the low cutback black routine lol, I think it will give us both nightmares for a few months) and my lazy technique round the table, which even gets on my nerves, showed itself towards the end of the day, but again I loved every minute of it, the time and effort Chris puts into you has to be seen to be believed , I have already said I will be back next year, and I am determined to be up another level by that time, I have said it many times but if you can go , do it ,great guy, great teacher, and it's all about your game , you can't ask for anything better.

[alabadi]

potting low blacks and stunning up to hit the colour nominated by Chris, also did this with the white high on the black having to play with a bit of side to hit the furthest ball, this was done from both sides of the table, I felt I did this pretty
well

I have been doing this lately. As I need to control the white better in that area.

I'm hoping I can have a day with Chris Small he sounds like he is the right man to sort my game out

[itsnoteasy]

Alabadi, we did a very simple but good exercise, black off the spot at all different low angles, right up to white on the bottom Cush and cutting the black in, you have to pot the black using maximum follow on every shot, and come off the Cush and leave the white bang in the middle of the table , of course the bigger the angle the more the white has to travel to get back into the middle and the less angle the more pace you need to come on and off the cushion back to the middle, it's very simple but a great control exercise . I had a nightmare on the low blacks, don't know why it's not a shot I fear or miss, but it's not one I practice either if I'm honest , when I potted them my pace was good and the white landed pretty close to the that middle line most of the time, but I missed far to many on the day, something that hasn't happened since I came back, it was most strange.
Another simple but great one was, high on the black at different angles follow through again and you had to play the white at a pace to land frozen on the Cush, after you have potted the black,( so pot the black off bottom Cush and get the white on to the opposite side Cush ,)you also had to say where about it would land before you played the shot, this is a lot harder than it sounds .
One thing I found was that the table didn't scare me this time, it's tight, but last time I felt I couldn't see any opening this time it didn't bother me much, but it was damn quick compared to the ones I play on.

[alabadi]

Alabadi, we did a very simple but good exercise, black off the spot at all different low angles, right up to white on the bottom Cush and cutting the black in, you have to pot the black using maximum follow on every shot, and come off the Cush and leave the white bang in the middle of the table , of course the bigger the angle the more the white has to travel to get back into the middle and the less angle the more pace you need to come on and off the cushion back to the middle, it's very simple but a great control exercise . I had a nightmare on the low blacks, don't know why it's not a shot I fear or miss, but it's not one I practice either if I'm honest , when I potted them my pace was good and the white landed pretty close to the that middle line most of the time, but I missed far to many on the day, something that hasn't happened since I came back, it was most strange.
Another simple but great one was, high on the black at different angles follow through again and you had to play the white at a pace to land frozen on the Cush, after you have potted the black,( so pot the black off bottom Cush and get the white on to the opposite side Cush ,)you also had to say where about it would land before you played the shot, this is a lot harder than it sounds .
One thing I found was that the table didn't scare me this time, it's tight, but last time I felt I couldn't see any opening this time it didn't bother me much, but it was damn quick compared to the ones I play on.

You and me my friend are quite the opposite, I am pretty good when the white is low on the black, I do miss some especially when on the bottom cushion, but I get more than I would miss.

for me its when I am high especially 1/2 to 1/4 ball, I seem to hit thick when potting to the yellow bottom pocket and overcut when potting to the green side bottom.

I was shown by a coach to line up all the colours across the table in line with the pink spot then play from a specific spot and try and hit the colours . then do the same on the other side. it teachers you to understand the path the white is coming off the bottom cushion.

eventually when one can master this, can practice to pass through the gaps of the colours. I have found the hardest ones are the ones the you need to comeback towards me. the yellow, green and brown (which is central on the pink spot) I set them up in sequence as its easier to focus for me.

the blue is the easiest simple centre ball medium pace follow will land on the blue every time, the pink is slightly trickier as with maximum follow it still comes up short so a bit of running side helps to widen the angle coming off the cushion.

I'm still hit and miss with the pots so can get frustrating potting 4-5 missing 2-3 the potting a few more. so I have started to focus most of my energy into the pot rather than the position, otherwise its just a waste of time.

anyways good luck with your practice, I hope that if I get the chance I will try and visit Chris just to see from his perspective what things he can point out that are good/bad about my ability

[cyberheater]

We also did a blue off the spot routine playing for position , this was where Chris noticed I wasn't focused on the ob , I was locking on far to early so by the time my forward swing started I was either in a daydream or looking at the wall or the floor or anywhere but the ball lol, so now I am watching the cue just start back straight and then switching.

That's very interesting because often when I miss it's because I've allowed my eyes to wander. Exactly at which point do you switch looking at your cue going back to looking at the ob line of aim spot?

[itsnoteasy]

That's very interesting because often when I miss it's because I've allowed my eyes to wander. Exactly at which point do you switch looking at your cue going back to looking at the ob line of aim spot?

I start the cue coming back straight, then switch, by the time this is done I would say I have switched halfway through my backswing, it's still a bit trial and error just now , but I'm sticking with it as I feel it's right for me, as I am getting periods of good lock on,(if that makes sense) so it's just a matter of me practicing hard with it, I really feel if I crack this I will jump twenty thirty points in my game, as I have made a couple of fifty breaks without looking at what I'm trying to hit, so it must help looking at what you are trying to hit lol.

[cyberheater]

I start the cue coming back straight, then switch, by the time this is done I would say I have switched halfway through my backswing, it's still a bit trial and error just now , but I'm sticking with it as I feel it's right for me, as I am getting periods of good lock on,(if that makes sense) so it's just a matter of me practicing hard with it, I really feel if I crack this I will jump twenty thirty points in my game, as I have made a couple of fifty breaks without looking at what I'm trying to hit, so it must help looking at what you are trying to hit lol.

I'll try it. It sounds good. A dual purpose. You get to see your cue coming back straight and you're eyes don't wander of the line of aim spot when you deliver the cue.
As you say. It will take a bit of getting used to.

[alabadi]

With me it's frustrating potting blues. I find in practice I am very good. I miss very rarely. I practice half ball on blue to land on pink coming of the bottom cushion . And if it's less than half ball I can get on the pick with either a slow run through or a slow screw shot, depends which side I fancy.

I also practice splitting the pack and have a high percentage success.

But come to a match situation it's unbelievable I miss most of the ones I pot comfortably in practice I miss. I'm convinced it's because I'm taking it for granted I must be losing my focus on the blue and switching my eyes too early to the white.

[itsnoteasy]

Alabadi do you mean you are watching where the white is going before you have potted the blue? If so this is another thing Chris changed in me(I forgot this before) now when I'm say potting the blue into the middle, I pot the blue and track the blue into the pocket, I don't follow the white, I can't affect what the white does once I have made my stroke, but I can concentrate on the blue throughout the stoke and if I follow it after I have hit it I can see if I have hit it too thick or too thin, even when I have potted it I can see if it's gone in the middle of the bag or not as this can have a big affect on where the white goes,I feel this gives better feedback on what's going right or wrong,this change really threw me on the day and takes some getting used to if you have been a cue ball follower.

[alabadi]

Alabadi do you mean you are watching where the white is going before you have potted the blue? .

yes that's what i mean, like i said in practice i don't do this i watch the blue until it drops, i think its because of the relaxed atmosphere no pressure on the shot so i can focus more. when it comes to playing a proper frame against some one i feel more rushed and i probably lose my timing and rhythm.

i know i shouldn't but how many can take their practice form to a proper game.

[cyberheater]

I start the cue coming back straight, then switch, by the time this is done I would say I have switched halfway through my backswing, it's still a bit trial and error just now , but I'm sticking with it as I feel it's right for me, as I am getting periods of good lock on,(if that makes sense) so it's just a matter of me practicing hard with it, I really feel if I crack this I will jump twenty thirty points in my game, as I have made a couple of fifty breaks without looking at what I'm trying to hit, so it must help looking at what you are trying to hit lol.

Yeah. I tried it. No chance. I guess I need a lot longer to 'lock on' to the target then you do mate. Must be an age thing. LOL.

[itsnoteasy]

Yeah. I tried it. No chance. I guess I need a lot longer to 'lock on' to the target then you do mate. Must be an age thing. LOL.

My eyes are not what they were even compared to last year, when I first go down the club, the first ten minutes I'm basically playing blind as I can't focus on the ob at all, it's just all blurry, but after a bit my eyes adjust and I'm ok.
Today I was much better with my new rhythm but it could just be an upswing in form who knows, I do know I'm flying through the routines Chris gave me, so I will just have to wait and see how it goes.