Need to stop worrying

[j6uk]

Well it wasn't only my decision. It was measured during the order. I've got broad shoulders and when I stand the cue upright it will come up to my shoulders. It's only 2 cm more than my current cue with extension but at least the balance and weight will be right.
Anyway It's easier to shorten a cue than having to resplice.

maybe, but cut a little off the bottom or top will change the cue compleatly, then you got to think about balance, weight. taking some off the top means re-ferruling an re-tapering, thats hours in the workshop. even then it may not feel right.. whos makes your cues? and who told you you needed such a long cue?
oh and have you ever had coaching?

[ExtinctSKB]

pfew, almost sorry I mentioned my cue now.

A summary :
My cue maker is Belgian and has made and respliced a few hundred cues. One of his customers is 4x ISBF Ladies world champion. I have not found any bad reviews or complaint regarding his cues. and people who have switched to his cues from Parris cues prefer his. I trust he knows what he's doing.

The cue I ordered was measured to fit. In the address position with a bridge length slightly shorter than my natural bridge length. Forearm of griphand very slightly back from vertical. + a few centimeters spare for when I need a longer bridge. So tall person + broad shoulders + long arms = long cue. Weight, balance, butt&tip diameter, flexibility, all made to order. In case of resplicing weight a balance are all taken into account. The cue is tested 2 weeks before final delivery so it can be tweaked. In short a complete tailormade cue.

Whether it will fit or help me, only tie will tell. (One of my clubmembers has a 63" parris cue and he's only 5'9" : highest break 137, so it's the player, not cue)

Now Back to the main topic. (Don't get me wrong I do appreciate all the advice)
- Is my technique good enough to stop worrying and tweaking (for now) and just focusing on the matchplay and position.
- How do I stop worrying

And no I didn't have coaching yet but I do plan to have a session soon.

[tetricky]

I'm no expert, but to me you look like you are trying to force yourself to have a rhythm, in the hope that of itself will make things work, rather than having the correct preparation for the particular shot in question. Let me explain (and part of it is some things that other people have already talked about - like walking into, or dropping down on, the line of the shot).

You seem to be trying to make quick decisions, to keep your flow going, because tempo is important to you (so you forget things like things like chalking the cue). Having made a decision you seem to want to quickly get into a shot - almost like if you don't 'catch it' it will run away. When you get down and miss a shot, you then seem to get down quickly and try to miss another as fast as you can (clearly you don't....but you seem to rush into the shot, in the hope that speed of shot selection and preparation will cure the problem).

I could be miles wrong, I'm no expert....but I see things in what you are doing that are like what I used to do....which was characterised by an increased internalised pressure....which made me rush...which made my form deteriorate.

Try splitting each shot into three parts. The first has no defined tempo associated with it. The second and the third are mechanical practised actions, but critically you have to complete the second to your total comfort and satisfaction, before moving on to the final part. If you don't feel right, get up and start again.

1. Take your time, assess the table, be sure you have a plan for the next two or three shots. Chalk your cue. Make sure that you make a correct assessment of which shot that you want to take on, and whether it has a disproportionate risk against reward. Having decided on your shot, mentally commit to it totally, and asses where, and how, you want to hit the ball, with what objectives in mind. Take your time here....make sure your heart is not pounding, and you're not leaping at quick shots without assessing everything properly. This might take seconds, or minutes, but absolutely critical is understanding what shot that you want to take, and how you want to hit it, and that you are absolutely calm, confident, and committed to the shot. It's worth taking what is often only a few extra seconds to achieve this, than spending tens of minutes in your chair watching your opponent taking your points. There was a post recently to a video of Neil Robertson in a final frame making an absolute meal of a couple of shots...and people were only exclusively critical about what he was doing. I saw it differently. I saw someone feeling terrible about hisgame, under terrible pressure in a final frame, but nevertheless wringing out every last drop of his concentration to try to get his shot selection right and not miss a ball. Every ball is important. Once you've missed it, it's too late. Make the best choice that you can. Now you've decided, you KNOW that you have the correct shot chosen. Couple of deep breaths, nice and calm.

2. You know the shot to play, and the line you want to play down. From the line of the shot either walk in, or drop down on line. Check all the moving parts are in the right place, and nothing needs altering to come through the line of the shot that you want. If it feels wrong, get up, and then get down on the line again. Repeat until there is no doubt in your mind. It will probably only take one attempt...but learn to feel if something is wrong. Correct it before the shot, rather than knowing why you missed the shot after the event. That's no good.

3. You know the shot, you're in the right place. Now execute the shot using your well honed technique.

Try not to move the white ball around unnecessarily. It's the biggest fault that I had, for the longest time. It crippled my development. People marvelled at my ability to move the ball around off several cushions to achieve very decent position. They were bemused as to why I missed so many simple balls. The two were not unrelated. Jimmy didn't win any world championships.

[Byrom]

I'm no expert, but to me you look like you are trying to force yourself to have a rhythm, in the hope that of itself will make things work, rather than having the correct preparation for the particular shot in question. Let me explain (and part of it is some things that other people have already talked about - like walking into, or dropping down on, the line of the shot).

You seem to be trying to make quick decisions, to keep your flow going, because tempo is important to you (so you forget things like things like chalking the cue). Having made a decision you seem to want to quickly get into a shot - almost like if you don't 'catch it' it will run away. When you get down and miss a shot, you then seem to get down quickly and try to miss another as fast as you can (clearly you don't....but you seem to rush into the shot, in the hope that speed of shot selection and preparation will cure the problem).

I could be miles wrong, I'm no expert....but I see things in what you are doing that are like what I used to do....which was characterised by an increased internalised pressure....which made me rush...which made my form deteriorate.

Try splitting each shot into three parts. The first has no defined tempo associated with it. The second and the third are mechanical practised actions, but critically you have to complete the second to your total comfort and satisfaction, before moving on to the final part. If you don't feel right, get up and start again.

1. Take your time, assess the table, be sure you have a plan for the next two or three shots. Chalk your cue. Make sure that you make a correct assessment of which shot that you want to take on, and whether it has a disproportionate risk against reward. Having decided on your shot, mentally commit to it totally, and asses where, and how, you want to hit the ball, with what objectives in mind. Take your time here....make sure your heart is not pounding, and you're not leaping at quick shots without assessing everything properly. This might take seconds, or minutes, but absolutely critical is understanding what shot that you want to take, and how you want to hit it, and that you are absolutely calm, confident, and committed to the shot. It's worth taking what is often only a few extra seconds to achieve this, than spending tens of minutes in your chair watching your opponent taking your points. There was a post recently to a video of Neil Robertson in a final frame making an absolute meal of a couple of shots...and people were only exclusively critical about what he was doing. I saw it differently. I saw someone feeling terrible about hisgame, under terrible pressure in a final frame, but nevertheless wringing out every last drop of his concentration to try to get his shot selection right and not miss a ball. Every ball is important. Once you've missed it, it's too late. Make the best choice that you can. Now you've decided, you KNOW that you have the correct shot chosen. Couple of deep breaths, nice and calm.

2. You know the shot to play, and the line you want to play down. From the line of the shot either walk in, or drop down on line. Check all the moving parts are in the right place, and nothing needs altering to come through the line of the shot that you want. If it feels wrong, get up, and then get down on the line again. Repeat until there is no doubt in your mind. It will probably only take one attempt...but learn to feel if something is wrong. Correct it before the shot, rather than knowing why you missed the shot after the event. That's no good.

3. You know the shot, you're in the right place. Now execute the shot using your well honed technique.

Try not to move the white ball around unnecessarily. It's the biggest fault that I had, for the longest time. It crippled my development. People marvelled at my ability to move the ball around off several cushions to achieve very decent position. They were bemused as to why I missed so many simple balls. The two were not unrelated. Jimmy didn't win any world championships.

You should coach

[tetricky]

You should coach

....are you calling me a count?

[Byrom]

....are you calling me a count?

No - giving you a compliment.

[j6uk]

pfew, almost sorry I mentioned my cue now.

A summary :
My cue maker is Belgian and has made and respliced a few hundred cues. One of his customers is 4x ISBF Ladies world champion. I have not found any bad reviews or complaint regarding his cues. and people who have switched to his cues from Parris cues prefer his. I trust he knows what he's doing.

The cue I ordered was measured to fit. In the address position with a bridge length slightly shorter than my natural bridge length. Forearm of griphand very slightly back from vertical. + a few centimeters spare for when I need a longer bridge. So tall person + broad shoulders + long arms = long cue. Weight, balance, butt&tip diameter, flexibility, all made to order. In case of resplicing weight a balance are all taken into account. The cue is tested 2 weeks before final delivery so it can be tweaked. In short a complete tailormade cue.

Whether it will fit or help me, only tie will tell. (One of my clubmembers has a 63" parris cue and he's only 5'9" : highest break 137, so it's the player, not cue)

Now Back to the main topic. (Don't get me wrong I do appreciate all the advice)
- Is my technique good enough to stop worrying and tweaking (for now) and just focusing on the matchplay and position.
- How do I stop worrying

And no I didn't have coaching yet but I do plan to have a session soon.

okay fella, well its allways good to share ideas and thoughts on tsf, an i can only really talk about things at length that iv expireance in. be iterested to hear more when you start having a bit of coaching..
drop straight down, stay still and let the cue do all the work
cheers

[tetricky]

No - giving you a compliment.

I'd make a terrible coach, but would probably be better as a coach than as a player.

[mikeyd100]

I'd make a terrible coach, but would probably be better as a coach than as a player.

Good post of yours earlier, some nice info and observations.

[shmeeko69]

Hi,

I've been lurking on this forum for a while now, sucking up information. First of all something about me : I've been playing for 1 year now and am starting some competition play. I'm 42 so a late starter and am 6'6" tall. This is very nice if I have to reach over the table but also means that I have to play with an extension all the time and have to have both legs bent to be in a comfortable position.

I'm struggling lately with my potting and I think I'm focusing too much on technique, thinking too much about where my arm, tip, finger head, etc... is. My highest brake is 39 and 33 and 32 for 2nd and 3rd place. But these days I can be happy if I can get 20. And in matchplay my game is going to pieces, I get frustrated and this of course makes things even worse. I actually always had the impression that I play better if I don't take too much time on the pot itself, even reducing the feathering to a minimum. I finally recorded some video and tried to analyse it but I realise I need some help. Basically I need to know if my technique is solid enough to stop worrying about the pot and start focusing on the game.

On to the video! (sorry for the quality)

First video shows analysis of cueing. What I see is that delivery seems to be straight but that my tip is a bit far for aiming and maybe the cue/table angle is a bit large. It also seems that I hit the CB where I'm aiming (last part)
https://youtu.be/cMYaMYaBoZc

In the second video you can see a warm up exercise I like to do. (not too much thinking, just potting, getting the feel of the table). All seems to go well up until the 1:50 mark where I'm suddenly unable to pot a ball. Even the easy ones.
https://youtu.be/i9IY7_2XrIY

So long story short, all tips are appreciated

Looking at both your videos you seem to cue across the ball very well and your stance looks fine. I think you should just focus your mind, keep practicing and more decent breaks will follow.

[ExtinctSKB]

@tetricky, this is indeed a good description about how I feel. I rush into the shots without thinking about what I'm doing and there does indeed seems to be an urgency. When I'm in a flow (rare these days) I almost run around the table to get to the next pot as if I'm afraid I might lose the flow any second. I also need to stand up if I'm uncertain. There are sometimes even pots I know I'm going to miss as I'm about to strike.
Anyway I'll try to take this into account in my next few matches and will focus on shot selection and position.

[tetricky]

@tetricky, this is indeed a good description about how I feel. I rush into the shots without thinking about what I'm doing and there does indeed seems to be an urgency. When I'm in a flow (rare these days) I almost run around the table to get to the next pot as if I'm afraid I might lose the flow any second. I also need to stand up if I'm uncertain. There are sometimes even pots I know I'm going to miss as I'm about to strike.
Anyway I'll try to take this into account in my next few matches and will focus on shot selection and position.

The other thing that is nagging at me is two bent legs. I don't like it. With that you can, and I believe will, be able to move backwards and forward, and also side to side. I think a fundamental of staying still on the shot is a straight planted leg (the one behind the cue) with the other leg bent to allow the creation of a firm pyramid platform. I understand the problem with being tall and having to get down to the table. It's not a natural feeling. If you use your reach to give distance from the table, form the pyramid with the straight leg, balanced with the other leg and the bridge, you should be able to push your hip away from the line of the cue and allow a gap to drop the butt of the cue (lowering your elbow) to give a parallel line to the table.

If you have two bent legs they will be a tendency to crouch, with you having to hold your body in position. It seems to me that you will be in danger of getting on top of (coming over) the shot/position, or falling away from it. It seems to me highly likely that you will have some movement on the shot. It would be a remarkable act of physical control to avoid that, or keep it consistent for different strength shots.

As I say. I'm no great player. It's my thoughts. There are others much better qualified to give you good advice.

....and don't get me wrong...there are things that are clearly good. It looks like you have a good bridge and head position, and bring the cue through nicely...but is it in the right place, can you keep it there...and do you have a clear picture in your head of what shot you are playing....and are you calm and composed?

[ExtinctSKB]

Locking my knee isn't an option but I might try to put it further backwards and lean into my front leg. Anyway I do try to fix my right leg into place and try to straighten it as much as possible. Anyway this might explain why I tend to miss more the longer I stay in the address position.

[tomwalker147]

I may be wrong but hope i'm not... have a look at Ricky Walden, fairly sure he plays with 2 bent knees and it works for him.

Kind of ironic that you came onto here wanting to stop worrying and have been greeted by lots of new things to worry about.

Don't try and run with all the points, take a few at a time, practise them then move on to the next.

[MrRottweiler]

It's the back leg having to be slightly bent that could be be a factor. If you can't fully stretch the back leg a few sessions with a coach will be ideal for having a fresh pair of eyes watching you in action and help you fix the bad habits that affect consistency and most importantly help you develop a stance that is comfortable but solid. I notice a lot of players don't arch their spine when down on the shot which is probably because it's uncomfortable (Hendry did it to the extreme) so it might be worth looking at arching your spine more as this might let you straighten the back leg or make you more stable when down on the shot. There is no reason why a player can't play without a straight back leg but it's not traditional so definitely needs the input of a coach.

I'm not suggesting you move on the shot because I couldn't see that from the videos but even minute movement can cause a missed pot.