Position and Break Building

[sealer]

Hi everyone,

I am on my way to my first half century (I would like to think) and looking to improve my break building and positioning in general so I can get there.

I thought I would tap in to the knowledge on here and ask for advice on the above. It would be really helpful to get some insight into break building and ways to practice cue ball control from good players. What is your thought process in general and before each shot. I know many would say it happens in the zone but I think auto play will be a result of concious practice. Any thoughts?

[hotpot]

Break building requires the need to play a variety of shots but i think those little stun shots that require accuracy ie , potting a red near the black and kissing another to stay on the black or stunning into a small space to get onto a colour ,shots that crop up most during a break .
Once you master this and are confident of putting the cue ball more or less where you intend to you can then play position in areas to give you more options , rather than play on a single ball . Break building is knowing what area to play in to give yourself more opportunities but also having the ability to place the white there .

[guernseygooner]

Get basics done first, put 5 reds between black and pink and get used to clearing them consistently using only black and pink.

Find people a lot better than you to play who don't mind a lot of questions being asked. Get advise on next shot you will play etc. Ask and observe - you will learn more that way then reading lots of conflicting advise

[Terry Davidson]

Always think 2 shots ahead, i.e. - when on a red think about where you want to get position on the next colour in order to get on your next red. Re-think that every shot so when on that colour think about what position you want on the next red in order to get the next colour.

Unless you are a Ronnie, your position will mostly be out a little bit and this requires a re-think on the next positional play so don't try to think too many shots ahead.

Terry

[karlos fandango]

I find leaving an angle is the most important thing...once you get straight on a colour it's really difficult to get perfect on the next ball..and always try to keep the cue ball away from the cushions so you can get your hand on the table..line ups are a great routine for keeping the cue ball under control

[pottr]

It's pretty much been said.

GG's reply is about on the money...

I know it's harder to apply than it seems but really when you're at the table all you need to think about is where you want the white... You should be at the stage where you expect to pot most things you line up to.

[Byrom]

I find leaving an angle is the most important thing...once you get straight on a colour it's really difficult to get perfect on the next ball..and always try to keep the cue ball away from the cushions so you can get your hand on the table..line ups are a great routine for keeping the cue ball under control

I like this advice combined with Terry's and gg's routine or the cross routine around the pink I use which I think is a better routine for close control stun practice than the line up - learn to stun properly as hotpot says - controlling position - keep it simple - practice the same shot just stunning up and down centre white to judge position and practice close control - keep the white away from cushions and control the position using soft stuns and soft screws - by the controlling the line of the shot for the shot after that you get get in the habit of thinking two ahead to start with - its not just about potting the simple ball - its about judging the line of the shot from the simple ball to get you on the next ball. Master the stun shot for position you get your 50's more easily.

[j6uk]

yeah another good post from gooner who's served his apprenticeship like all nice players have, picking out balls for the better players. you should be working your way to getting friendly with one or two good players. to do that you need to be there, practicing, proving your worth, with a good attitude. by all means do the odd bag the table when you miss but respot the balls nice, count and show respect, you'll make a nice sparing partner.
position wise avoid landing straight. as long as your 3/4 ballish you can access most of the table fairly comfortably, even if your the wrong side of the intended position treat it as a challenge to get neat again

[sealer]

Thank you for replies so far. What if there is a lack of good players? I like the idea of reds between pink and black. My potting on a easy table will be good enough to complete and then try to perfect. Any other ideas? Progress to standard lineup? Any pointers on the thought process when assesing the situation and as you go along. My main focus till now was potting but as it is getting a bit better I feel that I can make fairly easy shots a bit more often so I am thinking if I can control the cueball better I will present myself with more easy shots leading to breaks.

[pottr]

'where do I want the white?'

It's really all you need to think of.

[Leo]

Improving in Snooker takes a hell of a lot dedication from the first ball hit of any practice routine and don't become lazy. Think every shot, take your time, if there's a simple shot don't just hit it think of it as any hard shot, yes it can become boring but that's all about the learning process.

[vmax4steve]

Repetition of the stroke is most important in being able to unconsciously guage strength of shot in regards to where on the cue ball your tip is required to contact to get the desired position.
If your cueing isn't always uniform then you're going to be striking the cue ball in slightly different areas each time and getting different results from shots you believe you're striking the same.

Keep the stroke the same but change the height of the bridge hand when playing screw shots rather than dip the cue at the bottom of the white from the same height that you play top run thru. Flatten your hand to get the cue as low and flat as you can and keep the stroke the same.

You'll be surprised at the difference in control of the screw shot this will give you, you'll be able to hold the cue ball where it used to run away from you.

[Byrom]

Thank you for replies so far. What if there is a lack of good players? I like the idea of reds between pink and black. My potting on a easy table will be good enough to complete and then try to perfect. Any other ideas? Progress to standard lineup? Any pointers on the thought process when assesing the situation and as you go along. My main focus till now was potting but as it is getting a bit better I feel that I can make fairly easy shots a bit more often so I am thinking if I can control the cueball better I will present myself with more easy shots leading to breaks.

I like the Ding ap - available for download on the i phone free - it has a lot of routines you can take with you to the club and tick off once you have achieved them - do all of them then you are better than me -

like - the advice offered so far - two things - faults - happen usually when you start to play better - you neglect the easy stuff and you don't give the same focus to easy shots that you do to the harder ones - position of the shot - or the line of the shot I mean - is the line of the white in relation to the next ball - giving yourself an angle on the ball so you can stun for position which can make things easier as it gives more options to manoeuvre the white where you want - rather than finishing straight on a ball which lessens those positional options.

It can get more advanced than thinking two shots ahead - which is why people have suggested playing better players and asking them questions - if you have got past the ton mark this has generally been done by head pecking some poor soul whilst you pick out the balls he is potting.

A better player would generally map the table better - pick off the harder balls in a break first maybe during a break he may play for options on balls rather than precise position - this means he would play into an area focusing on one or two balls rather than just the one position - he would on occasion be thinking I need to get a ball back on the spot or free the line of the pink or black to various pockets increasing his options by removing obstacles or maybe making a cannon or playing the right line of the shot on an easy ball which gives him the correct angle to make a cannon.

The above and more is the reason why its good to take it on the chin and be a ball picker for a better player - think of it as an education. The small fish swim alongside the shark - shark feeds - bits fall off - the small fish nibble on the bits - the little fish grows stronger -eventually the little fish swims off confidently making its own way around in the ocean.

[sealer]

..and then haps the shark again :-)

[Byrom]

Yes your ok as long as he still sees you as a little fish - be careful he don't eat you up next time you see him though- There are bigger fish in the sea - so go see a few more bigger sharks feed off them too - then go back n have a few harpoons of your own ready n waiting - he wont seem as big and mean as he did the first time.