Please help me get rid of the yips! (video included)

[DandyA]

Your a typical chest thumper.

yep, that's what I thought when I saw the very first shot ... imo, you're slightly quitting on the shot because you know your grip hand is going to hit your chest too early causing the cue to go offline ... so as golferson suggested, try to get a little more side on - the usual way to do this is the same stance but twist your hips a little bit more anti-clockwise as a left hander ...

normal riders apply, I'm not a coach but do watch your very first shot in the first video, I think it tells it all ...

hope this helps

[itsnoteasy]

If it's happening on screw shots, I take it these are long or deep screw shots that need a bit of power, to me this might be starting off too quick on the forward stroke , ( I noticed you don't have a back pause so the transition from backward to forward may get a bit quick IMO )which might cause what has been mentioned before, deceleration ,closing the grip early, slight movement, and then over correction as the shot is played.
Pots to the left sounds like eyes coming off the ball and causing a bit of cue steering. On the video these looked more like that than the full twitch on some of the shots.
Again these are just my thoughts on it.

[guernseygooner]

Have you tried adjusting your left foot at all? Just thinking that as you haven't played in a while your physique may have changed from your 20s (bit more chunky)

Maybe placing the toes on the line will mean you lean over more and have a bit more room - more side on.

[Byrom]

Hey there thumper -

I think maybe you rush too much and get into the shot too quick - and so on occasional shots where you need to differ and need to pull back further or pause before you drive forward your mind has not set on the shot you need properly.

Do you play as quick in matches I wonder?

[vmax4steve]

No yip ! elbow stays high and doesn't drop on the follow through.

Those yips are when you are dropping the elbow through playing from the shoulder.

You say you can feel a yip coming on. I would say that's because your brain knows that you haven't lined the shot up correctly, your brain knows that you're not standing in the right place, your brain is trying to steer your cue to the contact point on the object ball from a point either outside or inside the correct line of aim causing body movement and the whole arm to move from the shoulder rather than just the forearm from the elbow.

Take a few seconds more when facing a tricky shot, don't get down in your stance until you are certain you have found and focussed on the contact point on the object ball while stood up behind the shot.

[ace man]

I'm curious why I feel the twitches coming on a lot some days, and hardly ever on others.

Do you try to play very well right after a full day's work? From my experience, guys who come in the club straight after work tend to twitch little more than usual, myself included.
As for chest thumping, I don't know...myself I also do it...sometimes it is not an issue at all, but at other times it is like my arm is trying to circumvent the body...obviously it is interfering too much.
It really should not be an issue, as cueball is well on its way when my hand hits my chest...but subconsciously I know it looks bad to observers and on camera...that makes me decelerate badly prior to impact sometimes.

[Agent4125]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions

I found some success trying to slow down the transition from final backswing to follow through stroke and generally keeping things smoother...

I think this is helping, but I also think it was a new thing I was trying so my frame of mind was good. I also altered my stance slightly to be more side-on as suggested. It does feel like I have more room to swing the cue like that.

[Ramon]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions

I found some success trying to slow down the transition from final backswing to follow through stroke and generally keeping things smoother...

I think this is helping, but I also think it was a new thing I was trying so my frame of mind was good. I also altered my stance slightly to be more side-on as suggested. It does feel like I have more room to swing the cue like that.

to be honest, I do'nt know about your technique,,
but you can play very well. I wish I could play so well !!!!!!
my compliments.

[itsnoteasy]

image.jpgimage.jpg
These two pics are from before you got your hips out the way and got a bit more side on, the two below are after, look how much better your aligned ,back arm to cue, it's looking very very nice now.
image.jpgimage.jpg

[guernseygooner]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16936[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16937[/ATTACH]
These two pics are from before you got your hips out the way and got a bit more side on, the two below are after, look how much better your aligned ,back arm to cue, it's looking very very nice now.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]16938[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16939[/ATTACH]

Yes I agree, all hunched up in the first ones. What did you do, adjust the left foot position or concentrate on twisting more?

[Byrom]

You do look a very natural player - a little like a rushed Ronnie o Sullivan - bet you kick some arse when flowing - type of guy I wanna ref for in my team if I must - overinnotimebacktodabar.com

[tedisbill]

Looking good!

As Byrom has mentioned, I'd just be aware that you have a tendency to play a little quick. You can look just a little bit rushed at times. Wouldn't hurt to just give yourself even an extra second or two around the table.

I don't really want to say anything negative because you hit the ball very well and can obviously play. But that extra second or two on shots, could be the difference in allowing your mind to settle properly.

[j6uk]

yeah good to watch.. to kick on a bit with your stroke i'd be looking to stay down a second or two longer after contacting the white, and you could try lightly closing the back of the hand on the so called grip hand as it hits the chest on shot completion, this may help to keep the cue from dropping and on line all the way through the shot
i'd like to hear what it sounds like to hit the back of the pocket playing in that warehouse, maybe you could pump in some long blues on your next vid

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions

I found some success trying to slow down the transition from final backswing to follow through stroke and generally keeping things smoother...

I think this is helping, but I also think it was a new thing I was trying so my frame of mind was good. I also altered my stance slightly to be more side-on as suggested. It does feel like I have more room to swing the cue like that.

[Byrom]

Looking good!

As Byrom has mentioned, I'd just be aware that you have a tendency to play a little quick. You can look just a little bit rushed at times. Wouldn't hurt to just give yourself even an extra second or two around the table.

I don't really want to say anything negative because you hit the ball very well and can obviously play. But that extra second or two on shots, could be the difference in allowing your mind to settle properly.

In total agreement - I don't really think you need alter anything technical more than this really - so I too would not try and over think it at this point just that little more time to smooth your game out give your mind time to settle on the shot you need -

As for any further advice - You probably might do this already as that video was a demonstration just to show us - but if you don't do it already - one thing I would do is move on from the line up - you clearly mastered the mindless stun shot on the line up - this type of line up is ok for a warm up but can actually make you lazy and can be the thing that has quickened your game up.

I would try a few different routines that promote more of a challenge in terms of needing precise position or add that soft stun - or finesse and little positional bit of variety and offer transition between the type of shots - rather than just mindless stun and play for a variety of reds - set up some targets - map out the table a bit - set a few tougher challenges and targets and try and beat them.

Check out the Ding Ap on i phone or the PJ Nolan website or something for some ideas - or perhaps some routines shown on this site and keep a record to challenge yourself and keep a track of improvements over time.

Take care buddy - nice stud wall - living the dream -snooker at work - give me a job at yours - happy days.

[Agent4125]

to be honest, I do'nt know about your technique,,
but you can play very well. I wish I could play so well !!!!!!
my compliments.

Thanks I wish I could play so well more often!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16936[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16937[/ATTACH]
These two pics are from before you got your hips out the way and got a bit more side on, the two below are after, look how much better your aligned ,back arm to cue, it's looking very very nice now.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]16938[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16939[/ATTACH]

Yes I agree, all hunched up in the first ones. What did you do, adjust the left foot position or concentrate on twisting more?

Great spot and thanks for doing the comparison. I basically moved my right (leading) foot forward a bit more... which tends to move my butt a little further to the right and away from the cue arm. Not massively, but it does feel a lot more side on. I think I used to stand like this years ago when I started playing.

You do look a very natural player - a little like a rushed Ronnie o Sullivan - bet you kick some arse when flowing - type of guy I wanna ref for in my team if I must - overinnotimebacktodabar.com

LOL yes I am fairly natural, and thanks for the compliment... I think I only got into trouble when I started focusing (and tampering!) on technique.

Looking good!

As Byrom has mentioned, I'd just be aware that you have a tendency to play a little quick. You can look just a little bit rushed at times. Wouldn't hurt to just give yourself even an extra second or two around the table.

I don't really want to say anything negative because you hit the ball very well and can obviously play. But that extra second or two on shots, could be the difference in allowing your mind to settle properly.

Thanks - I agree I should slow down a bit.. and watching yourself on video you really notice things like this... I never thought I was this fast around the table. Feel definitely does not equal real!

yeah good to watch.. to kick on a bit with your stroke i'd be looking to stay down a second or two longer after contacting the white, and you could try lightly closing the back of the hand on the so called grip hand as it hits the chest on shot completion, this may help to keep the cue from dropping and on line all the way through the shot
i'd like to hear what it sounds like to hit the back of the pocket playing in that warehouse, maybe you could pump in some long blues on your next vid

I like that suggestion... I know I have a tendency to lift up too soon after a shot. Long blues... hmm I'll see what I can do. It echoes a lot less now with the stud-wall in place

As for any further advice - You probably might do this already as that video was a demonstration just to show us - but if you don't do it already - one thing I would do is move on from the line up - you clearly mastered the mindless stun shot on the line up - this type of line up is ok for a warm up but can actually make you lazy and can be the thing that has quickened your game up.

I would try a few different routines that promote more of a challenge in terms of needing precise position or add that soft stun - or finesse and little positional bit of variety and offer transition between the type of shots - rather than just mindless stun and play for a variety of reds - set up some targets - map out the table a bit - set a few tougher challenges and targets and try and beat them.

Good idea - yeah I see what you are saying. I have a Jimmy White book somewhere with loads of different practice routines in it. I'll dig it out. Thanks for the advice.

Take care buddy - nice stud wall - living the dream -snooker at work - give me a job at yours - happy days.

Yeah its awesome, waited a long time to get it - childhood dream Now I need to decide how to furnish/decorate the room. I'm going halves with a mate at work on it all, one idea we had was to kit it out like the crucible... chair in each corner etc. Not sure which year we'll go for yet tho

Cheers all - I've gained a lot from posting on this forum and reading all your replies. :eagerness: