The Les Edwards Snooker Challenge Thread

[bolton-cueman]

Les,

Have a look at this,,,
" Practice to improve not just to waste time "
" 43 Match - 52 Practice - 13 Reds in Line Up "

That is your best. Every time you get frustrated just go back to this and have a think about it. You must have been potting well to get these numbers. You have done it before and you can do it again. Believe.

Now, When I practice and get frustrated I go back to the very basics. This is what I do.

1, Pot easy blue's in the middle to allow me to get my cueing down. Stun, Screw, Top spin. (Once I have made around 20 pots I will move on to harder shots by potting the blue at slightly different angles)

2, I will line all the colours in any order from black to brown ball. I will then pot them in any pocket in any order. This again allows me to use all of the cue ball. I will also only think of the shot I am on to make sure I pot it hitting the correct part of the cue ball.

After doing these 2 easy routines for around 30 minutes I will ove on to more difficult routines from the Ding app or the Nic Barrow app.

It is very easy to get frustrated and some times it is easy to just put the cue away and come back to the table a few hours later.

I wouldn't worry about adjusting your stance or cue action for a while. I have seen people with terrible cue action and stances but they can still make breaks of 60+. I believe you can too.

Stick to the basics and don't worry about the bad days.

I can only advise what has worked for me and what I was told when I was feeling the same as you. Doing these routines have helped me and I am feeling more confident in my match play because my practice is getting better.

You can do it Les.

lol.... just lol

[itsnoteasy]

Les,

Have a look at this,,,
" Practice to improve not just to waste time "
" 43 Match - 52 Practice - 13 Reds in Line Up "

That is your best. Every time you get frustrated just go back to this and have a think about it. You must have been potting well to get these numbers. You have done it before and you can do it again. Believe.

Now, When I practice and get frustrated I go back to the very basics. This is what I do.

1, Pot easy blue's in the middle to allow me to get my cueing down. Stun, Screw, Top spin. (Once I have made around 20 pots I will move on to harder shots by potting the blue at slightly different angles)

2, I will line all the colours in any order from black to brown ball. I will then pot them in any pocket in any order. This again allows me to use all of the cue ball. I will also only think of the shot I am on to make sure I pot it hitting the correct part of the cue ball.

After doing these 2 easy routines for around 30 minutes I will ove on to more difficult routines from the Ding app or the Nic Barrow app.

It is very easy to get frustrated and some times it is easy to just put the cue away and come back to the table a few hours later.

I wouldn't worry about adjusting your stance or cue action for a while. I have seen people with terrible cue action and stances but they can still make breaks of 60+. I believe you can too.

Stick to the basics and don't worry about the bad days.

I can only advise what has worked for me and what I was told when I was feeling the same as you. Doing these routines have helped me and I am feeling more confident in my match play because my practice is getting better.

You can do it Les.

Talk about a back handed compliment!

[lesedwards]

Hi Everyone, here is a little update. As usual I get very frustrated and upset and then I start to type. But one thing I failed to mention is every Tuesday night I play at friends place on his old Brunswick and I look like a different person. Running 20's and 30's and full of confidence. Why because his corner pockets are a big 3-1/2" closer to 3-5/8" and mine are or I should say where 3-3/8". I had my guy in on Thursday and he opened them up to 3-5/8". I have only hit maybe a dozen shots since they did it and all I can say is wow, now I can put my concentration on position instead of every ounce of concentration on making the pot. Just no time to practice. Busy getting my Sons house done. Carpet goes down in his Billiard Room on Thursday. 4-1/2x9 Pool Table gets installed on Friday and the Snooker Table which we drove 3 hours both ways to pick up goes in next Tuesday. I am even jealous....LOL I designed the house around his billiards room.

[Leo]

Hi Everyone, here is a little update. As usual I get very frustrated and upset and then I start to type. But one thing I failed to mention is every Tuesday night I play at friends place on his old Brunswick and I look like a different person. Running 20's and 30's and full of confidence. Why because his corner pockets are a big 3-1/2" closer to 3-5/8" and mine are or I should say where 3-3/8". I had my guy in on Thursday and he opened them up to 3-5/8". I have only hit maybe a dozen shots since they did it and all I can say is wow, now I can put my concentration on position instead of every ounce of concentration on making the pot. Just no time to practice. Busy getting my Sons house done. Carpet goes down in his Billiard Room on Thursday. 4-1/2x9 Pool Table gets installed on Friday and the Snooker Table which we drove 3 hours both ways to pick up goes in next Tuesday. I am even jealous....LOL I designed the house around his billiards room.

No excuse's now Edwards, the difference in pocket size from 3/8 to 5/8 in real snooker terms is huge.

[lesedwards]

No excuse's now Edwards, the difference in pocket size from 3/8 to 5/8 in real snooker terms is huge.

Yes I agree Leo, I will let you guys know how I am making out as soon as I get a chance to hit some balls.

[Terry Davidson]

Yes I agree Leo, I will let you guys know how I am making out as soon as I get a chance to hit some balls.

I think some people got the wrong idea on what Les is trying to do. At the suggestion of both Cliff and myself he has made his pockets bigger than any of the templates and I hope has undercut them too. Les needs CONFIDENCE in his potting to progress his game. Unless you are already a very good player you should not play with pockets anywhere near template (although the WPBSA template isn't too small).

[sharkster63]

Les, I dont know if you ever heard the term buckets.... Hope it works out for you. Cheers

[lesedwards]

Les, I dont know if you ever heard the term buckets.... Hope it works out for you. Cheers

Yes I have. Cliff, Kirk and the crew all mastered their games on buckets. Old Brunswick Anniversary Tables. Cliff has a favourite saying. "There is no such thing as a table with too big of pockets" Cliff came down to watch me play my match in the last tournament and he told me after get your pockets opened up and start banging them in. He said I look like I was afraid I was going to miss so I was hitting every shot so light in a jabbing motion with no thought of position. Had them done Thursday and I hit a dozen shots on Saturday and that's it. Just too busy. Floyd might play Thursday seeing how it will be my birthday.

[Ramon]

Yes I have. Cliff, Kirk and the crew all mastered their games on buckets. Old Brunswick Anniversary Tables. Cliff has a favourite saying. "There is no such thing as a table with too big of pockets" Cliff came down to watch me play my match in the last tournament and he told me after get your pockets opened up and start banging them in. He said I look like I was afraid I was going to miss so I was hitting every shot so light in a jabbing motion with no thought of position. Had them done Thursday and I hit a dozen shots on Saturday and that's it. Just too busy. Floyd might play Thursday seeing how it will be my birthday.

Perhaps that's the reason whay he started that max break in 1983 , with a fluk ??

[lesedwards]

Perhaps that's the reason whay he started that max break in 1983 , with a fluk ??

Good Thinking Ramon....LOL Probably one of the all time biggest Flukes. The first 147 at the Crucible.

[ace man]

Hi Everyone, here is a little update. As usual I get very frustrated and upset and then I start to type. But one thing I failed to mention is every Tuesday night I play at friends place on his old Brunswick and I look like a different person. Running 20's and 30's and full of confidence. Why because his corner pockets are a big 3-1/2" closer to 3-5/8" and mine are or I should say where 3-3/8". I had my guy in on Thursday and he opened them up to 3-5/8". I have only hit maybe a dozen shots since they did it and all I can say is wow, now I can put my concentration on position instead of every ounce of concentration on making the pot. Just no time to practice. Busy getting my Sons house done. Carpet goes down in his Billiard Room on Thursday. 4-1/2x9 Pool Table gets installed on Friday and the Snooker Table which we drove 3 hours both ways to pick up goes in next Tuesday. I am even jealous....LOL I designed the house around his billiards room.

Believe me, if you were playing a much stronger player, you would lose confidence very quickly, regardless of pocket size. I don't know why are you comparing the games against players of such vastly different standard. Big difference playing someone who is a lesser player than you versus playing someone who has played snooker for far longer and on a much higher level.

[vmax4steve]

Those pockets have already been widened have they not, how big are they going to have to get ?

[lesedwards]

Those pockets have already been widened have they not, how big are they going to have to get ?

No we left everything as is when we set it up. Corners where at 3-3/8" I tried it for a year and decided with the encouragement of Terry n Cliff to open them up. They are now a touch over 3-1/2" the same as Terry's.

[markz]

No we left everything as is when we set it up. Corners where at 3-3/8" I tried it for a year and decided with the encouragement of Terry n Cliff to open them up. They are now a touch over 3-1/2" the same as Terry's.

Was your previous table even tighter Les? I was surprised to see you opening pockets up after being so positive a few weeks ago when you got your 13 red line up and thought you were playing better. Got to say your sons new billiards room looks amazing, I think we are all jealous. Top job!

[alabadi]

Les , just enjoy the game and stop worrying about high breaks. I have stopped that now and when I play matches I just get what I can.
Some games it's scrappy because colours all off there spots and reds in awkward positions or covering each other. In them situations you should be saying it's going to be difficult to make a 20 break, once you have accepted that then you will find you'll play better because you are not worrying about making a decent break.

Sometimes (not always) winning is more important than playing well.

I mentioned to you a while back that I have entered for the first time into a knockout competition , well I have Won my first two matches.

The first I was receiving 36 start and won comfortably, my second match I was giving my opponent 20 start and it was hard to make any sort of break. I scraped home 3-2 (best of 5) after going 2-0 down.
Every game is different so treat it that way, even the pros sometimes win frames without having made a 30 break in.