HB practice routines Line up in particular

[adey8ball]

hi there

just been up to my local place where i play snooker(funnily enough talking on a snooker forum).

just been doing the line up routine and it went really well.

have also been looking on peoples post and looking at their highest breaks. i see that people list their highest breaks (usually practice and match highest breaks). what do you classify as a practice break and match break. for example i believe that some may see the line up as a practice break and match being a team or individual league, or cup match. what would you call playing either a team mate or friend, a match or practice break

do people include the line up as a 'Proper' practice break or what

personally now i think i may view breaks as Line up, practice, match. would the people on here agree

many thanks

adrian

[snawaz]

Line up is essential practice. However, I don't think you can class this is a proper break. It just does not correlate into a match type break at all. At a guess a 100 break in line up would probably equate to an ability level of achieving a 30-40 break in a match. So I personally would not class a line break as a proper break. nevertheless good practice.:snooker:

[RGCirencester]

personally now i think i may view breaks as Line up, practice, match. would the people on here agree

That's exactly what I'd say. The line up is a good enough exercise but does not replicate match play. Just because you can make centuries in the line up doesn't even mean you can make even 30's in a match necessarily. I knew a guy if you moved the ball an inch off the centre line on the line up suddenly it felt alien to him.

I personally have an argument for practice breaks (not routines but playing frames against yourself or just spreading the balls) being just as valid as match. People say there is no pressure on you but you still have to contend with that moment you know you could make a high break and the nerves start to flow.

But basically I'd list line up, then practice, then against another player.

[vmax4steve]

The line up is merely a practise exercise and doesn't count as a break. In fact, when I practise the line up I don't even count the score to myself, I just pot as many as I can and have cleared the table many times. It doesn't mean I have made many century breaks, it means that I have successfully completed a practise exercise.
A practise break however, whether made in a simulated match situation, or against a practise partner must be deemed as valid as an actual personal highest break, but the one that should matter to you more than any other, is one that you have made in a match.

[adey8ball]

thanks to everyone so far. more views and oppinions greatly appreciated

so people from this i believe that most don't see the line up as a truly proper break.

just some more clarifycation would be fanstatic

line up - keep records to monitor progress - however not a true break
practice - when playing by oneself
match - when playing against anoher person

because in my mind match would be playing in a league or cup, team or indiidual match, rather than against another player

in my eye 'throwing a cue about with a mate' would be practice rather than a match

do people agree here or am i being a little hard on myself??

if you agree that playing in a league, cup, tournament etc is different then would a new highest break category need to be defined. something like matchplay

any views would be greatly appreciated

adrian

[snawaz]

thanks to everyone so far. more views and oppinions greatly appreciated

so people from this i believe that most don't see the line up as a truly proper break.

just some more clarifycation would be fanstatic

line up - keep records to monitor progress - however not a true break
practice - when playing by oneself
match - when playing against anoher person

because in my mind match would be playing in a league or cup, team or indiidual match, rather than against another player

in my eye 'throwing a cue about with a mate' would be practice rather than a match

do people agree here or am i being a little hard on myself??

if you agree that playing in a league, cup, tournament etc is different then would a new highest break category need to be defined. something like matchplay

any views would be greatly appreciated

adrian

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're getting too anal. Also I understand where you are coming from, when you first start off you want to get 50's and 100's, however they may have come. But you are only kidding yourself. You have to work hard and get your breaks properly. I would say just keep line up breaks to yourself. Practice breaks, if played to strict conditions can be classed as breaks. I don't think you need a seperate category for playing friendlies and matches. These all count equal in my eyes.

[cazmac1]

I've lost count of the amount of 100+ breaks made on the line up. I find that as a practice routine it can become quite boring due the ease at which it can be done. I put 5 reds behind the black to make it more difficult and also reduce the spacing between balls as you have to be more accuerate with you positioning. I also like to leave the pink out and replace it with a red and attempt to clear all 15 reds and blacks( haven't managed it yet). Finally to answer your question as to if these count as breaks. "Not at all". :snooker:

[snawaz]

I've lost count of the amount of 100+ breaks made on the line up. I find that as a practice routine it can become quite boring due the ease at which it can be done.

Easy Cazman,

He has to start from somewhere. These line ups are good for morale and have an important place in practice, but I agree can get quite boring. I did one line up a few days ago after about 3-4 months and really enjoyed it. However, a lot of the practice routine can get quite boring, but we have to keep doing them to improve our skill levels. No criticism Cazman, just making a point.:snooker:

[cazmac1]

Fair point, I use to do them all the time when I was starting out and it is a very good routine to learn cue ball control and as you said to build confidence

[Terry Davidson]

Never count breaks from the line-up. After you've been playing awhile it gets to be very simple to run 100's.

Then you have to make it more difficult by putting more reds between the blue and brown.

I do the line-up as a warm-up exercise, allowing myself just 10 attempts at it. I put 2 reds below the black with the last one about 1" off the cushion and having to stun back out for the first black. I have 2 reds above the blue as they can be difficult to get on too unless you think ahead a bit.

Limiting yourself to just 10 attempts does apply a bit of practice pressure. I normally get 1-3 total clearances and perhaps one or two other centuries where I get out of position for those last 2 reds above the blue.

I only count high breaks in official matches, like tournaments (we don't really have leagues in Canada).

Terry

[magicman]

As most players have already commented, don't even bother counting line-up breaks, just try and clear the table. If you're playing well then try and make them all blacks. You should also try putting an X of reds from corner to middle pockets with the pink on its spot buried in the middle. It's far harder than a line-up and teaches you to always leave an angle on the black or blue (obviously the pink doesn't pot at all).

Breaks against mates in your local club do count (at least I count them as this is the only 147 I've ever had).
Match breaks are different and should mean more to you I think (mine was 139 for donkeys years then I made a 142 that felt every bit as good as my maximum)

Nothing wrong with doing line-ups but vary your practice routines or they do get very boring as players have shared with you on here.

[inevermissblue]

validity!

Hi there, just thought i'd share my opinion about this thread. So let me know if you agree. I don't count line-up breaks at all! they are merely an indicator of your current ability level. However i have made well over a dozen maximums at it.
I class a practise break as any frame played against an opponent (not solo practise). A shame as i've had a maximum in a solo frame (broke off and cleared!).
Lastly, a match break is as it sounds. Any league, individual, doubles, or pro-am etc. :snooker: :snooker: :snooker:

[tksix]

I would not discourage the line-up breaks. Actually I count them, in my own personal practice journal.

It may sound crazy, but it helped me achieve specific goals. I try to run a century in line-up every practice session before moving on to drills, or situational practice drills.

I know for myself reaching that FIRST century in line-up was a huge milestone. I do agree after that, they came more easily. Now for the century in match play........................still waiting.

What it did do for me though, is help me think of the table in sections. Which in turn helped me think the same way in match play. Also it helped me not think to much about the score as I potted balls. Kind of tricking my mind not to get scared or nervous as the tally grew higher. This I think is very important for the mental side of things. It helps to have been at that total before regardless of practice, line-up or match play. I think the TOTAL itself adds enormous pressure.

Mike

[miscuehamburg]

I would like to suggest that you forget the high breaks in line up, but limit your attemps to 10 (as Terry says) and count your average score. Then focus on improving it. This puts on some extra pressure on your nerves after a few good breaks in a row

As for match breaks it is at hand that friendly/competition games are a completely different matter.

Frames played against oneself I wouldn't count at all.

[snawaz]

When you guys are making all these high breaks, are they made on tables with pocket openings complying with WSA official template specifications.

If not do you consider these breaks to genuine or not?