Nic Barrow's latest gadget.....

[Nic Barrow]

Hi Guys
Thanks for all the interest in the Cue Action Recorder.
I am in fact the most excited customer of the unit -
as it has revealed so much to me about a players individual cueing style and tempo.
I feel i understand this part of the game so much better now...

It also has offered some miraculous results when players convert their own action into a visual trace -
in many ways, 'feeling' ones own cue action accurately is one of the most difficult things to do in the game...

Ferret said a few readers did not understand how it works - so i recorded a session today with my client Justin.
The focus is not great as the camera is half focused on laptop and half on the cue -
but have a look and let me know what you think...
http://youtu.be/ucJvSyd6WB0

[itsnoteasy]

Now I see the practical side of it I like it, could you do one where the focus is more on the graph Nic, as I can see what the cue is doing even slightly out of focus but some of the graph was hard to see there. I can see that it would show how close to the cue ball you cue, if you put your pauses in, tempo of feathers and backswing, (that was very interesting to see his get quicker you couldn't see that with the naked eye,also the one where he got too slow, it showed up as a stutter line, as if it was back, stop,back, stop etc,), speed of start of forward stroke(I have a feeling this part of the cue action causes a lot of movement if not done gradual ) , if you have a nice increase in pace all the way through, and I take it it shows point of impact on the white and if you are still accelerating through(I couldn't tell from the video) does the graph give a little blip when the cue ball is struck?, just interested as to what reaction if any it makes on the cue and cue action, thanks for the video.
I feel tempo of swing is one of the most important things especially in beginners like me, getting that (obviously after bringing the cue through straight) can change your game, can stop movement on the shot,and gain you better cue ball control , as you have a repeatable action, easier said than done.
Another question, last one I promise , does the graph show up, lateral or vertical movement or is it just the horizontal,?
I have watched it a few times now ,it's easier to see once you know what your looking at, on the last shot you can actually tell with the naked eye that he accelerated smoother and that was only using it for a few mins, very very interesting.

[Byrom]

Made me think of this-

[lesedwards]

Hi Guys
Thanks for all the interest in the Cue Action Recorder.
I am in fact the most excited customer of the unit -
as it has revealed so much to me about a players individual cueing style and tempo.
I feel i understand this part of the game so much better now...

It also has offered some miraculous results when players convert their own action into a visual trace -
in many ways, 'feeling' ones own cue action accurately is one of the most difficult things to do in the game...

Ferret said a few readers did not understand how it works - so i recorded a session today with my client Justin.
The focus is not great as the camera is half focused on laptop and half on the cue -
but have a look and let me know what you think...
http://youtu.be/ucJvSyd6WB0

Hi Nic, I think you have come up with something very special. I was suppose to be going to Terry's today to try it out but we are in freezing rain warnings so we have booked some time on the 27th. Just watching the different videos really opens your eyes to all the things that go wrong before your cue strikes the cue ball. I know with myself if I was to hook up the monitor during my practice session I probably would look pretty good but as I have said in different posts my game is completely different when I play a match. Cue action is all over the place. I started last year with your Snooker Gym then met Terry and worked with him off n on when time allowed a two hour drive and then recently with Cliff Thorburn but I cannot wait to try this out at Terry's next week. Here is a good example of bad cue action. I am practicing on my table running pinks off the spot the other night and I had made it to 17 which is not easy to do, just totally relaxed enjoying myself then my son wants to play a game and I did not make one colour with a red all game high break of one.

[Terry Davidson]

Nic:

If you could get the computer screen a little more in focus I think everyone would understand it better as It's difficult to make out the actual chart recording and some people might assume it's just the graph up top on the screen showing the line going back and forth from neutral.

I know you show these clearly on the website but showing an actual one with a student would be more valuable I believe

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

Les:

You didn't attach a video

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

cracker:

The correct interpretation of what Nic advocates is you start the acceleration slow from the rear pause and build it up until you are at maximum acceleration at the time of strike. In addition you keep accelerating through and BEYOND the cueball. Think of a plane accelerating until it reaches take-off velocity.

itsnoteasy:

Yes, you could see a player with poor backswing and delivery but sometimes it's pretty difficult to see just how smoothly he is doing the backswing and delivery. This recorder will show exactly what a player is doing as far as the pace of his rhythm is and it also shows if he has a front and rear pause and one other important point is it will show just how much the cue 'hiccups' at the time of strike which tells the coach just how pure his acceleration through the cueball is. It also shows the LENGTH of the backswing and delivery along with the length of the feathers.

What this doesn't show and what is a serious problem for a lot of players is just when in the delivery they tighten their grip. I talked to Nic about this and there is a pressure sensor used in golf but it can't be adapted to cue delivery. I think it would be great to have a chart showing the backswing and delivery and also being able to tell where the grip tightens.

Terry

[lesedwards]

Les:

You didn't attach a video

Terry

What video?
I might be able to make it to your place on Monday

[itsnoteasy]

cracker:

The correct interpretation of what Nic advocates is you start the acceleration slow from the rear pause and build it up until you are at maximum acceleration at the time of strike. In addition you keep accelerating through and BEYOND the cueball. Think of a plane accelerating until it reaches take-off velocity.

itsnoteasy:

Yes, you could see a player with poor backswing and delivery but sometimes it's pretty difficult to see just how smoothly he is doing the backswing and delivery. This recorder will show exactly what a player is doing as far as the pace of his rhythm is and it also shows if he has a front and rear pause and one other important point is it will show just how much the cue 'hiccups' at the time of strike which tells the coach just how pure his acceleration through the cueball is. It also shows the LENGTH of the backswing and delivery along with the length of the feathers.

What this doesn't show and what is a serious problem for a lot of players is just when in the delivery they tighten their grip. I talked to Nic about this and there is a pressure sensor used in golf but it can't be adapted to cue delivery. I think it would be great to have a chart showing the backswing and delivery and also being able to tell where the grip tightens.

Terry

I stand corrected Terry , once I saw the video that Nic put up I understood more what this could do for you, if you tighten the grip early would a blip in the line not appear? As the tip will move slightly, so the upward graph of acceleration should be a smooth line up past the horizontal line which is where contact should be made, (as this point is set as tip to cue ball at the start)and right through to the end where you might see a wobble on it as the grip closes, but if you say close it just before tip contact(horizontal line) would it not be smooth then just before horizontal line a wobble as tip moves then carry on on its new trajectory.
I don't mind a bit of tech,in the right place and I really try and cue smoothly(easier said than done) so I quite like this.

[itsnoteasy]

Just ignore that load of rubbish lol, I realise the monitor is on the wrist lol.

[Terry Davidson]

Les:

When you said in response to Nic, 'Here is a good example of bad cue action' I thought you were talking about a video (my mistake).

Monday will be fine.

Here's a suggestion for you. Since you have such a wide gap between your practice and when you play a frame with someone, even Strachan, it would really be valuable to take a video of when you're playing with an opponent. Place your camera somewhere at the top end of the table so it's covering the whole table and just let it record the whole frame or a large chunk of it.

Then you could post that video up here but you could also take a look at it with Kinovea and do a frame-by-frame and see what's happening when you play bad. The small pressure you face when playing an opponent must be coming out in your technique somehow.

In my experience it usually turns out to be one or more of the following (listed as most important first):

1. Not having your eyes locked on the object ball at time of strike as they are either on the cueball or else somewhere between the cueball and object ball or maybe even on the pocket. I suspect either the cueball or somewhere in between cb and ob.

2. As a result of #1 your unconscious brain is saying 'I've hit the cueball, job done' and you start decelerating the cue or in other words clutching the cue and this slowing down the cue process will start before you strike the cueball.

3. Tightening the grip too early in the delivery. This can happen right at the start of the delivery sometimes, especially on a power shot where a player tightens the grip to get the acceleration he wants.

4. Backswing is too short for the power required. If a player doesn't have a smooth and slow backswing which is fairly long he will keep trying to accelerate the cue too rapidly.

5. Backswing too fast...see #3 & #4 above.

6. Not completing the stroke properly, i.e. - not driving the grip hand to the chest consistently by making sure the cue is accelerated through and beyond the cueball. Also means clutching the cue.

7. Perhaps a little upper body movement on the backswing especially which takes the cue off-line. This leads to lower confidence which in turn leads to a whole list of other problems. Remember what I told you...keep the cue against the chest and chin during the feathers, complete backswing and complete delivery right to the end. As a beginner you need that 4-point channel to help you keep the cue straight when moving it. Also, don't breathe in or out from the time your bridge hand hits the table until after the delivery.

Terry

[throtts]

Fear of loosing is the killer in snooker. Fear also promotes a lack of confidence. I know, easier said than done chaps.

[itsnoteasy]

Les how did you control the nerves and keep the technique right at the golf? What do you think the difference is between how you felt and coped then to how you feel and cope(or don't cope )now.

[lesedwards]

Les how did you control the nerves and keep the technique right at the golf? What do you think the difference is between how you felt and coped then to how you feel and cope(or don't cope )now.

I was 11 years of age when I started playing golf and by the time I was 16 I was breaking par on a regular basis. I basically lived there playing or practicing every day. Now I am 50 and started laying Snooker last year or at least taking it serious, so like Terry has said in other posts I expect too much too quick. The old saying you have to walk before you run.

[j6uk]

i think itsnot is talking about nerve les, like when you were in the heat of battle on the course, and being able to bring your practice game to the fairway.