Stance

[JParrott1]

Recently, (the last couple of days) Ive tried to adjust my stance to the more orthodox fashion. Before this I just used to bend both legs, with feet pointing inwards, all a bit of a mess really, similar to Mark Williams' stance in a way. However, when I bend my left leg and keep my right leg dead straight it feels really quite painful. Some shots were worse than others.

I have experience with golf and when I was taught to stand in a different manner, at first it felt really awkward, but then it became more natural. Is this the case with the stance in snooker, and is there any right way to stand at a snooker table?


Cheers

[CoachGavin]

Depends a lot on your height and build. I usually recommend people to play with one leg straight and one bent. It may feel a bit weird at first but thats usually because people are not used to bending that much and have got less flexible - as you say it usually becomes quite natural. The most important thing really is to be stable on the shot and to lean slightly into the shot. There is an example on my website at www.snookercoaching.net and frank callan talks about the stance on his site.Very few stances are the same but comfort and stability are very important. I would recommend seeing a coach because it does depend a lot on height etc.

[Blagonadezdins]

It might help to do some stretching exercises for your hamstrings. Alot of guys tend to have tight hamstrings, especially if you've played any other sport like football, rugby or sprinting e.t.c.

As the hamstrings originate at the pelvis, flexing the hip (as you do when you bend into a shot) will increase the strain on them. This is, however, only felt when the legs are straight (or one leg in this case) as they attach below the knee (onto the shin and the fibula). Therefore, it might be worth looking at some simple stretching exercises for you hamstrings, just to get them back to a length whereby you can maintain one leg straight without pain.

This is a more medical viewpoint, however I think it may benefit you.

I have this same problem by the way, but just bend both legs. I seem to do fine.

[JParrott1]

Thanks for both replies. I played yesterday (before I read these replies) and for the first two frames I was playing awfully. Then my friend said to me that he noticed I was putting far to much weight on my right leg and to lean into the shot a little more, and also to spread my legs further apart, as you say gavin. I couldn't believe the impact this made, I was literally playing 100 times better and felt like I was going to pot everything. I guess my main problem with the awkwardness of my new stance was that I wasnt distributing the weight evenly, and not leaning into the shot enough. Its strange how one minor change can make such a massive difference.

[MikeWooldridge]

stance is one of the most overrated aspects of playing good snooker.

the ONLY thing that matters is how you deliver the cue.

stand on one leg if you want....

a good stance will help an ordinary player with consistency. it will not help an ordinary player become good.

pay attention to how you grip the cue.

that's where you will find improvement in your game.

[Shaun Dalitz]

stance is one of the most overrated aspects of playing good snooker.

the ONLY thing that matters is how you deliver the cue.

stand on one leg if you want....

a good stance will help an ordinary player with consistency. it will not help an ordinary player become good.

pay attention to how you grip the cue.

that's where you will find improvement in your game.

How do you grip the cue ?

[Semih_Sayginer]

stance is one of the most overrated aspects of playing good snooker.

the ONLY thing that matters is how you deliver the cue.

stand on one leg if you want....

a good stance will help an ordinary player with consistency. it will not help an ordinary player become good.

pay attention to how you grip the cue.

that's where you will find improvement in your game.

if you dont have a good solid stance which consistently gives you good balance, then you wont (as often as you should) deliver the cue 100% accurately, due to your balance not being set, and causing the slightest of body movement. so ultimately, how you cue, and strike the ball is very important, but its pointless cueing straight if your body is moving, giving the effect of you not cueing straight. they compliment each other

[ADR147]

if you dont have a good solid stance which consistently gives you good balance, then you wont (as often as you should) deliver the cue 100% accurately, due to your balance not being set, and causing the slightest of body movement. so ultimately, how you cue, and strike the ball is very important, but its pointless cueing straight if your body is moving, giving the effect of you not cueing straight. they compliment each other

another good post from sem - i am by no means a snooker coach, but i think the only thing that really matters is that your stance is stable, other than that stand how you feel comfortable

[Semih_Sayginer]

another good post from sem - i am by no means a snooker coach, but i think the only thing that really matters is that your stance is stable, other than that stand how you feel comfortable

yes ADR, the stance doesnt have to be 100% textbook, but it does matter.

to say it doesnt (by saying something else is the only thing that matters) isnt correct.

this thread is about stance, yet it seems to be more focused on cues now, and how theyre gripped and delivered. wonder how that happened

[ADR147]

i guess because its all part of the same thing - you need every aspect to be straight and true to deliver the cue correctly.

[Semih_Sayginer]

i guess because its all part of the same thing - you need every aspect to be straight and true to deliver the cue correctly.

yes, but you "could" be cueing in a straight line, but your body moving slightly, so that youre off the plain.....(it was a wee dig ADR...not at you )

[ADR147]

i knew what you were getting at!

[Semih_Sayginer]

i knew what you were getting at!

was just clarifying to make sure

[MikeWooldridge]

mmm, allow me to clarify....

the person who started this thread is concerned about their stance. and they should not be.

my point is that a 'technically correct' stance DOES NOT make a good player NOR improve a bad one.

BUT it can help with consistency. as stated in my first comment.

if you stand solid, in the same way every time, then it is one less thing to worry about when you're playing a shot.

but don't beat yourself up if you find it uncomfortable, or even painful, to force yourself into the 'technically correct' straight back leg, bent front leg.

even coachgavin states the fact the stances are rarely the same. why? cos we are all built different.

forcing yourself into a position that you find uncomfortable and does not suit you could even cause you to shake on the shot. or at least, make you feel so edge that you have no chance of actually playing well.

within reason, stand roughly as you see the professionals, and good players in your local club stand. but don't focus on it. you must be comfortable and relaxed in your stance.

then concentrate on the things that REALLY matter if you want to become a better player.

bottom line on stance:

1) stand still
2) be in such a postion that allows you to swing your arm freely and in a straight line.
3) stay down on the shot. don't jump up the moment you hit the ball.
3) legs bent/straight, toes pointing out/in - irrelevant. as long as you keep still.

like i said before, stand on one leg if you want.

finally, sorry for daring to mention something else again, but someone asked how do i grip the cue? - loose. 'snatching' is the worst thing you can do and this comes from a grip that is too firm/tense.

[Semih_Sayginer]

yes, totally different to the original post.