practice set up for 20 odd break player

[bolton-cueman]

agree 100% with the posts about Neil Selman's videos on Youtube!!

If you're a 20 man there's no point at all in putting 15 reds on a line up - you'll end up potting half a dozen missing then feeling like your a crap player. 15 is just too many, for now!

Do the routine in Neil's video where you start with 3 or 4 reds between pink and black, do that until you can clear them more times than not then add another ball and so on.

Giving yourself achievable targets is highly beneficial - it motivates you- 'to beat your previous high score' - and more importantly gives you a clear indication of improvement. Seeing your own improvement is probably the biggest satisfaction you'll get when practicing!

[Bigmeek]

I used to do the reds between the pink and black routine quite regularly and found it really useful. Recently a mate at the club got me started on a variation to this and I really like it. What you do is put 6 reds in line with the black across the table (that's 3 reds each side of black). Start with any red and try and pot all six with a black or pink. Really good for practicing little stuns and screws. Five reds is best I've done so far. Got me addicted. Looks easy but give it a go. For a 20 break player I would say it is a reasonable challenge. Picking the right shot is the key!

[Creambun]

In my opinion the best routine to start with at that standard is the 6 colours off their spots. It practices potting, cue ball control, position and nerves. If u complete it then you have already made a break of 27. Also players of this standard are more likely to make their first 20's, 30's, 40's breaks at the end of frames with last red or two with the colours. Trust me, it works.

[Bigmeek]

Very rarely play a frame where the colours are on their spots towards the end, lol.

[cyberheater]

Very rarely play a frame where the colours are on their spots towards the end, lol.

I don't think I've ever played a frame where the colours were all on their spots. At least one or two are jammed up hard against a cushion or at the other end of the table.

[tedisbill]

I don't think I've ever played a frame where the colours were all on their spots. At least one or two are jammed up hard against a cushion or at the other end of the table.

Sounds like league snooker.

[Scott M]

This is the annoying thing about snooker.

You reach a certain standard, and take to the forums on a high to find out the next practice routine which will take you to the next level.

Only to find that there is no 'go-to' practice routine for your level. Everybody has different opinions of what is the best. And you end up leaving the forums confused and a bit frustrated, as you don't know what practice routine to choose.

You find this is a trend throughtout snooker - the sport lags behind other sports in this respect - there is no evidence base behind anything. Everything is down to opinions, here-say and the like. People need to take a more methodical approach and figure out what is the best way to do things, and have solid evidence to back that up.

I can tell you now, as a player who is a similar level to you, that from the practice routines suggested:

-3 reds between pink and black: you will complete this 1 in every 10 times at best. It sounds easy, but the amount of positional control required on this is very high. And you can almost forget it if you're on a slow table - as if you finish either too high or in line with the black, there is no way you will generate the top spin or screw required to get back in position (bar rolling the black in, leaving yourself with a tough red-to-middle).

-15 red line up: as somebody said, you will get about 6 or 7 in, and then mess up.

What you need to focus on, in my opinion (lol there is that word again - 'opinion') - is keeping the cue ball away from the cushion. A common error for people of our level, is to think 'ohh I need to screw that back, to get to a reasonable potting angle for that ball'. However, we don't consider the distance to that ball. You could be dead straight on it, however if you are far away from the object ball (say it is black off its spot, and the cue ball is near the side cushion - but not so close to it that you have hampered cuing) the pot becomes so much harder because:

-We're not cuing straight yet. So when we follow through we will impart a bit of side on the cue ball - especially if we try to get deep screw or a lot of top

-The longer the pot, the less the screw you can get on it, as the cue ball starts to rotate forwards when when it travels at distance. This makes gaining position harder, as it is harder to judge the extra amount of screw to put on the ball to compensate for the distance

The 15 red line up is good for this - practice playing them, but keeping the cue ball away from the cushion (ideally about half way between the reds and the cushion). The line up also teaches shot selection. Yes I know I am suggesting the line-up after seemingly rubbishing it earlier, however this is the line up with a reason behind it (as in clear, objective aims). You need to know why you are doing things. There is no point in doing 3 reds between pink and black etc, if you don't know why you're doing it. Also while you're at it, practice getting the cue through straight.

Good luck!

[itsnoteasy]

Some fair points Scott, I agree the line up ( wether just reds or the traditional one) is not for the purpose of making breaks, for me it's a learning tool, learn how to control the White with stun ,screw and top, learn how to come on and off cushions with the White, learn how to leave the white high or low on the next ball to get position on the next one, etc ,etc, it can teach you many many things, but for me one thing it doesn't really teach you ,is real life break building, as very rarely if ever will you get nice easy positions like you do with a line up, but it will teach you the shots you need to learn to break build. As you have said this is only my opinion.

[j6uk]

And your second?

yeah there would be a lot of hard work to do before you'd move onto doing any of fergals stuff, but deans not quite with it cus he aint done the homework necessary..
id say do the 15 reds from black to blue, and then throw out all 21 and pot them in any order. if you can clear all 21 then your a 50 break player

[DeanH]

yeah there would be a lot of hard work to do before you'd move onto doing any of fergals stuff, but deans not quite with it cus he aint done the homework necessary..
id say do the 15 reds from black to blue, and then throw out all 21 and pot them in any order. if you can clear all 21 then your a 50 break player

not sure what you mean - "not quite with it"?
to me the Fergal practices at the starting levels are good practice for cue ball control, yes they do go very advance but they are good routines.
I used them when I was at the same level as the OP, as well as with some tuition from a couple of coaches to set me on the right road - I had a lot of bad habits ingrained over many years

recently TSF own Stupree has starting doing some practise routines (www.stuartgrahamcoaching.co.uk) I think you have to register but there are some nice simple routines to help

[j6uk]

not sure what you mean - "not quite with it"?
to me the Fergal practices at the starting levels are good practice for cue ball control, yes they do go very advance but they are good routines.
I used them when I was at the same level as the OP, as well as with some tuition from a couple of coaches to set me on the right road - I had a lot of bad habits ingrained over many years

i was responding to golfer, but from how you come across you aint done a lot of work to get any good at this game, and i think thats why golfer asked you for your second option cus the first one was way off

[DeanH]

i was responding to golfer, but from how you come across you aint done a lot of work to get any good at this game, and i think thats why golfer asked you for your second option cus the first one was way off

I know you were responding to golfer

I think he asked for my second opinion was because it started my first post with " My first..."

and how do I come across exactly?...

compared to how you "come across"?

[Leo]

yeah there would be a lot of hard work to do before you'd move onto doing any of fergals stuff, but deans not quite with it cus he aint done the homework necessary..
id say do the 15 reds from black to blue, and then throw out all 21 and pot them in any order. if you can clear all 21 then your a 50 break player

Can't see how you can say someone is a 50 breaker if they clear 21 balls on a line up, for me and imo anyone who can clear a full line up is a ton plus player easily

[j6uk]

i didn't say that. i said just throw 21 balls out and pot them in any order.
as far as the lineup, id try and pot simply 15reds from black to blue. then when you've clocked that say x3 then move to the line with colors.
it all depends how serious you are, i mean you can do what you like in any order. but if you don't listen to people who've done the work you'll only jack it in or come back on here and have a scream up this time next year.. and a year is a long time in snooker years trust me

Can't see how you can say someone is a 50 breaker if they clear 21 balls on a line up, for me and imo anyone who can clear a full line up is a ton plus player easily

[Leo]

i didn't say that. i said just throw 21 balls out and pot them in any order.
as far as the lineup, id try and pot simply 15reds from black to blue. then when you've clocked that say x3 then move to the line with colors.
it all depends how serious you are, i mean you can do what you like in any order. but if you don't listen to people who've done the work you'll only jack it in or come back on here and have a scream up this time next year.. and a year is a long time in snooker years trust me

Fair enough got my wires crossed