Best routines for break building / positional play / learning angles

[NonStarter]

Great suggestions guys. Going through a phase where I've started to cue across the balls on most shots. Right foot is on the line of aim (even marked the line on the floor with tape). Everything straight but at delivery I cue to the right and 'into' the body!

I'll get back to the suggestions once I've managed to get over the current issues.

[itsnoteasy]

A few from me;
1) Blacks off the spot, keep potting the black and play for position on the next black. My record is 107 before boredom took over and the exhibition shots came out.
2) Line up - I disagree with a few posts, it's not just for pros, i know it's tedious BUT the line up is a massive tool for muscle memory. In a match scenario you will very rarely be in perfect position and the line up is very good for helping you to memorise thick/thin reds for position onto the next colour.
3) Colours off their spots - simple but not many can actually do it! Best thing about this is each shot is different i.e. to clear the colours you'll likely need to play soft stuns, screws etc.
4) Blue on it's spot and reds set out in a line level with the pink spot - keep potting reds and try to play on the blue. this is a great drill to help you get topside of the blue each time.

Hopefully some of these are helpful, good luck!

Number four, is really hard, there isn't much margin for error to get on the blue to hold for the next red.

[tomwalker147]

Number four, is really hard, there isn't much margin for error to get on the blue to hold for the next red.

I saw Stephen Lee doing it, it's a good one especially if you're trying to get used to the pace of a new table, 10 minutes of that and you should be up to speed! Agree though very diffuclt

[itsnoteasy]

I saw Stephen Lee doing it, it's a good one especially if you're trying to get used to the pace of a new table, 10 minutes of that and you should be up to speed! Agree though very diffuclt

That's the first place I saw it as well Tom, iirc he couldn't do it either lol.

[Danger Steve]

Had a 59, 57 & a 55 yesterday in the space of a couple of hours practice! Well chuffed

I just spread 10 or so reds around the black some of them in a bit of a pack behind the pink so you have to split them up. I find practicing like this really useful and more realistic. When you go back to a line-up routine it seems so much easier! I’ve also started to do more T line-up’s which I find work better for tight cue ball control!

I guess really you need to mix things up now and then. Is there such a thing as bad practice?

[vmax]

Try the line up with the reds placed from the baulk cushion to the blue. You'll find the baulk colours are in the way of several reds to pot to the corners and you'll need to use the middle pockets more often, harder to get on the baulk colours too as there will be reds in the way to start with and you'll need to clear a space or two before you can consistantly play position for them to pot to the corners.
Kind of backwards snooker as you'll need to use the pink and black when you're out of position, my best is 10 reds and colours for a low scoring but very difficult break.

[NonStarter]

[QUOTE=Danger Steve;n1011932]Had a 59, 57 & a 55 yesterday in the space of a couple of hours practice! Well chuffed

I just spread 10 or so reds around the black some of them in a bit of a pack behind the pink so you have to split them up. I find practicing like this really useful and more realistic. When you go back to a line-up routine it seems so much easier! I

[NonStarter]

Hi Steve

This doesn't like me replying to you quoting your messages so will try again!

Great to read about your progress mate. Still enjoying the shed? I get very limited time to it these days with work and family, but time I have had has been spent in frustration trying to straighten my cueing. Had a knock last night and things felt much better. CC posted a great vid - I was standing with my feet too side-on I think.

Hopefully will invite you round for a game soon mate. Table gets a re-fit and adjustment on 11 Aug, so soon after that I hope. Get some more videos up of your progress.

BTW - do you get dry eyes because of the height of the AC unit?

[Danger Steve]

Hi Steve

This doesn't like me replying to you quoting your messages so will try again!

Great to read about your progress mate. Still enjoying the shed? I get very limited time to it these days with work and family, but time I have had has been spent in frustration trying to straighten my cueing. Had a knock last night and things felt much better. CC posted a great vid - I was standing with my feet too side-on I think.

Hopefully will invite you round for a game soon mate. Table gets a re-fit and adjustment on 11 Aug, so soon after that I hope. Get some more videos up of your progress.

BTW - do you get dry eyes because of the height of the AC unit?

Shed is great! Best project I ever took on. No issues for me regards the AC? Do you wear contacts? I did have a guy round once who said he thought the dry conditions where messing with his contacts, could be that? Is your table adjustment part of the original cost for fitting the table or is it an extra? You wouldn’t thought it would have much movement being on a concrete slab? Occasionally I have to tighten my leg bolts, I usually notice the table creeks a bit if you lean your body weight onto it, but after tightening the legs this goes away. I did get a torque wrench out a month or so ago and torqued all the cushion bolts to the same setting, the idea being they will hopefully have similar bounce. I was surprised how loose they had gone in the space of 6/7 months. Nice and snug now though and playing ok.

I did have some videos, just been a bit lazy uploading them..

[mikee]

Mine was creaking a bit on occasions a few months after it went in ,Geoff tightened the legs bolts up on its cloth stretch ,it’s quite amazing how much you can tighten them up after a table has been set up .I’ve had the cushions of my table off before ,it’s hard to belive how much dust gets stuck under that top rail after brushing every day ,it’s like a thick heavy line of dirt and chalk .

[NonStarter]

The pink slate on my table looks to have moved. Visible to the eye and just about on the touch. Must be thinner than a hair but there is a ridge there. Also, do get a bit of that table creak. The cloth strech wasn't due just yet but getting it all done together in a couple of weeks time. And yes, more

[NonStarter]

It's eaten the end of my message..

Yes. More money I'm afraid.

I'm not going to argue with the fitters but he did struggle with the pink slate when installing the table. From memory he said it's the best he could get it. The lines across the nap showed within weeks. Regular cleaning and ironing shows up any issues with the table in guessing

[mikee]

It's eaten the end of my message..

Yes. More money I'm afraid.

I'm not going to argue with the fitters but he did struggle with the pink slate when installing the table. From memory he said it's the best he could get it. The lines across the nap showed within weeks. Regular cleaning and ironing shows up any issues with the table in guessing

How long has your table been in now ,I would say a new table will move slightly over a couple of weeks when it gets fitted ,even on a concrete floor ,mine did .I had a slight drift going into the side cushions away from the nap ,cueing from the pink spot into the corners ,not much ,but enough to notice on really slow shots ,after cloth stretch 6 months later it was re leveld and pretty good ,just remember no table is 100% level ,even if it is on bare slates it will never perfect when the cloth is on ,Geoff Large tells me around 97% is good .
Are your muntins (slate bearers ) tight up to the slates ,never over tighten them as this could force a slate up off the table slightly .Can you feel a slight knock over that slate when the heavy iron goes over it. Even new tables should have a bit of filler between the slates and then slightly rubbed in to level .If you do have a slate that is sitting up you will get a shimmer of a line across the table where it is ,sometimes you get this anyway as the filler can react with the iron heat over time ,but the biggest thing is if you can feel it with the iron .The fitter should be able to sort this out on a re stretch .Worst case scenario is frame might be slightly off and could need re shooting ,a playing card under could sort it other wise its slates off ,but that is worse case .Have you tried playing a ball down the slate line ,does it roll off round there .Hopefully on the service and stretch it will be sorted .

[Danger Steve]

It's eaten the end of my message..

Yes. More money I'm afraid.

I'm not going to argue with the fitters but he did struggle with the pink slate when installing the table. From memory he said it's the best he could get it. The lines across the nap showed within weeks. Regular cleaning and ironing shows up any issues with the table in guessing

The problem is they only have the day to fit the table, sometimes they might even be fitting 2 in a day. This rushing to get the table up means there comes a point when ‘it’s close enough, that’ll have to do’ rather than bob-on. I spent two days (on and off) levelling my table, I’m not a pro fitter obviously so you’d expect it to take a bit longer, but still, you can’t rush it. Another point worth mentioning.. when your in a club usually the only light source is shining down onto the table. In a home environment usually there are windows or patio doors which actually cast light across the table, and this can show up that slate joint through the cloth effect your describing. Usually it highlights more as you use the table and the cloth wears, also brushing and ironing shows it up. I have a similar thing on the 2nd slate joint from the baulk end (also closest to the window), it doesn’t seem to effect the playing conditions but it’s just there like a dark shadow on the table. It disappears when I shut the blinds!

[mikee]

In an ideal world the table frame should be set up with slates on ,levelled,left for 48 hours ,then finished of and levelled again with cloth on and all bolts checked again and tightened .Geoff uses a very soft filler in the joints ,a polly type filler ,this insures that when the filler is sanded it doesn’t sand the slate ,as the filler rubs down easy with out hitting the slate joints .