What questions would you ask when being coached by one of top 8 players for 2 hours?

[lordknows]

If you we're given a chance to have a 2-hour coaching with a top professional, what questions would you like to ask? Or, how could you make most out of these 2 hours?

[svendh]

there is nothing you can do in two hours to improve your game, you have to put in the hours. just have a good time with the pro

[Byrom]

First ask him to observe your game and then he can assess what he sees

If you have areas of the game that you think are wrong make a list before hand to give to him - Might save time.

Questions perhaps -

How should I sight the ball
Am I approaching the shot right
am I in the right shape
Do I need to work on my basics - stance - grip - bridge - cueing - timing

equipment - cue and tip to use maybe he recommends or sells them - does yours suit you - is it long enough what spec would suit your game better maybe

What routines would he suggest to help guide this improvement?

Advanced questions

Metal approach - How to think
Pre shot routine - how should I try and get consistent

How often should I see you - and how often to practice before the next lesson - is there a steady programme he can put you on to guide this improvement.

Stuff like this really - but don't expect do do everything right away or come away with instant improvement - it will take hours of practice afterwards -

I would get him to note the important bits you need to work on - or ask if it is alright to record your sesh so you remember yourself

Hope this helps

[Leo]

You won't need to ask him anything as he will see where you're going wrong

[itsnoteasy]

You won't need to ask him anything as he will see where you're going wrong

Can't argue with that Leo, would just add your questions will come naturally as he explains what you need to do.

[vmax4steve]

If you're looking for secrets it will be odds on that that he doesn't know how he does it. None of the top 8 players are coaches and therefore couldn't help you. Those that can do, those that can't teach.

[tedisbill]

Just ask them to watch me play a couple of frames and tell me why I'm absolutely awful lol

[Byrom]

If you're looking for secrets it will be odds on that that he doesn't know how he does it. None of the top 8 players are coaches and therefore couldn't help you. Those that can do, those that can't teach.

Don't agree with that my friend some great players and coaches out there - Don't know what G Dott is like as a coach but he's not a bad player even now and Chris Small was quite decent a decent pro and Mike Dunn and Nik barrow and Del hill made a ton or several hundred of them no doubt and Chris Henry and Joe Swail, Paul Rinaldi, Alan Trigg Andrew Norman and probably all I have mentioned and lots I have not have all had a few maximum breaks. Stephen Hendy does a bit of coaching now and again - he was a bit of a duffer granted but Ray Reardon, Barry Stark, Nigel Bond, Cliff Thorburn Terry Griffiths, I don't know any more coaches - but I bet all of them can play better and have won more than us two put together in our dreams.

Obviously if you are in the top 8 you are busy competing across the world making good money and don't need to coach do you, but maybe when father time calls an end to their pro game on the circuit they might.

You can learn a little from everyone you meet - the few I mentioned have all probably forgot more than I will ever learn and I would not knock coaching off any of those types and many more besides.

Getting coached is well worth it if you want to improve and like the game if only for that motivational aspect - I am shocked you think otherwise actually - unless I miss understand you.

I am of the belief that a secret is something you don't know about - if you don't know you are doing something wrong technique wise then in effect it is a secret to you. A good player or a coach can spot this and put you right. Secrets are not just magic things.

[ace man]

I would ask them questions that are only for champion level players who have won a lot of money on tournament scene, not coaches. Present top players or past top players, don't care really. They could probably answer. Here are some:

How to forget quickly when you completely cock it up under pressure? How to keep striking the ball smooth still when the pressure is on...you know that you must not snatch at the ball, but your arm feels horribly stiff and heart is absolutely racing...even before getting down on a shot...what then?
One for Ronnie specifically...I have never seen you snatch at the ball...always smooth, even when not playing well. How? Do you need to tell yourself "relax" command sometimes...is that one of your "dummies"? Or is it simply something you've 'always' had?

I would ask them mostly questions about competing, crossing the winning line, preparing for tournaments, keeping winning mentality even when getting badly beat...etc.

[Byrom]

Just ask them to watch me play a couple of frames and tell me why I'm absolutely awful lol

Well I can tell you for starters you need to stop with comments like this -

Firstly I don't believe you are - absolutely awful - and you know you are not - and putting myself - even in jest down was one of the things I did and something I have heard so many good players do - some pro players even.

This is definitely wrong - ask yourself what good does that do? Then ask yourself would it be better for your own game to learn to develop a more positive confident approach? Then ask yourself could working on the mindset and confidence stuff be the main thing or one of them holding you back?

Now tell yourself the answers - I say this because the answers are always within - but we deny them to ourselves and make up subconscious negative ways to live with them. Its a common problem I have encountered in people in other areas and many carryit around with them all their lives - you and many others need assurance but the person that has to develop this first and foremost is yourself - you must overcome this limiting mental approach - starting now and I really mean that.

Change that aspect first - read some motivational stuff or see a coach who works on this side of the game especially well or is foreknown for it. I know this would really help you just by that little statement you have said.

I bet a few others can relate to this too.

[tedisbill]

Well I can tell you for starters you need to stop with comments like this -

Firstly I don't believe you are - absolutely awful - and you know you are not - and putting myself - even in jest down was one of the things I did and something I have heard so many good players do - some pro players even.

This is definitely wrong - ask yourself what good does that do? Then ask yourself would it be better for your own game to learn to develop a more positive confident approach? Then ask yourself could working on the mindset and confidence stuff be the main thing or one of them holding you back?

Now tell yourself the answers - I say this because the answers are always within - but we deny them to ourselves and make up subconscious negative ways to live with them. Its a common problem I have encountered in people in other areas and many carryit around with them all their lives - you and many others need assurance but the person that has to develop this first and foremost is yourself - you must overcome this limiting mental approach - starting now and I really mean that.

Change that aspect first - read some motivational stuff or see a coach who works on this side of the game especially well or is foreknown for it. I know this would really help you just by that little statement you have said.

I bet a few others can relate to this too.

Spot on to be honest mate. I'm terribly negative towards my own ability and I've got no doubt whatsoever that it holds me back.

I don't really know how to sort it. No matter how much I tell myself I know I'm capable, I just can't stop nerves that hold me back when the pressure is on.

Got to the colours against my mate last week, all on their spots, and I start physically shaking, then miss the pink on 95. So frustrating. But no matter how much I tell myself the 100 break is just an arbitrary number, I can't relax and just pot the balls.

[vmax4steve]

Don't agree with that my friend some great players and coaches out there - Don't know what G Dott is like as a coach but he's not a bad player even now and Chris Small was quite decent a decent pro and Mike Dunn and Nik barrow and Del hill made a ton or several hundred of them no doubt and Chris Henry and Joe Swail, Paul Rinaldi, Alan Trigg Andrew Norman and probably all I have mentioned and lots I have not have all had a few maximum breaks. Stephen Hendy does a bit of coaching now and again - he was a bit of a duffer granted but Ray Reardon, Barry Stark, Nigel Bond, Cliff Thorburn, Terry Griffiths,

I think our Les had some coaching from Mr. Thorburn and he went and bought a table with bigger pockets, nuff said.

There are many who are of the assumption that every top pro is consciously aware of all their motor functions when playing snooker and that this can be passed on verbally so that anyone can do exactly what he does and therefore become just as good a player.
This I'm afraid is what so many people expect from coaching, when basically all a top pro can tell you is nothing more than what any coach can, hold the cue. line up the shot, keep your eyes on the object ball on the strike and keep the head and body still as you do it.

How exactly they do what they do is unknown to them and it cannot be passed on. Ronnie does the basics but what exactly is it that makes him so special, do you think he knows and is holding it back ? :confused-new:

[Byrom]

Spot on to be honest mate. I'm terribly negative towards my own ability and I've got no doubt whatsoever that it holds me back.

I don't really know how to sort it. No matter how much I tell myself I know I'm capable, I just can't stop nerves that hold me back when the pressure is on.

Got to the colours against my mate last week, all on their spots, and I start physically shaking, then miss the pink on 95. So frustrating. But no matter how much I tell myself the 100 break is just an arbitrary number, I can't relax and just pot the balls.

Ok I understand perfectly - try this for a month or two.

Technique - nothing wrong with this - you are knocking in nice breaks so forget tweaking anything and deliberately just go for your shots and focus on position - do not think about technique at the table or away from it and if you catch yourself doing it get up n stop yourself do not do this - even after a bad run, night or week - just play your natural game and focus on the shot you need and position for the next ball to enable you to get on the one after - the plan changes don't drop your head if you fall out of position or play a bad shot or have a bad night - just get on with it and smile it off.

Nerves -

If you get them tell someone close to you you are having them and apologise - nerves are natural but to get rid of them many people deny them or try breathing and stuff - think about it like this everyone including pro players get them - you are not unique they have learned to deal with it better.
How is this done you might ask?

Well everyone gets them but nerves feel a personal thing - I remember I was stuck on 89 and kept scoring the same number and did kind of freeze on match ball sometimes - for this I used a variety of methods listed below is what I do and the reasons why it helped.

Method
I practiced clearing the colors five times every time before I left the club religiously
reason.
To make a century more often than not you need to feel comfortable and knowing you have done this regular in practice every time fills you with more confidence than if you have not done it,

Freezing on match ball or important shot

Method - Everyone can sympathies with this feeling your arm tenses up you feel like your cue belongs to someone else - can happen anytime even on a relatively easy shot
My solution to this -
I pinched an idea I heard and read off a few coaches and players - I believe Nick Barrow and the Irish coach PJ nolan recommend using a trigger word or words to say to yourself as you go through the ball just on these rare occasions you tense up - I pull my cue back thinking the word 'drill' extending the word 'drilllllllllllllll' to the length of back swing I need then I pause at the back on the word 'it' focus on the OB ball and push through on the word 'in' keeping down until the ball is sunk.

I found this a powerful method of curing this problem still use it if I get match ball and feel a bit edgy because it helps you make a positive shot and stops me thinking of any other nonsense.


Mental approach away from the table practice -

I am a strong believer that a players personality is reflected away from the table as it is on it - but many players do not practice things in everyday life away from the table that could help them when they go on a table.

One example is watch a football match or your favorite sport and try and keep calm all the way through it - I love boxing and remember first practicing this method whilst watching a Rickky Hatton fight who was one of my hero's - I used to jump out my seat cheering him on but tried watching his fights and others keeping perfectly calm - hard to do but good practice - and on the table when you play learn to give the game respect and keep the same calm - clear up remember that feeling. Like going from A to B in a car and forgetting the journey in between - this is the type of focus you need to obtain if you can - calm but resolute.

Remember every time you are nervous next time there will be other occasions too - the more they happen the less it will trouble you. Everyone is scared on their first day in a new job but after a month or so its no bother why is this - same reason yes?

Nerves are natural and your feelings for the game are too - admit you have them VERBALLY to people around you - this acceptance is key to you overcoming them I think.

And stay positive stop talking yourself down - you are a great player anyone that makes breaks like that is a good player yes? - YOU must tell yourself this and own that table when you walk confidently around it - start talking confidently to yourself and never talk yourself down - but always expect more from yourself - if you don't believe in yourself them how do you expect me or anyone else to - I think you can play but it would greatly help you if you released it for yourself too. Nothing wrong with seeking perfection but know that ambition by definition is always out of reach. Your aims can be set high and your standards higher still but you will never be happy with your game = that's just snooker for you. - If you find the cure for this let me know too please.

Other people - tricky area this either don't listen to negative people or stay around them - or stay away but do listen to it and use it as a motivator - I stay away from those types but I found I do actually buzz more if someone else doubts me or gives me a bit of needle - so am not sure what I prefer really.

You will achieve because you want it and it will come - you only miss because you care really inside - when you had a dozen or so 100's you kind of stop caring as it did for you on the 50's yes? The same happens on that number when it looses its importance to you and in a few years you will look back on this and agree.

Fingers crossed for you - hope this helps

Live life love snooker

[itsnoteasy]

Vmax it's not so much them passing on what they do, it's correcting what you are doing wrong, and any coach or top player can see this and help you to correct it, but the rest is up to you, if they say stay still on the shot and you don't, well both of you are wasting your time.

[Byrom]

I think our Les had some coaching from Mr. Thorburn and he went and bought a table with bigger pockets, nuff said.

There are many who are of the assumption that every top pro is consciously aware of all their motor functions when playing snooker and that this can be passed on verbally so that anyone can do exactly what he does and therefore become just as good a player.
This I'm afraid is what so many people expect from coaching, when basically all a top pro can tell you is nothing more than what any coach can, hold the cue. line up the shot, keep your eyes on the object ball on the strike and keep the head and body still as you do it.

How exactly they do what they do is unknown to them and it cannot be passed on. Ronnie does the basics but what exactly is it that makes him so special, do you think he knows and is holding it back ? :confused-new:

Oh yes true but have you ever seen them to comment like that? - For all we know they might be better at observing a players poor technique and correcting it than others and I would expect they might have certain techniques and knowledge picked up down the years from all sorts of sources and experience - Dott will have seen Dell Hill and others and some coaches have great little bits of stuff to help a player - some are better at the motivational stuff than others and I am of the opinion you should never critique a film or a book until you have seen or read it for yourself.

I would listen when you give good advice why would it be any different for anyone else.

Yes Ronnie knows stuff why does he go to various coaches why has this helped him - the people he has learned off cant play like him but they can still help him improve - you never stop learning in life and snooker is no different but itsnoteasy is correct the coach just advises if the pupil does not listen or practice then they will see little improvement.