Best practice exercises for a new player?

[Byrom]

128 pro's enter events - only one wins

Therefore snooker is not about learning how to win it is about learning how to take defeat and move on.

You can learn more from defeat than a victory - you gain motivation to practice and you can rise to come back stronger if you have any aims and a hunger to succeed.

Here are two quotes that helped me

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

[thelongbomber]

That's kind of my thinking too - if I can't figure out where to aim the white, or I can't get it to go where I aim it, on easy pots at least, everything else is getting ahead of myself

I do feel bad that I can't even predict where the white is going to go even if I am not playing for position... that I don't find intuitive at all

This was actually my core issue some years back. I could pot everything in sight, but I never had any idea about where the cue ball would go. Part of the issue could be that you aren't putting conscious effort into the cue ball's reaction and path during your stroke phase. If you start thinking about and feeling the cue ball rotation, spin, reaction off the object ball and more, you may start to see the path the cue ball takes after impact (I did). A good example is the mid-range stun-run shot. Ask yourself, how would I make the cue ball - after impact with the OB - move 3 inches, then 6 inches, then 9 inches? How can this be achieved during a stroke? How do you feel and understand cue ball pace? The key is in reading and feeling the cue ball spin and actually feathering with your eyes on the cue ball long enough to feel this spin and final position. Of course, you also need to look at the path the cue ball will take, which then incorporates some ghost ball.

I'm developing a system to help players understand where the cue ball will actually go and will hopefully post it up soon on my blog. I have mentioned it in part in some other posts, but I really need a table, diagrams, and photos, to explain it further.

[itsnoteasy]

A system in what way LB

[thelongbomber]

A system in what way LB

I have mentioned it before in the thread about Potting pinks. Too many players are pocket and object ball focused. I say it's missing a key aspect of the game: cue ball control. I believe exact cue ball control can never be achieved if your dominant focus is on the object ball, pocket, or ghost ball. Now under some circumstances, you need to actually look at the object ball and pocket more, and look at the cue ball and it's path less. Those conditions are long range pots, blind cuts, and any other shots where you have trouble visualizing the ghost ball.

I have found, in my experience, then when I really started to put more emphasis on the cue ball and it's path, and final point it would travel into the ghost ball position, I was able to feel where the pocket was and was able to feel the cue ball strike the object ball. I didn't need to look at the object ball and pocket at all. This is much more apparent to me in the short game. I'm now potting object balls without looking at them. In the short game, I am almost exclusively looking at the cue ball, my tip striking it, feeling it's spin, rotation, and pace, seeing the ghost ball (which is still a cue ball). I occassionally look at the pocket like Hendry does when doing blind cuts like a half ball black or pink.

You see fundamentally, there is only one ball we can actually strike, and that's the cue ball. And so if we place our mental focus on IT'S path, it's rotation, pace, and spin, then the object ball will go where we want it to go without much effort. As a side benefit of feeling the cue ball path, rotation, and spin, we get to also feel where the cue ball will go AFTER contact with the object ball. In fact, during my final stroke phase and rear pause, I'm actually able to sense and feel exactly where the cue ball will go. The picture I see in my mind is actually appearing as a final outcome in my shot making like exact cannons, spins, etc. I put more focus on the object ball and pocket, only during the pre-shot routine when I'm standing and assessing the shot in measuring what the potting angle will be and where the cue ball can go within reason.

[itsnoteasy]

Just goes to show, the differing ways we think of this game ,I am going in the exact opposite direction, and once down on the shot just totally becoming ob oriented, and ignoring where the cue ball is going, as it should go where I have planned it to go when standing up(of course it doesn't listen to me much just now,but it will, lol) I will look forward to your posts on your theory, sounds interesting.

[Byrom]

Second quote - "Don't OVER think it."

[cyberheater]

This is much more apparent to me in the short game. I'm now potting object balls without looking at them. In the short game, I am almost exclusively looking at the cue ball

If you are saying that at the point of cue delivery you are not looking at the line of sight aim point but only looking at the white then that is fundamentally wrong advice for a new player.

At the end of the day. We are trying to guide the white down the line of aim as accurately as possible. I cannot see how that is possible if you chose to look at the white rather then the target. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick.

[tedisbill]

Second quote - "Don't OVER think it."

Hahaha. "Smack the black", that's brilliant!

[tofushop193]

Download the Ding coaching Ap on your phone - it is FREE - some good moves to learn for a reason - well thought out routines by someone in the know obviously - It is good to set targets but we all get lazy - this will help as u carry your phone with you to a club and easy to get you started.

tick off each one after you completed them n move on - have fun

Perhaps think about getting a few lessons to improve your technique later - mix solo play with play against better players - pick brains ask questions - imitate and play and then do the routines again to check for improvements - stick with what works and try and then try and try and try - important to try and stay consistent with your pace your chosen cue action once you have ironed out those bad habits - once you have one - a cue action - you are happy with stick with it - many fiddle too much - develop good habits dont change too many things at once keep up regular practice try and develop a consistent solid pre-shot routine and keep cool - Rome was not built in a day..

OR because its early dayzzz just remember the golden rule is to have fun forget everything n JUST POT AS MANY BALLS AS YOU CAN

What is the app name?

[Ramon]

The first thing to do is learn to pot and getting the fundamental basics right will give you the best chance of achieving this . All the other exercises are pointless if you cannot pot consistently

+10 to that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Byrom]

I got it free from the apple ap store cant remember what i put in.

type in ding junhui and snooker coaching

bit of a mouthful but it is called 'the official ding junhui masterclass snooker practice'

enjoy - its free - even better

There is routines for beginners intermediate and advanced and I think these are put together by someone who knows a lot about the game actually.

take it free on the phone into a club and try a few out tick em off as you go keep a record on your phone great idea - don't know why it is free? - much better than some of the others out there that you pay for but who's complaining.

[Ramon]

I got it free from the apple ap store cant remember what i put in.

type in ding junhui and snooker coaching

bit of a mouthful but it is called 'the official ding junhui masterclass snooker practice'

enjoy - its free - even better

There is routines for beginners intermediate and advanced and I think these are put together by someone who knows a lot about the game actually.

take it free on the phone into a club and try a few out tick em off as you go keep a record on your phone great idea - don't know why it is free? - much better than some of the others out there that you pay for but who's complaining.

perfect!! I have a iPhone. but I did'nt know about this.!!! Thanks !!!!!

[tofushop193]

Damn. Its not for android

[DeanH]

Wasn't Nic Barrow involved with this app?

[alabadi]

I'm now potting object balls without looking at them. In the short game, I am almost exclusively looking at the cue ball, my tip striking it, feeling it's spin, rotation, and pace, seeing the ghost ball (which is still a cue ball).
.

I find this hard to accept, (not looking at the OB ). you can feel all you like pace, spin, direction.... but if you don't guide the cueball to the contact point of the OB it's useless.

I have a been coached a few times and was always told once you have chosen the height, pace and spin to play on the cueball you forget about it as you have no control after that. the main focus should be the pot, the cueball will go where you want it to providing your estimations where correct and you actually executed it correctly.

all I do is select what I want and as I am getting down keep my eyes on the OB, then once in the address position glance at the white and make sure that I am pointing the tip where I want, then 3-4 feathers looking exclusively at the OB, final forward pause look at the cue tip making sure its still point at the same point. switch my eyes to the OB slow backswing pause and strike.

I use to look at the cueball more previously but found I lose focus on the OB and miss time the shot, plus my accuracy is effected too.

I'm not saying that looking at the white more is wrong and maybe for some, including yourself may work, however I don't think there are many coaches that would advise to do it this way to a beginner.

my troubles at the moment are picking the correct height and power to manoeuvre the cueball where I want, part of my problem is I haven't fully understood the path it will take after contact depending on the power , height of each shot.

my routines which I started last week and hope to continue for the next few weeks/months will incorporate judging the pace and direction of the cueball.