How to deal with deadly accurate but no positional play opponents?

[trigger666]

It is one of the easiest things to say but one of the hardest things to do: play the right shot.

The right shot does not only depend on the state of the table and your own form, but also the opponent you are faced with.

I have a pretty good safety game, but one of my weaknesses is knowing when to use it in preference to a slightly iffy pot.

You can create far better chances by forcing your opponent into playing a pot that he might not get, than by going for a pot that you might miss!

I know it sounds straightforward, and I know it is not!

Nail and Head come to mind
but i suffer from the same ,going for the low percentage shot when i should play safe and force my opponent to make an error

[kevy62]

I dont quite understand the point here my good man but yes shot selection is very important indeed. You've just gotta play your own game even if you feel your being dragged down. Although playing against someone who keeps potting reds and then missing a colour by so much it goes safe can be very very annoying.

Sorry i don't mean to be blunt, but don't let your opponent pot anything in the first place! start by playing rock solid safety, then hammer him into the ground, don't let him even breath, take your chances as they come up & get in early & score big .

[noel]

Show no mercy in your game, don't feel any remorse if, after making only a couple of blacks & not being able to hold for a high value colour, potting the red ball on & playing into baulk, making sure you tuck tight in behind the low edge of the green, taking out any chance of escape without using at least two cushions (keep the pressure on your opponent) maximise your chances

Excellent advice you guys.
That's exactly how I enjoy playing,

Just as a cautionary note... do not do this on foreign turf with strangers.


=o)


Noel

[kevy62]

Excellent advice you guys.
That's exactly how I enjoy playing,

Just as a cautionary note... do not do this on foreign turf with strangers.


=o)


Noel

I wouldn't worry about any of that, If you do come accross anyone who plays this way it will probably be in a match situation anyway

[Subz]

I stopped playing snooker for a couple of months and just went back to my local club last week.


I played very poorly. \i think my problem was that i was hitting the balls hard and trying to make things happen (i was trying to gain abit more confidence at this point as i was 3-0 behind and found it hard to pot a colour in the 1st three frames).


I was starting to take my time and play more safety snd i finished the match losing 4-1.

[ADR147]

in these scored games the trick is not to score any more points than you have to to win the frame the end.

[kevy62]

I stopped playing snooker for a couple of months and just went back to my local club last week.


I played very poorly. \i think my problem was that i was hitting the balls hard and trying to make things happen (i was trying to gain abit more confidence at this point as i was 3-0 behind and found it hard to pot a colour in the 1st three frames).


I was starting to take my time and play more safety snd i finished the match losing 4-1.

Hi fella, I think you should call this a moral victory for yourself, the reason being, you don't quite have the confidence at present & are not quite match fit! remember , practice makes perfect, well nearly.

Look at it like this: it would be like running a marathon, yet only doing training runs of 3 miles!
pointless right?
just up your practice rate a bit & you will soon return to your old form.

[Subz]

Yeah it was more of a morale vistory, least i was able to put 1 frame on the board.

I am going back in a few days to play the same opponant in the next few days but unfortunately i won't be able to have any practise before hand which is a bit annoying.


Having said that I was hitting the balls harder in the 1st 4 frames and was trying to make things happen instead of playing safe so if i play the way i did in the last frame i should have a good chance of winning.

[kevy62]

perhaps practice in another club before hand? or turn up early to the venue, & just jump straight on the match table.

either way, consentrate on your technique.
Keep him tight, give him nothing! good luck

[Subz]

I played last week and won 3-1.

In the last frame I was given an easy start at racked up a break of 24.

I was very happy with my performance and i was concentrating and playoing more safety compared to the previous game

[kevy62]

I played last week and won 3-1.

In the last frame I was given an easy start at racked up a break of 24.

I was very happy with my performance and i was concentrating and playoing more safety compared to the previous game

nice one buddy

just relax & it will soon come back , easy peasy, well done

[Anthony762]

I use the ghost ball technique

I have been using the ghost ball sighting technique for about 3 months is that the right way to sight? and do you have to do it when your down on the shot as you would do it when your up on the shot?

[bongo]

Anthony:

The ghost ball method is confusing, complicated and you will actually be sighting in the wrong place for the shot.

In my experience, the best sighting method is the BOB method.

BOB stands for Back of the Ball. This is the furthest part away from the pocket and on the fattest part of the ball (exactly half way up the ball). You can visualize BOB as a small point however large you find comfortable, usually the size of a cue tip. BOB IS ON THE OBJECT BALL! BOB will not always be the cue aiming point though as on a quarter ball angle for example the cue will be aiming into thin air if striking the centre of the cue ball. What should happen is the extreme edge of the cue ball contacting BOB. Remember the balls are spheres!

P.S - Have you ever seen a ghost, probably not. So the ghost ball method isn't successful as you will never see this ghost ball!

There are many aiming ideas usually from the world of American Pool. They are just ideas but this is the one that professional coaches recommend.