What do people think of Roy Chisholm's Snooker Secrets?

[sealer]

So you're saying that you place the cue online first and then move the feet into position, but how do you put the cue online first? I didn't advocate concentrating on the feet first however in my experience most players place the straight leg foot on the line of aim and everything flows from there. In your argument the cue is placed on the line of aim first and then the feet automatically take up the correct line along with the chest and grip. To me the feet represent the foundation of the proper stance.

I use my eyes to line up the shot and then get down in such a way to pot it. My focus is on the line not on the feet.

[Derek P]

Whatever you do the main thing is to get down on the shot and cue it well, roy etc will disagree with this but the key is hitting where you intend which for 80% of the standard shots is probably somewhere on centre ball. Agree that there are times side is very useful but don't see the idea of using it to pot every ball helping anyone especially raw beginner but that's just me not an authority on the game by any means just way I learned to play.

[jonny66]

I do what Sealer does, I think. Cue on line, self on cue, pot ball (hopefully). I just let my feet go where they want to, but I do put my right foot on the line, subconsciously now.

[alrocco]

No argument here, stand back, look and decide your aiming point, step in, as you step in your cue comes into line through cb to point of aim, as you go down on shot cue is placed on bridge hand in the same movement, slide into position and proceed with cue action. Job done. No movement whatsoever. In perfect line with shot. Do it any other way, guarantee you will move. Cheers Roy of Snooker Secrets.

[alrocco]

Hi Derek,just to let you know I do understand what you mean, but as you say 80% of the standard shots are probably SOMEWHERE on centre ball, see what you have said (SOMEWHERE). This is what I teach, when I say side I mean just off centre about a 1/4 of a tip, by playing like this means it is easier to direct cb as every stroke reacts the same way, where as playing 80% somewhere near centre means the shots you play go left, right, or centre, of course the nearer you are to object ball makes little difference wherever you strike cb. All the best Roy of snooker secrets.

[Terry Davidson]

I've found myself and I teach a pre-shot routine which has the player standing behind the shot by one step with his head on the line of aim (nose/eyes if you like). The cue is across the hips and 90* to line of aim. Straight leg foot forward to be on line of aim, bent leg out to the side at a comfortable distance and slightly ahead. Bend the leg and twist the hips while bringing the cue onto the line of aim behind the cueball in the address position.

With experience there is no need to 'place' the right foot and that will happen automatically. However a beginner now has a choice, if he agrees with Roy he can hold the cue next to his hip but on the line of aim and have everything fall into place perfectly? Or else he can use my method and place the feet first and then build the stance from there. Since every top pro places the feet first I suspect one method just might be better than the other as I never see pros placing their cues on the line of aim first before stepping into the shot. But then again Roy has been at this for around 50yrs or so and I expect we will see the top pros using his method soon.

[jonny66]

I've found myself and I teach a pre-shot routine which has the player standing behind the shot by one step with his head on the line of aim (nose/eyes if you like). The cue is across the hips and 90* to line of aim. Straight leg foot forward to be on line of aim, bent leg out to the side at a comfortable distance and slightly ahead. Bend the leg and twist the hips while bringing the cue onto the line of aim behind the cueball in the address position.

With experience there is no need to 'place' the right foot and that will happen automatically. However a beginner now has a choice, if he agrees with Roy he can hold the cue next to his hip but on the line of aim and have everything fall into place perfectly? Or else he can use my method and place the feet first and then build the stance from there. Since every top pro places the feet first I suspect one method just might be better than the other as I never see pros placing their cues on the line of aim first before stepping into the shot. But then again Roy has been at this for around 50yrs or so and I expect we will see the top pros using his method soon.

Sunny Akani does it.

[Terry Davidson]

Sunny Akani does it.

So you can think of only one pro who does this and I'll bet he was not a student of Roy's. What's his ranking number anyway? Sunny Akani has a very weird technique that obviously works for him but it is a little different from what Roy advocates. Does Sunny use side on every shot?

[DeanH]

So you can think of only one pro who does this and I'll bet he was not a student of Roy's. What's his ranking number anyway? Sunny Akani has a very weird technique that obviously works for him but it is a little different from what Roy advocates. Does Sunny use side on every shot?

it has been mentioned that Akani is mostly self-taught (hence the unorthodox approach) but has seen Stuart Pettman recently

[j6uk]

many do. even tels own coach.. must of done a noddy in a lesson.

[alrocco]

Hi Terry, without going into deep discussion about line up, I think given a few more years you will eventually be able to see the unseen secrets of Snooker, if you look, but then you should know that every professional lines his cue through the cue ball to point of aim as he approaches, or perhaps you don't teach that way so you would not be able to notice it anyway. BUT I will tell you now that if you put your feet in line first your pupils will have a hard time. Roy of Snooker Secrets. P.S.. I think you have been given some wrong instruction along your short career.

[Terry Davidson]

many do. even tels own coach.. must of done a noddy in a lesson.

The line-up is not real life and Nic is just doing it to show off his skills. What is a 'noddy' anyway, for an international forum quit using English slang and we'll be able to understand you. How did we get into line-ups anyway?

[Terry Davidson]

Hi Terry, without going into deep discussion about line up, I think given a few more years you will eventually be able to see the unseen secrets of Snooker, if you look, but then you should know that every professional lines his cue through the cue ball to point of aim as he approaches, or perhaps you don't teach that way so you would not be able to notice it anyway. BUT I will tell you now that if you put your feet in line first your pupils will have a hard time. Roy of Snooker Secrets. P.S.. I think you have been given some wrong instruction along your short career.

Roy. I'm almost 73yrs old and it's not been a 'short career'. One could say the same about you as no one hardly ever heard of you until just lately. What have you won in your career? Any trophies hiding on the mantle?

Most pros will step into the shot first (which means placing their feet) and then with their noses (eyes) pointing or focused on the object ball will drop straight down into the address position. There are very few pros who don't do this consistently and they are the best in the world.

Not one of them uses your methods Roy, why is that if you have such a long and extended career?

[alrocco]

Hi Terry, nice quick reply, just to let you know that when I started to play snooker at the age of 14 that was the year 1944 there were no snooker coaches around never even thought about them, so all my expertise were self taught, except for the time I met and played the Great Joe Davis, just after he retired, in fact I courted his granddaughter. So I did get some valuable advice from him, which has stood me in great stead. As for trophies I won a few in my early years, but trophies were not my aim in life. I feel I have to let you know all this as I feel you are getting at me for some unknown reason. I was an an apprentice with Rolls Royce, went into the RAF, played snooker for the camp, playing all over the continent, never beaten. Was demobbed, came out decided to make snooker my career, professional snooker was a closed shop just like a travelling circus. So decided to travel anywhere to play anyone for money. That what made me the player, believe me if you want to learn how to play snooker, PLAY for MONEY. You see I am not like yourself Terry that has been taught to coach by a friend of mine Nick Barrow, but just have a look at Nicks video below your post, he lines EVERY shot up through his cue not his feet. All the best Roy of Snooker Secrets.

[Terry Davidson]

Roy, I have played in a lot of tournaments, including the amateur World Championships and I have played a lot of matches for money over the years, even winning a Corvette once in 1979 (the story with photos was in Pot Black magazine in 1986). I did look at Nic's video and where you teach the cue should be lined up first before anything else I can see Nic holds the cue in the general direction of the shot before he gets down and steps into the shot by placing his feet (he calls this his 'pre-shot routine) and teaches that this method is VERY important. He then drops straight down into the address position with his bridge hand on the line of aim and the cue there too. You can see the feet being placed first at second 049 when he shoots the pink into the middle.

So, step into the shot first and then drop straight down and assume the address position with your cue on line and you check the alignment at the front pause and during the feathers. I have seen players using your method of placing the cue on the line of aim with the tip behind the cueball and then dropping down onto the cue however with your technique of using side on every shot this means that the cue HAS to be NOT lined up exactly on the line of aim due to the cueball being pushed to the opposite side when you use side on any shot.

Yes, Nic does line up the shot using his cue as every player does but he has placed his feet first and the cue isn't lined up until he's down on the shot or at least getting down on the shot.

In his book Joe Davis does not teach your method and devotes some time to the stance. I don't remember what he says about cue alignment though but I have the book here and will check it out.

One disagreement about playing for money. In a money match, if you have more money in your pocket, you can keep playing. In a tournament if you lose a match you're putting your cue away and going home. This makes the pressure more intense in a tournament.