Wasteing Precious Hours

[markz]

Do you all play in the same league Markz?, is that with Tom and Pottr as well?

Tedisbill plays in West Midlands league with some really good players in his team, I just practice with a few other guys in the leagues. Not joined a team. Tom and Pottr both play Nuneaton league snooker so not that far away.

[jonny66]

Fair points Jonny , as I said each to their own, don't get me wrong there are lads who play them in knock about games and some I play have been county champions and give me a row for not doing it, but it's just not me, I feel it's sneaky and cowardly lol, Don't get me wrong there is nothing better than a well played snooker, just not an over hit red and a two inch roll up to a baulk colour, it just does nothing for me. My last question to you, if your not calling a miss are you not playing two different games as well? As it would be called one in a match especially if they dont reach.
I'm not having a go at anyone, just interested in how we all see the game differently.

I suppose it is playing two games, but I don't really vary my shot choice that much between the two, well I try not to anyway. Point being that if you're trying to recreate your practice form in a match it's easier if you don't have to stop and think "better not play that shot, I'm in a match here, not a practice game." Well I think it should be anyway, could be wrong.

[Cue crafty]

Yep I agree CC, I also really liked your post about solo practice how its just fantastic to let your arm go and start to flow, without any of the tension from match play, just to disappear into your own wee world, nothing can beat it.

Thanks, it's easy for things to get taken out of context here but it means a lot to me that some of what I bleat resonates with others. I love the game after all.

[itsnoteasy]

Tedisbill plays in West Midlands league with some really good players in his team, I just practice with a few other guys in the leagues. Not joined a team. Tom and Pottr both play Nuneaton league snooker so not that far away.

One day we will be as good as them Markz, if I can just master that roll up I'd be well on my way, Tom may get a 147 at the end of his name, but I'm going for Jim2inchrollup as my handle

[jonny66]

One day we will be as good as them Markz, if I can just master that roll up I'd be well on my way, Tom may get a 147 at the end of his name, but I'm going for Jim2inchrollup as my handle

In the same vein I always thought "The 8 and a safety club" would be a good name for a snooker hall

[markz]

One day we will be as good as them Markz, if I can just master that roll up I'd be well on my way, Tom may get a 147 at the end of his name, but I'm going for Jim2inchrollup as my handle

Mine used to be Mark "put my one up" lol

[alabadi]

If you're accurate enough to pot balls then you have the technical fundamentals to play a safety shot well.

I appreciate safety is very deep thinking, it's like chess in the sense that you should be thinking about what your safety shot will force your opponent to do next.

my safety game is way ahead of my potting at the minute, maybe because i keep missing shots that i shouldn't my safety has developed out of necessity.

wins me games , however i would prefer to win by potting better and making winning breaks

[tomwalker147]

my safety game is way ahead of my potting at the minute, maybe because i keep missing shots that i shouldn't my safety has developed out of necessity.

wins me games , however i would prefer to win by potting better

what routines are you doing to improve your potting alabadi? If you've been doing the same ones for a while it might not do any harm to try some new ones?
I struggle with missing pinks to middle last season and for the next couple of solo sessions I started off by potting 20 pinks into each middle, it really helped.

[alabadi]

i always practice pots i struggle with, like pinks to the middle off the spot.

I always practice blacks and pinks from every angle. i'll start with blacks high and low both sides of the table for an hour then pink and blue.

i do lots of different routines, line up, colours in sequence and so on.
recently i have been practicing 3 reds between black and pink and trying to make a clearance. i would probably get 3-4 out of 10, i'm on 4 reds at the minute not doing well always seem to mess up last red to colour which means can't get close to the yellow.

i can pot any ball on the table, but i'm not consistent, i'll miss a pot then reset it again and will pot it second or 3rd time.

I feel there is something missing either in my approach or how i line the shots up because it just doesn't make sense to me that i miss shots that are embarrassingly within my capability.

i've seen a few coaches and i end up coming away thinking they haven't really discovered the problem. it seems every time i have a coaching session the coach says everything is fine my stance , bridge , technique, and to be fair i usually play well in these sessions. but they are controlled shots , they don't really mimic a real frame situation.

i'm still searching the route of the cause.

maybe i need a coach who will strp my game down to the bare bones and build it up again, unfortunately i maybe too old to start all over again.

[ace man]

alabadi, you do have access to very strong players, do you not? If so, use them. Pick balls for years if you have to. I read somewhere that all good players were ball pickers at some stage.
I don't know if it is even possible to improve much if all you do is play solo and guys who are probably below you.

[Cue crafty]

maybe i need a coach who will strp my game down to the bare bones and build it up again, unfortunately i maybe too old to start all over again.

Hi Alababi - another huge element of the game obviously is the mental side. Sounds like you can play pretty much any shot in the book, so this is why I mention it. The mind can be a Gremlin, it knows you can miss and generally decides to remind you at inopportune moments. Any player who can make a 40-50 break has most if not all the shots in their locker and therefore have the potential to double this number but few do, which is mainly due to this mental aspect.

This may not be right for you, but I've heard Terry Griffiths has helped players a lot in this department. Even simple things like singing the words of a favourite song in your head while you at the table on a break helps etc. I'm sure Terry is expensive Lol, but the point is there are many books etc on this type of mental approach to things.

[tomwalker147]

Alabadi, I agree with CC, it seems you can play all the shots. Maybe it's concentration that's the issue? I noticed you talk about pain from injuries, does this put you off on shots?

[Big Splash!]

In the same vein I always thought "The 8 and a safety club" would be a good name for a snooker hall

Half the league players would be happier playing at the 'Tuck Him Up!' club.

[markz]

Half the league players would be happier playing at the 'Tuck Him Up!' club.

That's what the pro's do and then clear the table, so at least they are half way there.

[itsnoteasy]

Do you think when pros practice with each other they play roll ups? Maybe they do but it would soon descend into a full scale match mentality I reckon.