A real halt

[Sidd]

Dear All,

I have a couple of problems that I would really love to see solved and would be relieved to have someone of you do that for me. My highest break is 56 and that puts me somewhere in the list of intermediate level players. i have gained superb command over the cue ball which aids me in positional play. Although I need ot improve on this more so that I gain control over the cue ball in small fractions of its movement like stopping it from getting on the wrong side of the blue in the middle of a break. I know that needs practice and patience and I am learning.

My first problem is "consistency". I can play brilliantly for 3 frames and then suddenly I tend to become dull during the 4th. I might play the 5th nice again but have no idea about the 7th. On a larger scale I would play proper and in full swing one day but the next day I would be struggling even to get the easiest ones in. I have altered my technique and tried everything possible to gain a perpetual momentum, if nothing else, but in vain. HELP!!!

The second thing is pretty strange and I do not know what to do about it. Now as we all know its a basic principle that one's eyes must at the object ball at the time of impact i.e. when one strikes the cue ball. As an amateur I developed this habit of looking at the cue ball at the moment of striking the cue ball. No matter how hard I try to focus my mind to look at the object ball when i strike the cue ball, I completely fail and its so inbuilt in my technique that at the vewry last fraction my eyes automatically switch back to the cue ball. Pretty strange to note is the fact that I have made breaks of 40-50 while doing the same thing. I know that maybe this has to do with missing an easy pot, at times, but cant find a way not to do so. HELP!!!

ADIOS!

[Blondie]

Dear All,

I have a couple of problems that I would really love to see solved and would be relieved to have someone of you do that for me. My highest break is 56 and that puts me somewhere in the list of intermediate level players. i have gained superb command over the cue ball which aids me in positional play. Although I need ot improve on this more so that I gain control over the cue ball in small fractions of its movement like stopping it from getting on the wrong side of the blue in the middle of a break. I know that needs practice and patience and I am learning.

My first problem is "consistency". I can play brilliantly for 3 frames and then suddenly I tend to become dull during the 4th. I might play the 5th nice again but have no idea about the 7th. On a larger scale I would play proper and in full swing one day but the next day I would be struggling even to get the easiest ones in. I have altered my technique and tried everything possible to gain a perpetual momentum, if nothing else, but in vain. HELP!!!

The second thing is pretty strange and I do not know what to do about it. Now as we all know its a basic principle that one's eyes must at the object ball at the time of impact i.e. when one strikes the cue ball. As an amateur I developed this habit of looking at the cue ball at the moment of striking the cue ball. No matter how hard I try to focus my mind to look at the object ball when i strike the cue ball, I completely fail and its so inbuilt in my technique that at the vewry last fraction my eyes automatically switch back to the cue ball. Pretty strange to note is the fact that I have made breaks of 40-50 while doing the same thing. I know that maybe this has to do with missing an easy pot, at times, but cant find a way not to do so. HELP!!!

ADIOS!

Hey Sidd,

.......and welcome to the forum, enjoy yourself here, and I think as well that consistency is a problem for all of us .

A couple of things that work for me:

1. Playing with a practice partner - do you have one at all? I only ask really as they are usually pretty good in recognising any 'differences' with our play that we have not necessarily noticed ourselves, especially, if you're playing against them and you're playing well, plus feeling pretty 'consistent' in yourself, and then all of a sudden your play just deteriorates for a few frames. They can usually spot things that we may miss mainly because they are 'watching' the pot as opposed to 'playing' it.

2. Regularly checking 'your preparation' before each pot - if the 'inconsistency' continues to happen after a few frames, I'd suggest that it maybe worth checking your own 'preparation routine' for each pot, and try and just have a bit of a 'recap' in your mind to make sure that you feel ready to take the pot on, i.e.

- is you stance comfortable, and do you feel balanced?
- is you cue level?
- is your grip ok? too tight, too loose?
- does your bridge arm feel alright, and in the right position?

3. Visualise the shot - and after doing the 'prep' work for the pot, I tend to find as well if you can kinda teach yourself a strict routine of 'visually' and 'lining' up the shot in your own mind before you actually get down to play the pot, this really helps too, so try and visualise the object ball's path to the pocket, the object ball going in, together with the cueball after contact.

And with regards to looking at the cueball when you should be looking on to the object ball, I've done this before too, and I tend to find it helps to have a bit of a 'prep routine' in your mind for sighting as well, which may help you too.

1. Sighting prep routine - during backswing, I just tend to let my eyes go from the cue ball to the object ball and then back again, ensuring I'm lined up correctly, and that I'm feeling 'settled' into the shot. [And it's only really a 'flicker' of the eye, with the head completely still.] And at the end of the backswing, as I pause, I just let my eyes go to the object ball and stay there. [For me, it's only really the last second or two that my eyes are looking at the spot on the object ball where contact with the cue ball needs to be made.] And I find this works pretty well Sidd, and as it's not really a long time, it tends not to allow my eyes any time to wander back to the cue ball as such, or anywhere else for that matter.

2. Practice routine - and if you decide to develop your own prep routine for sighting, might also be worth combining this routine with some of your own practice drills, maybe with the reds across the middle, colours off their spots, the line up, black off the spot, and try and do some long pots as well, with the reds and blues, helping to get the eyes more focussed on to the object ball.

And I think it may not be easy at first, as you say, you've kind of developed this habit since you were an amateur, but I think practice and focus plays a big part here, and if you can continue to practice a sighting routine, and incorporate this into your practice drills for various shots/pots, hopefully things should improve. And I agree as well Sidd, patience and focus play a big part of it, for us all.

And hope this helps too, and just realised as well that it may sound a bit like an 'office memo', , apologies for that Sidd, must be in that 'frame' of mind today .

And all the best, good luck with it all, and happy snookering...

Lol....xx

[dantuck_7]

I had a decent practise yesterday - just practisting the line out before a couple of frames and things started to go really well! Blondie - I told you before about my stance - well I went back to old more relaxed method and didn't really think about things too much.

I was in a really good rythym whilst practisting. I then had a couple of frames with a practise partner and knocked in a 42 but missed a cut back on a black with another 5 reds really welll placed. Just let the pressure get to me (My hb is 51 and I should have scored a good 20 more points)!

It's a nice feeling where everything starts going in the centre of the pocket. I even noticed on some shots that I wasn't quite cueing 100% and a few fair rattled the jaws and went it!

[Blondie]

I had a decent practise yesterday - just practisting the line out before a couple of frames and things started to go really well! Blondie - I told you before about my stance - well I went back to old more relaxed method and didn't really think about things too much.

I was in a really good rythym whilst practisting. I then had a couple of frames with a practise partner and knocked in a 42 but missed a cut back on a black with another 5 reds really welll placed. Just let the pressure get to me (My hb is 51 and I should have scored a good 20 more points)!

It's a nice feeling where everything starts going in the centre of the pocket. I even noticed on some shots that I wasn't quite cueing 100% and a few fair rattled the jaws and went it!

Hey Dan,

....that's really 'great' to hear , keep going strong.

And 'enjoy' yourself...

Lol...xx

[Sidd]

Oh well Blondie thanks a million for the useful tips, I must say. I mean really thanks for taking time and effort in responding to my queries in such an eloquent and well-elaborated manner. I really am obliged. Let me comment on those:

Yes I have 3 regular partners. One of them is really very good and i enjoy plauying against him for he poses a great challenge. He has told me only two things i.e. Sidd you should not always go for the risky and difficult pots. Keep safety in mind as well. He is right its too tempting for me not to try even the most difficult pot and I know I miss it and leave a good chance for the opponent. I have got to gain patience. Secondly, he says that once I am building a break I ignore the easy ones and end up missing those. Your comments of keeping the routine and prep in mind shall do the trick now. I have been struggling with the stance but finally I have got one that works for me. Actually I am left handed and have a left master eye so developing a stance for this was a bit tricky.

I am sure the tip you gave for the sighting is lovely. It shall keep me focused and I only have to fix my eyes on the object ball for the very last fraction at the lest backswing pause I guess. I have been experimenting this and I have figured out its really easy but it has to do with confidence for instance I do that normally with long pots becasue I know missing that would keep the cue ball in a safer position so I can experiment. Whereas while during a break I cant cuz I fear missing the pot and leaving a golden red to the opponent. But what you said should work and I am quite certain of it.

I just have three days before a tournament at the club. I should use these three days on focusing on the tips and am quite sure it would yield results. As for saying your response may look more of an office memo; oh surely not! And even if it does (it didn't though) well Blondie, my dear, breaking a habit is not an easy thing to do and I guess only official memos can be helpful

Thanks again in every way.

Kind Regards, Sidd

[Sidd]

Hey just one thing more if thats not a bother Blondie. I have noticed a few weeks back that there is something funny with my bridge arm. I have no issues, I gather, with the bridge itself. Its really proper, firm with a lovely thumb-channel but what I have noticed and is bothering me is the fact that I happen to have strain in my bridge arm and the tricep muscle and shoulder aches when I go home. I know its because of snooker and nothing else but is it normal and should go away automatically. I am concerned cuz it never happened before.

Haha, on a lighter note, I guess I should be asking this from a physician eh
Tata

[Blondie]

Hey just one thing more if thats not a bother Blondie. I have noticed a few weeks back that there is something funny with my bridge arm. I have no issues, I gather, with the bridge itself. Its really proper, firm with a lovely thumb-channel but what I have noticed and is bothering me is the fact that I happen to have strain in my bridge arm and the tricep muscle and shoulder aches when I go home. I know its because of snooker and nothing else but is it normal and should go away automatically. I am concerned cuz it never happened before.

Haha, on a lighter note, I guess I should be asking this from a physician eh
Tata

Hey Sidd,

.........no worries, and good luck in your tournament as well, all the best .

And just wondering about the strain in your bridge arm, maybe a couple of things:

1. Practice/training time

And not sure with work and everything how often you get to practice/train?, but if your bridge arm and shoulder muscles start to ache this maybe due to the 'frequency' of how often you practice, so 'the amount of time' you practice at each session i.e. how many hours, and how many 'practice/training' sessions you do each week, i.e. every night, every two days etc? [Especially if you've been putting in extra hours for the tournament.]

And if you feel that you have been doing too much, maybe you could go to 'practice' the same amount of times, but just cut down the actual 'hours' that you do. Also, within those hours, try to have a break as well, a drink, or some sort of refreshment, and maybe do an hour, or half an hour, have a break, another hour, or half an hour, another break, as opposed to practicing solidly for a couple of hours. Hopefully, this way you can relieve some of the pressure on your arm, still manage to get some practice in, and have a break as well.

2. Your stance

Your stance could also be contributing a little to this too, many people find it hard to find a stance that works really well for them, it's a case of trial and error. For me, as long as I feel 'balanced', and I'm in a relatively 'comfortable' position, i.e. not feeling restricted in any way, this allows me to pot well.

Do you notice when you're about to pot whether your body is tending to lean towards the left more, putting more 'pressure' on to your left side, and in turn on to your bridge arm? [or could be vice versa not sure if you're left or right-handed]. But if your weight is not evenly distributed within your stance, 'one' side of your body will be taking more of the strain of your weight than the other, which can lead to a build up of pressure points of pain, which can be more noticeable after you've come out of your stance position. If this sounds familiar, might be worth just revisiting the 'positioning' of your stance by testing out 'different' height levels, to see what feels more comfortable and workable for you. And maybe combine this with doing a couple of practice drills as well, reds across the middle, line up, cueing over a pocket etc, so you will be able to work out in your own mind which stance position works for each shot, and which feels comfortable.

3. Bridge arm

And also whether you play with a straight bridge arm, or if you bend your elbow. I tend to bend my elbow a bit as I find it helps me to have a steadier bridge. But I also tend to bend my elbow as I bend my front leg, moving into the shot, which allows me to have more stability with my forearm. I always tend to bend the two together though, so you are not putting any added pressure on to your elbow/arm.

And another possibility maybe that you're pressing your index finger of your bridge hand too hard into the cloth, this can sometimes happen when you have a very firm bridge hand, which you mentioned you have, and the pain travels up your arm.

And hope this helps a bit Sidd, just some thoughts really, which may help in finding the cause, and for me, this 'type' of pain is relatively normal to an extent, playing snooker. But if the pain does continue, do check out a physiotherapist too, massage and exercise always help.

And good luck with it all.

All the best.

Lol....xx

[Sidd]

Hi there Blondie,

Well the strain is not gone as yet. Its still persistent. As for the practice hours and timings well its not really the problem I gather because I have been practicing for long without experiencing anything of this sort ever before. I admit that the only time I can manage for practice is right after work and I do feel a little stressed at that time but nothing much.

I dont think I am putting extra pressure of the index finger and I too play with a slightly bent bridge arm so that could not be the case. However, what i can figure out is exactly what you have mentioned. I have altered my stance a bit lately and am experimenting with it these days. Actually i am left handed and have a left master eye so naturally I was probebly trying to bend more to the right and that may have caused the strain. I shall now start experimenting with a changed stance thereby keeping myself balanced and avoiding the strain..................... thanks for the advice BLONDIE SAVES THE DAY...... yet again thx girl!