Can anyone help me? (Videos included)

[Doykman]

I'm quite inconsistent when it comes to snooker. Some days I play ok and make 30 and 40 breaks (my highest ever is 74), but most days I struggle to make 30 breaks.

I tend to cue across the ball a lot, some days more than others and I would love to know why. Not sure if it's my sighting, grip etc. I've taken some videos of myself playing some long blues and would be grateful for any advice or tips anyone has.

Video 1: Long blues (I actually pot quite a few at the start and then start missing them):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTsKNyvhHqA


Video 2: Long blues from behind so my grip etc. is more visible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Qd2HrrAGs


Video 3: Close up of long blues (lots of cueing across):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziaH5wmEwtQ

Thank you in advance for any help.

Chris.

[Fluffy]

I'm no coach, and even though your high break is better than mine there's few things I notice about your technique that are holding you back.

- You're moving a lot on the delivery. Do you feel stable and comfortable in your stance?
- Your grip hand doesn't have a consistent finishing position. Stopping at the same point against your chest after every single shot helps with consistency.
- There's a slight inward twist in your wrist on delivery, pulling the cue off line.

I think your approach looks good, and most of your misses are probably due to cueing errors.

[tedisbill]

Hi Chris,

I have a new video coming out on Wednesday which looks at the grip and how the back arm should be behaving.

I think this will benefit you as it looks as though you're not quite completing the shot as positively as you could be.

www.youtube.com/BartonSnooker

If you watch my technique on the new video when I release it on Wednesday, you will see I have a nice long backswing and complete the shot by letting the cue go all the way through with no tension.

Hopefully it will help you.

[chrisg]

I watched one of the videos and I think you need to do two things:

1) Get a feel for the shot by doing feathers esp on long shots and it doesn't matter if you miss because by doing the feathers you will get a feel for the shot and what feels straight!

ALso, 2) Stay down on the shot and observe what's happening, you seem in the video I watched to get up off shot quickly, rather than stay down and observe, something that I learnt from watching Nic Barrow's videos on his Aim Frame product! It may seem a small thing, but it really does help you to anaylse what's going well and not so well!

I'd advise def getting a coach to look at your overall technique!

[vmax]

Very loose grip, grip needs to be firmer but not tight as this keeps your wrist from wobbling about and the hand must open on the back swing and close on delivery to a definite end point past the cue ball (follow through) depending on power.
Don't practise dead straight shots all the time, your hand follows your eye and you need to separate the targets in your vision between cue ball, object ball and pocket and on dead straight shots if the focus of your vision switches your hand still follows your eye as everything is straight.
Put an angle on everything you practise, find and look at the contact point on the object ball when stood behind the shot before you start to get down not afterwards as you will then be standing in the wrong place.
Focus on the contact point on the object ball on the strike and watch the object ball all the way into the pocket, or wherever it goes, without moving your head or body.

Do this next time you practise and only play straight blues for a minute or two at the end of the session.

[chrisg]

Another useful tip:

If you watch all the top players and their cue actions they all have what a coach I have would describe as "lazy" cue actions where they just glide the cue back and forth rather than force it or punch it.

From the video I watched you also seem to stab a little at it.

The way to do this is to on the final backswing pull the cue back slower and try to come through at the same speed as pulling back. It creates consistency in the action and you'll find you generate a lot more spin and control than when just jabbing or pulling back fast...

Just an observation!

[Doykman]

Thanks for taking the time to give me the advice guys!

Regarding the grip, I see people like Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy appear to have very loose grips and I've always tried to let the fingers get out of the way on the backstroke a la Murphy. I'll try holding the cue a bit firmer and hopefully this will keep the cue more on line and stop twisting.

I see what people are saying about me not feathering much and not staying down on the shot even after strike. I'll be sure to try this and keep as still as possible.

I've actually been cueing more over the middle of my chin lately (in the videos it's more over the left eye as I'm left eye dominant) and been having better results.

[Doykman]

I have a habit of jabbing the ball and not gliding through it. I tend to stun the ball more often than not which isn't great. Need to stroke through the ball which is easier said than done for me!

[vmax]

I have a habit of jabbing the ball and not gliding through it. I tend to stun the ball more often than not which isn't great. Need to stroke through the ball which is easier said than done for me!

Keep the grip hand slightly open at address of the cue ball, then when the hand has completely closed at the end of the stroke you will have gone through the cue ball before the hand has closed and not bang on or slightly before contact with the cue ball.

[pottr]

Movement on delivery.

Ignore changing anything. Learn to keep still on delivery... If you're still missing, we can come back with more advice.

Anyone with perfect textbook technique... If they move on delivery, they're gonna miss.

Keep still... it helps.

[pottr]

I have a habit of jabbing the ball and not gliding through it. I tend to stun the ball more often than not which isn't great. Need to stroke through the ball which is easier said than done for me!

Accelerate and follow every shot through to the chest. Alter your backswing length to vary power.

That'll cure that in no time.

[Nwc17]

Hi Chris if you practice for quality instead of quantity you will greatly reduce your errors. Good tip , find your favourite snooker player on you tube and watch in slow motion on a regular basis also practice breathing from the diaphragm before each shot this will help you to set your rhythm, hope this helps you good luck for the future.

I'm quite inconsistent when it comes to snooker. Some days I play ok and make 30 and 40 breaks (my highest ever is 74), but most days I struggle to make 30 breaks.

I tend to cue across the ball a lot, some days more than others and I would love to know why. Not sure if it's my sighting, grip etc. I've taken some videos of myself playing some long blues and would be grateful for any advice or tips anyone has.

Video 1: Long blues (I actually pot quite a few at the start and then start missing them):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTsKNyvhHqA


Video 2: Long blues from behind so my grip etc. is more visible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Qd2HrrAGs


Video 3: Close up of long blues (lots of cueing across):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziaH5wmEwtQ

Thank you in advance for any help.

Chris.

[tedisbill]

Here is my latest video which may help you have more success with your cue action.



Good luck!

[Doykman]

I'm still really struggling with cueing across the ball despite trying to apply the advice I've been given here.

I'm missing ridiculously easy pots. It's soul destroying...

Now I'm beginning to wonder is it worth my trying different elbow and wrist combinations? E.g. elbow in, elbow out. Wrist turned in, wrist turned out?

I'm desperate...

[tedisbill]

Hi!

Have you filmed yourself again since applying some of the advice to see what your action now looks like?