Most difficult shot

[Welshsteve]

What is the one shot you find the most difficult to execute? Mine is the screw back with reverse side when leaving myself too straight on a ball. No matter how much I practice it, I struggle to get it right.

[davis_greatest]

The shot I always find quite hard is when I am snookered and chinese snookered and I have to play a massé with deep screw to make the cue ball swerve left and then swerve right to hit a red 10 feet away, in order to make a 5 ball plant, where the reds are not lined up and are each between 4 and 12 inches apart, where the obvious pocket for the pot is blocked, meaning that I have to play the pot as a cocked hat double and then in-off the blue. It's not the pot I struggle with though - it's judging the cannon with the cue ball onto the other red after the pot, at just the right angle to bring the black off the cushion for my next shot.

[elvaago]

I always find the black off its spot to be tough. But I really, really suck at snooker.

[Welshsteve]

I always find the black off its spot to be tough. But I really, really suck at snooker.

LOL hehe

Takes practice.

The one I see a lot of people struggle with is the half ball blue off it's spot, or any middle pocket pot. They can be difficult shots, even the pros struggle with them at times.

[chasmmi]

For some bizarre reason I don't understand I cue really well for Chinese snookers and can play the shot almost as if the obstructing ball wasn't there, yet if the white is on the cushion I am shocking.

Surely these two shots are basically the same so why should by ability at them differ so much?

[davis_greatest]

For some bizarre reason I don't understand I cue really well for Chinese snookers and can play the shot almost as if the obstructing ball wasn't there, yet if the white is on the cushion I am shocking.

Surely these two shots are basically the same so why should by ability at them differ so much?

That is odd. Usually (at least I find) Chinese snookers are much more difficult than playing when the white is on the cushion. Playing from the cushion, you can at least have the cue horizontal and strike the top of the white. When Chinese snookered, however, (if the white is touching or very close to the obstructing ball) it is necessary to raise the butt of the cue substantially. This is because the obstructing ball is as tall as the white itself, whereas the cushion is not as high as the top of the white!

[cueman]

Cueing over any ball is difficult regardless how easy the pot may be. In fact I find playing a safety when chinese snookered is probably one of the hardest shots, simply because you are having to hit the ball with pace and its so easy to hit them wrong and leave your opponent in.

[Snooker Rocks!]

For me the hardest shot is when the white is in the jaws of the yellow pocket and the blue is on its spot, and you have to pot the blue across the length of the table into the left-black pocket.

Also, for some reason, I find thin cuts on reds difficult when you need to hold for the black. I try using reverse side at dead weight and I always end up hitting it too thick.



I'm in the same boat as elvaago!

[dantuck_7]

At the moment - I'm finding that I have problems with shots the need a load of top-spin. Have had my cue re-tipped and its very different when playing this shot now. I used to be able to hit very high on the white.

So, I'm finding that I mis-cue quite often.

[steveb72]

One I really struggle with for no apparent reason is when my opponent pots the yellow or green and goes in off. I then place the white in the D to pot the respotted colour into the middle pocket which should be easy but for some reason I just cannot pot them! Someone recently told me I probably just don't believe I am going to pot it so I am bound to miss. He may well be right!

[Welshsteve]

One I really struggle with for no apparent reason is when my opponent pots the yellow or green and goes in off. I then place the white in the D to pot the respotted colour into the middle pocket which should be easy but for some reason I just cannot pot them! Someone recently told me I probably just don't believe I am going to pot it so I am bound to miss. He may well be right!

A lot of people struggle with this. I believe the main reason for it is you actually think "there's no way I'm going to miss this", and don't treat the shot in the same way as you do others, and take you're eye off the shot. I've seen loads of club players miss this shot.

When not playing well, I struggle with it too.

[googlefooger]

Say, the blue is on its spot, and the cueball is in the jaws of the yellow or green pocket and it's dead straight - I keep missing those by around a few inches.

[canuck]

Most difficult shot? Boy, there are so many of them in my game .

However, the deep screw has got to be the hardest one for me. No matter how much I try to execute it well, it just won't happen. I have reasonable cue action otherwise but there is something about the timing of my shots that makes the deep screw impossible.

Also knocking in the black ball with lots of check side (when the angle is too small) to get to the next red has been giving me an awful lot of trouble, usually resulting in a missed black and a "gimme" for my opponent. I hate playing with side spin but if you want to compile a decent break in snooker it is pretty much unavoidable unless your cue ball control is inch perfect.

[chasmmi]

A lot of people struggle with this. I believe the main reason for it is you actually think "there's no way I'm going to miss this", and don't treat the shot in the same way as you do others, and take you're eye off the shot. I've seen loads of club players miss this shot.

When not playing well, I struggle with it too.

It's a funny thing, when I play pool, I know whether i will pot a ball before I play the shot. Hence I will decide I am going to miss something and mess up the world's easiest shot. OR i will see the most audacious thing you have ever seen and pull it off.

[Welshsteve]

It's a funny thing, when I play pool, I know whether i will pot a ball before I play the shot. Hence I will decide I am going to miss something and mess up the world's easiest shot. OR i will see the most audacious thing you have ever seen and pull it off.

I know what you mean. I don't play pool anymore, but when playing snooker, I can be very hot and cold. Sometimes I get down on the table and I "see" the shots straight away without thinking about it. Then other times I struggle to pot the easiest of shots. I do think it's about relaxation and ease of mind just as much as it is technique.