practise routines

[Dannyboy]

Even though the game is geared up for the more attacking players now, you can still snatch a frame in a close scoring frame with a good safety game under your belt.

[davisskeggsm]

Yeah i understand what you are saying, but being honest do you practise your safety play?

Matt

[Dannyboy]

Yes honestly i do Matt, because i love the game i wanted to be able to have the all round game under my belt. My practice partner and i still practice laying snooker's with one red left and all the colours on the table then just the colours then remove one colour until we are trying to lay a snooker with just the pink and black on the table.

[nrage]

I play a game with myself where I place the black and white on opposite end cushions and then see how many safeties I can play before I leave a pot which I would feel like attempting, then I attempt it (with safety in mind, i.e. trying to leave it safe if I miss - often requires a bit of luck) and I continue until the ball is potted, then I start again. It's fun if you take it seriously and don't just throw your cue at a safety.

[Dannyboy]

nrage,

A good shot to practice you mentioned, and i fail to understand why anyone who plays the game does not practice the safety game
and like you i find it fun and a battle of wits playing the safety game.

[armstm]

there is a decent stephen hendry app on the iphone - contains a number of routines that i've enjoyed doing...

[Quackers]

I used to have a game against myself when I didn't (intentionally) pot a ball for an hour or so. I found that an hour of that was enough and moved on to the line-up .

[davisskeggsm]

Thanks everyone i may include safety into my practise routines now
Cheers
Matt

[AKashyap]

The colour ball practice routine, line ups, the routines when the reds are behind the black, pink, etc on both sides, perpendicular to the line up ... a cross around black, pink, blue etc.. 5 or so reds on the baulk and black cushions .. Reds as clusters with few single reds etc ... Potting the black half to 3 quarter ball with high speed and high screw back or follow and side if required to break the cluster of reds and come out and maybe hit a cushion etc ... The list is endless, you just have to be creative and / or search around !

[armstm]

The colour ball practice routine, line ups, the routines when the reds are behind the black, pink, etc on both sides, perpendicular to the line up ... a cross around black, pink, blue etc.. 5 or so reds on the baulk and black cushions .. Reds as clusters with few single reds etc ... Potting the black half to 3 quarter ball with high speed and high screw back or follow and side if required to break the cluster of reds and come out and maybe hit a cushion etc ... The list is endless, you just have to be creative and / or search around !

i enjoy doing the long blues from the yellow and green spot. i find this teaches you a lot about how good your technique is. its resulted in a few modifications, the main one is getting the elbow behind the head, and making your sure shoulder is locked. you know as soon as you've hit it whether there's shoulder involved (a big problem with me) whereas with lineup-type practices your technique can be poor and you can still pot the ball. my lineup top break is 59 but that was done with a pretty poor cue action (a few months ago).


hendry suggests on his app doing it until you get 5 pots in each corner pocket. it can take me 25-30 attempts sometimes! i do think there is value (although it is tedious) in doing the same pot over and over again - you do start to notice little things which you wouldn't the first 2 or 3 attempts.