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For first time over the years i've been playing snooker(back to serious play 1 year ago), I've visited a WPBSA coach and also snooker club owner nearby today. As usual I'd like to share this experience hope it would help any one at my standard to improve his game.
I am regular 20,30+ player(highest 43 in last year) and playing my area league(Sunderland).
I've prepared some notes mainly focusing on following points i had most of doubts:
1. Stance
(1) How to prevent body leaning forward/Left too much
(2) Should my arm be more straight or remain as bend as it is
2. Bridge
(1) Off the cushion
(2) The cue length beyond bridge. Should be shorten ?
3. Approach
(1)With left eye dominated, should 'sighting by both eye' on line or just dominant one when walk in? If dominant eye should be on line, how? IE, tilt the head or tilt the body etc..
(2)Why I can't trust my first aiming when getting down. If I felt wrong when getting down, should I change 'Sighting' or re approach the shot(get back up ).
(3)Would dropping the hip causing body movement after chin get on cue?
4. Grip
(1) How to not let thumb de-accelerate the cue ?
(2) Am I closing the grip to early ? How to close ? IE, no thumb or index finger, just last three...
5. Cueing
(1) Feature , need more action ?
(2) Need longer backswing ?
(3) Am I opening the grip too wide ?(I am currently using thumb and index finger to form half ring at full length of back pause)
(4) What the care point in back pause ?
(5) I couldn't keep cue touching my chin after delivery. Would it matter ?
6. Rest
After he laid out a simple line out 6,7 balls, let me have some shots and observe when I finish them.
In my surprise, the coach didn't list up thousands of problems. My stance, bridge ,Grip and pause all seemed OK to him. Just a few other things have been emphasised.
a) VISUALIZATION THE SHOT.
Actually I've been working on this one over last few weeks,I try to put cue on line with my first impression sighting, and walking in with 'chest to cue' , feather and shot. He still pointed out my cue was slightly off line and it caused tips not directly aiming on centre of the ball. I finally figured out the reason that even I knew I am a dominant left eye and always get down on shot directly over left eye, but when walk in I am still using both eye to walk in , which caused my body got out of line shortly before get back in line again due to right foot approach or whatever reason. In short, I still got 'sighting' cross the line issue, even although my aiming would still be twisted or twitched back to normal. I do agree 90% of aiming is done when stand back on shot. The only way not to twitch after getting down is to stick with the concept that your sighting should be 100% on line. If this is not right, this may cause all sorts of issue. Coach used a gadget called right see plate which incorporated with high and low plate with two straight line almost consecutive. If you are on line(with correct sighting), you should be able to see two separate line instead of one line(Sorry I can't find its image in google, I suppose it's certified method/tool WPBSA coach may use). He also mentioned his excellent student Elliot(Slessor) was the only person started this game with perfect sighting and put himself on line.
b) My cueing arm is not vertical to floor(Not 90 degree between forearm and ground)
This is not an issue per se. However coach pointed out as except that he couldn't really find out what else struck out. He contributed my doubts of 'forcing the cue' ,'not completed the shot' all to this problem. If I can hold my cue slightly back at end, I should have more space in backswing to follow through. Because I hold cue within 90 degree, I may have unconsciously used shoulder to join in power shot, or because of short follow through after contact, elbow may have to be dropped subsequently causing cue jump out of bridge. I agree that if I didn't visualise the shot correctly in the first place, any twitch would cause shot not being completed in a confident way, IE, not completed on chest. No smooth follow through, or ultimate de-acceleration issue.
c) Grip
Although coach didn't seem to be concerned with my grip, I know I still got the tighter grip issue as it still stands. He only measured 10 grades of pressure on grip and ask me where I am at as it should be at 4. I hate to admit I always swing between 4 to 10... I asked whether my wide open grip(only thumb and ring even they only formed half ring at full backswing) is problematic he didn't say so. Instead he say Gary Wilson is also two finger touching the cue at backswing and just done fine with that. Obviously Gary trains 8 hours in his club he won't see it wrong. Again surprised and not too surprised coach seems not to be enthusiastic about grip. And again, as said here over and over gain, be sure that its loose. And looser better than tighter eventually.
Regarding to power shot, he suggested me not to be hard on my self. Chin can not always be touching after delivery. To tackle cue jump out of bridge or not enough power, he suggested me to try square stance and forget about leaning left and consciously thinking pendulum feeling, try to be relax and follow through. Keep it simple.
I will work on these tips and hopefully get to 50+ standard over 3 month.
I would recommend coaching to anyone similar to my level. You always get new idea or thinking from different person, especially from a expert. BTW, my 2 hour lesson costs me £30 and I will get it back very soon from handicaps held in his club
I am regular 20,30+ player(highest 43 in last year) and playing my area league(Sunderland).
I've prepared some notes mainly focusing on following points i had most of doubts:
1. Stance
(1) How to prevent body leaning forward/Left too much
(2) Should my arm be more straight or remain as bend as it is
2. Bridge
(1) Off the cushion
(2) The cue length beyond bridge. Should be shorten ?
3. Approach
(1)With left eye dominated, should 'sighting by both eye' on line or just dominant one when walk in? If dominant eye should be on line, how? IE, tilt the head or tilt the body etc..
(2)Why I can't trust my first aiming when getting down. If I felt wrong when getting down, should I change 'Sighting' or re approach the shot(get back up ).
(3)Would dropping the hip causing body movement after chin get on cue?
4. Grip
(1) How to not let thumb de-accelerate the cue ?
(2) Am I closing the grip to early ? How to close ? IE, no thumb or index finger, just last three...
5. Cueing
(1) Feature , need more action ?
(2) Need longer backswing ?
(3) Am I opening the grip too wide ?(I am currently using thumb and index finger to form half ring at full length of back pause)
(4) What the care point in back pause ?
(5) I couldn't keep cue touching my chin after delivery. Would it matter ?
6. Rest
After he laid out a simple line out 6,7 balls, let me have some shots and observe when I finish them.
In my surprise, the coach didn't list up thousands of problems. My stance, bridge ,Grip and pause all seemed OK to him. Just a few other things have been emphasised.
a) VISUALIZATION THE SHOT.
Actually I've been working on this one over last few weeks,I try to put cue on line with my first impression sighting, and walking in with 'chest to cue' , feather and shot. He still pointed out my cue was slightly off line and it caused tips not directly aiming on centre of the ball. I finally figured out the reason that even I knew I am a dominant left eye and always get down on shot directly over left eye, but when walk in I am still using both eye to walk in , which caused my body got out of line shortly before get back in line again due to right foot approach or whatever reason. In short, I still got 'sighting' cross the line issue, even although my aiming would still be twisted or twitched back to normal. I do agree 90% of aiming is done when stand back on shot. The only way not to twitch after getting down is to stick with the concept that your sighting should be 100% on line. If this is not right, this may cause all sorts of issue. Coach used a gadget called right see plate which incorporated with high and low plate with two straight line almost consecutive. If you are on line(with correct sighting), you should be able to see two separate line instead of one line(Sorry I can't find its image in google, I suppose it's certified method/tool WPBSA coach may use). He also mentioned his excellent student Elliot(Slessor) was the only person started this game with perfect sighting and put himself on line.
b) My cueing arm is not vertical to floor(Not 90 degree between forearm and ground)
This is not an issue per se. However coach pointed out as except that he couldn't really find out what else struck out. He contributed my doubts of 'forcing the cue' ,'not completed the shot' all to this problem. If I can hold my cue slightly back at end, I should have more space in backswing to follow through. Because I hold cue within 90 degree, I may have unconsciously used shoulder to join in power shot, or because of short follow through after contact, elbow may have to be dropped subsequently causing cue jump out of bridge. I agree that if I didn't visualise the shot correctly in the first place, any twitch would cause shot not being completed in a confident way, IE, not completed on chest. No smooth follow through, or ultimate de-acceleration issue.
c) Grip
Although coach didn't seem to be concerned with my grip, I know I still got the tighter grip issue as it still stands. He only measured 10 grades of pressure on grip and ask me where I am at as it should be at 4. I hate to admit I always swing between 4 to 10... I asked whether my wide open grip(only thumb and ring even they only formed half ring at full backswing) is problematic he didn't say so. Instead he say Gary Wilson is also two finger touching the cue at backswing and just done fine with that. Obviously Gary trains 8 hours in his club he won't see it wrong. Again surprised and not too surprised coach seems not to be enthusiastic about grip. And again, as said here over and over gain, be sure that its loose. And looser better than tighter eventually.
Regarding to power shot, he suggested me not to be hard on my self. Chin can not always be touching after delivery. To tackle cue jump out of bridge or not enough power, he suggested me to try square stance and forget about leaning left and consciously thinking pendulum feeling, try to be relax and follow through. Keep it simple.
I will work on these tips and hopefully get to 50+ standard over 3 month.
I would recommend coaching to anyone similar to my level. You always get new idea or thinking from different person, especially from a expert. BTW, my 2 hour lesson costs me £30 and I will get it back very soon from handicaps held in his club
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