What is timing?

[johnjohnson123]

I see people say a lot of talk about timing, what exactly is this? Is it just when your grip hand tightens? I never really thought about it before, should it tighten before, as or after you make contact with the cueball?

[Dave Walton]

Timing is about smoothly accelerating the cue and following through, the cue has to be accelerating as it hits the cue ball.

[Dave Walton]

And your grip should tighten as you make contact, if you tighten your grip before contact you will decelerate.

[jonny66]

It's when 2 people start a thread about the same thing at exactly the same time or what Dave said.

[Drac]

Timing..............
Timing is: what Ronnie O'Sullivan has and Dave Harold hasn't.....
Timing is what Dave Harold has and amateurs haven't.
Timing is instinctive to the individual.
Time it right, get it right..... ROS looks all smooth with HIS timing and Dave Harold not so much but Dave Harold has is own instinctive timing and that made him a pro.

[Marfling]

Is it considered good technique to tighten the grip on impact with the white? Do most people do this?

I try to keep the same strength grip until well after I've played the shot. If I tightened on impact with the white, I would have thought there'd be more chance of cueing across the ball and not hitting the white where you're aiming.

[Cue crafty]

A simple account would be anything that causes deceleration or jerkiness through the strike is BAD timing. But this can originate from the drawing back of the cue if you do not have a pause in your action.

As Drac points out, it's different for everyone. Look at Mark Allens length of draw back and follow through compared to ROS much shorter but still effective. I think generally you want the same length drawing the cue back as you have in your follow through to be consistent. And doing that smoothly is very key. A nice mental picture is a nicely oiled piston moving freely back and then forward in its channel. Building gentle acceleration through the strike.

[Shockerz]

What is timing?

Timing is going out on the same night of the week and meeting a woman you are going to marry who thinks it's great for you to go out regularly and become good at a sport you love and is understanding when you cry like a 2 year when it doesn't go your way.

[Cue crafty]

What is timing?

Timing is going out on the same night of the week and meeting a woman you are going to marry who thinks it's great for you to go out regularly and become good at a sport you love and is understanding when you cry like a 2 year when it doesn't go your way.

Think my timing is well off there mate. ?

[tomwalker147]

Timing is difficult to explain yet we all know when we've 'timed one' properly!

[Cue crafty]

Timing is difficult to explain yet we all know when we've 'timed one' properly!

Thanks Tom, so did I make a hash of it again? Lol! ?

[Ramon]

I see people say a lot of talk about timing, what exactly is this? Is it just when your grip hand tightens? I never really thought about it before, should it tighten before, as or after you make contact with the cueball?

In short, It's the Correct speed on the shot on the correct line in combination with a smooth delivery !!

Take your time and listen to what this guy says in this vid ( start at 33:20 on video ) .
He explain very well what timing is .

[tomperty]

In short, It's the Correct speed on the shot on the correct line in combination with a smooth delivery !!

Take your time and listen to what this guy says in this vid ( start at 33:20 on video ) .
He explain very well what timing is .

I wonder if there's such a practical limit of timing on the ball. I know the top players like Ronnie, Selby etc will be near to it. It would be interesting to discover/develop techniques to increase it

[Ramon]

I wonder if there's such a practical limit of timing on the ball. I know the top players like Ronnie, Selby etc will be near to it. It would be interesting to discover/develop techniques to increase it

Generaly , players with a long backswing are able to time the shot better ( less effort and devolp the speed which is needed to get result in that shot ) .
This is my opinion btw ( i'm no coach ).

*Nic mentioned something about an airplane in that video (which is a good example). When a plane gonna take off he starts slowly and than gonna speed up to develop power ( not to mention , doing that* to prevent putting engine under too much* pressure in a short time ). In order to do that he's gonna need a distance.( space ) .
Which is in this case , the lengt of your backswing .
Try to start slow with delivery and than speed up in a smooth movemnt ( swing ) in order to devolp the power you need in the shot .
*and practice and practice as much as you can .
That's what Ronnie has done in the past 25 years , my friend . ( practice )

[Drac]

I noticed Kyren Wilsons cue action (timing) and was wondering if he had always played like that. To my eyes it looked like he stops at the back (slight pause) and then went forward a touch before truly accelerating. He was potting from the lampshades one minute and appeared to me a little off the next. Don't know if its something he and Barry Stark are working on or as he always cued like that.