Rhythm

[Stupree]

How would you describe your rhythm on and around the snooker table?

How closely does this snooker rhythm mirror your natural rhythm in the other areas of your life?

Are you instinctive and quick to act on and off the table? or are you much more methodical and considered in both areas?

Are you even contrary in these two areas, perhaps instinctive and rash in life but slow and methodical at the snooker table?

In day to day life I am habitually very slow to take action (lazy), I am happy to think things through in detail meaning that when action needs to be taken I can often work decisively through a project from start to finish, although many things do go unfinished!* In many areas of my life there is a 'right way' to do things, a set of steps to follow to get the right result, things often become a bigger job as a result.* This not to an OCD level as I can function perfectly fine if things are not done this 'right way' and can choose to deviate from this if there is something else I would rather be doing, which there often is.*

On the table I am much more instinctive. Playing 8 ball I walk around the table twice on my first visit to the table plotting my way around the series of balls and then playing with a fairly quick rhythm from then on.* I suppose this is in-keeping with my approach to life and I feel comfortably able to play pool to a good standard.* Snooker though is a much more complex game! Since I stopped playing snooker as a teenager it has always been treated as just something to play every now and again and would play quickly as this came naturally.* Now I am much more focused on improving my snooker than I ever have been before and as a result have slowed everything down.* From selecting the shot to addressing the cue ball and to my cueing, it has all been slowed right down to allow me to focus on my technique.* It does feel like a real slog at the moment, I have seen some improvement but it has affected my pool performances.* There has been a couple of times where I have just let myself cut loose and I can feel myself speeding up to a natural rhythm with a nice flow to it as I play shots and make my way around the table.* It does feel good but at what cost to my technique?

I know that with regular table time my game will improve and as 'Practice makes permanent' I will get very good at producing a repeatable action whether it's good or bad as a result.* Should I fight what feels to be a natural rhythm for me to play in favour of pursuing a robotic technique and slower pace?

What has been your experience of any changes to your rhythm and flow whilst developing your game?*

[Byrom]

good question.

How would you describe your rhythm on and around the snooker table?

Depends how I feel - I always try to play at the same rhythm from the start to finish in a frame - a medium pace helps me to keep everything consistent. I try and take a breather on an easy shot - weigh up my options - map the table a bit and play better position.


How closely does this snooker rhythm mirror your natural rhythm in the other areas of your life?

Yep laid back most of the time - I feel a lot of players do often reflect how they are away from the table as they are on it -
My understanding of my temperament is my strongest asset - not many players practice things away from the table - but I think it important to do this because I feel practice keeping calm off the table can help you reflect that attitude on it.

Are you instinctive and quick to act on and off the table? or are you much more methodical and considered in both areas?

methodical and considered.

Are you even contrary in these two areas, perhaps instinctive and rash in life but slow and methodical at the snooker table?

No but I often do a lot of work on the computer late at night as well as during the day - I cant sleep properly and still try and play - I make mistakes during the day and when playing when tired I used to slow right down and I am rubbish this way - kids do not help in this regard. I find now it helps me to play fast when tired or playing bad because I struggle to keep a focus and so a more instinctive and quicker run around the table helps me be more decisive and removes any doubt on the shots.

Original Source: http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...#ixzz2t9qEcJvc
- TSF - TheSnookerForum.com

[Sidd]

Interesting... I liked your page on facebook and found it is great.

Well I tend to get lazy in real life all the time. I do plan everything in detail upto an OCD level, I am an OCD, and then decide on doing things. I am quite double minded at times given that I think too much on both cons and pros to an extent that at times both the cons and pros become equal and render me with indecisiveness.

My biggest enemy is procrastination. I procrastinate a lot- really a lot- really really a lot. If I have a deadline for a project report for instance of 12 days- I would imagine the report and understand its ToR and then in my mind I would assume it can be made in 3 days then I would be lazy procrastinating for the first 9 days and then in the last 3 days I would give it my best shot. No break, no food just extreme concentration and hard work and I end up doing it greatly. I understand if I do it nice and easy I could do it the same quality in 12 days in bits easily without pressurising myself but then I think I am a kind of a person who works best under pressure. I cant be left to work in ease or I wont work at all, give my strict small deadlines and heavy pressure and I shall deliver marvelously.

At the snooker table well I think too much about my technique even during matchplay. Have been trying to control it but it is not easy for me to give my brain some rest. At a break of 31 I would make an easy red and normally miss that due to:

1. going down double minded for next position. Even though I shrug off one idea but tend to get lazy to get up and start over again.
2. while down in address I tinker about grip or try to do a conscious effort not to drop the elbow- which mingles with my rhythm and hence timing.

trying to learn some discipline both on and off the table.

[CfcMicky]

Good questions- too deep for me to answer right now so I liked your facebook page instead. But in a nutshell I think ones mindset shows in ones playing style. If I needed back up in the street I'd ask Rocket Ronnie to help before I'd ask Judd Trump- that sort of thing. Good morning all

[Stupree]

Rhythm

Thanks for sharing chaps, some interesting reading there.

I have experienced that indecisive feeling on and off the table at times too Sidd. When I am going to purchase a non essential item, a luxury I suppose such as a new camera, laptop, car etc I start off with a gut feeling about an item but then analyse and compare until I go full circle and have only ended up proving beyond doubt that my gut feeling was the correct one.

This had crept in to my game of late whilst breakbuilding, where the choice is points or continuation? I have made a commitment to always go for continuation. This has helped me a lot! I have chosen to not to record my breaks by points total for now on focus on consecutive balls potted. It is helping me to build patterns of play picking off a couple of reds with baulk colours and blues to work myself in to a position to score more heavily.

[denja]

Pace and rhythm round the table is a very personal however I would suggest not to fast not to slow dont be eager and dash round the table when you see a easy ball, If you watch some of the pro players eg (Shaun Murphy) they have what I would describe as a sort of LAZY! but controlled rhythm not speeding up or slowing down no matter if it is a difficult or easy shot, ok ! you may have to break your rhythm on a difficult snooker or positional shot but still keep that easy laid back feeling and BREATH ! I had a bit of coaching on this and was amazed how it improved my game, I was a bit of a up tight ! fast ! slow ! dash round the table ! when I saw a temping shot and sometimes even my breathing was up and down according to the shot, keep your breathing regular and relaxed, Ok ! very hard but as my coach said "Try and be laid back but turned on"

[luke-h]

Pace and rhythm round the table is a very personal however I would suggest not to fast not to slow dont be eager and dash round the table when you see a easy ball, If you watch some of the pro players eg (Shaun Murphy) they have what I would describe as a sort of LAZY! but controlled rhythm not speeding up or slowing down no matter if it is a difficult or easy shot, ok ! you may have to break your rhythm on a difficult snooker or positional shot but still keep that easy laid back feeling and BREATH ! I had a bit of coaching on this and was amazed how it improved my game, I was a bit of a up tight ! fast ! slow ! dash round the table ! when I saw a temping shot and sometimes even my breathing was up and down according to the shot, keep your breathing regular and relaxed, Ok ! very hard but as my coach said "Try and be laid back but turned on"

i was the same, i could work up a sweat almost jogging round the table, so now i rein it in, if im not hot and bothered im at an ok pace

[denja]

i was the same, i could work up a sweat almost jogging round the table, so now i rein it in, if im not hot and bothered im at an ok pace

GREAT ! Glad I was not alone ! Getting that laid back feel to your rhythm and pace round the table I am sure is the secret, I think that this done right even reflects in your cue action unhurried, smooth, controlled, so everything from the first approach to the table to the final hitting of the ball is one smooth action.