Subconsciously steering the cue

[Empower]

I played very badly today.

But I discovered something amazing. If I do one of these I could pot literally anything:
a) close my eyes before final backswing
b) don't look and my cue at all with my peripheral vision (which is pretty hard to do)

Not doing them once again terrible shots. Also I felt if doing a) or b) my wrist felt not tightening up during delivery. In both cases I relaxed back fingers nicely and was pretty still without head or body moving much.

I came to a conclusion that when I see line of my cue even with a peripheral vision my subconscious can 'feel' that the line is wrong and try to compensate for it during delivery by steering the cue with the wrist/fingers.

How can get rid of this issue? I feel like I cannot control it that much.

[Empower]

Please note I am looking and OB point not CB during backswing and delivery, but can still cue with peripheral vision obviously

[Empower]

Sorry I am not sure how edit here. I meant to say that I am looking at OB not CB during backswing and delivery.
But still can see cue with peripheral vision

[blahblah01]

Just do "a" then?

[perpetualboredom]

Had the same problem exactly - I actually considered playing a match with my eyes closed!

Obviously that’s just a mental block - I found focusing of bringing the cue back in a straight line pretty much solved it. When the cue goes back straight, and starts to move forward straight you don’t try to steer the cue. With your eyes closed you don’t see that the cue obviously hasn’t the gone back in line, and don’t try to correct it on the swing.

Just my uneducated view, of course. Worth a try.

[Cue crafty]

Just do "a" then?

Perfect - end of thread then...

[blahblah01]

Well if it works.....

[babhishek]

let us know how it goes

[Cue crafty]

Well if it works.....

Indeed! Often the simple answer is the best!

[Empower]

perpetualboredom, thanks for the suggestion it does not seem to have much effect tried it today. The more I concentrate on the cue and it's straightness the worst it gets. It seems like I have to forget about it completely to make good shots.

blahblah01 well obviously playing like that I won't get any feedback from the shots and won't be able learn proper angles/speeds for potting and position.

[alabadi]

i'm confused with this one, you say if you see the cue even in peripheral vision your subconscious knows its off line and you end up steering.
if this is true how can you pot with your eyes closed if you are offline to start with?


if you are not on line you can't pot with or without looking at the cue.

maybe you need to practice getting on line of the shot first to remove the doubt

[vmax]

The way to prevent steering the cue with the fingers is to relax and let the hand open on the backswing.

[blahblah01]

blahblah01 well obviously playing like that I won't get any feedback from the shots and won't be able learn proper angles/speeds for potting and position.

Film them on your phone, and look afterwards

Less flippantly: is this (off) straight shots or all?

Do you mean that will looking at the OB, you see the cue going back offline?

[GavinYorkSnookerCoach]

Try cueing up over the baulk line without a cue ball. Bring the cue back straight and then through forward. Notice where your grip hand finishes when you go through straight. It will probably be near your nipple. Now try putting balls and concentrate on f finishing with the grip at that same point. This will help you know where you should finish the shot and you will also know when you have cued across.

[Staezione]

Try to keep the chin on the cue during delivery. That way elbow stays up and you are less likely to go offline with the cue