Hello

[tommygunner1309]

Just to say hello to everyone as this is my first day. My name is Tom and I am a world snooker coach. I love the game and have been playing for 30 years. Due to age and failing eyesight, I don't play as well as I did which is why I took the World Snooker coaching course. I hope to help as many people as possible to enjoy and grow the game. Nice to be a part of the community

[Bigmeek]

Welcome to the forum mate. Great to see you've found a place in snooker to keep the interest going. The game needs guys like you.

[centurysnooker]

Where abouts do you do your coaching?

[tommygunner1309]

Hi Centurysnooker. I am based in Brighton. Anywhere within 20 miles.

[hotpot]

welcome to the forum muck .

[Terry Davidson]

tommy:

There are always players looking for coaches in different areas of Britain and indeed the world. I would suggest you put your Brighton location up in your profile as then it will show up every time you make a post right above the flag.

I too am a coach, certified by IBSF, TheSnookerGym, WPBSA (Master Coach and Examiner) and Terry Griffiths Matchroom (Senior Coach) but unfortunately for me I live in a small town in Canada and don't get a heck of a lot of business. I think you should do much better in the Brighton area.

Welcome to the forum

[tommygunner1309]

Thank you hotpot, and thanks too Terry for the advice. Sure there is a lot of work in the Brighton area, but I wouldn't mind living in a little town in Canada. Bet it's nice in winter, as long as there is a snooker table in the lounge haha.

Lots of things are happening in the World Snooker world. I also carry the IBSF badge and WPBSA member. Coaching weeks and seminars are being arranged. Are you able to get across for any Terry?

[Terry Davidson]

tommy:

I try and make it over for 2 weeks every year, this year I went to the Southwest Snooker Academy in Gloucester in late April. It's a fantastic facility with Star tables and pro match conditions and everyone treats you very well.

As I've gone as far as I can go with coaching qualifications as an Examiner (I can certify Coaches and Master Coaches world-wide) I doubt if I would be taking any more coach training although I was thinking about a session with Del Hill just to expand my horizons a bit and get a little more broader perspective since all the major coaches differ in small ways. Also thinking I might visit Jim Donnelly in Glasgow for a couple of days, but it's all driven by money and timing since we have a pretty busy tournament schedule here each season.

When I was at the Academy I had about 12 students come and see me for coaching lessons and that was quite successful I believe although unfortunately I'm not able to do any follow-up with those students to make sure the coaching points I gave them were adopted by them successfully.

Winter in Alma is not very exciting although I do have a BCE Westbury steel-blocked table with #10 match cloth in my facility here at home, along with table heaters and a dehumidifier to keep the table very fast. As I'm retired I don't have to go out much in the winter so when the snow piles up I just practice and have a couple of coffees to keep me going. The problem is I am doing solo practice all the time as the nearest good club to me is around 2hrs away and sometimes more if traffic is bad, so I never go there for practice, just tournaments.

Terry

[snookerdad]

Welcome to the small but perfectly formed band of south coast snooker coaches.

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)

[tommygunner1309]

Welcome to the small but perfectly formed band of south coast snooker coaches.

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)

Thanks Tim. Are you on the facebook World Snooker Coach Official site? Actually I nearly visited you 18 months ago as You were the nearest good coach in the area, but got caught up with the coaching programme. I love helping out the newbies to the game - gives a great sense of satisfaction, but still feel a little nervous about dealing with 130 break players. Not sure what I can contribute to them.

[tommygunner1309]

Winter in Canada as you describe it,Terry sounds a bit idyllic to me. I think I would have my sleeping bag in the snooker room. I just love the game so much, just sorry I was born in 1945. A snooker coach in 1956 was rarer than a polar bear in the Amazon delta.
I did my coaching course at the WS academy in Sheffield with Terry Griffiths, Steve Davis and Chris Lovell. It was a great experience, and I learned so much to add to my 30 odd years playing. I am having a new lens operation on 26th July as I have glaucoma and cataracts in my left eye and can't wait to get it done. One of the reasons I took up coaching was because I can't play so good as I would like with my eye condition, and it is such a buzz to take a youngster whose highest break is 6 to see him progress to a 40 break in a few months.

Hope one day to catch up with you if you visit. Would be nice to sink a pint or two with the sweet smell of Triangle chalk in the air.

Saw Kirk Stevens was over here for the legends tour. It was great to see he had vanquished his problems and the interview I saw he really seemed stable and back on his feet again. I remember his 147 in the Masters so well, in his white suit. Really good to see that he was well again.

[centurysnooker]

Im looking for a coach in the in the essex area as im near colchester. so Brighton might be a bit too far. never had coaching before. my highest break in a match is 109 whats the advantages of having coaching?

[tommygunner1309]

If you have hit 109 in a match, you don't need a lot of coaching. The advantage with having a coach look at you is just so that he can point out one or two things that are not considered right. But all snooker players are different, If you watch the pro's they all have different ways of playing the game. Anyone who comes to me with that sort of talent (109 in Match conditions) I am not going to change their action at all, but may have a look at shot selection during break building, and perhaps safety play. I think the nearest World Snooker Coach I know to you is James Lake in North London. I can give you his details if you need them. Also I will have a look round our website to see if anyone is closer to you,

[snookerdad]

Are you on the facebook World Snooker Coach Official site?

I wasn't aware of it - until now.

And regarding century-breakers: you'd be surprised how some players can knock in tons - despite all their technical flaws.

Tim

[tommygunner1309]

Yes I would agree with that Tim. Jamie Cope for instance. During the WSC I watched him play the worst rest shot I have ever seen. The whole rest moved while he made the shot, consequently missing the pot. But there is no doubt about his pedigree as a player, which is why I said to centurysnooker about a coach pointing out some points about his game. Another thing about Jamie is he has a fair bit of head movement too. That is something I would point out immediately. To me, head movement is one of the worst flaws a player can have. Would you agree? Murphy stays down on the shot for about 2 seconds after each shot and his head is rock solid.

Tom