Elbow question?

[birkirhlyns]

No 1.
When cueing , should I keep my elbow as high as I possibly can all the way through a shot?
No 2.
After long practices of queing up and down the spots , finally cueing straight , I want to get the "pause" in the rythm of my swing. Been trying on my own, but missing shots I usually make before trying the "pause". Is this just down to practicing ? Any tips/routines would help alot.

Thanks in advance. Sorry about the spelling.

Birkirhlyns.

[tedisbill]

Hi. I presume you mean a rear pause before you deliver the cue? If that's the case, don't worry about that, just make sure your backswing is nice and slow and controlled.

[Alba_]

If you change something in your game you will always miss silly shots and it will feel strange playing that way because your mind and body have been playing differently for so long. sub consciously you will be weary on shots and you will doubt some shots because you have changed the normal feel to your game. It's like getting a new pair of shoes.At first they feel weird and you might be unsure on your feet at times but after time of walking the same step after step they become normal and you never think about it. You need to just play the same way repetitively no matter what your elbow is doing and you will get consistency. Don't think about your elbow think about the shot and let your body play the way it does. Everyone plays differently. You would have been cuing straight because you were repetitively playing the same shot over and over. Just don't over think things because the game is simple but when you start to tinker with your mechanics it becomes difficult and it's a slippery slope. You will be playing bad one day and you will change something else then something else then you will really be up sheet creek because it will destroy your game chopping and changing the way you pay.

[guernseygooner]

You won't get better advice than Alba's. it's a simple game that people over complicate by trying to be too perfect.

[mythman69]

You won't get better advice than Alba's. it's a simple game that people over complicate by trying to be too perfect.

So why do I keep missing???

[GeordieDS]

You won't get better advice than Alba's. it's a simple game that people over complicate by trying to be too perfect.

One thing snooker is not is simple

[birkirhlyns]

I get it Alba , but changing my technique is the way to improve am I right?. If I just keep playing like I feel is right I wont improve on my shots/technique.

Aiming , sighting , steppin into a shot , controled slow cueing , stance , grip , bridge. All needs to be right. Thats why I am asking about the Elbow.

So I can improve in practice

[guernseygooner]

One thing snooker is not is simple

Why not? Just because someone struggles at something doesn't mean it's not simple. Football is simple but not everyone can kick a ball straight.

Snooker is simple in that you need to pull and push the cue through relatively straight. It's not easy though and if you have the hand eye coordination required will need thousands of hours honing.

That is what I mean by simple, no short cuts exist so don't over complicate things with thoughts like "if I move this finger here or stand with my foot there I have cracked it".

[tedisbill]

I get it Alba , but changing my technique is the way to improve am I right?. If I just keep playing like I feel is right I wont improve on my shots/technique.

Aiming , sighting , steppin into a shot , controled slow cueing , stance , grip , bridge. All needs to be right. Thats why I am asking about the Elbow.

So I can improve in practice

Correct. It's best to try and get things right from the start, because it's pointless getting bad habits and then getting really good at playing badly if you see what I mean.

Problem is on here, you'll have 150 different views as to what you need to do.

[Master Blaster]

Each player is different, even the pros can be very different. Some coaches will swear by pendulum with the ring grip doing everything and the arm relaxed, the elbow a hinge. Others coach elbow drop. I'm sure some will say elbow as high as possible, cue butt as low as possible and others will may say don't worry too much about elbow height. All I can say is try different things and experiment. If it works, keep it, if it doesn't, bin it. If the coaches can't agree it means there is no universal answer for all players.

[Alba_]

Every single player including the pro's play different. Ronnie plays different to Hendry, Davis plays different to Higgins, Alex Higgins plays different to Williams. Ding plays Different to Trump. There elbows, Stance, Grip, Pause or Bridge hand or everything else about there games are different to other players. What i'm saying is that you should play how you are and not fill your head up with all sorts of nonsense that will ruin your game for a long time because you will change something else then something else and your game will end up in bits by changing things. Look at poor old Les edwards as a fine example. Taking everyone's "EXPERT" analysis on board and 2 years later he is still chasing his tail. If he was left to play his own way he would be a lot further on in his snooker. People need to remember that they don't get to play snooker 10 hours a day like the pro's so chopping and changing things "technique especially" will have a knock on effect in their game for months and even years for their body to become comfortable with the changes when they could be improving in those years playing their old way. A lot of it is crap and will set you back more than it will improve your game in my opinion unless you are a complete beginner who does not know the basics then by all means as you have not got a comfort zone anyways.

[Ramon]

Each player is different, even the pros can be very different. Some coaches will swear by pendulum with the ring grip doing everything and the arm relaxed, the elbow a hinge. Others coach elbow drop. I'm sure some will say elbow as high as possible, cue butt as low as possible and others will may say don't worry too much about elbow height. All I can say is try different things and experiment. If it works, keep it, if it doesn't, bin it. If the coaches can't agree it means there is no universal answer for all players.

This is a good explanation Master B ,, agreed !!! But all the pros have one thing in common: after (and during) striking the CB, the cue is 100 percent parallel with the table !! Now ,how do you do that ? Keep the elbow high or a bit lower or ...... is a matter of personal preference and what works for you !! The main thing is the delivery of the cue, imo !!!!!! there are also players like ROS ,, who throw their elebow in the shot (after striking) and RS the button a bit !!! some coaches says , that's wrong cus you must keep the button lower. But it works because the delivery of the cue is perfect !!

[vmax4steve]

Every single player including the pro's play different. Ronnie plays different to Hendry, Davis plays different to Higgins, Alex Higgins plays different to Williams. Ding plays Different to Trump. There elbows, Stance, Grip, Pause or Bridge hand or everything else about there games are different to other players.

Yeah, but every single one of them looked at the object ball first and last and everyone has to get this right first.

[tedisbill]

Yeah, but every single one of them looked at the object ball first and last and everyone has to get this right first.

You can't become aware of things like this though, just have to let it take care of itself. Hours and hours and hours of practice and your brain will sort it out.

[CoachGavin]

Elbow question?

sorry Ramon. The cue is NOT parallel to the table. How would you play a screw shot if the cue was parallel? You have a slope. Players like Selby often make a chalk mark in the cloth. How could they do that if the cue was parallel? On topspin shots Ronnie often finishes with the cue tip above the height he started at and the cue is not parallel.