gotta get through this

[guernseygooner]

yep agree with what's been said here, I have found a good shaped tip is also helps. any miscues I have had is when the tip has been worn down pretty low.

but as always try and flatten your cue, accelerate smoothly, even for deep screw and keep a very light grip, a lot of miss cues happen by gripping the cue too early which end up scooping.

last week I was doing some deep screw practice on straight blues, I recorded some of the practice which you can have a look at. here is the link... http://youtu.be/lvkYGJzey9I?list=UUz...9CTRp3Pd3k_EkA

Very good alabadi. Don't know what happens to you in a frame because judging from that you should have higher breaks

[alabadi]

Very good alabadi. Don't know what happens to you in a frame because judging from that you should have higher breaks

thanks pal, tell me about it. its been mentioned more times than I can remember. I'm still waiting to find out what's stopping me.

[sealer]

How is our practice/match ratio looking?

[alabadi]

How is our practice/match ratio looking?

not sure if this is meant for me, plus I am assuming you are saying "your", not "our".

I practice 10 hours and I play about 6 hours a week , most of the practice is solo

[CoachGavin]

gotta get through this

deanh. really good thanks. coaching part time at their academy in Beijing. you might have seen that one of their players won the recent world amateurs. He's only 14. I'm not coaching him but helping him a bit with his English lol

[sealer]

Alabadi: Sorry it was meant for you. I would just try to change it around and see if you feel any difference. I think you may get to technical when you practice so much solo. You would probably be thinking about technique when you play a match - it is just a guess. Try to just play matches. Try to enjoy it more. Focus on the table and the game. Try to get your opponent in trouble, play the right shots weather you feel you are cueing really well or not so much. Keep thinking about the actual game - choose shot play position etc think about the outcome of your shots and not how to play them. See if you starting to play better in matches anf making bigger brakes.

Cheers

[alabadi]

Alabadi: Sorry it was meant for you. I would just try to change it around and see if you feel any difference. I think you may get to technical when you practice so much solo. You would probably be thinking about technique when you play a match - it is just a guess. Try to just play matches. Try to enjoy it more. Focus on the table and the game. Try to get your opponent in trouble, play the right shots weather you feel you are cueing really well or not so much. Keep thinking about the actual game - choose shot play position etc think about the outcome of your shots and not how to play them. See if you starting to play better in matches anf making bigger brakes.

Cheers

To be honest I think the problem playing games especially in the league is the table conditions . I practice in two different snooker halls and the both have nice fast cloths I have got use to the pace of them and in particlar the safety. I can play a thin contact at a slow pace and the cue ball comes back to the baulk cushion.

The club cloths are heavy and not in good condition plus cushions are bouncy, as I found out yesterday each time I played those shots the cue ball pulled up before the baulk line which gave my opponent either an easier safety or a pot opportunity. So I was having to hit the cue ball harder than I wanted which messed up my timing.
These league games are 1 frame and not much time to adjust , if it was a best of 5 then maybe I would have had time to get familiar and use to the conditions.

And this is my dilemma do I keep trying to play using a nice smooth stroke . Or just learn to hit harder than needed which again will effect cueing accurately.

[itsnoteasy]

To be honest I think the problem playing games especially in the league is the table conditions . I practice in two different snooker halls and the both have nice fast cloths I have got use to the pace of them and in particlar the safety. I can play a thin contact at a slow pace and the cue ball comes back to the baulk cushion.

The club cloths are heavy and not in good condition plus cushions are bouncy, as I found out yesterday each time I played those shots the cue ball pulled up before the baulk line which gave my opponent either an easier safety or a pot opportunity. So I was having to hit the cue ball harder than I wanted which messed up my timing.
These league games are 1 frame and not much time to adjust , if it was a best of 5 then maybe I would have had time to get familiar and use to the conditions.

And this is my dilemma do I keep trying to play using a nice smooth stroke . Or just learn to hit harder than needed which again will effect cueing accurately.

If it were me Alabadi(and it usually is ,as you have described to a T the tables I play on) I would play the safety a bit thinner(if possible) or thinner with a touch of side to get the same angles as a thicker contact,and play the cue ball a bit higher or lower ,than what you are used to,to get a bit more reaction, that way you don't have to alter your cueing.

[tedisbill]

Alabadi:

I think some of the problem might be, that snooker requires a massive repertoire of shots. Stuns, screw, follow, delicate drag shot, delicate drag with side, stun with side, delicate top with side, delicate screw etc...

If it was just about stunning balls for example, most of us would be happy, but it isn't. I think this is why you'll get players capable of the odd 40-50 break, because if the balls are spread nice, you can play a series of positive stun shots and make the break.

In reality though, the game is not normally that easy. You might get 25-30 points and then need a "recovery" shot. Which might be a tricky angle, or require a more refined delicate approach with your cueing.

[alabadi]

Alabadi:

I think some of the problem might be, that snooker requires a massive repertoire of shots. Stuns, screw, follow, delicate drag shot, delicate drag with side, stun with side, delicate top with side, delicate screw etc...

If it was just about stunning balls for example, most of us would be happy, but it isn't. I think this is why you'll get players capable of the odd 40-50 break, because if the balls are spread nice, you can play a series of positive stun shots and make the break.

In reality though, the game is not normally that easy. You might get 25-30 points and then need a "recovery" shot. Which might be a tricky angle, or require a more refined delicate approach with your cueing.

Yes Ted i agree , and i do play all those shots you mentioned. its the position which gets buggered due to the different speeds of the tables.

just as an example i was on a red staightish near the top pocket only about 12 inches away, so i only needed to play a softish screw shot and i would be nice on the black to the same pocket.

i had the power of the shot ingrained in my brain as i have played it many times in practice, however i played thus shot and the cueball came back about 4 inches leaving me on nothing.

so this is the frustration , i am aware that i should be adapting to the speed of the table after a few shots , but in a one frame snooker match its sometimes too late by the time you've sussed it.

any way i guess i shouldn't be over frustrated because anyone can beat anyone in a one frame match

[alabadi]

If it were me Alabadi(and it usually is ,as you have described to a T the tables I play on) I would play the safety a bit thinner(if possible) or thinner with a touch of side to get the same angles as a thicker contact,and play the cue ball a bit higher or lower ,than what you are used to,to get a bit more reaction, that way you don't have to alter your cueing.

i do play the shots as thin as i dare, but sometimes shots are determined by how the balls are situated and a thicker contact is not on. so i sometimes have only one shot on and hitting it harder changes the angle it comes off the OB and the cushion which makes the position difficult....god this game is complicated.

i envy the pros as they are playing on pristine tables all the time so there practice and playing conditions are the same

[tedisbill]

Alabadi:

Yeah, that's right mate. I haven't even bothered playing one frame snooker for the last couple of years. Totally pointless.

[alabadi]

Alabadi:

Yeah, that's right mate. I haven't even bothered playing one frame snooker for the last couple of years. Totally pointless.

for me i am new to this game and want to play as many matches as i can against all types and styles of players just to get as much experience as i can. so i guess i can't complain

[tedisbill]

for me i am new to this game and want to play as many matches as i can against all types and styles of players just to get as much experience as i can. so i guess i can't complain

Just seen that long blue video mate! Bloody hell! Nice cueing! There's no way I'd pot that many in a row!!

[alabadi]

Just seen that long blue video mate! Bloody hell! Nice cueing! There's no way I'd pot that many in a row!!

i do have my moments.... lol

on a good day i can string 10-15 in a row yet the next day i can't manage 4-5 ..swings and roundabouts.

cueing to some extent isn't my biggest issue, i am pretty sure for me its recognising the correct angle and getting on that line. if i can consistently and confidently know i'm on the correct line 9-10 i'll pot.