Terry's Technique Video

[Sidd]

As a reminder, this is what I think regarding Siddiqui and for other 'wanna be snooker players' looking in, I think this thread is worth a read: http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...-FINALLY/page2

This thread is well over two months old and just shows how time can slip away when not working at the table..

I am not a wannabe snooker player at all. I am a snooker player yes not a good one I know that but perhaps a low standard player yet a played indeed.

but you are right, I shall work hard on getting my things sorted out and then will upload another video of myself in the coming days and shall take it from that point.

[pottr]

I don't think j6uk meant it as an insult Sidd. Infact, he's highlighted you because you care so much about your improvement. It's a compliment.

I've said it many times to you my friend. Just play the game. You will improve through frequency of practice alone...

Right now you are playing the right amount of hours but you have so much of your thought fixated on subtle nuances that aren't that important for a player at your current level. You know the basics. Line of the shot, solid stance and bridge, keep still...

The rest will iron itself out. There is no quick fix... Even the slightest change in the cue action will take weeks to fully incorporate itself and become natural... Wholesale changes like what you keep attempting my man, will never have a lasting effect on your game.

[Sidd]

I obviously don't know you Sidd but I have read your posts over the last few months. You remind me of a few people I know (and myself to some extent in the past).

My own take on things and fresh perspective, but maybe has been said before is that you should find what works for you and just stick with it through good and bad days. Don't change something just because you had a bad session. What usually happens is the placebo effect makes you think you have cracked it and everything is rosy for a week until you play awful and start the tinkering again. Certainly don't look at what other people do.

When you play well at snooker or have made a big break you find that you cannot recall much of it as you have been zoned in / not thinking of anything. My own opinion is that you will improve if you keep things as simple as possible and stick to it. Snooker is only about pulling and pushing the cue through in a straight line. It doesn't matter if you have to stand on 1 leg to achieve this, it's your style. Do the baulk line test, up and down the spots - if you can do this then you are half way home!

You don't need to start thinking about backswing length, dropping shoulder and all that. I have a long backswing but it shortens when rolling a black in. I don't consciously do it, it just happens because I told myself when standing behind the shot that it just needs rolling in and the brain will do the rest.

Give it a bash and persevere. Keep it simple. Get a routine sorted for every shot and don't change. Stand behind every shot, get everything clear in your mind - line, BOB, where you are striking the white, strength and just get down and play thinking only about your 1 dummy thought. You think you twist your wrist which takes the cue off line. I used to this especially under pressure so get down and just think "keep wrist relaxed".

You will still play crap time to time but I bet in 6 months time if you stick to something like this you will have beaten your 62. There is no eureka moment in snooker when something just clicks and you become instantly what you think you should be - just lots of solo time and perseverance.

All the best
Glenn

Dear Glenn,

Thanks for your kind words of advice. I really appreciate that. All that you have stated makes pure sense to me and I shall try to abide that for sure. Thanks again !!!

Yes so are so very right. Last month i made a break of 55 .. took 6 blacks and a blues and a red and then missed a baby black and then I noticed two interesting things about this break right after making it

1. I had no idea what colours I took or how many or which after which etc ... yes I do not remember how I did that. I wasnt thinking I was just there and doing it. I must have been in the zone with proper timing and all that... I think that only happens when your mind is free and keeping a free mind for an OCD is my challenge !

2. I compiled this little break in not more than 7-8 minutes really. I was amazed at the speed whereas in normal conditions I take more time in potting !

thanks again !

Regards,
Sidd

[Sidd]

I don't think j6uk meant it as an insult Sidd. Infact, he's highlighted you because you care so much about your improvement. It's a compliment.

I've said it many times to you my friend. Just play the game. You will improve through frequency of practice alone...

Right now you are playing the right amount of hours but you have so much of your thought fixated on subtle nuances that aren't that important for a player at your current level. You know the basics. Line of the shot, solid stance and bridge, keep still...

The rest will iron itself out. There is no quick fix... Even the slightest change in the cue action will take weeks to fully incorporate itself and become natural... Wholesale changes like what you keep attempting my man, will never have a lasting effect on your game.

True that !

I shall try my best to stick to myself and play my natural normal game as much as possible. Yes I can understand now that changing one slight thing alters the whole cue action and I have been experimenting on everything everytime, which I shan't do from now onwards !!!

Cheers

[itsnoteasy]

Thanks mate for your honest opinion. My problem is that I know my problem very well but even then this bloody brain of mine goes astray. Please do not think I do this on purpose, it is just not in my control. However, that said, I shall abide by your advice and try not to bother others around here with the same redundancies anymore.

Sidd it's not a bother to me, it's you I wrote that for, I genuinely feel its holding you back, as you have said your breaks were better before you joined here and tinkered all the time, I'm guessing that's because you relaxed and just played, if you can't play solo, treat your games as practice, it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's getting it right in the long run, that's how you win.
I normally enjoy your posts, it's obvious you love the game, and I don't like to see anyone suffer, as I know how frustrating it can get, then the tension and doubt sets in, and the games gone.
One thing I would add, I don't know if this is a mistake, but you go on about dropping the shoulder?, do you mean elbow, as dropping the shoulder is a definite no no.

[Sidd]

Sidd it's not a bother to me, it's you I wrote that for, I genuinely feel its holding you back, as you have said your breaks were better before you joined here and tinkered all the time, I'm guessing that's because you relaxed and just played, if you can't play solo, treat your games as practice, it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's getting it right in the long run, that's how you win.
I normally enjoy your posts, it's obvious you love the game, and I don't like to see anyone suffer, as I know how frustrating it can get, then the tension and doubt sets in, and the games gone.
One thing I would add, I don't know if this is a mistake, but you go on about dropping the shoulder?, do you mean elbow, as dropping the shoulder is a definite no no.

Yes indeed that has been the case. Not finding a table for solo and having to play matches all the time, I had to train myself during friendlies... I understand very well such things are not for matches but then I hadn't any choice. Anyway, now that I have understood this, I shall try not to tinker during matches. Yes I have suffered due to doubt and gotten confused many times and hence ruined my game, not on one occasion but many and repeated the same cycle over and over again. But not anymore...

Yes I mean dropping the elbow but through the shoulder muscle. Actually and in reality you cannot drop the elbow without the shoulder muscle ... it is the shoulder that drops actually in dropping the elbow. I am still trying to control this element...

[vmax4steve]

Sidd

You have turned yourself into a snooker coaches' crash test dummy.

It's time to stop soaking up all that punishment, step back and allow all that advice to leak away and just understand that there is only one fundamental thing that you do wrong,

you take your eye off BOB now and again, both on the stroke when faced with a difficult shot, and when sighting a dolly shot.

Please stop thinking and just focus on BOB and play.

[Sidd]

Sidd

You have turned yourself into a snooker coaches' crash test dummy.

It's time to stop soaking up all that punishment, step back and allow all that advice to leak away and just understand that there is only one fundamental thing that you do wrong,

you take your eye off BOB now and again, both on the stroke when faced with a difficult shot, and when sighting a dolly shot.

Please stop thinking and just focus on BOB and play.

Thanks for the much awaited response Steve. Yes indeed that is what I have been doing since the last three days and to tell you the truth, i have been playing pretty much ok. No breaks yet but 20 odds and 30 odds are coming on usual basis now. And if you can do 30 odd in a frame only two times, the frame is just about yours

I am trying to discipline myself to stick to BOB during wet and dry and I have this feeling that only this BOB shall give me a break and a break ! I have noticed that BOB gave me my back pause back that I had lost recently and hence it helps my timing and rhythm.

I think this is the third time in last last few months that you are saying the same thing to me- I feel embarrassed but well I have made sure I wont let it happen again

What I have told myself is that I have learnt about technique quite a lot for my level, now I will try my best not to think of it and only do BOB throughout and see what happens in the next few weeks... I am sure all that I have learnt and experimented and practiced will come to me subconsciously ! lets see

Will surely upload a video soon with the new confident me in it

Cheers and thanks as always !

[Byrom]

can I just ask what is this Bob thing people keep referring too and why is this important?

[Terry Davidson]

Byrom:

BOB stands for Back-Of-Ball and is a point directly opposite the pocket opening you want to hit and where you want the cueball to make initial contact. Some people say they can imagine a dot on the object ball but I've never been able to to that so I assess the potting angle when standing behind the shot and get my head (use my nose) to point at that spot on the object ball (or as close as you can come) and then drop the head straight down into the address position and then I just focus on the object ball.

Terry

[Byrom]

Sorry still slightly confused there Terry - do you mean the contact point = back of the ball, or the bit that you would aim to hit on a full ball shot?

[Terry Davidson]

Byrom:

As I said BOB is the point directly opposite the part of the pocket you want the object ball to go to.

A more simple explanation then...if you placed the cueball by hand in the plant position on the object ball so the plant was aimed directly at the spot on the pocket you want the object ball to hit, then the point where the cueball and object ball are touching is BOB.

Terry

[Byrom]

Ok I get you so it is just another phrase for what I would call the contact point and some people call it back of ball or bob for short? Did not understand it for a second bit like Americans calling side - English or double being a bank shot?

Sidd is confusing me lol

[Terry Davidson]

Yes...in Canada we use both the pool terms and the British or international ones. 'Bank in the side', 'rake' for 'rest', although we don't use 'english' for spin but it's 'bottom stuff' instead of 'screw', 'top stuff' instead of run-through and a bunch of others.

Terry

[j6uk]

I'd spent the morning with the local pro and the likes of T.Meo, playing the blue off the spot to, getting around the back of the black and get on the pink, to clear pink n black and, we''d call side rotation: gear, funk or get creative..
I found playing around the country that these became common terms