Master Blaster's Cueing Challenge

[Leo]

Stuart Bingham

Stuart then cheers.

[<CuePower>]

Who's bingo?

Stuart Bingham

[Master Blaster]

Master Blaster, what would you say the top 3 routines that the majority of all pro's would do? Looking on YouTube the basic line up and T line up still seem to be popular.

True. You even see players in finals practising the line up on the practise table behind the presenters during intervals, usually when they're getting humped.

It's gonna vary a lot. Griffiths advocates a 30/70 split between solo and competitive practice. Maybe Nic Barrow can give his expertise on your question about what they do in solo time, he's worked with a lot of pros.

[Leo]

Exactly. Folk would be amazed how many drills the pros do to become really good. Bingo is famous for being a journeyman pro down in Essex, then seeing a coach to sort his problem with striking across the ball, recovering centre ball cueing, and improving his break-building. He puts in more hours than most and he's got the rewards. I have huge respect for him. His cueing has improved as well. These things aren't learnt in practice frames. To recover centre ball striking he would have lots of exercises to do. There are certain starter balls they practice over and over, certain cannons, run-throughs, etc. But to be able to play those cannons with finesse, you need control. If you already have it, great. If you don't and it's a weakness, then do some routines to improve that weakness until it's a strength.

As Griffiths said, snooker is war. And those that usually win wars are those with the best weapons. That's what routines and tests are about, improving your weapons ready for when they're needed in frames, sharpening them.

I started this thread for the advanced members who can already do the Les Challenge, to give them something else to do, sharpen their weapons, add a bit of spice to their practice. And if they can do them, they should be thinking about serious pro-ams and going to Q-school. We know they're already up to or near county standard.

Who's bingo?

[markz]

Master Blaster, what would you say the top 3 routines that the majority of all pro's would do? Looking on YouTube the basic line up and T line up still seem to be popular.

[Master Blaster]

That's why you're not as good as Ding.

Exactly. Folk would be amazed how many drills the pros do to become really good. Bingo is famous for being a journeyman pro down in Essex, then seeing a coach to sort his problem with striking across the ball, recovering centre ball cueing, and improving his break-building. He puts in more hours than most and he's got the rewards. I have huge respect for him. His cueing has improved as well. These things aren't learnt in practice frames. To recover centre ball striking he would have lots of exercises to do. There are certain starter balls they practice over and over, certain cannons, run-throughs, etc. But to be able to play those cannons with finesse, you need control. If you already have it, great. If you don't and it's a weakness, then do some routines to improve that weakness until it's a strength.

As Griffiths said, snooker is war. And those that usually win wars are those with the best weapons. That's what routines and tests are about, improving your weapons ready for when they're needed in frames, sharpening them.

I started this thread for the advanced members who can already do the Les Challenge, to give them something else to do, sharpen their weapons, add a bit of spice to their practice. And if they can do them, they should be thinking about serious pro-ams and going to Q-school. We know they're already up to or near county standard.

[tedisbill]

so ding does these drills then

Must do. Master Blaster said that's how you get perfect cue ball control.

[golferson123]

That's why you're not as good as Ding.

so ding does these drills then

[tedisbill]

I don't know how I learnt to play the game without these drills

That's why you're not as good as Ding.

[Master Blaster]

blasters a computer program

Which of you is Neo, Trinity and Morpheous?

[j6uk]

you were just lucky

I don't know how I learnt to play the game without these drills

[golferson123]

blasters a computer program

I don't know how I learnt to play the game without these drills

[Master Blaster]

blasters a computer program

LOL! I will try and do a photo tomorrow for folk so they can see this test with balls.

[j6uk]

blasters a computer program

[Master Blaster]

I really don't think there's going to be a routine that's thrown up that we haven't seen in some form or another...

The only difference between a player of J6's standard and a player of Ding's standard is in the head anyway.

Ding is very good in the balls, really precise one of the ways he breaks build is with stuns and stun run-throughs. You can set up a cluster of reds and stun off the black into them or you do it the other way round, hit a red to free the black. Stun/screw into the flat pack off the black is a great shot to develop.

One drill to develop really accurate direction of the cue ball after object ball contact with top/plain/stun/screw is to put the pink on its spot with reds all around it in a semi-circle about two balls apart and about a foot away from the pink. The pink needs to travel into the bottom right pocket by passing the first red. Put the white ball next to the last red which should be between left middle pocket and the pink. Using, top, stun, run-through and screw, proceed to move the cue ball through each gap between the reds while potting the pink. A pass is making the cue ball go through each gap consecutively with no contacts on the reds. There's a bit of pressure in this test but you should be of a standard to do it, as will Pottr and OM.

An advanced version of this test of cue ball control is to have two more balls, let's say blue and black, that are about half a ball apart from each other. You can see them through the gap between the reds. The test now is to travel through the gap and hit the blue without moving it so much that it cannons the black. By moving the black and blue further out, you can improve how you direct the cue ball and how much momentum/travel it has.