Screwback..............................again

[bluenose1940]

I have been watching some video footage of Ronnie demonstrating the screwback shot and, he gets a lot of action on the cue ball. From what I can see he doesn't strike the cueball anywhere near as low as I try to. When I play a screwback shot, the tip of my cue is no more than a millimeter or so above the cloth and, despite this I still don't get much action on the cueball. Watching Ronnie, he appears to strike the cueball with at least a full tip width between the underside of his tip and the cloth. Although he mentioned in the video that the cue should be kept parallel, I got the impression that he was more likely pushing the cue through the ball at a downward angle, that is to say that although the initial contact of the tip with the cueball is highish, the cue tip is as good as touching the cloth at the end of the follow through.

Any thoughts anyone?

[vmax]

It's easier for Ronnie and co using super fine cloths than it is for us on heavy napped club cloths, 1) because they're better than us and 2) because the cloths are more reactive.
Try lowering your bridge hand so that the index finger is dead flat on the bed of the table with a slight cock of the thumb. You'll find this hard to start with but persevere and don't be afraid to keep the tip of the cue low and the cue as parallel to the bed of the table as possible.

Kirk Stevens used to just raise and lower his thumb on his bridge and when playing screw shots had a very small groove between thumb and forefinger, that worked for him, some use the looped bridge because it means the cue can't rise as the index finger traps it onto the middle finger.
Don't use the looped bridge if your bridge to cue ball length is short as you lose sight of the shaft in your fingers so you might not sight the line too well, but experiment with the above and start with stop shots at your usual pace and see the difference that striking low really makes.

[Terry Davidson]

One of the reasons Ronnie gets good action from the cueball is the length of his backswing. That's where the great power is developed because you have more length to accelerate the cue at delivery. You should keep the tip low and as parallel as possible to the bed of the table and then all it needs is good timing and follow-through where you don't clutch the cue (grip it too early and too hard).

You have to accelerate through AND BEYOND the cueball.

[chrisg]

It's also to do with how relaxed your grip is at the back of the cue...I raise the butt slightly when screwing back and lower tip right at bottom and never seem to miscue - unless there's hardly any chalk on the cue!

Secrets to screwing back

=====> Relax grip
=====> Good follow through
=====> Aiming tip as low as poss on CB with raised butt very slightly...

Works for me...

[bluenose1940]

Thanks for the input folks, much appreciated. I do in fact play with a fairly relaxed grip and have found that I play better because of it. I will try a few shots with a slightly raised butt. As I mentioned in my first post, when playing a screw back shot I address the ball with the cue tip very close to the cloth but, I have found that if I only look at the cue ball whilst playing the shot and not the object ball, I do get a better result. I am wondering if this may be because if I concentrate on the object ball, that I am actually hitting the cue ball higher than I think I am. If I concentrate on the cue ball only, I can see clearly where my cue is hitting.

[howardlax]

For me, screwback's killer list:
1. Grip tighten at delivery
2. Cue from shoulder/not using elbow pendulum(always caused by 1)
3. No backstop(would cause 2 easily)
4. Cueing not flat(caused by 1 , and forgot to low elbow to achieve long backswing)
5. Cue miss( can be caused by any of above)

[throtts]

It is the strike acceleration rate that confuses many player. It has to be smooth and the progression of it must be just that , "" progressive "". I think many start the strike of the CB with a snatchy technique which tightens the grip hand thus not getting through the CB.

[Cue crafty]

It's easier for Ronnie and co using super fine cloths than it is for us on heavy napped club cloths, 1) because they're better than us and 2) because the cloths are more reactive.
Try lowering your bridge hand so that the index finger is dead flat on the bed of the table with a slight cock of the thumb. You'll find this hard to start with but persevere and don't be afraid to keep the tip of the cue low and the cue as parallel to the bed of the table as possible.

Kirk Stevens used to just raise and lower his thumb on his bridge and when playing screw shots had a very small groove between thumb and forefinger, that worked for him, some use the looped bridge because it means the cue can't rise as the index finger traps it onto the middle finger.
Don't use the looped bridge if your bridge to cue ball length is short as you lose sight of the shaft in your fingers so you might not sight the line too well, but experiment with the above and start with stop shots at your usual pace and see the difference that striking low really makes.

Quality post from a major contributor- one size doesn’t fit all. The big thing I don’t want to see in snooker is a conveyor belt of mass produced text book players. Sorry coaches, but let real talent grow without too much intervention. Fundamentals are useful but not to confine players! How many people said ROS is not an example to copy? I probably agree, but what is a player doing well (obviously really well!!) stick with that.

The sport needs more Jimmy , Alex , John Spencer!! Characters. pro golf is dying as a spectator sport due to the mechanical nature of “progression”.

[Cue crafty]

One of the reasons Ronnie gets good action from the cueball is the length of his backswing. That's where the great power is developed because you have more length to accelerate the cue at delivery. You should keep the tip low and as parallel as possible to the bed of the table and then all it needs is good timing and follow-through where you don't clutch the cue (grip it too early and too hard).

You have to accelerate through AND BEYOND the cueball.

Quality advice from a veteran whose fundamentals I trust in. Only thing I would personally add, if you have the luxury to experiment ! May be boring but the straight blue or brown screw ( blue - middle to middle or Brown - middle to corner is good practice and use different styles. See if you can screw the ball into the opposite pocket. One thing I trust in personally is imagine the cue ball is not there and cue smoothly thru it as if you were trying to touch the blue/brown with your cue tip. Distance is a key factor between cue ball and object ball which will make you want to recoil when closer, but practice should allow a smooth follow thru even when that distance is short. "timing" is key!

[throtts]

I always stick to the black on its spot. Familiarity when ending up straight on it during a break. Specially hitting at 5 and 7 o'clock for the next red, depending what side of the table you are on.

[Cue crafty]

I always stick to the black on its spot. Familiarity when ending up straight on it during a break. Specially hitting at 5 and 7 o'clock for the next red, depending what side of the table you are on.

Yep, from a break building perspective, no more important test/ practice. Would personally endorse j6 (100 black video) practice test. If you get anywhere near 15 you've learnt something, reach 30odd your learning a fair bit. Break building will benefit a lot around the key scoring area. From then on in its pure concentration that is the difference in between the 50' 70 break maker to the ton maker.

[Ramon]

I have been watching some video footage of Ronnie demonstrating the screwback shot and, he gets a lot of action on the cue ball. From what I can see he doesn't strike the cueball anywhere near as low as I try to. When I play a screwback shot, the tip of my cue is no more than a millimeter or so above the cloth and, despite this I still don't get much action on the cueball. Watching Ronnie, he appears to strike the cueball with at least a full tip width between the underside of his tip and the cloth. Although he mentioned in the video that the cue should be kept parallel, I got the impression that he was more likely pushing the cue through the ball at a downward angle, that is to say that although the initial contact of the tip with the cueball is highish, the cue tip is as good as touching the cloth at the end of the follow through.

Any thoughts anyone?

you gonna have to learn how to load the CB up , my friend .
Once you learn how to do that, you do'nt have to hit the CB at it's lowest point all the time.

As already mentioned by vmax ,terry and others, timing is the key.
Players with long backswing are able to time the shot better, imo. using less effort. ( at the same time , with more chance to get cueing errors ).

I did a little research on youtube to find somthing in slow motion, and found this from my brother. He has a long back swing ,longer than 13 ".
He's probably trying a new tip on his legendary ADR cue here .

anyway , Pay attention how the cue moves on his bridge hand and how he start the delivery.
Move the cue up and down abit , in order to load the CB up and start slow with delivery.
He's putting lots of side in this shot , but it's the same principle with playing stright shots .
scrwback shot is no diff shot compared to any other shot , do'nt overthinking it .


Oh AND , beware of @throtts and @ cue crafty
those 2 are very dangerous

[j6uk]

I think you need to have all the basics down to show consistency. This junior is showing just that as he's doing the same thing on very shot, gradually building pace from the elbow and opening and closing the back of the hand as he times the white. There are other ways through the white but this is well controlled, and good to watch.

https://youtu.be/na46m_uC5Oo

[vmax]

Thanks for the input folks, much appreciated. I do in fact play with a fairly relaxed grip and have found that I play better because of it. I will try a few shots with a slightly raised butt.

bluenose1940 mate, if you raise the butt then you'll get a little tension in the shoulder and your stance/cue action/sighting of the line alters.
It's always best to do the same thing stance/cue action wise and just to raise and lower the bridge for run through, stun, screw shots and like your grip hand the bridge hand should stay relaxed to prevent it tensing up and therefore raising the bridge and cue because when the grip hand is tense, so is your bridge hand along with the rest of you.

Lower the bridge, relax the mind, body and hands, and cue exactly as you would for a top spin shot.

[tomwalker147]

Timing is the important thing.
Keep your head still and strike through the cue ball.

there's a local pool player nicknamed 'cue power', probably more so because he is a big lad. The irony is he has no cue power whatsoever because his technique is a shambles.
Quite often you see players trying to smack the backdoors off the cue ball and getting very little reaction. Keep it smooth and controlled.