In and out of baulk of the blue

[northenpaulsavage]

Hi all,
I have real trouble when potting the blue from the " wrong side " getting in and out of baulk, i either take my eye of the blue and miss it all together but do get in and out or i pot the blue and cannon a baulk colour either on my way in or my way out of baulk, i can't seem to do both together.
Please help as this gets really ann.

[magicman]

How about working on getting the right side of the blue? You can always take a baulk colour if you drift too far down the table, whereas the cue-ball has to travel a minimum of 12 feet for you to get back to the middle of the table when you're the wrong side of the blue. Over compensate when you play for the blue and 9 times out of ten you'll be the 'right' side of it with a good angle for the blue or choice of baulk colour. On the 1 out of ten left - practice them a little. It all depends on your angle as to whether one, two or three cushions are used. In probably 50% of instances you can get away with hitting slightly above or below centre of the white with a trace of side depending on whether you're going between yellow/green and brown.

[northenpaulsavage]

Thank you magicman, i dont finish the wrong side of the blue that often but when i do, i cant in and out of baulk. i always catch the baulk colours quarter ball so either on the way in or on the way out and it's the 1 thing that lets my game down. However i can play the blue with loads of top and right hand side to go into the pack of reds and not the baulk colours at all.

[nrage]

This might be helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn89OsbJigU

Ignore the running/check side debate, and just concentrate on where he's striking the ball to get the different results.

Then, get down to the club and practice it, pick 3 or 4 different white ball positions, take them one at a time and just practice until you can do it 7 or 8 times out of 10.

[nrage]

Another thought.. if you're missing the blue, then you're probably concentrating on the path of the white in/out of baulk while on the shot.

Instead, make the decision about how/where to hit the white to get the angle in/out of baulk *before* you get down on the pot, and once down just make sure you hit the white where you decided, whilst concentrating on the pot and not where the white is going.

Try this.. decide how you have to hit the white top/bottom left/right, decide on the potting angle, get down and pot it in the normal fashion, however from the final backswing to well after the blue has gone into the pocket, don't take your eyes off the blue, resist the urge to watch the white and where it goes.

Reason is, if you're thinking about where the white is going, you'll naturally look there, and if you start to do that before you complete the stroke, your arm will follow your eyes and you will miss the pot.

[nrage]

One more video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dujWRxNLTU

this is actually to get on the pink when high on the blue, but the same shots might work with the colours in place. Placing the white in these positions is probably a good practice routine.

[northenpaulsavage]

thanks you for the videos nrage, i have a match tonight so i will you know if i achieve this at all.

[northenpaulsavage]

just to let you all know, i took your advice and watched the videos, i practised in and out of baulk for about 40 minutes last night and in aveage, i would say i got about 70% in and out and i did achieve this once in the match.

[nrage]

just to let you all know, i took your advice and watched the videos, i practised in and out of baulk for about 40 minutes last night and in aveage, i would say i got about 70% in and out and i did achieve this once in the match.

Sounds like progress If you do a regular practice routine then add this in-out baulk practice to it for a while, until you're more confident and comfortable doing it and you're success rate is as close to 100% as you can get it. Then, take it off the regular routine and just do it every so often, when you want a change.

[snookergr]

make sure you don't do any cue ball watching, as this is a kind of shot which can lead you to take you eye off the pot and watch the CB line

[Luke Hooper]

nrage, no matter what you do, regardless of the position, make sure of the pot 100% of the time!

[nrage]

nrage, no matter what you do, regardless of the position, make sure of the pot 100% of the time!

Are you sure you meant to direct that at me?