Timing

[Catch 22]

Timing to me was just how sweetly you hit the ball .

I've also heard it explained that it is simply how long the tip is in contact with the white . Not long enough because you jabbed it and too long because you decelerated

[cantpotforshíte]

For me . like Alabadi, it's just the length of time that the tip is in contact with the white. The longer the better, that's where the effortless cuepower comes from.
I think it might be getting a bit over-complicated on this thread, a loose grip and following through achieves perfect timing for me - cueing from the elbow.
Any effort to consciously accelerate through the white ball brings the controlling part of your brain into play and ruins it for me personally.

[Big Splash!]

Contact time with the CB? Haha, here comes mr big shout.

[tomwalker147]

I gave my explanation but in truth I think 'timing' is terrible terminology for snooker and a term we never should have used.
I can understand using the word 'timing' for other sports such as tennis or football where you have to time a shot but not in snooker where the balls are stationary at the time of each shot.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

Contact time with the CB? Haha, here comes mr big shout.

Yo Blusts!

Love the deformation shots.

http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/cue_tip.html

[jonny66]

I think it's the timing of the transition from back swing to forwards that gives a nice sweet hit. But it's a personal thing that varies from player to player. I also find concentrating on it too much completely ruins it, best just to stay relaxed, which is easier said than done.

[CoachGavin]

Timing to me is the contact between cue tip and cue ball. Tip will be in contact with the cue ball for as long as possible by accelerating into the cue ball. The result being more spin and a cleaner strike. Doesn't really matter how a player does this which is why you get different cue actions.

[Big Splash!]

Yo Blusts!

Love the deformation shots.

http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/cue_tip.html

Deformation? Is this a bit like throw?

[denja]

Try "Straw-ber-ry". or "Wooo-sh". or Monotone hum from start of cues foward motion sounds strange but it does work.

STRAW-----BER------RY
(Slow) Faster <<<<<<<< Strike through the cue ball not AT IT!!!!!!.

[tomlimcj]

seen a few players exaggerate this slow to fast motion. end up looking like a 'chuck hayes'. for me, the only thing destroying the delivery would be the lack of follow through by either stabbing, or overgripping the cue at impact/after impact.

[tomperty]

I believe timing is to do with the acceleration of your cue tip through the cue ball. It's not necessarily the speed that the cue's travelling when it makes contact but the change of speed happening at that point.

You'll occasionally get those screw shots on the table where you feel like you've hardly put any power into the cue ball and yet you've completely overscrewed the ball. These strikes feel effortless and it's a result of the high acceleration of the cue at that point. The reason they also often feel effortless is that the mass of the cue has done all of the work when hitting the cue ball and not your arm.