Black off the spot - side below 40?

[Snookclops]

To be clear, I make 2 or 3 20-30 breaks in a session, a lot of 10-20s.

I'm finding now that position is holding me back hence looking at side. Certain shots I can see it needs side.

I may have an issue with General cue ball control, as I still don't really play one side of a ball - just to be on it. I know better players play for the right angle on the ball and I can't really control to that degree so perhaps its position, not the lack of Hollywood shots?

I started bringing a piece of paper to aim for and moving it on each shot, re-practicing the shot if I was miles off position.

Incidentally, although on here I am officially well below standard, I am better than 80% of players at my club. I feel like after a few weeks of 1-3 hours a day I am finally getting somewhere but another skill needs to be learned. What a difficult but ultimately rewarding game this is.

[tomwalker147]

In my opinion you don't need to mess about with side at the moment unless you really have to... (blue in and out of baulk, potting the yellow or green with running side to break the reds up). I'm a 100 break player and rarely play with side.
Around the black you can play up and down the cue ball and achieve position without using side. J6 posted a good routine earlier in this thread, I too have done 100 blacks without using a trace of side.

I keep seeing comments about hitting the ball 'hard'. It's not about hitting it hard, 2 players can hit the ball with the same power and achieve different results, it's about timing and the sweetness of your strike. If you think you're hitting the ball 'hard' and not achieving the results then take 10% off your shot get your technique right and see where the cue ball ends up, my guess would be that you play a better shot and achieve better position.

[ace man]

To be clear, I make 2 or 3 20-30 breaks in a session, a lot of 10-20s.

I'm finding now that position is holding me back hence looking at side. Certain shots I can see it needs side.

I may have an issue with General cue ball control, as I still don't really play one side of a ball - just to be on it. I know better players play for the right angle on the ball and I can't really control to that degree so perhaps its position, not the lack of Hollywood shots?

I started bringing a piece of paper to aim for and moving it on each shot, re-practicing the shot if I was miles off position.

Incidentally, although on here I am officially well below standard, I am better than 80% of players at my club. I feel like after a few weeks of 1-3 hours a day I am finally getting somewhere but another skill needs to be learned. What a difficult but ultimately rewarding game this is.

From what you describe, it seems that you play very near your best almost every time. I mean getting a 20 or 30 break against an opponent every session plus having a lot more breaks of 4 balls potted while having highest ever break of 40 or so. Something just doesn't add up here or my understanding of the game is way off.

[throtts]

Yesterday I practiced off straight blues going in and out of baulk.

I was hitting with top or just plain ball and I was hitting so hard the entire hall were looking over as the ball hitting pocket was very very loud.

Could not get the ball back down past blue spot. I cannot hit the ball any harder. Side must be required.

I could probably hit off straight black with power and stun but assumed that power is to be avoided if you could play pocket weight with spin?

Imo,,, your not getting / hitting ""through the cue ball"" and remember the last backswing ,, it needs to be drawn back more to give you and get you more power thus more reaction from the cue ball. Try loads of shots, on those wrong side of the blues to get down in the pink / black area.

[throtts]

You are probably punching the cue ball and not gliding through it..

[Snookclops]

I mean doing the line up and I get at least 2 or 3 20-30 recently when I have been playing well. I guess I play line up for about 1 hour to an hour and a half. I get lots of 10-20s on line up:

Line up highest was 42 I think and 36 n a match. In a match I might make 20 or over one in 2 frames and lots of 3 or 4 ball breaks. I play a player who is higher standard than me so I don't get much action.

[alabadi]

I don't think the line up is an indication of how well you would play n a frame of snooker. I have made lots of 80s and 90s on the line up yet in a frame I am probably a regular 20+ break builder the odd 30 break and once a 48.

I am working hard on cueball control and concentration because I feel these 2 areas are my weakness . I can pot some outrageous ones from time to time but will miss a sitter.

The key is as most have said on here you have to make it as simple as possible , getting the cueball the right side and within a couple of feet , once that is acheived the breaks will increase as long as you pay respect to every shot no matter how easy it seems .

[markz]

I mean doing the line up and I get at least 2 or 3 20-30 recently when I have been playing well. I guess I play line up for about 1 hour to an hour and a half. I get lots of 10-20s on line up:

Line up highest was 42 I think and 36 n a match. In a match I might make 20 or over one in 2 frames and lots of 3 or 4 ball breaks. I play a player who is higher standard than me so I don't get much action.

The line up is all about honing your technique to play simple shots well, no real need to worry about using side. You are always playing on a choice of reds and just leaving the cue ball near the line of balls with an angle to get on next one.

Try some other beginners routines, tedisbill set up a thread to help Les Edwards and a few good routines on there that might interest you.

http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...allenge-Thread

[itsnoteasy]

In my opinion you don't need to mess about with side at the moment unless you really have to... (blue in and out of baulk, potting the yellow or green with running side to break the reds up). I'm a 100 break player and rarely play with side.
Around the black you can play up and down the cue ball and achieve position without using side. J6 posted a good routine earlier in this thread, I too have done 100 blacks without using a trace of side.
I keep seeing comments about hitting the ball 'hard'. It's not about hitting it hard, 2 players can hit the ball with the same power and achieve different results, it's about timing and the sweetness of your strike. If you think you're hitting the ball 'hard' and not achieving the results then take 10% off your shot get your technique right and see where the cue ball ends up, my guess would be that you play a better shot and achieve better position.

Brilliant Tom, for me this is what I try and do,I don't get it right most of the time but when struggling I dial the power back and it gets my timing going again, I think nearly 100%, of club players( myself included)hit the ball too hard, it really is surprising how little force it takes to move that cue ball even right round the table when your timing is right, I said before the most important lesson to learn here is not that you need side, it's not to leave yourself straight on the black it makes it so much easier.