Long Straight Blue Challenge

[OmaMiesta]

Good drill to practice straight cueing, think I managed 14/17.

Give it a go and post your results

[Maverick54]

Doesn't the chalk line mean your cheating a bit? Cant see it helping during a match. Could be wrong tho.

[bolton-cueman]

there's a bloody line on the table! I know you do get a chalk mark caused by repetitive routines but there's a 5ft line on the table! Brush your table and do it from the baulk like.

I'll give it a try on Monday night if I can get someone to film me. Was doing some long potting today and really struggled with the cueing. Alignment was OK but I wasn't pushing the cue through

Doubt I could get 14/17 even with sat nav lol

[OmaMiesta]

Doesn't the chalk line mean your cheating a bit? Cant see it helping during a match. Could be wrong tho.

Haha tell you what, you guys can use a chalk line if you feel it helps you. Maybe it does help a bit for cueing reference, never really considered it. Im just tired of brushing this cloth as its way over due for a change and it doesnt really bother me too much.

[OmaMiesta]

there's a bloody line on the table! I know you do get a chalk mark caused by repetitive routines but there's a 5ft line on the table! Brush your table and do it from the baulk like.

I'll give it a try on Monday night if I can get someone to film me. Was doing some long potting today and really struggled with the cueing. Alignment was OK but I wasn't pushing the cue through

Doubt I could get 14/17 even with sat nav lol

Haha yea I can see that! I did it from the opposite side because its closer to the camera but its pretty much the same distance from the baulk line give or take an inch or two.
Definitely give it a go, I always spend a few hours on this one when im having trouble cueing smooth and straight. I usually start a lot closer to the blue then try further and further until im comfortable. If you can consistently knock in about 8-9/10 then you're in good stroke! Good luck

[pottr]

Wouldn't call that a long blue to be honest...

Quality stuff though

[bolton-cueman]

Wouldn't call that a long blue to be honest...

Quality stuff though

Hope you don't mind me asking Pottr.... but which routine or routines did you find improved your game most?

Love your 51 clearance routine and that with the lineup, T and long straight stuff is really working for me.

I look at all the routines that PJ Nolan puts on Youtube and they all look pretty but, please correct me if I'm wrong, most seem to be based around pattern play. ie when you've mapped out your shots they're all do-able. Did that make sense ha!

[vmax4steve]

I once hit twelve in a row, screwing back into the green pocket on six of them and thought I'd cracked it. Played a frame afterwards and I was terrible.
Too many play this exercise and think they're playing well, but snooker is all about angles, recognising them and keeping your eye on the object ball when playing them. I no longer practise straight shots as you can take your eye off the object ball to the pocket and still cue straight, which is fatal on an angled pot as your hand will follow your eye.

I'm not saying don't, but once you know you have a good straight cue action always give yourself an angle on potting exercises, even a slight one; train your eyes as well as your hands.

[OmaMiesta]

I once hit twelve in a row, screwing back into the green pocket on six of them and thought I'd cracked it. Played a frame afterwards and I was terrible.
Too many play this exercise and think they're playing well, but snooker is all about angles, recognising them and keeping your eye on the object ball when playing them. I no longer practise straight shots as you can take your eye off the object ball to the pocket and still cue straight, which is fatal on an angled pot as your hand will follow your eye.

I'm not saying don't, but once you know you have a good straight cue action always give yourself an angle on potting exercises, even a slight one; train your eyes as well as your hands.

I disagree, getting the straight shot down is the basic fundemental necessary for all angles as with any pot you must cue perfectly straight to contact the desired point required to make the pot. In theory, aiming at any specific point on an object ball to make a pot is a straight shot. The whole idea of this excersize is to ensure that youre always cueing center cue ball with no unintentional spin that can potentially throw you offline. That being said I agree in practicality its always good to practice every angle in a similar repitition routine. Break down all the angles in variations of ( quarter, half, 3/4, and full )
Anyway at least thats what works for me I find.

[ghost121]

My best is 13 in a row, alternating sides and taking the shot straight from the actual baulk line, softish with a bit of stun. Got fed up and threw in a sloppy one that missed by a mile on number 14. I usually manage about 7 or 8 out of 10. I agree with vmaxsteve, with me it doesn't really make much difference to subsequent live games. In fact, if you don't do as well as you think you should and it's just before a game, it can be a confidence wrecker for no real value.

[OmaMiesta]

Wouldn't call that a long blue to be honest...

Quality stuff though

Haha hey any pot of considerable distance that I cant make 10/10 is a long pot in my book. Some longer than others of course. Cheers

[markz]

Nice cueing Oma, I tend to use the standard way from the baulk line as well. Yours are more mid/long range pots but still striking the ball well. I only ever do five or ten just to get my arm going, last twice I got 5/5 and 8/10, happy with that so don't over do it. Great to see you playing well and looking confident.

[OmaMiesta]

My best is 13 in a row, alternating sides and taking the shot straight from the actual baulk line, softish with a bit of stun. Got fed up and threw in a sloppy one that missed by a mile on number 14. I usually manage about 7 or 8 out of 10. I agree with vmaxsteve, with me it doesn't really make much difference to subsequent live games. In fact, if you don't do as well as you think you should and it's just before a game, it can be a confidence wrecker for no real value.

Thats very good but I guess it all just depends on the individual....for me if im not knocking in these long straight shots in practice before a tournament, I lose all confidence and turn down a lot of long pots.

[OmaMiesta]

Nice cueing Oma, I tend to use the standard way from the baulk line as well. Yours are more mid/long range pots but still striking the ball well. I only ever do five or ten just to get my arm going, last twice I got 5/5 and 8/10, happy with that so don't over do it. Great to see you playing well and looking confident.

Cheers buddy, yea I usually do shoot em from the baulk line but for the sake of getting a better camera view I set up on the other end. 5/5 and 8/10 is very good and definitely where you wanna be. Likewise!

[bolton-cueman]

Thats very good but I guess it all just depends on the individual....for me if im not knocking in these long straight shots in practice before a tournament, I lose all confidence and turn down a lot of long pots.

I think I must be wired incorrectly as in match play I would rarely turn down a long straight(ish) pot lol and I'd honestly say I get more than I miss - it's all confidence with me.

Routines like this, for me at least, drill the shot into the muscle memory.

Also, as per Vmax's post, I tend to overlook angle shots now.

My former coach used to have me doing the 'clock' thing around the pink - full, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 balls potting the pink into the top 2 and middle bags. Highlighted that I sighted half and 1/4 balls to the left middle consistently thick. A bread and butter shot but a missed shot in a match. VMax is spot on!