Backspin tips

[Dave B]

Try a simple exercise.
Place a red next to a cushion and about 6 inches from a pocket. Put the cue ball behind it and screw back into the pocket. The amount of force required should be minimal and because this shot is so easy you do it naturally. Then try and move the cue ball a few inches further and do it again. Try and screw back into the pocket with as little force as possible.

[Wim]

Never did that excercise but I will,I really need to improve this because it gives a lot more opportunities in shot selection when you can screw back correctly

[snookerloopy83]

Quite simple:

Stay still, cue straight and smooth, below centre striking and very important FOLLOW THROUGH with your cue.

[Kick]

cheers for the advice, i like the idea of imagining the cue ball is further away than it is, ensuring you get right through the ball. This has been working well for me.

[xenon]

The best tip anyone ever gave me for this was to grip the butt of the cue more loosely. I was tending to grip too tight and thus raising the tip on impact. I completely agree with the other tips (especially imagining the cue ball being further away) and they all worked for me. My problem was that I got so good at it it became a habit; I was screwing back all the time when there were better options. This probably won't happen to you - I'm just stupid.

[gav_sw20]

I find the best way to apply screw is to get the cue as flat as poss and hit the very bottom of the cue-ball - now, the most important thing to do now is to FOLLOW THROUGH. Do not STAB at the cue-ball as you will not get as mush screw.

I used to play laods of pool and stab the ball, however I know follow through and can get much much more screw on the cue ball.

Try it - you will be very surprised.

[snookerking1978]

back spin tips

In my experience of playing I have found that keeping a loose cue arm really loose and relaxed helps give you that feeling pusing the cue through the ball.

If anyone has ever tried to keep the cue as parallel to the table as possible you will know how difficult this is to do! In actual fact I find this doesn't help as lowering the cue so it's totally parallel to the table means you head ends up lower in relation to the cue ball.

This I find makes it a lot more difficult to judge potting angles. If you watch the pro's very few of them will get the cue parallel with the table. I was watching Ronnie play in his prime at the masters when he lined up for his shots never was his cue totally parallel to the table.

One other things that I think is essential for getting good back spin is a quality cue tip. since changing brands I have got more consistent spin and feel. Some of the tips on the market are really poor and inconsistent. It's worth paying more for a better quality tip!

[DawRef]

Screw Shots

Technically, a 'Screw Shot' is a foul. If you think about it, you have to 'push' the cue through the cue ball to get the desired amount of backspin. Therefore, this stroke should be a foul (push Stroke - Section 2, 18). However, just think how boring the game would be if you didn't get the likes of Jimmy White, etc., doing spectacular shots around the table.

[maximumbreak]

Some very good points made by all....here's my analysis of the screw shot:

The first requirement for successful execution of the screw shot is to aim at the bottom of the cueball not by lifting the butt end of the cue into the air but by lowering the whole of the cue parallel to the bed of the table. A good tip here is to flatten your bridge hand. Whereas in the standard position the cue rests around about 2" above the cloth (at the point it crosses your thumb-forefinger rest), by flattening your bridge you should be able to lower this.

Although in my opinion, the way you grip the cue is not so important, it still warrants discussion because the grip itself has vital importance during the follow through phase of the cue action. Your grip on the cue should be guided by your thumb and forefinger. The other three fingers do not need to play any part in the cue action. They simply 'do as they please' during backswing and follow through. With the screw back shot, it is important that your grip is loose enough to allow you to pull the cue back as far as possible - if it is too tight, you'll simply not be able to pull the cue back far enough.

Here's the important part regarding follow through - to achieve maximum screw back you'll need to learn to follow through that extra little bit further than you may already do and to achieve this you may find that you'll need to let your elbow drop. Watch Ronnie - see how his elbow drops when he plays any 'full shot'. This is because his grip has followed through maximally. If you have your elbow locked you'll find it difficult to follow through effectively for the screw shot. Try pushing your cue through another 2-3 inches after you feel you have reached full follow through and you'll find there's a little bit more to go by letting your elbow drop as you push through – at this point make sure that you don’t ‘release’. What I mean here is that you must keep your thumb and forefinger locked because they guide the cue and any release can cause the cue to throw off-line. If you can implement these little 'maneuvers' into your game you'll notice your timing will improve as well because it will stop you from jerking the cue at the end of your follow through.

Many players have a good cue action but seem to be scared of cueing too low on the white incase they miscue. Well, most of you will know that you can literally rest the tip of the cue on the cloth directly behind the white ball (just like Jimmy does!) because a good cue action follows a pendulum like plane and at the moment of tip-cueball impact the cue is actually on the up.

And to summarise....the reason for a long backswing is simply because of the point I mentioned above regarding the cue action being pendulum like. Visualise a swinging pendulum and how would you describe it....simply that it swings a certain distance in one direction then the same distance in the other direction. Now think back to the cue action....it's simply inefficient to expect to bring the cue back 6" and to follow through 12" - that's not pendulum like is it. Aim to bring the cue back by around 10-12" to your thumb-forefinger rest (this should tell you where to place your bridge hand in relation to the cueball). Then when you are ready to follow through try and push the cue through in a fluent motion by 10-12" also (the difficult part). If you can achieve this or even get somewhere near then you should be well on your way to improving your execution of one of the most difficult shots in the game to execute well, the deep screw.

[flysolo]

hi guys. it doesn't matter all that much how hard you strike the cue ball or how low you strike it. the theory behind a screwback is simply this, the amount of back spin on the cue does not get eliminated once contact is made with the object ball. my trick is to not hold the butt of the cue too tightly, play enough pace to facilitate a stun and play through the cue ball. give it a try!!!

[DawRef]

Backspin

Technically, a 'Screw Shot' or 'Backspin' is a 'Foul'. Why? Because it is a 'Push Stroke'. (Section 2, Rule 18). Though I don't know of any referee that has applied this.

[dannyd0g]

Technically, a 'Screw Shot' or 'Backspin' is a 'Foul'. Why? Because it is a 'Push Stroke'. (Section 2, Rule 18). Though I don't know of any referee that has applied this.

I though a push stroke was when the cue tip, white ball, and object ball are all in contact at the same time.

This is not necessarily and not usually the case with screw shots. If you mean that the tip is in contact with the white for a split mili-second longer then you would need the technology to be able to detect this, as the human eye probably cant detect it. Well mine cant at least.

[DavisFan76]

The best tip anyone ever gave me for this was to grip the butt of the cue more loosely. I was tending to grip too tight and thus raising the tip on impact. I completely agree with the other tips (especially imagining the cue ball being further away) and they all worked for me. My problem was that I got so good at it it became a habit; I was screwing back all the time when there were better options. This probably won't happen to you - I'm just stupid.

Yeps, I remember when I first discovered how to do it as a kid - it was like a new toy, I used it on all shots, even those that didn't really need it! Of course now, I've forgotten how to do it completely, damn it!

[DavisFan76]

My Green Triangle chalk arrived today and as soon as I tried a screw back, the cue ball sprang back like it had just got the fright of its life!! And I could do it whenever I wanted, just to prove that it wasn't some kind of fluke. That never happened with the SuperPro chalk that came with the table, I was really struggling to get any backspin whatsoever! I could get the same amount of purchase on the shot even with the balls that came with the table, so the new balls I bought aren't the reason for the improvement.

[RocketRoy1983]

My Green Triangle chalk arrived today and as soon as I tried a screw back, the cue ball sprang back like it had just got the fright of its life!! And I could do it whenever I wanted, just to prove that it wasn't some kind of fluke. That never happened with the SuperPro chalk that came with the table, I was really struggling to get any backspin whatsoever! I could get the same amount of purchase on the shot even with the balls that came with the table, so the new balls I bought aren't the reason for the improvement.

hey Davisfan76 good news maybe it was the chalk after all! Keep it up!