Will Playing Billiards will improve my snooker?

[ardvark66]

I have been struggling getting out of snookers and playing safety shots recently getting the angles wrong anyway one of the old timers who has known me for years said I should start playing billiards for an hour in our 3 hour sessions like I did when he played years ago because he recons that I played better safety shots then and also got out of snookers better then so I am going to give it a go any input would be great

[billabong]

Just be careful. In a years time, your billiards instuctor may suggest 1 hour in a 3 hour session to play snooker, just to help your red ball potting.

[perpetualboredom]

I can see it helping with safety shots, I.e hitting the thin/thick angle and thinking about where both balls end up, but I'm not sure I play many snooker escapes in billiards? I think you either see the angle or you don't with that.

[Terry Davidson]

Without a doubt learning to play billiards will help your snooker game. Give it a try and let the old guy coach you

Steve Davis swears by it.

Terry

[perpetualboredom]

If your opponent is a good player it'll also help with your insomnia, mate of mine has refused to play since a chap knocked in 228 against him (in a 200 up game!). Think he played off -250 which just means the game takes an age..

[Terry Davidson]

By the way, there is a method of getting out of 1 & 2 cushion snookers and this same method helps with doubles too. I don't know the name of it but I use it with great success and I call it the 'mirror plot'.

If you mentally take the distance of the object ball to the cushion you plan to use and then again mentally project that same distance out from the edge of the cushion to off the table and then aim at that spot with no side and not too hard (cue ball will dig in on a hard shot) if the cushions are decent you should hit the object ball every time. Do the same thing with double by projecting the pocket out.

2-cushion hits are a little more difficult unless you realize you will be making a set of 2 parallel lines with the cueball. You use the same method as 1-cushion hits, first select the point you want to hit on the second cushion and project that distance outside the table from the first cushion you're hitting and you should hit the object ball. Always remember a snooker table is 2 squares.

I hope that's clear enough as I don't have the tools here to draw diagrams or at least I don't know how to. The easiest way to think about it is to imagine another table beside the table you're on and place the object ball on the same spot on that imaginary table and then aim towards the first cushion as you're trying to hit the object ball on the imaginary table. (Not sure if that's any more clear).

If you have side-by-side tables with around 5ft between them making doubles is a matter of aiming towards the same pocket on the table beside yours.

Terry

[justf]

By the way, there is a method of getting out of 1 & 2 cushion snookers and this same method helps with doubles too. I don't know the name of it but I use it with great success and I call it the 'mirror plot'.

If you mentally take the distance of the object ball to the cushion you plan to use and then again mentally project that same distance out from the edge of the cushion to off the table and then aim at that spot with no side and not too hard (cue ball will dig in on a hard shot) if the cushions are decent you should hit the object ball every time. Do the same thing with double by projecting the pocket out.

2-cushion hits are a little more difficult unless you realize you will be making a set of 2 parallel lines with the cueball. You use the same method as 1-cushion hits, first select the point you want to hit on the second cushion and project that distance outside the table from the first cushion you're hitting and you should hit the object ball. Always remember a snooker table is 2 squares.

I hope that's clear enough as I don't have the tools here to draw diagrams or at least I don't know how to. The easiest way to think about it is to imagine another table beside the table you're on and place the object ball on the same spot on that imaginary table and then aim towards the first cushion as you're trying to hit the object ball on the imaginary table. (Not sure if that's any more clear).

If you have side-by-side tables with around 5ft between them making doubles is a matter of aiming towards the same pocket on the table beside yours.

Terry

Was doing ok until point 2!!!! Made my brain hurt!!! I'll have a lie down and try read again later!!!

[Byrom]

I played billiards before I played snooker - it is a good game to help learn the angles -

You will learn position far quicker as the game is all about understanding position and how to place the white to make a canon or a pot or a in off.

I quickly learned how to widen an angle cueing up and down centre ball and by varying the pace I also learned how to use side and can say this helped particularly with my safety when I first played snooker - that being said you don't need to play billiards to learn these things you can do it on a snooker table in practice just the same manner with a few good and rather simple solo practice routines.

Why learn acoustic guitar if all you want to do is play an electric? Many people say it helps - I can say for sure it helps but I don't think it matters that much really.

[vmax4steve]

Why learn acoustic guitar if all you want to do is play an electric? Many people say it helps - I can say for sure I don't think it matters that much really.

It helps a great deal as an acoustic guitar has a higher action (height of the strings off the fingerboard) and more precise fingering is required for clarity of sound. I quit snooker for three years to learn the guitar, it was bloody hard to get that left hand working independantly of the right hand, sing as well, no bloody chance, just couldn't do it, started too old.

Billiards wil help anyones snooker as you have to learn to control three balls instead of just one. It certainly isn't boring once you understand just how difficult it is.

[thelongbomber]

I have been struggling getting out of snookers and playing safety shots recently getting the angles wrong anyway one of the old timers who has known me for years said I should start playing billiards for an hour in our 3 hour sessions like I did when he played years ago because he recons that I played better safety shots then and also got out of snookers better then so I am going to give it a go any input would be great

At some point in my game years ago I was absolutely terrible at getting out of snookers. My playing partner used to use it to great advantage. Then one day, I committed myself to never missing easy snookers again. I got on the practice table for about 2-3 sessions for a few hours each and I simply broke off in snooker and started playing snookers. I came up with my own map and understanding and strategy for kicks.

How often do you practice? Sessions with your friend are fine, but you need solo time as well.

[cyberheater]

By the way, there is a method of getting out of 1 & 2 cushion snookers and this same method helps with doubles too. I don't know the name of it but I use it with great success and I call it the 'mirror plot'.

If you mentally take the distance of the object ball to the cushion you plan to use and then again mentally project that same distance out from the edge of the cushion to off the table and then aim at that spot with no side and not too hard (cue ball will dig in on a hard shot) if the cushions are decent you should hit the object ball every time. Do the same thing with double by projecting the pocket out.

Something like this Terry.

Where A and B are the same distance from the cushion.

[Terry Davidson]

Something like this Terry.

Where A and B are the same distance from the cushion.

Eggsacly or exactly

[itsnoteasy]

Cyber, do a diagram for the double Terry's on about I don't understand, cheers.
Terry how does the two Cush escape work, I like the idea behind the one Cush escape and shall try this thanks.

[Terry Davidson]

Cyber, do a diagram for the double Terry's on about I don't understand, cheers.
Terry how does the two Cush escape work, I like the idea behind the one Cush escape and shall try this thanks.

It's very similar to the one cushion escape. Imagine you have a red ball near the pink spot and you are behind the yellow ball. You can't use a 1-cushion escape because the pink is in the way so you elect for a 2-cushion escape as you won't leave a free ball that way and shouldn't hit the pink.

The key point is when you use side and top cushion the cueball will travel in 2 parallel lines, so you look for a point on the top cushion where you believe you have to hit in order to hit the red. Now take that point on the top cushion and 'mirror' it over to the right off the table and see where you have to hit the SIDE cushion in order to hit that spot on the TOP cushion.

Now check by mentally drawing 2 parallel lines, i.e. - does the line you have to the side cushion when you mentally draw a parallelogram or a parallel line from the top cushion does it look like it will hit the red. Adjust your spot on the side cushion until you can assure yourself the second parallel line will hit the red full ball for greatest margin of error. This method will work as long as the cushions are bouncing true and you don't hit the cueball hard and it's also tricky with new cloth as the cueball might 'slide' on the side cushion as you have a shallow angle.

For the other question about doubles to the middle project a mental side pocket out past the table about 5-1/2ft (not 6ft as the table is smaller than 6ft wide). All you do now is aim to pot the red to that imaginary middle pocket 5ft directly opposite the actual middle pocket on the side of the table the red is on. I wish I could do a diagram as it would show clearly what I'm talking about for both the 2-cushion hit and the double.

Terry

[itsnoteasy]

Cheers Terry , I think Ive got that, I will try it and if I haven't understood it I will get back to you.