Having trouble controlling the cue ball.

[ajb12041985]

Im a left handed player and have just started to get my stance correct after numerous attempts. When im trying to control the cue ball and getting position on a colour after potting a red it doesnt seem to go where i had hoped. I suppose practice will help. I think I hqve a good grip on the cue not too tight and i open my grip for long shots to keep a level cue but i cant seem to get any control of the cue ball.

[j6uk]

I agree and welcome to tsf

I suppose practice will help.

[hotpot]

My advice would be to concentrate on hitting the center of the white consistantly , until you master that youre potting and positional play will be inconsistant . There is loads of good adviceon here regarding grip etc .

[neptar]

Put the black on it's spot and try pot it while keeping position for another black. If you pot it, re-spot it and carry on. See how many you can get in a row. When you are starting out this is a pretty good exercise as it will help learn pace, potting, angles and shot selection. You'll soon learn what type of shot to take in different situations. It will help your confidence in the different type of shots you can do. At first you'll probably fall out of position quite early and leave yourself with difficult pots to keep going. Eventually your cueball control will improve and you'll be able to string 100 blacks.

[j6uk]

Make your long term goal 20. If you can do 10 that's still a good level. Always leave an angle for the next black, if you land straight you start again or try to make an angle from it. You can't do 10 straight little screwback blacks because there's not much in terms of development there.
To do a 100 blacks is better than making a 100 break imo..

Put the black on it's spot and try pot it while keeping position for another black. ................................................. improve and you'll be able to string 100 blacks.

[alabadi]

To do a 100 blacks is better than making a 100 break imo..

i agree, if anyone can do 100 they are almost at pro level. my record is 18 my next target is 20

[j6uk]

I was politely asked, in a round about way, to stop doing this routine at an old club because I manged to leave visible lines on two of the three tables, from the black spot to both corner pockets.
So, it can get obsessive

i agree, if anyone can do 100 they are almost at pro level. my record is 18 my next target is 20

[ajb12041985]

Hey thanks 4 all the advice people much appreciated. I will try it out and get back to tell you how i get on. Thanks again!

[Terry Davidson]

ajb:

I think this is a case where you have to learn to walk before you can run. Take hotpot's advice and get yourself cueing consistently straight at centre-ball before you try and learn positional play. You won't learn very much trying to control the cueball if you aren't yet cueing straight since the cueball will react differently on every shot until you do.

Terry

[ajb12041985]

Thanks terry. going to practice alot on hitting the cue ball in the centre and getting my stance and bridge consistent. thanks mate

[alabadi]

ajb:

I think this is a case where you have to learn to walk before you can run. Take hotpot's advice and get yourself cueing consistently straight at centre-ball before you try and learn positional play. You won't learn very much trying to control the cueball if you aren't yet cueing straight since the cueball will react differently on every shot until you do.

Terry

Terry my coach is having me doing routines to control the cue ball at this moment in time, i did ask him if he was happy that i am cueing straight or getting down on the correct line of aim a few times, however he just said i don't want you to think about anything as too much thinking will complicate things.

i'm not sure what his goal is but at least hes got me cueing a lot smoother than i used to, i have introduced the rear pause with a 2 sec count and this has increase my control. i still feel on shots more than 3 feet i am less accurate even if the angle is the same as a shot i can pot consistently from 18 inches away.

i'll have to just see how it goes, i should be having another session next week.

Alabbadi

[mythman69]

Terry my coach is having me doing routines to control the cue ball at this moment in time

What routines are you doing?

[j6uk]

Sounds like your coach knows what he's talking about, the last thing you want is the head suffocated with info.
Less is more

Terry my coach is having me doing routines to control the cue ball at this moment in time, i did ask him if he was happy that i am cueing straight or getting down on the correct line of aim a few times, however he just said i don't want you to think about anything as too much thinking will complicate things.

Alabbadi

[alabadi]

What routines are you doing?

the first routine is to have an OB on the blue spot and the cueball 3/4 high, you then place the colours across the table in line with the pink spot, so place the Brown on the pink spot then the Green a foot away and then the Yellow a foot away from the green, the other side place the Blue and then the Pink to the right again same distance away, the Black on its spot.

so you should have 5 colours lined across the table evenly spaced, the idea is to pot the OB on the blue spot and pass the white through each of the 6 gaps and get onto the black.

so for instance the first shot would be playing a run through shot and passing the cueball between the Yellow and the cushion and so on. the idea is to get use to the height and power of each shot to get the cueball to go through each gap. it can be frustrating sometimes but fun too.

I am now pretty good at this so i have moved on to this next routine

this routine which i am struggling with at the moment place 3 reds in line with the Pink and three reds on the baulk line or a couple of inches above eveny spaced. place Blue on its spot.

with cueball in hand you need to pot a red then get on the blue to pot it and get on another red on the opposite side, so you are going from one side to the other until you have cleared 6 reds and 6 blues, my max is 3 reds and blues, i am finding you need to be almost 3/4 on the blue or as near as possible to it to have any control of the white.

he did also give me another routine to line up 10 reds inline with the pink spot again and put the Blue on its spot and said alternatively i can do this one , all the reds are on one side so it might be easier because all you need is each time you pot a red you need to get the right side of the blue to get back to another red, i didn't think it was easier at all, i have only managed 4 reds and blues so far.

so i have some way to go, until i master this, but i am finding now how difficult it is and i am appreciating more and more how good those pros are.

[mythman69]

Thanks alabadi !! I will try them out.

Those pros are amazing! They make the game look so easy.