Tip/Cueing advice please

[Carpy2009]

Hi all, i know i am only a beginner, having only started to take the game seriously a few months ago, but i feel i am starting to play better and with more confidence since winning my last 3 league games, but my problem is i sometimes feel that i am not getting the reaction from the cue ball that i was expecting, i know that 99.99% of this is me and not the tip or cue, but i sometimes wonder if i am getting enough grip from my tip, i don't miscue very often, so i presume i am striking the ball ok, but i get a weak reaction from the cue ball on screw shots and shots involving side. I was wondering if i should go for a harder or softer tip?, i am using a Century G2 at the moment, and i try and concentrate on pushing the cue through the cb on every shot, so any advice/tips would be appreciated.
cheers Carpy

[Mark187187]

Doubt it's the tip. Things it could be- not hitting low enough on screw shots, not cueing with a level cue, not following through far enough. It is much more likely to be one or all of these faults with your action than anything to do with the tip.

[Bell308]

As Mark187187 above I doubt it's the tip. it could be a number of small points which are stopping you getting the ball to come back the way you want i.e. not cueing with a level cue, (I find my cue lifts slightly if I try to accelerate the ball harder than usual which is a fault with my own technique which I'm trying to fix), not following through or not going far enough through the cue ball, again a prime candidate, as is not staying down on the follow through etc.
It is much more likely to be one or all of these faults with your action than anything to do with the tip. but if all else fails never underestimate the power of positive suggestion which changing a tip can give you!!
the G2 is very soft anyway (perhaps too soft for some) and play much the same as the "Red baron" I'm currently using which I find grips very well. and feels like a G2-3 to me.

[Philthepockets]

A softer tip will transfer less energy than a harder tip.
Usually if you are not getting much reaction from the white it is due to not striking it correctly.
Reaction is mostly a product of cue speed and contact point, failing to contact in the right spot is often related to tension in the grip or arm and the reason trying to hit the ball too hard often seems to get less reaction as it causes the tip to rise before contact. Work on keeping the tension out or gripping too tight before contact.
A good exercise is some simple shots looking only at the white, this is a good way to see how much reaction you get depending on where you contact the white.

[Carpy2009]

Thanks all for the feedback and tips/advice, i practice screw shots with the blue quite a lot, ie pot the blue of its spot in the middle pocket, and screw the white back in the opposite middle pocket, this i can do quite easily, but when i am trying to play other shots like being straight on the black and need to screw back of the side cushion for the next red, i am lucky if the cue ball even reaches the cushion, while other people i am playing, including team mates, seem to effortlessly hit the cue ball, which then seems to stop for a moment, then come back toward them at a great speed lol, and all i get from my team mates is they don't know how they do it, they just do. Really frustrating as i think it is something i need to be able to do, i seem to try to do it at least once a frame when i am playing, like i said before, it is only the screw back that is killing me, top spin or putting side on the cue ball is not a problem, (when i remember to allow for the side when trying to pot a ball).

[Mark187187]

Thanks all for the feedback and tips/advice, i practice screw shots with the blue quite a lot, ie pot the blue of its spot in the middle pocket, and screw the white back in the opposite middle pocket, this i can do quite easily, but when i am trying to play other shots like being straight on the black and need to screw back of the side cushion for the next red, i am lucky if the cue ball even reaches the cushion, while other people i am playing, including team mates, seem to effortlessly hit the cue ball, which then seems to stop for a moment, then come back toward them at a great speed lol, and all i get from my team mates is they don't know how they do it, they just do. Really frustrating as i think it is something i need to be able to do, i seem to try to do it at least once a frame when i am playing, like i said before, it is only the screw back that is killing me, top spin or putting side on the cue ball is not a problem, (when i remember to allow for the side when trying to pot a ball).

It's just how it is i think, it gets easier with time and experience. I struggled for years as a teen to get the white back more than a couple of feet, but now I can cue higher up the white and hit it pretty gently for the same. I didn't really work on it particularly, it just happened naturally. I know it's about 'timing', but I can't really explain how to get better at that or what it is.

[arsalanjami]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2leG8P5gDg

[PatBlock]

Thanks all for the feedback and tips/advice, i practice screw shots with the blue quite a lot, ie pot the blue of its spot in the middle pocket, and screw the white back in the opposite middle pocket, this i can do quite easily, but when i am trying to play other shots like being straight on the black and need to screw back of the side cushion for the next red, i am lucky if the cue ball even reaches the cushion, while other people i am playing, including team mates, seem to effortlessly hit the cue ball, which then seems to stop for a moment, then come back toward them at a great speed lol, and all i get from my team mates is they don't know how they do it, they just do. Really frustrating as i think it is something i need to be able to do, i seem to try to do it at least once a frame when i am playing, like i said before, it is only the screw back that is killing me, top spin or putting side on the cue ball is not a problem, (when i remember to allow for the side when trying to pot a ball).

Take a look at this video from tedisbill, it explains exactly how to play the shot you're talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=CtnUVwc4hkY

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[balkend]

Take a look at this video from tedisbill, it explains exactly how to play the shot you're talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=CtnUVwc4hkY

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Cheers for posting this link , v. helpful to me

[PatBlock]

Cheers for posting this link , v. helpful to me

Glad it was useful. Think he makes a great job of explaining things.

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[chrisg]

Are you looking enough at the point at where you're aiming? It may well be you need that extra second or so to look at the aim point before you deliver the cue -

I've found using the quiet eyes training has really improved my ability to focus where I'm aiming and concentrating at it and has got me a lot closer to potting more difficult shots, even when the white is tight on cushion!

It even works with the rest as well. Yesterday, I had six shots with rest (not all were easy shots) and normally, my success rate is 1/2 out of etc, but got five out of six. Just looking a split second longer at the aim point or line of aim to the point on OB has made all the difference!

I've documented it here...

https://snookerzone.co.uk/how-quiet-...by-37-read-on/

[sharkster63]

Good Day, I think that if you practice potting the Blue into the side and draw to scratch into other side, I dont know what pace you use or how far the balls are apart when doing this, but I would practice to do this by hitting the white with the least amount of pace possible by hitting very low on cueball, increase distance as you get better, hard at first but very good practice, I think that is what is known as timing.

[presprout]

I thought I was timing the ball better last time, but I'm slightly concerned it might just have been an under weight white ball. I'm going to start taking my TC billiard balls to the club. Then I'll get a better idea with balls in a better weight tolerance....and it's a bit easier than carrying a full set of balls.