I am good in lineup but can't do anything in frame...

[oselifer]

Hi,
in lineup i can do an 80 break very easily almost one every 10 attempts....And even a ton quite often..
But when playing a frame or even practicing with open balls i usually do no more than 20..
What do you think may be my problem?I reckon that my cue ball control is not good but i don't know how to improve it,also i am losing easy shots and have very bad concentration..When starting a break i don't believe i will go any far....

[snooligan]

When starting a break i don't believe i will go any far....

This is the main problem! The line up is a drill to practise all the various shots in the book and maintain the cueball under control for the next shot so you're probably good in this domain if you're making 80+. I think it's all in the head, if you start off a break during a frame believing you won't go far then chances are you won't. You need to change this approach & believe in your capabilities. An 80+ in a line up takes as much effort as an good break in a frame of snooker. Don't rush it but keep telling yourself that you can do it & you will in no time.

[Martin76]

One thing that you miss out on in doing the line up, but which could be quite essential during breakbuilding in an actual frame, are those little kisses and cannons that frees up another couple of reds while staying on a red or a colour.

Try working on a couple of breakbuilding exercises where you spread the balls around and lump a few together here and there so you will be forced to go into them at some point.

Another good exercise is potting the black off its spot and placing five reds (a few inches apart) in a line a foot or so above it. Then decide which red to cannon into after potting the black and play the shot. I like this exercise a lot as it really helps you get a feel for how much topspin/backspin you need to get the cue ball to leave the black at a certain angle, and it also makes you realize that you can use little cannons to maintain position and at the same time open up a few more possibillities further down the line.

This is all theory of course, as I am currently no where near doing 80+ in a lineup myself... Slowly getting there though.
The OP shows the danger in using the same drill all the time (maybe you don't, but just to highlight the point). You might end up with the perfect game or strategy for clearing a lineup, but it can only take you so far in a match situation. Mixing up your exercises is both more beneficial and more fun!

Just my two cents. Or was it four?

[bongo]

As Martin76 said, do exercises where you need to open up balls into pottable positions, even though you can make 80 in line-up, you may have a technical problem, i'd just check my technique,

Hope this helps!

bongo

[oselifer]

I always try to improve my technique...
I think technique is a part of the game that can take 5 or more years to master..
I may post a video later to watch me playing and comment...

[bongo]

I always try to improve my technique...
I think technique is a part of the game that can take 5 or more years to master..

Not in my opinion, but maybe 5 years to be fully consistent...

Good idea for a video, some coaches on here can help you, hopefully I can help you too!

[oselifer]

Here is my video..Its a 100break i did yesterday in lineup..
I cut it in the end cause of the 10min youtube limit,so you won't see the red i lost...
My cue action is bit copied from stephen's hendry's...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA5c-bPQ07w

[poolqjunkie]

Here is my video..Its a 100break i did yesterday in lineup..
I cut it in the end cause of the 10min youtube limit,so you won't see the red i lost...
My cue action is bit copied from stephen's hendry's...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA5c-bPQ07w

I think you obvioulsy know your potting angles, I see that almost all your shots went directly into the pockets. You are focusing very well, keeping a nice tempo through out.

I see that you tend to shot the pink and chose some reds (almost straight in) into the middle pockets rather than playing for the black by taking a slightly longer red with a bit more angle in several incidents. Perhpas you were just trying to take the easiest shot at hand, which is the way it should be in a real game I guess.

When I do the line up, I usually try to play for the black whenever I have the option. I will also try to play the line up trying not to hit any cushion if I do not have to, then do another line up and try to hit at least one cushion on all my shots whenever I have the option. The latter forces me to take a finer cut rather than the most obvious and easiest shot, so I do not keep only taking full to 3/4 balls.

I also like to put three of four balls below the black, it will make the run out much more difficult.

I sometimes will try to play the line up by taking mostly side pockets if I have a choice of the side of the corner. I also make sure I run out the line up all the way to the end until I clear the color. The last few reds could be tricky.

Another exercise, which is much more difficult in my opinion, is putting 5 reds on each side of the pink forming a cross and try to run it out--positioning is not as automatic, and it forces you to think a bit more--it is more like what you need to do in a real game.

I think above all, the most important thing is to have the confidence. You know you can make all these balls without missing in practise so you should be able to do that in a real game.

[Watford]

You seem to be good at the line up!
Like has been said vary the practice. Do you play a lot more line ups than games agaisn't players. You could probably do with geting a practice partner in and getting some games played. I'm sure you would soon be hitting 50+.
I don't think your cue action is like Hendry's.
Doesn't Hendry:
Point
1 long draw back
1 med
1 short
Back
pause
strike

[Rojjj]

Hi Oselifer,

I had a good watch of your video. One thing I noticed that you do is that on follow through shots you always play them dead weight. I always played like this for many years rolling the ball into the pockets.

I had a great coaching session in Neath with Steve Newbury (I see you are in Wales) and he convinced me to start to punch the ball a lot more with stun run through. This can also help eliminate kicks which have more of an effect when on slower roll through shots. He gave me a drill from a straight pink into the bottom pocket and drew chalk lines on the cloth (white chalk easily removed) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in front of and behind the straight pink. He then picked a number and you screw or stun run through to the numbered line. Once you get the hang of it my positional play improved very quickly and you will have easier pots and much more control of the cue ball. Even taking each red in order going up the table in lineup.

I hope this helps.

PS Nice table. Are you lucky enough to have one at home?

[The Statman]

A quick tip for doing the line-up:

Have the baulk colours in the top corner pockets. Then you do not have to go round the other side of the table to retrieve the black each time. You can put a baulk colour on the black spot until you are round the other side. This saves a lot of time, as does having a piece of chalk on both side cushions!

I then play little games, for example I might try never to run out of baulk colours on my side of the table – making me go to the other side every couple of shots even though it might not be the easiest route to the next red.

[bongo]

That is a very good idea Statman!

[dannyd0g]

Is it a full size table, or just the camera angle making it loook a bit smaller, like a ten footer ?

[oselifer]

Its a full size but the camera is 16:9,so it seems a bit smaller..

Thank you all for your comments and tips...

[checkSide]

That's never a full size table!