What to do when you're playing bad?

[tedisbill]

As far as I can see nothing is any different, Les.

You pot 4 or 5 incredibly easy reds to the middle, then miss the first even half difficult shot you have.

You theb pot a few more easy shots, then miss one with the rest. Plus then you move a red out of the way to make your cueing easy on the next shot.

So, nothing is any different. It's just possible with the Reds spread to leave unbelievably easy shots, and also, move balls and you're not playing position at all, it's just impossible not to land on another red.

[tedisbill]

I sound really harsh. But if you really want to improve and you really want help, the first stage is to realistically accept where you are with your game.

[guernseygooner]

Not for me. My potting us real good when I just throw the balls on the table but don't give me a routine, a fun game or a serious match because I look I have never played before. I have a couple videos coming shortly. 1/2 hour if runing the colours. I hit to the blue a couple times and once to the black which I missed but watch me just pot balls for fun.

You have just answered your own dilemma of why you are not improving. Throwing reds on the table and potting a few easy ones in a row is not practice.

IMO if you can't clear a mini line up of 5 reds between pink and black or pot 10 blacks in a row of its spot, there isn't much point in other routines as these are basic to get started.

[lesedwards]

I asked for it and I got it.... I knew you guys where going to beat me up this time. It's a very frustrating game that I have been going at night after night hour upon hour for the past two years. Some coaching from Terry Davidson, Cliff Thorburn & Floyd Ziegler but maybe just too late in life to improve. My right elbow plays a big role in this game as I find myself with a lot of tough cueing. Maybe it's time to sit back and just play the game for what it is a game. My problem I have never done anything have ass it's all or nothing.

[Leo]

Can only echo what others have said Les. I found it quite painful watching those videos as I really want you to improve and in all honesty it looked liked you only picked up a Snooker cue for the first time 2hrs previous. Please don't just crack in reds set yourself a proper target like the 5 reds, pink, black as another poster suggested. This post is sort of a dig as I really want you to improve because I've said before I admire your determination.

[lesedwards]

Can only echo what others have said Les. I found it quite painful watching those videos as I really want you to improve and in all honesty it looked liked you only picked up a Snooker cue for the first time 2hrs previous. Please don't just crack in reds set yourself a proper target like the 5 reds, pink, black as another poster suggested. This post is sort of a dig as I really want you to improve because I've said before I admire your determination.

Thanks Leo, yes I would like to play this game to a decent standard. I put everything away and say to myself it's time to take a leave from this game an hour later I am right back at it...LOL A bugger for punisment. I will continue to work my way though it.

[Byrom]

I asked for it and I got it.... I knew you guys where going to beat me up this time. It's a very frustrating game that I have been going at night after night hour upon hour for the past two years. Some coaching from Terry Davidson, Cliff Thorburn & Floyd Ziegler but maybe just too late in life to improve. My right elbow plays a big role in this game as I find myself with a lot of tough cueing. Maybe it's time to sit back and just play the game for what it is a game. My problem I have never done anything have ass it's all or nothing.

Well I admire your effort - but you need to take realistic steps and set targets for improvement and maybe understand this game cannot be mastered overnight - the guys you mentioned have dedicated the best part of their lives to playing it regularly probably or a good number of years Les with many thousands of line ups and routines of all descriptions practised religiously over many thousands of hours.

The game breaks you long before you break it - if you let it.

Small raindrops can become a waterfall - don't loose heart keep going - you will get there eventually.

[itsnoteasy]

I couldn't watch the first video it was all jumpy, and I dont want to say anything about the second. One thing I did see though is I think the room is too small, when you play on the yellow side it's very very tight, I think it has made you play a bit cramped up, but over all it looks tight, you don't have enough room to stand back and see the line , I know there are a thousand other things going on but I don't think this is helping Les.
If you can be bothered Les, next time you do the scattered red routine and film it, could you just point to the next ball you are playing for, so its, on one red quick point at what red you are playing for, pot, on next red ,point at the next one you are playing for ,pot,etc etc, just to show you are not playing individual shots or bailing out onto a different red you played for.

[Byrom]

Basically Les a lazy practice routine makes a lazy player - you need to learn to pot and play position - so you need to learn how to make the cue ball go somewhere near where you want it to and you need focused routines that track your progress.

Follow gurnseygooners advice here do routines to learn the bread and butter shots - they replicate themselves all over the table.

No point in potting long blues for you is there - if you cant play from a red to black to red and so on.

You are still scattering reds - set some targets - do some focused practice and then you can track your own improvements.

[Leo]

One thing I did see though is I think the room is too small,

For practice routines that room is not to small at all, he's got more enough room.

[itsnoteasy]

For practice routines that room is not to small at all, he's got more enough room.

Well I genuinely don't know what you mean, but when Les played square across the table he looked very cramped to me, I struggled through the first video(it played very jumpy) go and look at the only chance he had on the black, the cue is raised Les is half standing up, it looks like there is not enough room.
From about 10.50 on the video Leo ,what do you think?

[lesedwards]

The room is actually just over 15' so it works fine. I know 16' is perfect but as Floyd says if you play well and keep it off the cushion like a goid player should you won't have a problem. I have lots of room length wise. I have no excuses great cues, great table and great coaches. I just wish Terry was closer. I need more matches. I have not played a match since the 18th of December. Terry is in the same boat but he has played his fare share over the years. In my scattered reds I was actually playing shape for my next ball. I will do another video with my disk to show where the cue ball should go emphasis on should....LOL Coming right up.

[itsnoteasy]

Hmm to me that is tight playing straight across ,not just for cueing but if the cue ball is near the cush, I would like a bit more room to stand back to see the line of the shot, just my opinion, we all play differently.
Aye that's a good idea Les ,let's see the hoopla hoop in action

[DeanH]

Les, I may be repeating something from previous posts/threads, but I see that with your grip hand (left), the wrist is kinked to the front so it is not in vertical alignment with the forearm (a good image of this is at 1:20 of the reds vid). Not saying this is wrong, but does look odd and many may say "wrong", and may (not sure) restrict your cue delivery - the following through the cue ball,?

[lesedwards]

Hmm to me that is tight playing straight across ,not just for cueing but if the cue ball is near the cush, I would like a bit more room to stand back to see the line of the shot, just my opinion, we all play differently.
Aye that's a good idea Les ,let's see the hoopla hoop in action

Yes it would be nice to have another foot or more but when I built my home two years ago I did not plan on being a Snooker addict. Just a nice room for a nice 4-1/2 x 9 Boston table which did fur real well in there for 4 months....LOL
Viseo is coming just uploading it now.