Length Does Matter ;)

[Sidd]

I'm really glad you like your new and improved cue Sidd. I keep wondering about getting a long cue from time to time. Mine is a 59 inch and I'm around 6ft 5inch (but shrinking as I get older).

But I'm worried that If I start chasing cues then I'll just blame my cue for my bad form rather then my technique.

I hope you see some steady improvement.

Thanks a lot mate appreciated.

Well you have to try it to believe it. 6 feet 5 means 60 inches would be good for you or maybe 61 inches I dont know. But surely once you get a longer cue and try it out you will feel free and liberated trust me. Its your choice but I got a longer one on Steve's recommendation and I must say I have never been happier its still a bit heavy for me and the tip is new .. am trying to get used to with it

[Sidd]

Sidd

Tell all the detractors from me that I told you so, and forget about your grip mate, start from scratch and just play with your eyes on the object ball on the strike.
Remember that when you miss the odd easy one or your form dips it's this that you are not doing as you have everything else in place to be a better player.

Dear Steve,

You are so right about this factor. You know tonight i went in to play again and then the second finger grip wasnt working at all... funny but true... So during the mid session I changed to forefinger but did not make a ring and kept the forefinger and thumb open just gripped from upper forefinger and thumb and things improved. This clearly means that i just need to pick up the cue and keep it nice and relaxed and then forget about it and it will be sorted out subconsciously.... I shall try not to think about the grip anymore...! You know one of my mates (we call him Selby hahaha not cuz he plays like him but he is his biggest ever fan) so Selby said something to me that really humbled me .. he said Sidd you have all the ability to make effortless breaks and I have seen you do that but I just dont understand why dont you do that often.... I think its about time I get serious and stop tinkering for good... particularly about the darned grip .... just need to have confidence that its just that no matter how I hold it it will work for me if I keep it relaxed and that is it !!!

[Sidd]

My mates have decided to have a 6 ball tournament tomorrow. Best of three frames each match semi-final best of 5 and final 7. I am looking forward to participate. Have given my entry fee.

Pray for me guys ... !!! will update on progress tomorrow after coming back and I do hope I perform properly !

[DeanH]

Yes why not Terry. He does not have a website I know that bit. I will call him tomorrow and ask him to email me some pictures and then I shall share with you... As for the money yes paypal is not an option here but there would be some other way around... Let me call him and see what he says about this. Will give you the pictures as soon as I have them.

I was thinking of asking the same but work got in the way earlier today

[j6uk]

Well I plan to achieve this by trying to keep my mind relax and off thoughts (touch but that is the only way) will try my best in this regard. i would also try to get as much time as possible for solo practice. lets see... the longer has started helping me in this way and that is the biggest thing, in fact two things: 1. my stance around it is comfy now and 2. previously my grip arm was forward or vertical at address and tip was a bit farther from CB ... now as my tip is nicely on the CB and my grip arm is vertical I am certain that this will help me drop the elbow AFTER the strike and not before and this will be the biggest advantage for consistency and accuracy

after your video last summer you disappeared, to become a writer.. and now your back, all snookerfied and armed with an extra two inches.. i don't believe you sid, we've been here before. from your track record and the repetitive waffle that goes on here, i don't think you know what is good or bad technically, how to improve, and what it really takes to play good snooker.

[Sidd]

after your video last summer you disappeared, to become a writer.. and now your back, all snookerfied and armed with an extra two inches.. i don't believe you sid, we've been here before. from your track record and the repetitive waffle that goes on here, i don't think you know what is good or bad technically, how to improve, and what it really takes to play good snooker.

Now that you have said it, yes indeed I have been thinking on these lines too. Am I a writer or a snooker player (apart from my profession, which is my NGO) or are both my writing and snooker my OCD addictions??? I cannot answer that for sure. But when I play snooker and during the time that I do I cannot think of anything else and when I was writing I was not thinking of anything else and was afraid that my writing might eventually become my OCD just like my snooker maybe... But anyway these are the two things that I really enjoy and for the moment I am enjoying my snooker...

[j6uk]

Now that you have said it, yes indeed I have been thinking on these lines too. Am I a writer or a snooker player (apart from my profession, which is my NGO) or are both my writing and snooker my OCD addictions??? I cannot answer that for sure. But when I play snooker and during the time that I do I cannot think of anything else and when I was writing I was not thinking of anything else and was afraid that my writing might eventually become my OCD just like my snooker maybe... But anyway these are the two things that I really enjoy and for the moment I am enjoying my snooker...

well as long as your enjoy it, that's the main thing imo.. just try not to get too carried away dreaming, whilst suckling on the pipe

[Sidd]

well as long as your enjoy it, that's the main thing imo.. just try not to get too carried away dreaming, whilst suckling on the pipe

will do my best not to... lets see.. no pipes these days chest infection and viral fever.... winters are passing and this is sad

[jay686]

Well I'll give it a couple of weeks before we see the thread.

"Length doesn't matter as much as I'd hoped"

Good luck sidd.Thru all your frustration you manage to have some fun too. That's more important than anything. 😀

[Sidd]

Well I'll give it a couple of weeks before we see the thread.

"Length doesn't matter as much as I'd hoped"

Good luck sidd.Thru all your frustration you manage to have some fun too. That's more important than anything. 

Exactly... I am enjoying after such a long time now. Perhaps due to the alteration perhaps due to trying not to think about technique in matches .. perhaps a mix of both who knows But I am enjoying for sure... finally!

[vmax4steve]

All right then I just got my cue last night from the cue-maker and he really had done a good job. The cue had a new ferrule and a new elk master tip. The length is now exactly 60 inches and he has put a screw in the butt and has made me a nice little 6 inches mini-butt.

I went in last night to try it out as I was really waiting for it. I did not had much time so just played three frames and came back. Today I plan to go for a longer time. The following are my initial impressions:

======================================
1. The weight has been added a bit. Not much but just a few 0.something ounces. the cue felt a bit heavier but not much and I shall easily get used to with it.

2. The balance point has not really shifted forward and the balance feels right, in fact I felt more cue power while playing some strokes.
======================================

Steve (Vmax) you were so bloody correct my dear mate. I just loved the feeling this longer cue gave me. Although deep down I was not expecting any major difference from merely 2 inches but man you were SPOT ON about it. The best thing that I felt are as under:

A. I have more cue to look at after the V while at the address position. This gives me a higher sighting advantage- something I have never ever felt before given that I have always played with 57-58 inches cues. it was amazing honestly amazing and I felt so much in control of how I looked at the BOB from behind the cue.

B. I have at least half an inch behind my grip hand when it is vertical at address and a good 11-12 inches after the V. I do not have to twist, mold, angle, adjust my stance around the cue.. I can just go down naturally and even have my bridge arm almost straight with a very very little bend in it and still be able to stand properly and in a relax manner.

C. You were so so right mate when you said while the cue is new and I go down I might touch the CB hahahha I did that really. Did a foul like this three times but then I got used to it and adjusted.

D. I now do not have to intentionally get my cue tip nearer to the CB like before, but now when I am down my tip is as near to the CB as possible by default. This in turn helped me make my shots with ease and without the need for extra follow through which I used to do in order to drive the CB. Since the tip is almost touching the CB at address I can play the shot nicely and drive through naturally without having to extend the cue a lot and hence I am quite so very certain that this will help me greatly in reducing the chances of dropping the elbow before striking the CB. This is the greatest advantage that I observed. This will help me stop worrying about dropping the elbow Ha-Ha because now I know I will not be dropping it before the strike and hence if it drops after the strike, I do not need to care for it- this shall in turn free my mind from one of my biggest flaws Happy man I am really.

E. One of the most astounding revelations I had was this: my rest play has improved DRAMATICALLY. Previously I was struggling a lot with rest play but last night wow I made all rest shots to my satisfaction including stuns and angles screws off the rest What I noticed was that when down on rest there was so much cue in front of me that I felt confident in terms of sighting. Very nice this element in particular.

These are my initial observations. I played well and not too good because of the following two things:

i. I was playing with a brand new tip and it will take some time in bedding in completely.

ii. Since I use the drive and not pecking hence as Dell Hill says and Coach Gavin agrees that for such players the second finger grip is better given that it relaxes the first finger and that helps upon driving/delivery and also that the same was recommended for me by Terry here including trying to get the palm touch the cue at address as my wrist used to twist upon delivery and further that whenever I do up and down the spots I see slight left hand side imparted on the white and Steve Davis said in his article that for those who impart unintentional side that could be perhaps due to the back three fingers coming back on to the cue in delivery and they should try the Alex higgins grip..... Due to all these elements I have decided to stick tot he second finger grip where my palm touches the cue at address as my final final thing and so since I am trying this grip now.. it will take some time for this new grip to become cemented in my technique... So I am giving it that time however I am keeping myself relax and trying my best not to think about it while down at the shot. Also I could feel that I was keeping my second finger rather tight on the cue as I am not used to with this grip and for some time it will not feel natural and that is why my second finger was rather tight. But i will get hold of it soon.

Above all, I feel light nice and easy, liberated and free... I am sure that after all this I shall try not to think about technique any more and just concentrate on my game and potting and soon get my natural feel and start making those 40 and 50 odds and then hopefully be able to beat my 67 and move on to 70 and 80 and then one day inshallah (if God willing) I shall make my dream century.

Thank you Terry, thank you Steve, thank you all other members around and thanks TSF

Did the promise of a shiny new cue take all this away Sidd ?

[Khanibrar74]

Up to USF to decide

[wideride96]

no! i went upto a 61" cue before coming back down again. you could say, the better i got the shorter my cue became. i'm 6'4" and i use a 57" cue. i'm in the same camp as tw when it comes to cue length, anything over 58.5" is too long

Someone had best tell Earl Strickland then! lol
Yeez that's long

[Sidd]

Did the promise of a shiny new cue take all this away Sidd ?

I guess you are right I am a bad bad person. Always found contradicting MYSELF ... But well now that its done, don't make me regret it yes I understand and still accept and admit that when I lengthened my cue, things changed for me after a little while, however, when the prospects of having a new cue emerged; yes the shine blinded me to in a way - let us hope I get used to it and train myself to play properly with this new cue. Let us just hope !

[Ramon]

I guess you are right I am a bad bad person. Always found contradicting MYSELF ... But well now that its done, don't make me regret it yes I understand and still accept and admit that when I lengthened my cue, things changed for me after a little while, however, when the prospects of having a new cue emerged; yes the shine blinded me to in a way - let us hope I get used to it and train myself to play properly with this new cue. Let us just hope !

To be honest , Vmax is always right !! This guy knows much about snooker !!