The Les Edwards Snooker Challenge Thread

[lesedwards]

Well if you ever move over here Les look me up , we can play whenever you want, maybe when you retire you can persuade your mrs, that the UK is the place to be lol. If I was over there I would be living in a sleeping bag under your table

My next vacation, I am going across the pond. People say why would you go there when you could go to an island. Because they play SNOOKER over there. I could play Snooker all day long. I only know one other person like me and that is TD, he loves the game also. But again he is almost two hours away and farther north which makes weather very dicey so we get together once a month if we are lucky.

[itsnoteasy]

Once a month with Terry should be more than enough, it gives you time Inbetween to practice what he tells you, but here's the rub, you have to do as you are told Les, if you are honest with yourself you have flip flopped all around the place in the past two years, listening to everyone and no one ,yet the only person on here that has seen you play and was close enough to help was Terry andTerry is a qualified coach, what he says goes, end of. Go home and do what he says untill you can do it over and over so that next time he sees you he will notice that you have worked hard on it, that's the only way.

[Byrom]

You're playing a game you don't enjoy then.

When I first decided to take it seriously, I couldn't wait to practice. I couldn't wait to get on the table on my own. I set myself little tasks and didn't stop until I could do it.

I mean, everyone wishes they were good at things. Like snooker, or playing the piano, or a great golfer, but that's just dreaming. There's not actually many people that bother to put any work into it. But you must love it to do that. You can't force yourself to go and do something you don't enjoy day after day, and to be honest, what's the point anyway. I mean, I wish I could show off and play the piano really well, but can I be bothered to put the hundreds of thousands of hours in that are required for me to get good.... NOPE!!!

You want to just have your table and enjoy it and make centuries, but that's just a dream. You don't actually want to do the enormous amount of work that's required to be good. That's the only reason anyone is good. Not just because they picked up a cue and found it easy. Nobody does. It's just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours potting balls and learning.

Great post and quite frank and to the point - Les we all get frustrated if we play bad but you got to put the hours in to improve - perhaps you need not to worry about it so much just enjoy it for what it is - Look at the positives - you have a beautiful home and a lovely family and your own cool man cave nice table great equipment and well - my dream really - the only way to improve is by practice - its bit by bit with effort and lots of hours as Ted says.

I think developing the right mindset is very important - rather than worrying about it - just PLAY - do your routines every night set targets practice bits of shots remember how you cue try one thing at once to see if it helps improve those targets and shots - Posting about it every night or worrying is not going to do you any favours - listening to so many coaches and advice is just going to cabbage your head - Never in my life have I ever met someone so impatient and yet determined to improve but you cant learn piano in a night or the guitar you got to learn the scales and the cords first - eventually you go from making a racket and giving everybody a headache to being able to play a tune or two and you might still hit the odd bum note but you will learn to play around it and not bother. Some people get it quicker than others and can play by ear but generally you cant skip past the basics and jump right into Beethoven.

One of the very first lessons you had with Terry was on the basics - this is the biggest part to get right - because you progress far quicker but you did want to rush him and go from the things he was telling you to do to jump right to the end of the chapter - it don't work like that and only causes problems and now you cant just play.

Just enjoy it for what it is mate - life is good snookers good - your potting balls a bit better now you have learnt to stun - but it needs more development noticed in the game with your son you went back to rolling it a bit and missing - hit the ball with more authority if you miss you miss - stop playing safety against your son go for everything with the intention of getting on the next ball no matter what the lay of the table speed up keep your eye on the ball once you commit to a shot and see if you feel better. Stop being so technical and trying to be precise or worry about standing this way or that or missing or loosing or what if's or buts or maybe's - just attack a few frames tape it and see what happens for a laugh - do it for me please - Just for an experiment - I would like to see what happens if you free your mind up if you can.

Oh and stick to the routines.

[lesedwards]

You're playing a game you don't enjoy then.

When I first decided to take it seriously, I couldn't wait to practice. I couldn't wait to get on the table on my own. I set myself little tasks and didn't stop until I could do it.

I mean, everyone wishes they were good at things. Like snooker, or playing the piano, or a great golfer, but that's just dreaming. There's not actually many people that bother to put any work into it. But you must love it to do that. You can't force yourself to go and do something you don't enjoy day after day, and to be honest, what's the point anyway. I mean, I wish I could show off and play the piano really well, but can I be bothered to put the hundreds of thousands of hours in that are required for me to get good.... NOPE!!!

You want to just have your table and enjoy it and make centuries, but that's just a dream. You don't actually want to do the enormous amount of work that's required to be good. That's the only reason anyone is good. Not just because they picked up a cue and found it easy. Nobody does. It's just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours potting balls and learning.

I have just added a little twist to your challenge Ted. I spent a couple hours figuring why I get so down on myself and I realize I am going through the challenges and if I miss a few times in a row then I just keep missing and my concentration gets worse n worse and I get more frustrated. So I was right back at my table tonight but with a different outlook. First off I spent a half hour warming up with blacks off the spot and some different coloured angles then I worked through all three routines but I have given myself a limit of five times to get through each which adds the extra pressure I need and does not allow my concentration to wonder as I know I only have five chances. I started with the four red line up which I cleared on my final attempt which was very well controlled, all easy shots then onto the T routine which I also cleared on my final attempt but still a little weak then onto the colour clearance which I cleared three times out of five. Each week I will add your next challenge to my workout. Soon it won't be can I do it in five attempts but rather how many times can I do it in five attempts. I have started a log book to keep track of my progress.

[lesedwards]

Great post and quite frank and to the point - Les we all get frustrated if we play bad but you got to put the hours in to improve - perhaps you need not to worry about it so much just enjoy it for what it is - Look at the positives - you have a beautiful home and a lovely family and your own cool man cave nice table great equipment and well - my dream really - the only way to improve is by practice - its bit by bit with effort and lots of hours as Ted says.

I think developing the right mindset is very important - rather than worrying about it - just PLAY - do your routines every night set targets practice bits of shots remember how you cue try one thing at once to see if it helps improve those targets and shots - Posting about it every night or worrying is not going to do you any favours - listening to so many coaches and advice is just going to cabbage your head - Never in my life have I ever met someone so impatient and yet determined to improve but you cant learn piano in a night or the guitar you got to learn the scales and the cords first - eventually you go from making a racket and giving everybody a headache to being able to play a tune or two and you might still hit the odd bum note but you will learn to play around it and not bother. Some people get it quicker than others and can play by ear but generally you cant skip past the basics and jump right into Beethoven.

One of the very first lessons you had with Terry was on the basics - this is the biggest part to get right - because you progress far quicker but you did want to rush him and go from the things he was telling you to do to jump right to the end of the chapter - it don't work like that and only causes problems and now you cant just play.

Just enjoy it for what it is mate - life is good snookers good - your potting balls a bit better now you have learnt to stun - but it needs more development noticed in the game with your son you went back to rolling it a bit and missing - hit the ball with more authority if you miss you miss - stop playing safety against your son go for everything with the intention of getting on the next ball no matter what the lay of the table speed up keep your eye on the ball once you commit to a shot and see if you feel better. Stop being so technical and trying to be precise or worry about standing this way or that or missing or loosing or what if's or buts or maybe's - just attack a few frames tape it and see what happens for a laugh - do it for me please - Just for an experiment - I would like to see what happens if you free your mind up if you can.

Oh and stick to the routines.

Thanks Byrom, I will probably get a a few games with my son in the next couple of weeks.

[Byrom]

I have just added a little twist to your challenge Ted. I spent a couple hours figuring why I get so down on myself and I realize I am going through the challenges and if I miss a few times in a row then I just keep missing and my concentration gets worse n worse and I get more frustrated. So I was right back at my table tonight but with a different outlook. First off I spent a half hour warming up with blacks off the spot and some different coloured angles then I worked through all three routines but I have given myself a limit of five times to get through each which adds the extra pressure I need and does not allow my concentration to wonder as I know I only have five chances. I started with the four red line up which I cleared on my final attempt which was very well controlled, all easy shots then onto the T routine which I also cleared on my final attempt but still a little weak then onto the colour clearance which I cleared three times out of five. Each week I will add your next challenge to my workout. Soon it won't be can I do it in five attempts but rather how many times can I do it in five attempts. I have started a log book to keep track of my progress.

This is good Les focused practice finally keeping targets - tracking progress - Ted should get a medal - its only taken you two years to pay attention to what any of us have been telling you

[cyberheater]

The commentators were saying that Neil Robertson only does solo snooker practice. He only plays others folks during tournaments.

[Leo]

The commentators were saying that Neil Robertson only does solo snooker practice. He only plays others folks during tournaments.

I'm no Neil Robertson but my practice was 90% on my Jack.

[Byrom]

The commentators were saying that Neil Robertson only does solo snooker practice. He only plays others folks during tournaments.

Yes many are the same as him - though they do like to keep sharp too - they will have a knock more generally with a lesser player - a ball picker - but many don't like to field themselves much and lots of them - especially the better players do plenty more solo practice than anything. Its the best way to develop the fluidity and confidence you need. Cant speak for others and I am not pro but I would never have got near a century without that thousand or whatever solo practice hours myself.

[Leo]

Yes many are the same as him - though they do like to keep sharp too - they will have a knock more generally with a lesser player - a ball picker - but many don't like to field themselves much and lots of them - especially the better players do plenty more solo practice than anything. Its the best way to develop the fluidity and confidence you need. Cant speak for others and I am not pro but I would never have got near a century without that thousand or whatever solo practice hours myself.

Yes agreed, you need that mental drive in the first place to succeed in this game, no good getting on the table and after 10mins doing a runner as you can't be bothered or what's the point attitude. It's a long drawn out process which will have its ups and downs but the rewards are massive if you keep to it.

@Les I understand you have work commitments and your table time might no be what you want but as you said you keep a log on your routines, have you thought about maybe downloading a App for your practice time at the table only.

[fractivsammy]

Unfortunately I haven't had much time to practice this week, and the time I did have didn't feel very productive. I find myself making the same mistakes repeatedly, so I've been trying to identify them so I can iron them out.

Anyway, here's a video of me doing the T formation clearance. I find I often run out of position around the pink spot, mainly due to slight errors in how I'm stunning the ball, leaving me on the wrong side of the next red or pink. Am I at least going about this correctly? Here's a video of when things went well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT7Hqd7xnxw

[itsnoteasy]

Nice Fract, could I ask , when you took the black could you not have knocked the pink in the middle to hold for the red in the bottom, that way the White is traveling a tenth of the distance and you would have been a foot from the red and nicely above it, it would also have prevented you getting further and further away from the balls. it's hard to tell the angles from the vid, sometimes ,so maybe that shot wasn't on. You play very nicely.

[lesedwards]

Yes agreed, you need that mental drive in the first place to succeed in this game, no good getting on the table and after 10mins doing a runner as you can't be bothered or what's the point attitude. It's a long drawn out process which will have its ups and downs but the rewards are massive if you keep to it.

@Les I understand you have work commitments and your table time might no be what you want but as you said you keep a log on your routines, have you thought about maybe downloading a App for your practice time at the table only.

No I never thought of an App. Do you know if any?

[Byrom]

No I never thought of an App. Do you know if any?

ding junhui international snooker - free download on apple - the best free ap available for routines - quite challenging. I use it all the time its great

[lesedwards]

ding junhui international snooker - free download on apple - the best free ap available for routines - quite challenging. I use it all the time its great

I have that and every other routine app, I thought you where talking about some kind of log app. Lots of good apps out there but I am staying away from all of them for now as I work on my challenges from Ted. I have bounced back and fourth between all these routine apps and coach instructions to the point I was so mixed up I could not make a ball. With my new idea I seem to stay focused with total concentration because I only have five attempts. I am sure I will have nights where I do not clear the routine in five. Maybe then I take a break and try again. A month ago I could not clear the colours and if I setup the reds, pink and black I could not make more then two reds n blacks and last night I clear all routines within five attempts and the colours three times. I could really feel the pressure build when I was down to my last attempt on both red routines but still made them both. Staying Focused.