Is textbook technique so important?

[Piruz]

Hi. Just wondering does coaches try to change young players techniques, if they play like Joe Swail, or with any other very unorthodox technique?

I have tried to find my own technique, but havent got any good one. I have tried play like Joe Swail, and did couple of +40´s with that, then played like Steve Davis in 80´s, and did regularly +30´s. But both these styles didnt fit me. I now play like John Higgins with my wrist cocked like Davis in 80´s. This is very weird looking style. And I´m left-eyed (right handed), so I´m in that 5% of people that have same hand-eye combination.

I have been given many advices, but none of them really have helped me. They just confuse me more. So, I guess, my idol is Swail, and his very funny cueing, althought I´m not gonna try learn that technique myself.

[CoachGavin]

Although you can pick up good points from other players you can never hope to exactly copy the technique of another player. The basics of most of the top professionals are roughly the same but then they differ slightly due to body shapes and what they find comfortable. For example most players have one leg bent and one straight and lean into the shot but then most players have their feet different widths apart and might have one in front of the other. A coach will be able to help you out so i would recommend finding a good one near you.

[C-J]

I'm also left eyed,right handed and i recognise your problems.I'm sure your problem is your confidence in sightning and nothing else.It's to late for a long posts now but i will tell you more about my experiences when i have time.

[dannyd0g]

Players like Swail show that text book technique isnt so important. I guess young players should try to start out on the textbook model, but then as they develop, adapt it to whatever works best for them and feels most comfortable.

[Piruz]

Hi.

Thank you for your answers. I have to just try get my style. Well, coaches doesnt help, because we dont have one. Only one with enough experience is Robin Hull, but he lives in London now, i think, and when he is in Finland, I think he is very busy.

Finland doesnt have coaches, only 5 very good players, who have talented, and have competed in European league.

[Gimme Danger]

I'm also left eyed,right handed and i recognise your problems.I'm sure your problem is your confidence in sightning and nothing else.It's to late for a long posts now but i will tell you more about my experiences when i have time.

Does this make a difference? I am left handed, and sight with my right eye only because I have a lazy left eye. I have been struggling more lately to sight correctly.

[C-J]

I'v really struggled in the past with my sightning.Two years ago i picked up the game again after a long break,taking it serious now with a lot of solo practice.I can not tell you enough the importance of cueing from under your strong eye,keep the cue straight under it with the preliminary moves(force yourself) and create confidence and understanding from there.

If you have a stronger eye you can cue straight looking with both eye's but the tendency to cue slightly across to your stronger eye will be very strong.You might be able to fight it in practice but in a match your confidence will quickly disappear when you miss a couple.

You can practise cueing straight as long as you want,it will not bring you anything if you are not completely confident in your sightning.

[Gimme Danger]

That could be the problem I am having. I tend to cue straight down the middle, but because my right eye is stronger, I push across through the cueing stage.

It is one of the main things that has dented my confidence in a match situation, especially this last two weeks, I've really struggled

[Erwan_BZH]

That could be the problem I am having. I tend to cue straight down the middle, but because my right eye is stronger, I push across through the cueing stage.

It is one of the main things that has dented my confidence in a match situation, especially this last two weeks, I've really struggled

Welcome to my club!
I have the exact same problem as you, Gimme Danger. I've played even-sighted for years...just to discover a year ago that my right eye was the strongest of the two. And that I had to play right-eyed....but it is really disturbing. And when you combine bad sighting with struggling grip, then you have an explosive cocktail that leads you to frustration and anger not to reach what you can do!

[C-J]

A good way to get your confidence back again is this;line up as usual and move your head slightly so your strong eye is right above the cue.Now when your in position move your hips(butt) from right to left.Your cue will move with it and you will be able to see the correct line when you pass it.This will give you new confidence about seeing the correct line and you will soon be cueing very straight again.It will also give you more awareness about your line up and (small) body movements and give you new things to work on.

regards C-J

[888]

Hi. Just wondering does coaches try to change young players techniques, if they play like Joe Swail, or with any other very unorthodox technique?

I have tried to find my own technique, but havent got any good one. I have tried play like Joe Swail, and did couple of +40´s with that, then played like Steve Davis in 80´s, and did regularly +30´s. But both these styles didnt fit me. I now play like John Higgins with my wrist cocked like Davis in 80´s. This is very weird looking style. And I´m left-eyed (right handed), so I´m in that 5% of people that have same hand-eye combination.

I have been given many advices, but none of them really have helped me. They just confuse me more. So, I guess, my idol is Swail, and his very funny cueing, althought I´m not gonna try learn that technique myself.

yap.. joe swail cueing very special, alex higgin and marco fu also cool

[Andy Evans]

A good way to get your confidence back again is this;line up as usual and move your head slightly so your strong eye is right above the cue.Now when your in position move your hips(butt) from right to left.Your cue will move with it and you will be able to see the correct line when you pass it.This will give you new confidence about seeing the correct line and you will soon be cueing very straight again.It will also give you more awareness about your line up and (small) body movements and give you new things to work on.

regards C-J

I just watched the Masters and it could be that this is what Mark Selby is doing when he sways slightly side to side while sighting. He obviously has some technique about this and equally obviously it works!!!

[missneworleans]

I think also Selby shows it