Your first century.

[aucott80]

maybe i should of elaborated a little more, had a backgroung in pool. been playing for years before i played snooker, normal pool 8 ball. monday and tuesday nights for 3 years plus county youth team pool. i really put a lot of time into the game, practiced when ever i could, then moved on to snooker, i already had a solid stance, was a confident newbie, i guess a little luck was thrown into the mix too. when i re-read my post it seemed a little cocky, sorry if that offended and came across arrogant. hope that gave a little more insight into my previous post.

I'm similar to you then mate used to play pool 3-4 times per week County etc now I play 1-2 family dependant. I do play snooker odd time a year mainly when world's is on and people in club fancy a game. My highest break was 49 on more than one occasion :-(. I've been playing cue sports for a while though. Anyhow in process of converting my garage into a snooker room so hopefully will improve on that soon!

[biffer]

wow, you are very lucky to be converting your garage into a snooker room. hope u will upload some picks so everyone can be extremely jealous of you. i loved playing pool, great fun, i just wanted another challenge, and it happened to be snooker. hope your game improves mate

[RocketRoy1983]

9th July 2009. 15 reds and 15 colours before missing the yellow. It was only practicing the line up with a pal of mine taking it in turns so one would have a go with the other scoring out loud and replacing the colours etc..

Doesn't really count I guess but it was a break of 101 nonetheless

[bolton-cueman]

Hmm sorry but i find that impossible to believe

JRC, obv I cant vouch for that lads 54 after 2 weeks but last week I took a lass I work with to my conny club as she's always wanted to 'have a go' at snooker....

She's only ever seen a snooker table twice, never mind playing snooker. Threw some reads up like a little practice / warm up and she had a 17, 21 and a 22 break.

I s*it you not.

Not a 54 of course, but as that's the first time she ever played snooker I would find it unbelievable if I wasn't there to watch it. So the 'impossible' is sometimes possible.

[jrc750]

Did she say to you "why are you always playing this game ?, it's easy" lol

[bolton-cueman]

Did she say to you "why are you always playing this game ?, it's easy" lol

she also drank a pint. I'm in love

[bolton-cueman]

anyway... centuries...

been playing years, never had one in open play had a 103 on line up / routine - that doesn't count.

Highest in a frame is a rather lowly 75. A coach called Roger Leighton talked me through 2 breaks - both 80+ - once but he was literally directing my every shot so they don't count either. Did prove that I have the technical ability but not the snooker brain to make breaks.

No matter how much I practice I just cant 'see' breaks and my shot selection is therefore very poor. Just got to admit to myself I'll never ever get there

[tedisbill]

Bolton:

How often are you playing better players? People who often knock in 70-80 breaks?

[Byrom]

JRC, obv I cant vouch for that lads 54 after 2 weeks but last week I took a lass I work with to my conny club as she's always wanted to 'have a go' at snooker....

She's only ever seen a snooker table twice, never mind playing snooker. Threw some reads up like a little practice / warm up and she had a 17, 21 and a 22 break.

I s*it you not.

Not a 54 of course, but as that's the first time she ever played snooker I would find it unbelievable if I wasn't there to watch it. So the 'impossible' is sometimes possible.

Don't tell Les

[dcrackers147]

I remember my first ton a 104. I had been really upping my practice and was probably about 13-14 years old at the time. I had missed 2 blacks off the spot that month on 93 the 2nd time I was playing my Dad who didn't tell me the break was 93 as didn't want to put pressure on me (I thought I couldn't make the ton as it was the final black on a clearance) so I just wacked the black and was almost in tears after he said that was for 100. Anyway around 2 days later I played a guy best of 5 in the club and made a 104 and went on to make a further 2 breaks of 112 and 122 that week. So for me breaking the barrier resulted in me making countless 100's over the years and even a witnessed by 12 league players 147. Making a 100 is usually down to 2 to 3 recovery shots which and a little bit of luck with the split and playing simple shots well.

[Byrom]

I reckon to get a 50 plus you need to practice the shots and right routines.

To get a hundred you need to practice keeping everything consistent in your action.

You also need the right mindset - easier to have no fear when you are a young un like DC was - adulthood breeds negativity that you must rid yourself of to succeed.

[dcrackers147]

Agreed Byrom - Obviously for me to even get to that standard at such a young age I was lucky to have a Dad who could make 70 breaks himself and got me playing from about the age of 9. He was also the captain of the working mens club snooker team and got me playing in the mens league from 11.
I believe a solid cue action is important but I have seen some great breakbuilders with the worst actions ever so not essential to just make a 100 break in practice. Its more improtant to have a solid knowledge of the angles and how the white reacts and a snooker brain helps

[bolton-cueman]

Bolton:

How often are you playing better players? People who often knock in 70-80 breaks?

there's no one in my conny club who really can do that. There's some fair players but I can tend to match them - win some, lose some. Sounds clichéd but its more my 'experience' than my firepower that gets me through matches.

I know where you're coming from though, I need to play good break-builders to watch and learn but I don't know anyone since I moved down here who can do that.

Think I'm turning into a 20/30 break and run merchant lol

[Dave Walton]

When you started playing snooker seriously, how long until you knocked in your first ton? What did it feel like, how was the frame/balls looking for you? What about your first half century too. I can't wait till I even get my half century !

I finally got my 1st half century tonight :-) potted the pink to reach 50 but was then snookered on the red id played for when the pink was respotted

[tedisbill]

Great stuff, Dave. Well done.