Terry's Technique Video

[j6uk]

I have no intention of intervening in the constant technical dialogue you have struck up with siddiqui, besides he's confirmed you as his coach.
I have already given (my interpretation of were 'I think' he stands with his game), in his last video. If at some point he will put up another video showing us of (his developments), I will be more than happy to comment

j6uk:

Since you are a Frank Callan fan why don't you help Sidd out and post what Frank says in his book regarding the boxer stance. It might help out a few other members here too as some experts are saying adopting the boxer stance will give more chest clearance when (if memory serves me rightly) Frank said just the opposite when talking about Joe Davis.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

j6uk:

Since you are a Frank Callan fan why don't you help Sidd out and post what Frank says in his book regarding the boxer stance. It might help out a few other members here too as some experts are saying adopting the boxer stance will give more chest clearance when (if memory serves me rightly) Frank said just the opposite when talking about Joe Davis.

Terry

[j6uk]

siddiqui, just loves the attention.. and why not?!

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

If you were guaranteed that you could drop your elbow dead straight then there would be no problem with you using it. Nic Barrow can and does, however if you look at most of the other pros (Trump, Dott, even Ronnie, Higgins, Selby, etc) they don't with the exception of very high power shots. It becomes one more thing you have to coordinate and if you are over 30yrs of age (I know you are) your natural coordination has deteriorated and you might not be able to coordinate that elbow drop consistently.

So here is your answer from me...I am getting VERY VERY tired of telling you to JUST PICK ONE TECHNIQUE AND STICK WITH IT. To elbow drop or not to elbow drop. I DON'T CARE!!! Do you know what (FFS) means? It is something people will say when they get frustrated and for certain your attitude is frustrating me to no end.

Sidd....YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY CAN DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU IN THE END. You have to make up your mind to settle on a technique which is best for you. Unless and until you find and go to a good coach for one-on-one session so he can really analyse your technique and provide you with proper coaching there is no point in choppy-changing everything you are doing as YOU WILL NEVER IMPROVE UNLESS AND UNTIL YOU SETTLE DOWN INTO ONE CONSISTENT TECHNIQUE.

Even posting the videos will not provide you with help since you will post a video on Monday and by Tuesday you will have changed your technique. The only bad flaw I saw in your video was you turning the wrist and taking the butt off-line. Everything else was OK and good enough to build on. You seem to be always seeking that perfect technique or that one additional change that will magically make you improve and start banging in centuries. There is no magic bullet outside of really determined practice and sticking with a consistent technique.

Go back to what you started with and just stop turning the wrist. Dropping the elbow doesn't matter for you although it did lead to problems for me. Also, since you also changed recently to a boxer stance go to Frank Callan's website (fcsnooker.co.uk/coaching) and see what he has to say about the boxer stance and today's player. It might open your eyes a bit.

Terry

[itsnoteasy]

And? Sidd you are analysing for the sake of it, tell you what you do this, then I will put up something of a pro not dropping his elbow then you can go and do that, I will then post a video of Alex Higgins and you can ruin your game, my point is , snooker has to be played by you, not by someone else, so you have to do what's right for you, not what is right for someone else, I don't know how many times Terry has said pick something and stick with it, how can you get a drilled in cue action changing it every time, I will go as far as to say you never ever will, it is holding you back fella, because you are having to retrain every five minutes
The only things I have ever said to you is stop chopping and changing and relax, two things Terry has tried to tell you , and that's it my man, there is your answer.

[Sidd]

SOMETHING INTERESTING

Terry, J6UK, Steve and other mates:

After my last post I saw again the following two videos of Nic Barrow that I sometimes see in order to train myself for fluency. When I again saw them today, I did that to notice his follow through and elbow drop on delivery in order to train myself how to keep fluent like him. Now he is doing line up before an audience in both the videos so he is surely playing the shots with his natural rhythm and flow.

However, I was startled and relieved simultaneously to observe that he has a nice natural well extended follow through (just like mine) and that he DOES DROP THE DARNED ELBOW on delivery naturally even on medium and low power shots as well. Now this is interesting because if I play naturally I am sure that my elbow drops exactly like his on low power shots but I got worried not to drop it and hence played by artificially stopping it from dropping and hence limiting my natural follow through. I now understand Steve's point of not limiting it and making it unnatural.

In video 1 observe his elbow drop at 4:35 he takes a dead weight roll red in centre at power 2 or 3 out of 10 but his elbow drops with follow through which is exactly, trust me, exactly how I will take this shot.

similarly, the second video ... he takes a similar power shot at 1:35


Video1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj4lUJpQtjM

Video2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl6Ht4e9avs


I want your analysis and feedback on this. Now please please please I do not want to hear that he started snooker at age 11 and learnt to play like this so he can do it. So its for him and not for me and I shall HAVE to stop my elbow drop to progress. Whenever I hear that I hate myself for not being born in UK and for not taking up snooker at age 11 haha LOL

[Sidd]

Sidd:

Some principles to remember regarding your snooker:

1. There is no 'silver bullet'.
2. Constantly changing your technique will for sure mean you will NEVER improve much at all.
3. Pick one overall technique you like and are comfortable with and STICK WITH IT.
4. The only true 'silver bullet' in any sport, including snooker, is PRACTICE, practice and even more practice but done with a consistent technique and disciplined.
5. Every player who has ever taken up this game has his/her ups and downs. The real trick is if you have a bad day do not get discouraged and change things but stick with your technique and don't change it on a whim or on a daily basis.
6. Sometimes when you do try something different you will play better for a little while but this is likely more due to the fact that you are parking your brain by concentrating on the new thing and the rest of your technique is flowing unconsciously.
7. Remember the very foundation and basic rule of the snooker set-up is COMFORT. (As an example, I just can't get my elbow over the cue, it's impossible for me unless I really strain my spine and my right shoulder and push it into the middle of the back but of course that introduces strain so I allow the elbow to seek the most comfortable spot which happens when I feather.
8. With your family responsibilities, job and other activities there is no way you will ever be able to reach the pro skill level and that is something you likely recognize. You have said you would like to be able to run the odd century however there is no way you can reach this objective if you keep changing things up all the time. In addition you would have to get at least 15 hours per week of DISCIPLINED PRACTICE, around 50% of it solo and when you do play someone ALWAYS play a match like best-of-7 or something in order to get some kind of match pressure.

Terry

Thanks Terry.

I believe I have really understood what it means and costs to keep changing or adjusting technique every day or every week as well as the fact that you can only take one thing at a time and also what cost you have to pay if you work on technique during matches.

It was an easy simple thing for anyone to get but I do not know why this came so hard for me. I always thought I was discipline but I guess not, as my OCD mind never allowed me free thinking in this regard.

I have however got to a point where I now realise the importance of the do's and dont's. I will try my best ot stick to the following and be disciplined in this regard:

1. No thinking about technique during matches even friendlies (although still some thoughts crop up but I will control them).
2. Will work on any area of technique whenever I get time for solo.
3. I will go to the club in the mornings on saturdays. this is the time when I can book a table. I have talked to the manager and he agrees to this setting provided that I reach there by 11. This is not easy as it will ask me to change my routine but I shall have to figure out a way. So I will start it once a week and then see how it progresses.

One last thing coach: I have altered my stance a bit in order to brace my bridge arm shoulder out and up in front so that I can reduce or control the elbow drop. This is good because this way I do not have to keep my grip shoulder high and also good because after altering my stance for this; I no longer have to think about the elbow drop as I am sure it remains controlled. I have been playing for many years now with the elbow drop and hence intentionally changing it would take time and since I did all my big breaks this way; I have decided to have my bridge shoulder braced up front and then forget about the elbow drop all together as I am sure this would train my mind properly and I will not have to think about it.

Similarly, I have found my grip configuration and pressure and that is something I dont know about. An oxymoron? contradiction in terms? hell yeah because the only time I can grip perfect is when I have no idea how am I gripping crazy yeah but true.

Last night I experienced another thing that is interesting... While doing BOB all the time it takes you to a point where the rest of the world seem meaningless to you. Yes I was there last night ... sounds noise music atmosphere comments each and everything subdued in the background for me cuz I was so deeply involved in concentrating on BOB and that is my trick for focus now ! I think I have got it... it improves my timing and it is that very thing that will take me to the zone hopefully... !!! I have started taking the pots that I would normally miss 7-10 Last night I was 50 points down in a frame and then got my chance (black and blue out of commission) 5 reds scattered near the pink and I took 5 pinks; I was able to see those tiny paths trust me I SAW everything like if I roll this the CB would move a fraction to the right and not cannon on the pink and I can take pink in the other centre... and it all happened. Then I played safe and safe and safe and cleared the colours I think I was looking at BOB with such high focus that FOR the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I STARTED NOTICING those tiny dirt spots on colours and had to request my opponent to allow me to clean them during the break this NEVER EVER happened to me before. If it had happened it never bothered me but last night it did bother me a lot cuz I was seeing those dirt marks so clearly

Thanks a lot Terry thanks a lot Steve thanks a lot everyone !!!
Thanks again Coach; Cheers.

[Sidd]

Sidd
by the way Sidd I have been reading your post on the dropping the elbow and follow through. I had a coaching session and the coach was telling me to always make sure there is room between your grip hand and chest to allow follow through.
I sometimes was placing my bridge hand a bit far this meant at the address position my grip hand was inside the vertical, so if I had a medium to high power I had no room, the brain knows this ( a wonderful machine). so I ended up going beyond the chest to generate the power needed for the shot.
Alabbadi

Given that I have boxer's stance, and do swivel on the hip a little as well, I dont think I do not have enough room, I do in fact. It is just that the shoulder was dropping but I have cured it through bracing the bridge arm shoulder up to the front and I think that my shoulder drop might actually have been minimized, if not eliminated.

[humperdingle]

humper:

It depends where you're starting out. If you are making the odd 40 break then yes you would need 15hrs per week for at least one year and maybe more to reach the skill level to be running hundred every now and again, let say 3 centuries in that 15hrs of practice after a year.

If you're already making the odd 70 break then I would say the time would be a lot shorter as a century is nothing more than 2 x 50 breaks strung together. There is also the natural ability factor and motivation to factor in.

Terry

Yeh that's what I was wondering - I just restarted playing around May this year but I used to play a couple of hours a week from 13 years old to maybe 16, best break being maybe 30 or so, but mostly just the odd flurry of flare and a lot of single reds!

I never 'practiced', though. Just played a few frames with my dad.

Now, i'm back to basics, playing 3 hours per week on average and mostly do line ups or other potting practice. Current high of 83 on line up with regular 50s/60+.

I hope you're right on the ton... I've stopped counting breaks altogether, but record them instead in the hope that I can just think about the pot.

[Terry Davidson]

humper:

It depends where you're starting out. If you are making the odd 40 break then yes you would need 15hrs per week for at least one year and maybe more to reach the skill level to be running hundred every now and again, let say 3 centuries in that 15hrs of practice after a year.

If you're already making the odd 70 break then I would say the time would be a lot shorter as a century is nothing more than 2 x 50 breaks strung together. There is also the natural ability factor and motivation to factor in.

Terry

[humperdingle]

In addition you would have to get at least 15 hours per week of DISCIPLINED PRACTICE, around 50% of it solo
Terry

To expect the odd 100?

[itsnoteasy]

Sounds to me by concentrating on aiming you relaxed everything else and played better.

[Terry Davidson]

Sidd:

Some principles to remember regarding your snooker:

1. There is no 'silver bullet'.
2. Constantly changing your technique will for sure mean you will NEVER improve much at all.
3. Pick one overall technique you like and are comfortable with and STICK WITH IT.
4. The only true 'silver bullet' in any sport, including snooker, is PRACTICE, practice and even more practice but done with a consistent technique and disciplined.
5. Every player who has ever taken up this game has his/her ups and downs. The real trick is if you have a bad day do not get discouraged and change things but stick with your technique and don't change it on a whim or on a daily basis.
6. Sometimes when you do try something different you will play better for a little while but this is likely more due to the fact that you are parking your brain by concentrating on the new thing and the rest of your technique is flowing unconsciously.
7. Remember the very foundation and basic rule of the snooker set-up is COMFORT. (As an example, I just can't get my elbow over the cue, it's impossible for me unless I really strain my spine and my right shoulder and push it into the middle of the back but of course that introduces strain so I allow the elbow to seek the most comfortable spot which happens when I feather.
8. With your family responsibilities, job and other activities there is no way you will ever be able to reach the pro skill level and that is something you likely recognize. You have said you would like to be able to run the odd century however there is no way you can reach this objective if you keep changing things up all the time. In addition you would have to get at least 15 hours per week of DISCIPLINED PRACTICE, around 50% of it solo and when you do play someone ALWAYS play a match like best-of-7 or something in order to get some kind of match pressure.

Terry

[j6uk]

Yes it is

I know how you feel right now in your family life and I'm sure the disciplines you'll get from having two little ones to care for will somehow transfer onto the table.
Btw I'd really have a Doctors check up if I were you in regards to your shoulders. I wouldn't take these pains coming and going for granted.

I just hope and pray it lasts ummmmmm well say for a lifetime, is that asking too much

[Sidd]

Your a friendly guy siddiqui but I don't know what you mean! I got to know you through (your video thread) and If you look back on that thread, I was only positive, supportive and realistic regarding your play.

I feel the key to playing good snooker is (to know 'realistically' were your at) and what you need to do to walk that ascending path of improvement.

enjoy

Thanks a lot J6UK. What I meant was that I can take that positive message from your posts all the time ... I was referring to the fact that I am here just for writing and blogging etc and not really for snooker ... but well lemme cut the crap I am too happy right now to talk about that and am back to enjoying my game again I just hope and pray it lasts ummmmmm well say for a lifetime, is that asking too much