potting just with sides

[nishant]

Hey guys,
I've been playing snooker on and off for about 5 years now (nothing serious). About 4 months ago I started practising about 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. Here's my problem.

I can stun, screw, follow through and visualise my shots well. I have a pre-short routine in place that helps me cue straight. I can pot straight, 3/4 and 1/2 shots well without any problems. But this is where it gets tricky, anything beyond 1/2 shot is when i miss 80% of my shots. I'm sure you would know most of the shots around black are usually thinner than 1/2 ball.

What I've tried:
So since last couple of days, I decided to give this a try.
1. Let's say its a 3/4 cut, I would simply aim full ball and hit VERY SLIGHTLY with the right hand side and it pots.
2. If its a 1/2 shot, I would again aim full ball and hit the cue ball with a little more side and it pots.
so on and so forth. I simply increase or reduce the amount of side I put on the cue ball depending on the how thin the cut is and most of the shots have been going well.

I am really confused as to why does this happen and if theres any reason to simply not continuing this and probably develop it further?

Thanks.1

[guernseygooner]

It's called 'helping side'. Would be best to use the search function here before this turns into another 100 pager

[nishant]

hey, sorry about that. I wasn't even aware of the concept. I just figured it out on my own a couple of days ago and the shots seem really easy now. All I have to ensure is that I am not using the "helping side" while using the correct angle. And if I am using the "helping side" then simply hit full ball with appropriate side. Are there any videos on this? I'd like to explore it more.

[AmarZain]

It's called 'helping side'. Would be best to use the search function here before this turns into another 100 pager

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

hey, sorry about that. I wasn't even aware of the concept. I just figured it out on my own a couple of days ago and the shots seem really easy now. All I have to ensure is that I am not using the "helping side" while using the correct angle. And if I am using the "helping side" then simply hit full ball with appropriate side. Are there any videos on this? I'd like to explore it more.

Lol.

.......

[throtts]

Its a wind up. Is thats your side kick, biggie, the dude that got banned..hahaha..

If I am wrong, I will be very apologetic, Sir....

[Derek P]

Helping side isn't this but if it's a wind up then fair enough.

I don't think its a good idea to use side just because you can't judge anything thinner than half ball that sounds like a recipe for disaster especially on a match table conditions and pressure would make this a bad strategy to employ.

As with everything it's better to play 90% of shots plain ball centre striking as you can judge the line your putting the white and correct your aim and practice to pot at thinner angles if you rely on the side it's another variable, just something else for you to work out and when the pressure is on the best strategy is to keep things simple

[throtts]

Derek,

There are players out there that pot blacks off the spot with ease using side and some have even said they find it easier than playing them plain ball. Maybe some of them are not centre CB hitters from the start of picking up a stick so their technique has been honed more so to playing shots with side..

I do use side to come off the black cushion, after potting a spotted black, to gain prime tight position. On my aiming everything is calculated and then I drop to sight the shot. Watch the Pros on the box, if the camera stays in that semi aerial shot of down on the black cushion you will see slight evidence of side when the CB comes off that black cushion.

The allowances for these shots because of the side becomes second nature after hour and hours of play.

[nishant]

Lol.

.......

Sorry?

Its a wind up. Is thats your side kick, biggie, the dude that got banned..hahaha..

If I am wrong, I will be very apologetic, Sir....

I have no idea whats going on here.

Helping side isn't this but if it's a wind up then fair enough.

I don't think its a good idea to use side just because you can't judge anything thinner than half ball that sounds like a recipe for disaster especially on a match table conditions and pressure would make this a bad strategy to employ.

As with everything it's better to play 90% of shots plain ball centre striking as you can judge the line your putting the white and correct your aim and practice to pot at thinner angles if you rely on the side it's another variable, just something else for you to work out and when the pressure is on the best strategy is to keep things simple

Thanks. Can you suggest any methods that will help judging the thinner cuts? Ofcourse I understand it needs to be practised a lot but as of now I cant even see or understand where to hit. I have AimFrame from Nic Burrow that I received a couple of weeks ago but that just helps while I have the aim ball there. Once I take the aimball off its back to nothing.

[Derek P]

Derek,

There are players out there that pot blacks off the spot with ease using side and some have even said they find it easier than playing them plain ball. Maybe some of them are not centre CB hitters from the start of picking up a stick so their technique has been honed more so to playing shots with side..

I do use side to come off the black cushion, after potting a spotted black, to gain prime tight position. On my aiming everything is calculated and then I drop to sight the shot. Watch the Pros on the box, if the camera stays in that semi aerial shot of down on the black cushion you will see slight evidence of side when the CB comes off that black cushion.

The allowances for these shots because of the side becomes second nature after hour and hours of play.

That's fine and I respect what your saying I know the back cushion is often used when potting with side but what happens to him if theres an object ball blocking the path to his next shot if he play's it with the throw of 'helping side' then it could cannon or snooker on the next shot with the helping side so he has to play the shot plain ball but he doesn't know the angle cos all he learned was to play the pot with side.

That to me seems to be ingraining bad habits that could cos you more problems than they solve and again I do respect what your saying at a higher more advanced level the back cushion is used for many shots with side but I've seen at least 2-3 players mess their whole game up with the over-use of side, it's just a love affair with the need to complicate things and most of those players that do that would be better at break building if they just hit the centre of the white now and again. On a 50 break a good consistent textbook break builder like Ronnie or John probably uses a shot with side once so as amatuers trying to improve I feel he should learn plain ball potting angles to start with modify for side later when you need it not start off with side and never know plain ball cos its more likely hes going to need a plain ball shot sooner or later on the black.

[Derek P]

Sorry?



I have no idea whats going on here.




Thanks. Can you suggest any methods that will help judging the thinner cuts? Ofcourse I understand it needs to be practised a lot but as of now I cant even see or understand where to hit. I have AimFrame from Nic Burrow that I received a couple of weeks ago but that just helps while I have the aim ball there. Once I take the aimball off its back to nothing.

I walk into the shot and in my minds eye I use the ghost ball theory from above the shot i judge the angle and put my cue on that line. If you concentrate then only on delivering the cue on a straight line you can be confident in the trajectory of the ball (this is where side is hard because it's judgement you have to readjust the line, so as a default any pot should be plain ball its the easiest shot).

If you miss that ball thin or thick then you make a note of how you missed it and try the shot again with the adjustment, to me thats the easiest most logical way to find the potting angle for any shot. Saying 'yeah i use side cos it seemed easier that day or the pro's use side off the back cushion so I'm going to do it to me isnt strong enough to stand up to pressure in even a friendly league game you need to have confidence in the line your picking cos like i said before in the previous post you are going to need to play balls plain ball more often than you'll need side so stick with the simple option.

The greatest break builders don't even use cushions for half the break it's all soft stuns and screws with centre ball that's all you want to be doing using the cushion complicates matters too.

[nishant]

I walk into the shot and in my minds eye I use the ghost ball theory from above the shot i judge the angle and put my cue on that line. If you concentrate then only on delivering the cue on a straight line you can be confident in the trajectory of the ball (this is where side is hard because it's judgement you have to readjust the line, so as a default any pot should be plain ball its the easiest shot).

If you miss that ball thin or thick then you make a note of how you missed it and try the shot again with the adjustment, to me thats the easiest most logical way to find the potting angle for any shot. Saying 'yeah i use side cos it seemed easier that day or the pro's use side off the back cushion so I'm going to do it to me isnt strong enough to stand up to pressure in even a friendly league game you need to have confidence in the line your picking cos like i said before in the previous post you are going to need to play balls plain ball more often than you'll need side so stick with the simple option.

The greatest break builders don't even use cushions for half the break it's all soft stuns and screws with centre ball that's all you want to be doing using the cushion complicates matters too.

I see. I always just thought of ghostball as un-doable as I am not sure if I would still remember where would it be in real game. Like, while practising I can cover the OB with CB to see what would it look like. But do you just do that for all the shots unless you think you pretty much understand most of the angles?

[Derek P]

I see. I always just thought of ghostball as un-doable as I am not sure if I would still remember where would it be in real game. Like, while practising I can cover the OB with CB to see what would it look like. But do you just do that for all the shots unless you think you pretty much understand most of the angles?

My pre-shot routine goes something like this:

1. Stand back from the shot, approx 2 paces back from the table.
2. Looking down on the shot from above I visualise the path the white would need to take in order to pot the object ball, wether you call this ghost ball theory or imagine another cue ball behind the object ball set like a plant to pot it doesnt matter too much but essentially you need to know what line you think will pot the ball.

3. I decide if I need to use plain stroke, stun or screw of varying heights on the weight.
4. Combined with the above the required power to where I want the white
5. If i cant get the white there plain ball do i need side off the cushion.
6. Walk into the shot and start feathers and prep to play the shot.

I think that's the pretty standard method of most players.

[nishant]

My pre-shot routine goes something like this:

1. Stand back from the shot, approx 2 paces back from the table.
2. Looking down on the shot from above I visualise the path the white would need to take in order to pot the object ball, wether you call this ghost ball theory or imagine another cue ball behind the object ball set like a plant to pot it doesnt matter too much but essentially you need to know what line you think will pot the ball.

3. I decide if I need to use plain stroke, stun or screw of varying heights on the weight.
4. Combined with the above the required power to where I want the white
5. If i cant get the white there plain ball do i need side off the cushion.
6. Walk into the shot and start feathers and prep to play the shot.

I think that's the pretty standard method of most players.

thanks. Heres another quick question although it might sound weird.

I've looked at hours of headcam snooker line practice on youtube and i can ALWAYS tell that the player (in the video) is on the correct line of the shot and it would pot the ball. However, I NEVER get the same sight when I am on the actual table. I have tried changing my head position, my stance but its all really random at this point. Is there any quick photo or video on how it should look when you down on the shot? NOT on a headcam cause its not actually your eyes, I'd love to see how does it look to others while they're down on the shot.

For example, taking a quick snap bending down on the table (without the queue), just showing what you're eyes would see there.

[Derek P]

thanks. Heres another quick question although it might sound weird.

I've looked at hours of headcam snooker line practice on youtube and i can ALWAYS tell that the player (in the video) is on the correct line of the shot and it would pot the ball. However, I NEVER get the same sight when I am on the actual table. I have tried changing my head position, my stance but its all really random at this point. Is there any quick photo or video on how it should look when you down on the shot? NOT on a headcam cause its not actually your eyes, I'd love to see how does it look to others while they're down on the shot.

For example, taking a quick snap bending down on the table (without the queue), just showing what you're eyes would see there.

I dunno how that would help your going to need to find the line for yourself and that’ll come through practice, when you miss get straight back up and make the adjustment if you missed thick or thin then you’ll find your own way.