Routine For Potting Blues

[CeeJay147]

Hi all, is there a common routine for learning how to pot blues into the middle pockets using different spins etc? I struggle to pot routine blues consistently as soon as I try applying side. Any help would be appreciated, cheers :redface-new:

[cyberheater]

How much side do you apply. Half a tip width. A whole tip width. More?

[CeeJay147]

I have a habit of applying a lot of side when using it and varying power rather than how much side I apply. I always feel that there won't be enough side left once it reaches the bottom cushion etc.

[cyberheater]

I've been learning to apply side. The fine folks on this forum have said to start with just applying just a touch of side. Half a cue tips width which can work wonders and then go from there.

[Byrom]

You need not only to pot you need to understand what you are doing with the white- so here is one I do.

get all balls move all of them bar three reds to the middle pocket - now take three reds place one red on cushion directly behind black spot touching the rail then place the other two red balls about 12 - 18 inches or so in on the bottom rail near each of the bottom corner pockets.

Now place a fourth red at a 3 quarter angle as if you where potting the blue off its spot now use that ball as a guide to keep replacing the white in the same place next to it.

Now you can and place all the balls one by one on the blue spot and practice your potting -

I practce potting the ball using only plain ball stun up and down centre ball on the white and try to stun down and hit each ball in turn on the bottom rail with the white whilst potting a ball off the middle spot.

3 chances to hit each ball or fail -

Key stun lower on the white to hit nearer and stun higher to hit away just below centre to hit behind the black.
You can vary this exercise with using bits of stun and side and change the potting angle by moving your marker ball - use all the balls then you dont have to keep replacing the blue dont finish untill you have potted them all then you can go and do same exercise on the other side. Remember you cant come off a cush to hit the balls on the bottom rail just stun.

You can experiment using screw and chicken chow mein later too - but this is just for the flash shots - keep it simple and keep more consistent at first build up your confidence on this type of shot.

[cyberheater]

@ Byrom. That's a very good practise routine. And I guess you could practise a similar routine to avoid the balk colours.

[Byrom]

The above post is an exercise that can be repeated in other areas

Mine is used for manovering the white from top side of the blue - useful for learning position or for smashing into the pack which would be a just below centre 3 quarter blue ball stun -

You notice here at 11 on this vid j6uk used on another thread how judd uses the same technique plain ball stuning up and down centre white using a half ball black to judge position off the bottom rail after potting the black? This is a very useful practice routine to allow you to start to building up your knowledge of cue ball control.

[Byrom]

@ Byrom. That's a very good practise routine. And I guess you could practise a similar routine to avoid the balk colours.

Yes you can - just place the balls low on the blue -

Its a very useful exercise - For the shot you mean I usually stun down with top and side or bottom and side using two cushions to avoid making the cannon on the way back up for that one but its all pref and using this you could practice various ways of avoiding that dreaded baulk coulor cannon - this exercise is a good one to help that too.

[cyberheater]

The above post is an exercise that can be repeated in other areas

Mine is used for manovering the white from top side of the blue - useful for learning position or for smashing into the pack which would be a just below centre 3 quarter blue ball stun -

You notice here at 11 on this vid how judd uses the same technique plain ball stuning up and down centre white using a half ball black to judge position off the bottom rail after potting the black? This is a very useful practice routine to allow you to start to building up your knowledge of cue ball control.

A great practise routine for positional play.

Also. What an amazing cueist he is. Those amazing long reds with tremendous deep screw. Wow.

[Byrom]

Yeah everybody loves the flash shots - My advice to anyone is have a go in practice at these things by all means - sometimes you need em but the simple stuff stunning up and down centre white plain ball is the real helpful stuff on the video - don't neglect it.

I see loads of players whacking it around the table with chicken chow mien in a game when they could just play something easier - the really good players - who can do that too - well they keep it simple if they can - cut out the side if possible - use plain ball stuns and soft screw shots and learn to control the white plain ball first.

The routine Judd does at 11 looks easy but it takes consistent timing and lots of practice - in snooker fractions matter a lot-position is everything

[cyberheater]

The routine Judd does at 11 looks easy but it takes consistent timing and lots of practice - in snooker fractions matter a lot-position is everything

Yes. It's all about precise positional play. Something that I'm slowly getting my head around. Predicting roughly where the white will end up after contact with the object ball. Judd makes it look very easy but he is one of the best players in the world and has a phenomenal technique.

[Byrom]

Lots of club players like to play with side and zip and always makes me laugh when a coach of someone tells someone to practce potting long blues and stuff - why learn this before the simple stuff? The long blue does not come into play as much as this simple shot I describe yet not many players practce it enough.

I have a mate who seems to love screwing back using side and banging it around the table - he can pot em off the light shades and makes some exciting breaks - I usually allways beat him easily - because my close control and shot selection is much better than him - the exciting shots are all all well and good but many like my mate neglect the real important stuff the soft stun up and down centre white to control the line of the cue ball and keep it away from the rails - its not too hard to master if you can play the stun shot in and deliver the cue in a consistent manner. Few months worth of practice at the blue routine I described and the Judd Trump position off the black one coupled with the soft screw and stun around the pink cross of reds routine and you will add to your armory and it should give you the confidence to make you a better break builder in the balls - more precise position - judging the line of the shot to leave correct angles to play these stun shots give you more chance to pot and stay around the high colours and away from the rails - that's where all the damage is done after all.

[Byrom]

here's how you do the cross on pink - all these routines help replicate these bread n butter shots you need to improve position and cue ball control - if its good enough fer him to practice its good enough for us.

[Byrom]

getting back to the blue question - apart from the stun shot which only works if you got the right angle - which is why you learn to leave these 3 quarter ball half ball angles - you might also need to learn the thinner cuts - turn the volume down unless you like classical here dong shows a routine - notice his habbit of coming around to pick out the line.

Helps if you have someone to feild but you can use a line of reds where he has whites and place each red on the blue spot in turn

[CeeJay147]

Thanks for all your replies guys. I think I'll try out that routine Dong Dong's using I think that's just what I'm looking for. Might even be tempted to buy 10 cue balls and a classical music CD haha!