Where do i go next?

[snookering mo]

Hey all, been practicing seriously for about the last 3 months now .... i made a 73 in the line up the other day ...10 reds 9 blacks ...

I'm beginning to notice my potting is improving a lot more and i'm becoming more confident to hammer the shots in that need power .... However i need more match practice against others ...

I played a few guys lately who are 100 break men and they can polish me off with ease....

I'm wondering is there any thing i can change in my practice or i need to perhaps buy a better cue ... i feel that my cue is ok ...its just a wee bce signature cue i bought to get me into the game ... i probably need a new tip on it .... but when i'm playing on my own i can control the white ok

my practice has been consisting mainly of about 2 hours a day 5 days a week ... mainly the line up and 5 or 6 reds around the black .... i can clear the colours easily ...

I feel the biggest thing lacking in my game is just match practice...any one feel the same or can offer advice?

[hotpot]

I think its always important to play better players as long as your not wrappped up in your own game but take note of what they do especially positional play and shot selection .

It,s also important to ask the for advise aswell , if you are doing something wrong or they feel you could improve on certain aspects , then tell them to tell you either before or after the shot .

If your just going to play these guys with the hope of beating them then it could end up destroying your confidence which will stagnate your progress .

It,s a gradual climb learn little by little and slowly but surely , as long as your basics are sound then you should see improvement with plenty of practice .

As for the cue then means you are serious about the game , personally i would ditch it for something better

[Freddie Ng]

Practise and real game is totally different. I would recommmend you to get a coach..
maybe just a few session, and it can help you with your game

[Csmith]

It's tough to say without seeing you play.

I think your best bet is to ask the 100 break players who have played, what they feel you should be working on.

You say you need match experience, I guess practicing your safety play would be beneficial. Try getting the cue ball back to the baulk more consistently and within few inches of the cushion. Also work on placing the cue ball, rather than just getting it safe. You need to place the cb in a position that will put your opponent in trouble, forcing an error. Against strong competition it's a losing battle to rely on your opponent to make unforced errors.

There is always work to be done on your mechanics, no matter who you are. So if your not spending a significant time potting the blue off the spot, you should be. The blue into the corner pockets should be a high percentage shot, especially within three feet of it.

I like to practice potting the black off the spot, and playing position for another pot off the black spot (kind of like billiards, but without moving the ball to centre).

If clearing the colours is easy, then play position from the black to the yellow to start the process again, see how many times you can do it.

[Quackers]

Keep potting balls!
Stay with the line up and when you can get 100 breaks fairly consistently impose the rule that you can not touch any other ball but the one you are trying to pot. That teaches you finer control. Pot Pot Pot Pot Pot.
Then as Csmith suggests practise getting back to baulk from different positions. Practise breaking off.
Sadly, the only problem with the line up method is that if you keep using the same table you will start to mark the cloth between the black spot and the pockets (and pink spot) and some managers take exception to it :-)
Good luck.