It's All (mostly) In the Eyes

[armstm]

Last night, I beat my highest break. I made a 39 which beat my previous record of 37 from around the 2010 timeperiod.

My main focus recently is to forget stance, elbow position etc. Simply pick out the line of aim and intensely concentrate on not losing this line of aim "on the way down". I do this partly by pushing my head forward before I start to get down ( a bit like Stephen Maguire).

I think my main error is losing this line of aim on the way down, I do make cueing errors with shoulder movement but this is not the main error and u can feel when u have done this.
If you really, really concentrate then you can actually see when u have lost the line of aim on the way down (surprisingly easy to do).


Not so much a coaching question as an observation from me, I am hopeful that this sighting focus can me help me further improve.

[Terry Davidson]

Get you head on the line of aim (point your nose unless your nose is bent) and then drop the head straight down. It's not complicated or difficult to do at all

[armstm]

For you! I think its surprisingly hard, as your weight shifts from left leg to right leg.

I've seen a nic barrow video where the guy is potting a blue into the middle pocket and nic annotates a line of aim (in yellow) in the replay. the guys head first moved to the left of the line of aim, and then to the right of the line.

I think this is the main problem with me (and possibly with a lot of under 50 break players) and its not an easy problem to solve. Being aware you are veering off the line is a start and as u say perhaps tilt your head down onto the line. However I don't agree that it's not difficult!!!!

Get you head on the line of aim (point your nose unless your nose is bent) and then drop the head straight down. It's not complicated or difficult to do at all

[tetricky]

I agree with you not agreeing. There are good players, to whom this sort of things comes quite naturally. I know for myself that there are a whole range of things that are not natural at all.....in fact without understanding what is going wrong, we find it almost impossible to find a decent level. So the natural thinks that we overthink, and over complicate, everything but for those of us who stick with the game, rather than just giving up because we are 'rubbish', it requires analysis and process to correct our natural inclinations.

[armstm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wafKOsa8-M

Here's the nic barrow video. Note the initial head position is also wrong. I'd say this is more difficult than is commonly believed and is at the heart of those with <50 break potting abilities. That's from someone who has seen a few coaches and has tried a lot of different things to improve!

[Byrom]

My advice first on anything technical is see a coach as its hard just to speak about it or guess your faults -

If you cant do that here is my other advice at a guess this might help - Place cue down then body to cue - a lot of players when starting out tend to go down at one with the cue on the line and then when they do this they shift on the hips and the cue moves in at the back towards the hip moving the cue offline at the back - which is not always noticeable for the player themselves to spot.

set up a camera at the back plant your lead leg on line first and concentrate on placing the cue on-line - making sure you have the correct locking points on the cue as you bring it back helps make it more sensory so you don't have to think about it. I brush the cue back along my chest for example

There are a few baulk line exercises to do to correct any glitches but you must first record yourself doing it so you can spot your error and correct

Hope this helps

[Terry Davidson]

For you! I think its surprisingly hard, as your weight shifts from left leg to right leg.

I've seen a nic barrow video where the guy is potting a blue into the middle pocket and nic annotates a line of aim (in yellow) in the replay. the guys head first moved to the left of the line of aim, and then to the right of the line.

I think this is the main problem with me (and possibly with a lot of under 50 break players) and its not an easy problem to solve. Being aware you are veering off the line is a start and as u say perhaps tilt your head down onto the line. However I don't agree that it's not difficult!!!!

Here is the complete talk-thru for getting on the correct line of aim. Stand behind the shot about 1ft or so and place the eyes on the object ball, you are looking for the spot on the object ball directly opposite the pocket opening. Place your straight leg foot on the line of aim you have selected BUT KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE OBJECT BALL. Now, here's the tricky part where a lot of players go wrong. If right-handed you now will put your LEFT foot to the side of your RIGHT foot either level with it or perhaps a bit ahead (find the most comfortable spot for yourself). While you are placing the LEFT foot you MUST keep your eyes (in other words keep the nose pointed) at the OBJECT ball (you may have to lean over a bit but it's vital to keep the head on the line of aim.

Now bend the LEFT leg (still keeping the head on your selected line of aim) and drop down into the address position WHILE KEEPING THE EYES ON THE OBJECT BALL. As you bend down into the address position swing the hips over to the left until your weight is evenly balanced (or nearly so). Once you place your hand on the table (keeping your eyes on the OBJECT ball all the time) now you can look at the cueball and check you're aiming at the spot you want to on it.

Keep the cue still and in the address position (this is called the 'preliminary or initial pause' - my term for it) and run your eyes from the 'V' of your bridge through the cueball to the object ball. This process should only take 1-2 seconds. Now start your feathering, slow and deliberate and no more than 2-3 times, then stop the cue in the address position again (called the front pause). At this point you can place your eyes on the object ball and leave them there through the backswing and delivery or else you can move the eyes to the object ball somewhere near the rear pause, either during it or slightly before or after. For players over 40yrs I recommend moving the eyes to the object ball at the front pause.

Now a slow and deliberate backswing either long (ferrule to the 'V' or else length depending on power required. You must keep the backswing absolutely straight and the slower it is then the easier it is to keep straight. Rear pause if you have one and then start the acceleration for the delivery but do not accelerate abruptly - SMOOTHNESS is what you want here. DRIVE THE GRIP HAND INTO THE CHEST ON EVERY SHOT so that you accelerate through and BEYOND the cueball.

Also, a little hint. A lot of players THINK they stay still on the shot but in fact don't. Through video analysis I just found out on power shots I'm lifting my head a bit and this takes the cue right off the line of aim. When you video yourself pick a mark on the wall and see if you head moves at all. Even a couple of millimeters will be enough to throw off a long pot.

[jonny66]

I agree with Terry but you can't have all that shizzle going through your head on every shot, you need to condense it in to 3 or 4 simple moves you can remember for your shot routine.

[Steve748]

I had a lot of problems being consistent and I was aiming with both eyes until I found out that my left eye is my dominant eye and now instead of aiming with the middle of my chin on the cue I aim with it to the left of middle directly under my left eye.
Now after 'walking into the shot' and getting down I am aiming and moving my cue fractionally left or right until I see the correct line down the cue to the object ball and after checking where the cue is striking the cue ball I draw back and follow through trying to keep my head still.
I kinda get a feeling in my head when I am hitting the object ball correctly and I have started not moving until the ball has gone in the pocket or stopped moving which I found has helped me.
I love it when I play a bank shot and I only move my head watching it go in the pocket... but sometimes it's a miss!

[j6uk]

At this point you can place your eyes on the object ball and leave them there through the backswing and delivery or else you can move the eyes to the object ball somewhere near the rear pause, either during it or slightly before or after. For players over 40yrs I recommend moving the eyes to the object ball at the front pause.

Now a slow and deliberate backswing either long (ferrule to the 'V' or else length depending on power required. You must keep the backswing absolutely straight and the slower it is then the easier it is to keep straight. Rear pause if you have one and then start the acceleration for the delivery but do not accelerate abruptly - SMOOTHNESS is what you want here.

i can see many players having a problem here tel, whatever their age. fixing your eyes on the object ball on the front puase an trying to achieve a slow straight backswing, then a natural back pause, then a slow build up of pace through the white, thats a long time to be staring at the object ball while all thats going on. an if you have a long backswing it could be a bit of hit an hope
might work for someone who had a short an quick cue action with little back pause

[alabadi]

I think a lot of players have trouble picking the line of aim. everybody after playing for a while will be able to see the contact point on the OB to send it where they want to.

however the line of aim ( the line the cueball should take ) to make contact at that point is the tricky bit, well at least for me on certain shots I struggle with this.

there are shots which are less than half ball where the line from the centre of the cueball is into thin air. the only time I feel I am 100% certain of the line of aim is on a straight shot because line of aim and line of sight are the same.

all other angles there is an element of estimation guessing or playing from experience. and of course even when one has picked the correct line of aim, getting down onto that line again is not as easy as some might think.

[Leo]

I understand people want to improve in a game they love but I'm afraid for many they've started to late in the game and with work schedules etc they can't possibly put the hours in.
I'm sure many like myself played after school and played when leaving school where the snooker table was a second home and jobs were less important because still was living with parents, we didn't have cuemakers online at a flick of a button, nor did we have forums for tips, it was about finding your own rhythm because this way it will eventually come more naturally.
At times you could quite easily play for 40hrs plus a week at times and the more you played the more you learned by your mistakes and those who are only playing 15hrs a week I feel you really are looking for a quick fix.

[Terry Davidson]

i can see many players having a problem here tel, whatever their age. fixing your eyes on the object ball on the front puase an trying to achieve a slow straight backswing, then a natural back pause, then a slow build up of pace through the white, thats a long time to be staring at the object ball while all thats going on. an if you have a long backswing it could be a bit of hit an hope
might work for someone who had a short an quick cue action with little back pause

Note that I said this was for the over 40's. This is because it takes older eyes longer to actually focus on the object ball. I also said they don't have to do that and can move the eyes near the rear pause, either before or even after it but it takes younger eyes to focus that quick.

Besides, we all know (or at least should do) that if you stick to one set-up and technique and use it consistently your brain will eventually sort it out and the player will improve, although maybe not as fast as the player who takes a few coaching lessons and starts out with a near normal set-up and technique.

[Terry Davidson]

I agree with Terry but you can't have all that shizzle going through your head on every shot, you need to condense it in to 3 or 4 simple moves you can remember for your shot routine.

The talk-thru I did on setting up correctly and achieving the line of aim is meant for SOLO PRACTICE. Eventually it becomes ingrained and natural and the player will use it unconsciously unless he happens to be one of those players who is constantly changing things

[vmax4steve]

Agree with Leo, but there is one fix that will help your potting enormously and that is to trust your eyes. You will get the cue on the right line if you look at the correct target and place your feet while looking at that target, you will hit what you're looking at at the moment of the strike if have your cue on the correct line. You will minimise all the basic faults if you do this, because most movement on the shot is caused by a feeling that all is not right and making subconscious adjustments to the position of the body when already down in the stance, even on the strike itself, and that's when everything goes tits up.

Saw John Higgins do it a couple of times yesterday, saw Ali Carter do it with a dead straight red after a total clearance in the first frame, switching off on the easy ones and getting anxious over the difficult ones, we all do it.

I've said before it's easy to get a straight cue action, after all the cue only moves about eight inches, and you can practise this on your kitchen table and cue through a matchbox dead straight to your hearts content, I can do this with extreme power and the matchbox doesn't move, but once on the snooker table with all the distractions that can catch your eye, that dead straight cue action will follow what you look at.