Snooker Challenge

[Terry Davidson]

Maverick:

Here's a step-by-step process that I recommend you follow.

Step 1 - go to the club and try as many of the house cues and any private cues you can and find one you 'feel right' with. (Try out John's cue if he will let you even). Get the specs off the cue that feels right and as nrage says it should be around the normal specs of 57"-58", 17.5oz to 18.5oz, 1pc or 3/4-butt, ash or maple shaft, butt diameter around 29-30mm and ferrule somewhere around 9.5mm.

Step 2 - contact ADR147 on here (he's in Scotland but not sure of the city) as see if he has something that meets your preferred specs or very close to it. Also order a case and a mini-butt and tele-extension. Be prepared to pay somewhere around 300quid for a decent cue and it you go up-market a bit to a Trevor White os similar then maybe 400-450quid.

Step 3 - contact JIM DONNELLY who lives in Glasgow but not sure of which club he coaches in. He is an excellent coach (I believe bigmeek went to Jim so he might be able to give a recommendation). Tell Jim EXACTLY what you are hoping to achieve and how you would like to achieve it. As a coach I think initially you would need to book weekly appointments with Jim for the first 3 months or so and he should be able to work out all the kinks in your technique and set-up and get you to the point where you are delivering the cue consistently straight (at least 95% of the time). After that probably once a month for the remainder of your year.

Step 4 - listen well to what Jim shows you and tells you.

Step 5 - PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE what Jim teaches you but VERY IMPORTANT (and I'm certain Jim will tell you this) only work on one thing at a time, for instance start with the stance, then the grip, then the bridge, then the feathering, then the backswing, then the rear pause, then the delivery, then getting the hand through to the chest and accelerating through the cueball.

If you have decent natural hand-eye coordination and you start out with a good coach learning the basics from day one I don't see any reason why you shouldn't reach the century stage (in practice) within one year if you practice 7 hours a day on average and if you are a good student and have good coordination I believe it might just be possible to have a practice 147 within a year if you spread the balls well on the break (and don't tie up the black doing it.

Willy Thorne has hundreds of 147s in practice (and one in a match) but he used to break the balls from behind off 2 cushions and then replace the pink. As this is a valid practice procedure I see no reason why you shouldn't have a 147 using this method.

Terry

[cally]

I was just meaning I see the core of the hard work and 8 to 12 hours practice every day at the start to get all the fundementals right. I've done something similar with golf. It's no good just trying to improve on what you already have. You have to strip it all back like you are a beginner and in golf that meant me changing my grip, stance and swing. Then I built on the solid foundation I had re mastered. I didn't play a round of golf for the first 6 weeks. Just the range and practice area.

With snooker what I'll do is get a coach. Play a few frames as a "control" and let him watch me. Then let him tear my game, cueing, grip etc to shreads and then build from there.

Once I set my mind to something I generally achieve it. I'm not talking about being world champion. Merely after a 365 days of painful and constant practice being able to achieve a 147.

I knew exactly what you meant, used to achieving goals eh, you need to work to smaller goals IMO, first the 50 and so on. your just asking to fail from the off set if you set the bar sooooo high.

But like i said best of luck, good to have aspirations and dreams and all that...lol.

It will be enough of a challenge to keep up 8-12 hours play every day bud. i'll be impressed if you just manage that for a full year without getting a maxi...

[ADR147]

Surely every pro would have at somepoint through practice frames would have hit one?? I'm surprised at that.

all main tour pros will have done it many times i am sure!

in answer to the question if you have a cue and tip set up you like and are prepared to put 5-6 hours a day into it, plus maybe a visit to nic barow /del hill etc its possible but i would say hitting a ton is a more achievable target.

[TheMaverick]

Good thread, very ambitious....

But then you say i'm not being stuck in a snooker hall for the summer months. won't a full year practice to reach your goal of the 'perfect' game include the summer months somewhere though?...lmaooo

You may aswell start this weekend bud...

It will take you more than a year to suss the angles no matter play a perfect game. good luck though buddy...

I was just meaning I see the core of the hard work and 8 to 12 hours practice every day at the start to get all the fundementals right. I've done something similar with golf. It's no good just trying to improve on what you already have. You have to strip it all back like you are a beginner and in golf that meant me changing my grip, stance and swing. Then I built on the solid foundation I had re mastered. I didn't play a round of golf for the first 6 weeks. Just the range and practice area.

With snooker what I'll do is get a coach. Play a few frames as a "control" and let him watch me. Then let him tear my game, cueing, grip etc to shreads and then build from there.

Once I set my mind to something I generally achieve it. I'm not talking about being world champion. Merely after a 365 days of painful and constant practice being able to achieve a 147.

[jaffa.johnson]

I suppose its human possibly so to totally rule it out is some statement.

Its certainly going to be difficult.

I would recommend playing matches against much better players as this is good way to improve.

Good luck pal

[cally]

Good thread, very ambitious....

But then you say i'm not being stuck in a snooker hall for the summer months. won't a full year practice to reach your goal of the 'perfect' game include the summer months somewhere though?...lmaooo

You may aswell start this weekend bud...

It will take you more than a year to suss the angles no matter play a perfect game. good luck though buddy...

[spike]

Surely every pro would have at somepoint through practice frames would have hit one?? I'm surprised at that.

I agree with you. I would say most (not all) pros have during practise sessions..

[nrage]

Cheers for that. All top advice. How much should I be looking to spend on a cue??

You don't have to go overboard, especially if you are not sure exactly what your own personal preferences might be. At the very least I would recommend an oiled (not varnished) cue of some kind, it doesn't have to be hand made as many machine spliced cues are perfectly fine.

If you want to spend a bit of money, spend it on a good shaft with a plain ebony butt, and ignore splicing as they are purely decorative. A single piece cue will give slightly better 'feel', but it will be harder to transport so many go for a 3/4 jointed cue, and some (fewer) prefer a 1/2 jointed cue. Jointed cues can still have a perfectly adequate 'feel' to them.

To start with look for a cue with 'average' specifications, unless you're exceptionally tall or short? Average is approximately 58" long, 9.5mm tip, 29.5mm butt, 18oz total weight. I have a Tony Wilshaw custom made cue, which was re-spliced by Trevor White. I got it for a steal from Terry because he was coming to the UK and needed some cash. I am 5' 8" and it's specs are 57", 9.5mm, 29.5mm, 18.2oz, with a 19" balance point.

[TheMaverick]

Despite all the nay sayers, given your situation I think it's possible, but it will be difficult. I think someone with enough natural ability, and the time/energy/money you clearly have should definitely be able to make a century break, and possibly even a 147.

Step #1 is find a good coach, and see them once a week initially while practicing 8-10 hours a day in between. Focus on technique first, the goal is to build a solid consistent cue action with no major flaws or limitations which will later prevent you from playing the full range of shots. Once you have a solid cue action you can see the coach every 2 weeks, and then each month, or month and 1/2 and finally once every 6 months just for a 'checkup'.

Step #2 is to learn the potting angles, and white ball carom angles until you know on every shot exactly where the object and white ball will go.

Step #3 is to develop screw, stun, and top spin shots and how they affect the white ball carom angle.

Step #4 is to put positional play together in one package, using the white ball carom angle, screw, stun, and top spin plus the correct weighting of shot to make position.

Step #5 is to learn how side spin can be used effectively, and where and when to use it. Hint; only when screw, stun, or top cannot give you position.

Step #6 is to find local competitions and get seriously involved.

Throughout you should be finding opponents of relatively similar skill levels to play, at least one game a week, maybe more.

Cheers for that. All top advice. How much should I be looking to spend on a cue??

[TheMaverick]

There are lots of pro's who havn't done a 147, so that may put it into perspective for you lol
I would say a century possibly, but a 147 will be a whole new level to reach

Surely every pro would have at somepoint through practice frames would have hit one?? I'm surprised at that.

[nrage]

Despite all the nay sayers, given your situation I think it's possible, but it will be difficult. I think someone with enough natural ability, and the time/energy/money you clearly have should definitely be able to make a century break, and possibly even a 147.

Step #1 is find a good coach, and see them once a week initially while practicing 8-10 hours a day in between. Focus on technique first, the goal is to build a solid consistent cue action with no major flaws or limitations which will later prevent you from playing the full range of shots. Once you have a solid cue action you can see the coach every 2 weeks, and then each month, or month and 1/2 and finally once every 6 months just for a 'checkup'.

Step #2 is to learn the potting angles, and white ball carom angles until you know on every shot exactly where the object and white ball will go.

Step #3 is to develop screw, stun, and top spin shots and how they affect the white ball carom angle.

Step #4 is to put positional play together in one package, using the white ball carom angle, screw, stun, and top spin plus the correct weighting of shot to make position.

Step #5 is to learn how side spin can be used effectively, and where and when to use it. Hint; only when screw, stun, or top cannot give you position.

Step #6 is to find local competitions and get seriously involved.

Throughout you should be finding opponents of relatively similar skill levels to play, at least one game a week, maybe more.

[jrc750]

There are lots of pro's who havn't done a 147, so that may put it into perspective for you lol
I would say a century possibly, but a 147 will be a whole new level to reach

[TheMaverick]

No chance.

Cheers. Love it. Was waiting on a comment like that. That's the kind of comment I will print off and will look at when I have crap days on the table to spur me on.

No constructive feedback or opinion. Just a straighforward "no chance" lol. Delighted you posted that.

[TheMaverick]

Your almost starting from scratch then, wish you all the luck but i would say chances are not high lol.
Maybe a 147 doing line up would be possible, but normal balls spread about is so much harder, i can't see it myself , sorry
Prove me wrong tho, come on here with regular updates please.

I will keep you up to date when I start. Not going to until later in the year. Don't want to be holed up inside a snooker hall all day during the summer months. Feel the hard bare bones of stripping my game right back to the basics and learning basic techniques will be the place to start. Think that maybe when next Easter comes around I should be able to lessen the practice as such and just use all the things I've learned over the winter months to achieving heavy scoring per frame.

[mick 142]

I have a serious question. All through my life I have set myself challenges to give me something to aim for. Whether in another sport or business.

This month I will complete the sale of a business and am very fortunate that I will not need to work for a while. I am looking to set myself a challenge and have thought about a snooker one.

I have not played for 10 years and when younger my highest break was 25. Not astounding. I am 40 now and have came up with an idea. I am from Glasgow and have access to a very good club. The one John Higgins practices at.

My challenge is within that year play and practice every single day and read as many books, find a coach and watch as many DVDs as possible. The aim is within that year achieve a 147.

What do you think my chances are in all seriousness???

No chance.