Can't get through the lineup - tips and ideas

[lesedwards]

Les:

When I recommended to you to try hitting the ball harder all the time I guess I forgot to say 'during solo practice'. When you are playing with another player there is too much going on for you to concentrate on your technique as you should be concentrating on the match and scoring points.

The other point I should make is I still believe you are trying to do everything at once. Walk back and start working on ONE thing at a time. Pick the one thing you feel is effecting you the most and work on just that and once you feel you have it then work on the next most serious thing. These are dynamic thing though, as things like loose and relaxed grip, stance and how you drop into the address position are
In order to improve you must get your self to the point where you are delivering the cue consistently straight. Without that improvement will come very slow.

Terry

LOL Where do I start. Been down here for a couple of hours just doing the line up and just concentrating on keeping my eyes on bob and staying still on the shot. If I miss I just continue on, I should say when I miss... I think the most balls I have made before missing is 3. A slight angle into the side is just about impossible and just a very slight rub of the cushion in the corner and it is a miss. But I will continue on for another hour then it is off to do open house in Port Dover.

[lesedwards]

Here is a line up I did this morning. Really tried to concentrate on BOB and forget the pocket. I know I said I would not put another video but what the hell...
https://bambuser.com/v/4532292

[sealer]

You are flying Les.

Since you are on the BOB. Let me tell you what you could work on. It has been said here by many, recently by vmax as he is the prophet of bob on here. One thing is to hear about it and try to understand second is to see how it works for you.

Use bob to get down on the shot. Meaning that whatever you do with your eyes when lining and getting down. Try to put main focus on getting down while looking on BOB.

Secondly try to switch your eyes onto BOB earlier. As early as last front pause maybe? It will give you time to really focus properly and make sure you are looking where you should when striking.

Here is a line up I did this morning. Really tried to concentrate on BOB and forget the pocket. I know I said I would not put another video but what the hell...
https://bambuser.com/v/4532292

[lesedwards]

You are flying Les.

Since you are on the BOB. Let me tell you what you could work on. It has been said here by many, recently by vmax as he is the prophet of bob on here. One thing is to hear about it and try to understand second is to see how it works for you.

Use bob to get down on the shot. Meaning that whatever you do with your eyes when lining and getting down. Try to put main focus on getting down while looking on BOB.

Secondly try to switch your eyes onto BOB earlier. As early as last front pause maybe? It will give you time to really focus properly and make sure you are looking where you should when striking.

That's when I always focus on BOB, as soon as I start my front pause. I am actually finding it easier to focus on the bottom if BOB where it meet the cloth seams easier then focusing the middle if the ball. Working now but will be back on tonight.

[cyberheater]

Here is a line up I did this morning. Really tried to concentrate on BOB and forget the pocket. I know I said I would not put another video but what the hell...
https://bambuser.com/v/4532292

First thing. Thanks for posting a video of yourself. It's a very brave thing to do. I'll try to post one of myself this week if I get the time.

I'm no coach and I'm learning the game just like yourself but I did notice a couple of things.

1. You seem to have a bit of body movement in your shots. The ones that you missed seemed to have more body movement then the others.
2. I'm not sure you are pushing your cue through enough. I always thought the grip hand should hit the chest. At least that's what I do now and I've noticed a big improvement in my potting. You seem to have a short jabby cue action. You also seem to throw your shoulder in on higher strength shots.
3. You do not hit the white in the same place as you feather. I've noticed this on your screw shots. You feather such that your tip is a tip or so below the center of the white but when you finally make contact, you hit much lower down.
4. You do not have a consistent pre shot routine. Some shots you stand back and slowly walk into the line of aim. Some shots you short cut that.
5. Your grip hand is not vertical.

[ace man]

Here is a line up I did this morning. Really tried to concentrate on BOB and forget the pocket. I know I said I would not put another video but what the hell...
https://bambuser.com/v/4532292

I watched the whole 21 minutes. Nothing new here, I've seen plenty of players who play very similar to you.

Learn a longer backswing and a rear pause. It will benefit you greatly.
5 centimetre backswing? How could you NOT snatch at the ball playing like that?

[vmax4steve]

Here is a line up I did this morning. Really tried to concentrate on BOB and forget the pocket. I know I said I would not put another video but what the hell...
https://bambuser.com/v/4532292

A vast improvement on your last one. keep it up, but stop replacing every ball you miss and taking the same shot over and over, carry on the break as if you didn't miss. Those shots you miss will reappear all the time, same angle, different balls into different pockets so there is no need to keep taking them again as it can really tick you off if you keep missing them and affect your confidence.

[vmax4steve]

Learn a longer backswing and a rear pause. It will benefit you greatly.
5 centimetre backswing? How could you NOT snatch at the ball playing like that?

Dave Harold manages quite well enough with a very short backswing so ignore this Les, good advice though it may be.
Learn to pot balls first and find your own rhythm and timing and cue ball control will come to you. Some shots you hit better than others with the same short backswing because you timed them better.
It will come to you, don't rush to change anything yet.

I would offer this message to others on the forum who are loaded with good advice to keep it to themselves for the time being. Les needs to learn to pot balls first and doesn't need anything else to cloud his thoughts until he does.

[lesedwards]

Dave Harold manages quite well enough with a very short backswing so ignore this Les, good advice though it may be.
Learn to pot balls first and find your own rhythm and timing and cue ball control will come to you. Some shots you hit better than others with the same short backswing because you timed them better.
It will come to you, don't rush to change anything yet.

I would offer this message to others on the forum who are loaded with good advice to keep it to themselves for the time being. Les needs to learn to pot balls first and doesn't need anything else to cloud his thoughts until he does.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. That's all it takes to help a guy out sometimes. Cliff is another one, watch any video when he takes his front pause his cue tip is about and 1-1/2" or more from the cue ball then he only takes it back a couple inches from there unless he needs extreme power.

[Stupree]

Can't get through the lineup - tips and ideas

Well having been told not too I couldn't resist

Remove the colours from your line up Les, you don't need to be wasting time picking balls out of pockets for now. Keep going until you can run through at least 15 reds. I actually agree with Vmaxsteve in your focus being potting balls so red spreads and reds only line ups would be my advice in growing in to a cue action

[j6uk]

Lost cause that's a tough one to take on a Sunday morning...

that's a classy reply les and you know i wish you well.. but everyone needs a swift one up the pyjamas now and then if only to feel alive. unless your like me and you sleep in your cloths, wash once a week and only get the butter out when there's something to spread it on

[lesedwards]

that's a classy reply les and you know i wish you well.. but everyone needs a swift one up the pyjamas now and then if only to feel alive. unless your like me and you sleep in your cloths, wash once a week and only get the butter out when there's something to spread it on

I know what you mean...LOL I am going to try the reds for a while this week and see how I get along with them then introduce the colours later.

[tedisbill]

Les - clear the table.

[ace man]

Dave Harold manages quite well enough with a very short backswing so ignore this Les, good advice though it may be.
Learn to pot balls first and find your own rhythm and timing and cue ball control will come to you.

But Les can pot balls already. He isn't nearly as bad as he describes himself. I think he misses a lot because of nervy snatches, uses a lot of sudden acceleration, i.e. too much muscle force. Fires adrenalin bombs instead of smooth stroking them.
Snatching and twitching doesn't work.
He has quite a slow table too which doesn't help.
If he really enjoys using short backswing, I'd recommend watching footage of Mark Allen 12 hours per day. He is by far the best short backswing player there ever was or there will ever be. A lefty too.

[vmax4steve]

But Les can pot balls already. He isn't nearly as bad as he describes himself. I think he misses a lot because of nervy snatches, uses a lot of sudden acceleration

No he doesn't, he misses a lot because he takes his eye off the object ball, especially when playing matches, and it's this he's working on at the moment. Those sntaches come as a result of taking his eye off the object ball, first the eyes move, then the head and body twitches as the hand follows his eyes to watch the object ball into the pocket before he's even hit the cue ball.

I know you mean well but Les will never, ever improve until he keeps his eyes on the object ball at the moment of the strike. This has to happen first before anything else is tackled. I have other ideas myself that will definately improve his game but I'm keeping them to myself until he learns to pot balls and improve his cue ball control by practising the line up,

Try the line up with colours Les but don't constantly replace balls that you miss, and if you don't get on a colour after potting a red, pot another red, but go through the line up until only the black is left and count how many times you missed and use your misses as a marker for your progress.