Power or timing ?

[steveym147]

Hi all
I am a world qualified snooker coach currently teaching in Hong Kong. I teach a particular way and I am just curious as to how many of the players or coaches on here believe "Power" is the answer to creating a reaction or "timing".

Give your thoughts below

[magicman]

You'd have to define 'power' a little more to encourage its choice imo. If that's your goal?

Timing is obviously the correct answer else a skinny 11 year old wouldn't be able to outscrew a 20 stone labourer!

[dcrackers147]

Hi all
I am a world qualified snooker coach currently teaching in Hong Kong. I teach a particular way and I am just curious as to how many of the players or coaches on here believe "Power" is the answer to creating a reaction or "timing".

Give your thoughts below

To play all shots within the modern game you need both imo. Obviously the more power you use the harder it is to deliver the cue on line. It's more important to understand a controlled way of delivering the power or spin required, the timing element is the gradual acceleration of the cue which mirrors the closing squeeze of the hand on delivery.

[Derek P]

To play all shots within the modern game you need both imo. Obviously the more power you use the harder it is to deliver the cue on line. It's more important to understand a controlled way of delivering the power or spin required, the timing element is the gradual acceleration of the cue which mirrors the closing squeeze of the hand on delivery.

Kinda agree and disagree with this. In the modern game the super fast match cloth's mean what you percieve as 'power' is actually relevent to that table and is probably nothing more than a moderate bit of cue power in the jimmy white alex higgins era of cue power on slower tables with heavier balls.

Timing however is what makes either work rather than cue power again look at ronnie for example never hits it hard to get the reaction he does just immaculately struck as Joe Davis said with stroke and screw you hit the white and you 'hold on to it' longer that is the key to timing the shot the cue accelerates at the same pace as the cue ball.

[dcrackers147]

it's all relative but most people that play snooker still play on club tables. Therefore you need both

[Derek P]

it's all relative but most people that play snooker still play on club tables. Therefore you need both

It's debateable if snooker played on some club tables can still be classed as snooker lol
It's a much easier and better game with a responsive cloth scoring and positional play is much easier with a good table but point taken it's relative to those tables you would need a fair bit of power but the pro's of today with massive cue power actually are helped by what they are playing on vs a jimmy white era table which is about the pace of the average club table

[dcrackers147]

It's debateable if snooker played on some club tables can still be classed as snooker lol
It's a much easier and better game with a responsive cloth scoring and positional play is much easier with a good table but point taken it's relative to those tables you would need a fair bit of power but the pro's of today with massive cue power actually are helped by what they are playing on vs a jimmy white era table which is about the pace of the average club table

Don't need to tell me that mate, I drive 25 miles each way to practice on aristocrats with steel blocks and tournament cloth although making 100's is a lot easier on club tables as recovery shots are much more gettable.

[Slasher]

You cannot defy the laws of physics although many seem to want to, the reaction of the white is determined by the contact point the speed the mass and the angle of attack and that is it.
How you generate cue speed and the accuracy of delivering the tip to the desired point is up for debate, but generally relaxed muscles allow the arm to generate more speed ask any tennis player. This is the reason we like to keep accelerating and follow through to a natural finish to keep the tension out of the arm and grip. Any tension will reduce the speed and can pull the cue offline, usually the tip rises slightly and hey presto less back spin giving the illusion that the more power = less reaction when in actual fact you did not strike where intended.
More cue speed and a heavier cue WILL create more reaction if you delivery it to the correct spot, there is no need for trying to push the cue beyond the natural finish as the ball has long left your tip.
The timing of the stroke is more to do with the point of contact along the path of the arm, if it goes wrong look to your address and setup to make adjustments.

[tmax]

You cannot defy the laws of physics although many seem to want to, the reaction of the white is determined by the contact point the speed the mass and the angle of attack and that is it.
How you generate cue speed and the accuracy of delivering the tip to the desired point is up for debate, but generally relaxed muscles allow the arm to generate more speed ask any tennis player. This is the reason we like to keep accelerating and follow through to a natural finish to keep the tension out of the arm and grip. Any tension will reduce the speed and can pull the cue offline, usually the tip rises slightly and hey presto less back spin giving the illusion that the more power = less reaction when in actual fact you did not strike where intended.
More cue speed and a heavier cue WILL create more reaction if you delivery it to the correct spot, there is no need for trying to push the cue beyond the natural finish as the ball has long left your tip.
The timing of the stroke is more to do with the point of contact along the path of the arm, if it goes wrong look to your address and setup to make adjustments.

+1
Perfect answer - Timing is just the beautification of the physics