Grip in snooker

[KieranPaton]

I'm having trouble with grip hand in snooker. I'm a left handed player but for every other sport I use my right hand and right foot. Much like Judd Trump... plays left handed, uses the rest right handed.
I'm having trouble being consistent and I think the main reason I'm breaking down in snooker is because my grip hand is soooooo inconsistent. Any advice would be helpful as it totally feels unnatural with the cue in my left hand!
I also have a problem closing the grip at the end of the backswing. It doesn't close properly at the end of the backswing... I definitely need some coaching for this but any advice would be welcomed and helpful.

Thanks in advance!

[Byrom]

get a small squeezy rubber ball place it in your palm and practice the action during the day without anyone knowing what the hell you are doing. After six weeks of this it will feel completely natural to open and close the grip and you will be able to transfer that to the cue delivery on the table.

[bluenose1940]

I'm having trouble with grip hand in snooker. I'm a left handed player but for every other sport I use my right hand and right foot. Much like Judd Trump... plays left handed, uses the rest right handed.
I'm having trouble being consistent and I think the main reason I'm breaking down in snooker is because my grip hand is soooooo inconsistent. Any advice would be helpful as it totally feels unnatural with the cue in my left hand!
I also have a problem closing the grip at the end of the backswing. It doesn't close properly at the end of the backswing... I definitely need some coaching for this but any advice would be welcomed and helpful.

Thanks in advance!

I am a little confused by this. When I play, I grip the cue with only my thumb and forefinger along with very slight pressure on the butt with my second finger, my third and little fingers are 'floating free' for want of a better description. The only time that I would class my grip as being 'closed' is when the shot has been completed, i.e. at the point where my grip hand impacts my chest. At no point in the backswing do I try to close my grip.

If this is wrong, then any guidance offered to KeiranPaton will be noted and, it may just help me get past my best break of 55 which I have been struggling to do for yonks.:snooker:

[Terry Davidson]

The grip should OPEN on the backswing and only close during the delivery and well after the cueball has been struck. I cannot think of any reason a player would want to tighten the grip on the backswing as it would be counter productive.

As stated above, thumb and forefinger or in some cases thumb and second finger or in Alex Higgins case back 3 fingers with forefinger hanging down. A tight grip will reduce the length of the backswing.

[KieranPaton]

Anyway of making it feel more natural as I deliver the cue? Any drills or something I can work on to make it more consistent?

[Erwan_BZH]

May I ask why do you keep on playing as a lefty if it feels so unnatural? Because if you're righty for all other activities, it means your right arm is your main one, the stronger and most accurate one. If you play tennis or badminton on the right side then I would advise to swith it back to right as well when it comes to snooker.
Just curious on why you play like this

[KieranPaton]

It's not unnatural in the sense it doesn't feel like my dominant and strongest cueing hand. It just feels weird. Can't get used to the feeling of cueing with it in my left hand. But it's definitely the right hand for snooker but just hard to find a grip and technique that works for it

[Erwan_BZH]

Check out Barry Stark's videos on YouTube, there are very helpfull! He has one dedicated to the grip.

[KieranPaton]

Cheers mate. I will check it out!

[Shockerz]

I've been struggling with my grip for some time and played around with it as I struggle to open my hand up on the back swing (daft as it sounds).

Even trying to keep it loose and take the last 3 fingers off opening the hand it just doesn't happen that well even if I focus on it!

For some reason If I try and do it the traditional way I seem to move the cue ball to the left hence hitting the object ball to the right (when things aren't flowing).

If I just use the thumb and forefinger in the back swing this seems to cure the problem and keep the grip lose.

Does anyone else just grip like this or see a problem with it?

[thai_son22]

I've been struggling with my grip for some time and played around with it as I struggle to open my hand up on the back swing (daft as it sounds).

Even trying to keep it loose and take the last 3 fingers off opening the hand it just doesn't happen that well even if I focus on it!

For some reason If I try and do it the traditional way I seem to move the cue ball to the left hence hitting the object ball to the right (when things aren't flowing).

If I just use the thumb and forefinger in the back swing this seems to cure the problem and keep the grip lose.

Does anyone else just grip like this or see a problem with it?

The grip should only open as to keep the cue parallel to the table else it would have a rocking/see saw movement.

If your cue remains parallel it's not a big issue. Also the fingers probably don't open up as drastically as you think and shouldn't leave the cue. It's just slight as to prevent rocking

[jonny66]

I've actually started not opening my grip to keep my cue action a bit shorter, because it used to be stupidly long and uncontrollable, when the cue hand seems to tighten I know I've taken to cue back far enough for any shot that isn't loads of power (which I'll probably still miss

[Shockerz]

The grip should only open as to keep the cue parallel to the table else it would have a rocking/see saw movement.

If your cue remains parallel it's not a big issue. Also the fingers probably don't open up as drastically as you think and shouldn't leave the cue. It's just slight as to prevent rocking

Yeah I understand what I should be doing just struggle to do it!

It's been a constant problem for me and it gets a little twitchy at times as it certainly isn't natural after an inordinate amount of trying; hence the 2 fingered grip which doesn't cause an issue but doesn't feel too strong................doesn't mean it won't work.

[Shockerz]

I've actually started not opening my grip to keep my cue action a bit shorter, because it used to be stupidly long and uncontrollable, when the cue hand seems to tighten I know I've taken to cue back far enough for any shot that isn't loads of power (which I'll probably still miss

I did try this for a while and as soon as I felt a little tension in the hand it told me I had gone far enough backwards. had some reasonable results but couldn't quite get it right for me.

If you watch a lot of the pros they also do not seem to open the hand. I watched Selby in one match a while ago and that seemed to be his action for most of the shots (obviously not all).

[vmax4steve]

Pick up the cue and hold it in your hand, that's your grip, now forget it and concentrate only on the elbow delivering the cue, forget fingers, thumb and everything to do with your grip hand and deliver the cue with the forearm using the elbow joint only.
Your hand will do its stuff without any conscious thought from you.