Long Straight Blue Challenge

[OmaMiesta]

So you don't disagree at all really do you ?

As I said in my post once you know you have a straight cue action then the long straight practise shot isn't doing you any favours when it comes to match time. Train your eyes as well as your hand, practise keeping that focus on the object ball.

I still practise the long ball off the blue spot but with the cue ball on the yellow or green spot with varying degrees of spin to control the cue ball for black or pink position. A far better shot for match practise than trying to be like Judd Trump. In fact anywhere along the baulk line in between the dead straight positions; just a tad off straight is the hardest one of all as it's so very easy to look to the pocket.

If you're not being watched by a coach or a friend you need to rely on the outcome to deduce what went wrong; providing that you set the shot up correctly in the first place, hit the pot too thick and you can be almost certain that your eyes flicked to the pocket, too thin and you can be almost certain that your shoulder dropped too early or you decelerated and you cued across the cue ball.

Don't play practise routines where you can't work out that you're taking your eye off the object ball, a video won't show it and it can look like everything was played correctly yet still the pot missed by a foot and you're left in the dark as to why.

Sorry I meant I disagreed that its not an important shot too practice even if you have straight cueing. I find that If I dont practice this shot frequently I dont shoot as straight consistently so I mainly do it to keep refinement in my cue action. But I definitely agree that it doesnt come up in match play as often and that other angles are just as important to work on as frequently. Cheers.

[OmaMiesta]

Nice shooting Oma. If that is your normal average, than this is truly amazing for a club player.

Watch this. John Higgins practises. At around 4 minute mark he starts with long blue routine. It is just sickening how straight he cues. And yet even he misses a few.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuL87TeAwas

I think I got around 40 pots or so out of 100 attempts once. With only 10 attempts, I could get better than average result due to sheer luck, or I might miss all of them
My record is 12 pots in a row. Also 14 misses in a row. Would not want this shot to be frame ball winner. Average could get down to 10% or less in a match with people watching.

Thanks man, it seems to be my average on days im cueing well but certainly not my average all the time. But I find if im cueing bad and practice this for an hour or so I get back into gear.
John Higgins is simply a beast...but yea crazy how even the top players can miss in practice. 12 in a row is very good and yea haha I know what you mean sometimes youre just on a missing streak. Cheers.

[j6uk]

im loving the chalk trails fella. you could have a few more aroud the ygb area, you know with shots into the pack, or getting on reds between pink n black, fantersy type of tales. oh an that pink spot sould be destroid, line ups with only the rinky-ink would do it for ya

[OmaMiesta]

Although I do 3 or so long blues a day I think the really true test of straight delivery is where you make both blue and cueball in the top pocket. Steve Davis once said if you can do this 10 times in a row then your cue action would be better than his (meaning I guess he was having trouble with 10 in a row).

When I do the long blue screwing back to the baulkline or better I use the spotted cueball and I notice when I shoot hard I get a very slight rotation from some unintentional left side. Very upsetting as I get that on most of the ones where I use a lot of power.

I also practice a long red into a top pocket with cueball a couple of inches from the baulk cushion to end up on the black. This is a situation that comes up frequently in a frame and especially at the start of one and it's a very good shot to practice.

Do you mean 10 blues with cue ball following in with top spin? I find that really is much more difficult than screwing back in the opposite pocket.
I also practice the long red to get on the black in a stun run through fashion, definitely a good shoot to get down.

[OmaMiesta]

im loving the chalk trails fella. you could have a few more aroud the ygb area, you know with shots into the pack, or getting on reds between pink n black, fantersy type of tales. oh an that pink spot sould be destroid, line ups with only the rinky-ink would do it for ya

Haha! You're right man there really is a lot of things I need to work on. I dont practice the cannon as much as I think I have it down but my pinks in the side are horrendous....should probably work on those next. Ill try and post a line up video tonight.

[j6uk]

Haha! You're right man there really is a lot of things I need to work on. I dont practice the cannon as much as I think I have it down but my pinks in the side are horrendous....should probably work on those next. Ill try and post a line up video tonight.

yeah id put holes in your pink an black spots with in a month, if that was my table

[Terry Davidson]

Do you mean 10 blues with cue ball following in with top spin? I find that really is much more difficult than screwing back in the opposite pocket.
I also practice the long red to get on the black in a stun run through fashion, definitely a good shoot to get down.

Exactly. Davis did a coaching video many years ago and I believe that's where he said it but I could have seen it somewhere else. I practiced this for awhile and managed to get 17 in a row, missed one and then had another 4 in a row. Quit after that although I doubt if I could do that well again, just a freaky day that was.

It is a lot harder to use top spin and pot both balls into a top pocket. Thus Steve's comment on the 10 in a row.

[Tony Morgan]

Try this one guys. Some of you may already do it. Put the blue on it's spot. Then put the white ball in the jaws of one of the corner pockets straight in line with the blue & the opposite corner pocket. Walk in. Start cueing & close your eyes on the last few strokes & then pot the blue into the opposite corner bag. That'll get you cueing straight. To make it even harder. Pot the blue & white in the same pocket/shot. Enjoy. It's meant as a bit of fun remember

[Tony Morgan]

Apologies if this has been mentioned. Tbh, I couldn't be bothered to read the first 4 pages

[bolton-cueman]

I'm getting confused with all this close your eyes nonsense.... closing your eyes while playing any shot will not make you cue straight.

why not stand on one leg as well to try and improve your all round motor skills? or balance a plate on your head to make sure there's no head movement.

[j6uk]

like it tony, maybe cus iv done it a few times.. an dont worry about what the sisters say

[Ramon]

Apologies if this has been mentioned. Tbh, I couldn't be bothered to read the first 4 pages

No need to apologies Tony ,,
it is a good practice routine, good post !!
Of crs , u can'nt close ur eyes all the time in snooker ,, But it is a good practice routine for ur cueing !!

[Tony Morgan]

Tbh, we do this mainly after we've finished our league matches just for a laugh. We also put the black on it's spot. Put the white on the yellow spot & then cut the black into the bottom yellow corner pocket. First to do it gets a beer off the others. Great bit of fun

[tbones147]

Tbh, we do this mainly after we've finished our league matches just for a laugh. We also put the black on it's spot. Put the white on the yellow spot & then cut the black into the bottom yellow corner pocket. First to do it gets a beer off the others. Great bit of fun

People seem to think that cut is impossible, I have actually overcut it by about an inch.

[Tony Morgan]

Cheers guys, the feeling you get when you achieve both shots on the same night makes you feel like you've hit the jackpot. I've seen players jumping up & down in fits of laughter when they've done it