Everything seems wrong, what to do in limited practice time?

[var1234]

Hi there,

I play like 2-3 hours x 2 times per weeks for years, average 20-30..

I spent time to work on the fundamental, but recently i even cannot pot easy ball.. i guess i am thinking and changing too much..

If u have only 2 hour practice time on both sat and sun, what is the most efficient practice?? Long straight blue?

The practice routine on web seems too advanced for me

[jamesg19851]

There are difficult practice routines, but they can be made easier. For example you could do the line up but with just 3 reds. Then when you get better then progress to 4 reds. Another good practice routine i have been trying is called the christmas tree. Christmas-tree-8-reds-+-colours.png

[jamesg19851]

Following on from my previous post, here is an idea of a practise routine.

1) Christmas tree, as per the pic in my previous post. Remember to leave space for the pink to pass into the corner pockets.
2) Line up but with just 2 reds evenly spaced between the pink and black and one red underneath the black.
3) Clearing the colours, obviously just the colours on their spots.

I am a similar standard and i like these exercises. I can't complete the christmas tree exercise yet, only got to a 36 break, but it's still fun. These are good exercises for potting and positional play.

Do you play other people too? The best way to get better is to play better players. Also, regarding your question about the long straight blue to practise potting, yes that is a good exercise to develop a straight cue action. You could also try long blues from different angles.

Here are some good practice routines by Frank Callan, which includes the long straight blue exercise. http://www.fcsnooker.co.uk/coaching/..._long_blue.htm

[Crixus]

Spread the balls about & pot in any order. It's amazing how many shots turn up with this exercise. More importantly have fun!

[svendh]

I've been where you are and still am. Let's face it, you won't proceed past the regular 20 to 30 mark unless you put in the hours. And I mean many of them. Go back enjoying the game, a 30 break isn't that bad.

[tetricky]

I've been where you are and still am. Let's face it, you won't proceed past the regular 20 to 30 mark unless you put in the hours. And I mean many of them. Go back enjoying the game, a 30 break isn't that bad.

This is mainly rubbish. I've never done ten hours in a week, and never 'put in the hours'. I have, however, had regular 40-50-60 breaks in single frame competition. It comes from being capable of taking whats there. The big difference in my view is when it comes to moving balls around, opening them, and keeping a ball on a string for 20-30 shots. There isn't a break that defines how good you are, it's the ability to craft a clearance, from a problematic position. Any idiot who can pot can take three or four reds with colours, and then the colours, pretty regularly (I don't really count breaks including the colours myself....I'm interested in what I can craft from before the colours as I think that measures where I am better). I'm not very good, for me there is a world of difference between one frame winning break, and what I can do....but forty or fifty? That comes around pretty often.

[svendh]

This is mainly rubbish. I've never done ten hours in a week, and never 'put in the hours'. I have, however, had regular 40-50-60 breaks in single frame competition. It comes from being capable of taking whats there. The big difference in my view is when it comes to moving balls around, opening them, and keeping a ball on a string for 20-30 shots. There isn't a break that defines how good you are, it's the ability to craft a clearance, from a problematic position. Any idiot who can pot can take three or four reds with colours, and then the colours, pretty regularly (I don't really count breaks including the colours myself....I'm interested in what I can craft from before the colours as I think that measures where I am better). I'm not very good, for me there is a world of difference between one frame winning break, and what I can do....but forty or fifty? That comes around pretty often.

really would love to be in your position but i'm afraid for the most of us it's not about crafting clearances from difficult positions

[tomlimcj]

i dont think he has progressed to developing clusters for break building yet. he is probably still at the stages of potting. anyone can have a good idea of position play but if his delivery is inconsistent, he will miss the simple shot every other time. he should be working more on his straight pottings, centre striking, stun, screw, follow..with varying strengths and figure out how much strength on shots for cueball control first. i second the 3 reds lineup.

[tetricky]

really would love to be in your position but i'm afraid for the most of us it's not about crafting clearances from difficult positions

Which is exactly what I'm saying that I can't do, and marks out in my view a better player than someone who just takes a couple of reds and the colours - which most people who play a bit should be able to do. In that context 40-50 is just scrambling a few pots. It's not points that mark out a better player, but scoring from a difficult position, making a clearance or frame winning break, or the quality of breakbuilding.

[var1234]

I ageee i am still at the potting stage. i actually find 3 red is difficult, could only make 1 out of 10 given only red and black

I love the christmas tree, quite fun. I will stick with three reds and the tree for now.

[LucLex3119]

Var1234,

It sounds like you are having a lot of trouble with cue ball control. That comes down to knowing how hard and where to hit the cue ball on all shots. Have a go at these routines and tell me how you get on with them.


1, Put the blue on its spot, pot straight blues in the middle pocket and follow through 10 times in to the same pocket with the cue ball.

2, same as routine 1 but screw back in to the middle pocket.

3, then do both routines a few times but try to land as close to the pocket with the cue ball as you can without potting it but make sure you pot the blue.

The above routine is brilliant for cue ball control.

Also try these.

5 blacks from the spot without resetting the cue ball with your hand. This is another great cue ball control exercise and you can do this with all colours.

All the routines above will make you use screw, stun, top spin and side on the cue ball.

After you have spent an hour or so doing these try the following routine.

Line all 21 snooker balls in any order from black to brown spots. Pot any ball in any pockets. Practice this until you can comfortably pot all the balls 8-9 times out of 10 attempts.

Once you master these routines move on to taking the colours from their spots.

Do all these routines as often as you can and I promise your cue ball control will get better. With cue ball control your break building will get better.

I can then give you some more routines to practice that won't be too difficult and make you frustrated because they are too hard.

All the best

[Shads147]

Nice post and advice above. Good luck with it.

[bolton-cueman]

Var1234,

It sounds like you are having a lot of trouble with cue ball control. That comes down to knowing how hard and where to hit the cue ball on all shots. Have a go at these routines and tell me how you get on with them.


1, Put the blue on its spot, pot straight blues in the middle pocket and follow through 10 times in to the same pocket with the cue ball.

2, same as routine 1 but screw back in to the middle pocket.

3, then do both routines a few times but try to land as close to the pocket with the cue ball as you can without potting it but make sure you pot the blue.

The above routine is brilliant for cue ball control.

Also try these.

5 blacks from the spot without resetting the cue ball with your hand. This is another great cue ball control exercise and you can do this with all colours.

All the routines above will make you use screw, stun, top spin and side on the cue ball.

After you have spent an hour or so doing these try the following routine.

Line all 21 snooker balls in any order from black to brown spots. Pot any ball in any pockets. Practice this until you can comfortably pot all the balls 8-9 times out of 10 attempts.

Once you master these routines move on to taking the colours from their spots.

Do all these routines as often as you can and I promise your cue ball control will get better. With cue ball control your break building will get better.

I can then give you some more routines to practice that won't be too difficult and make you frustrated because they are too hard.

All the best

thought you were going from the forum, 2v1977?

[LucLex3119]

I have given the original poster some respectful advice trying to help him out and you have gone totally off topic with a very childish post. You should be embarrassed and I'm my opinion BANNED

[bolton-cueman]

I have given the original poster some respectful advice trying to help him out and you have gone totally off topic with a very childish post. You should be embarrassed and I'm my opinion BANNED

I should be banned for what?

Pointing out that you're someone - the user '2v1977' - who has been banned for being a general tool and having multiple accounts on here.

You, sir, are mentally challenged if you feel the need to create multiple accounts to post from.... and you're such a total muppet it's quite clear from one of your posts that the above is true. WOuld you like me to show the proof?

and finally, you're advice to the OP is quite rubbish. Asking him to pot 21 consecutive balls with a 80%-90% completion rate then telling him to move onto doing the colours?