Practise tips

[atourdeforce]

Most players reach a plateau at some point where they neither get better nor worse.
Usually when this happens it means that your not challenging yourself enough when practicing.
Next time you practice on your own, play the shots your really really bad at instead of the ones you "like" or are "best at".

I was once a really really bad rest player and could never pot a ball with the rest. Then i decided to practice using the rest more than any other shots. Before i knew it i was potting everything with the rest which kept breaks going for longer and gave me more options around the table, which overall improved my entire game.

[markz]

Ok cool, next month is good for me. I'm not playing great at the moment, but fortunately my headaches are getting better and I'm starting to play a bit better due to cueing with less tension.

Keep up the practice James and you will get better as you start learning more.

[jamesg19851]

Good man, let me know when you fancy a game, i'm a bit tied up for the next month with snooker, lots of competitions going on but could have a game in birmingham. I don't mind travelling a little way for a game.

Ok cool, next month is good for me. I'm not playing great at the moment, but fortunately my headaches are getting better and I'm starting to play a bit better due to cueing with less tension.

[tomwalker147]

Hi Tom,

Yes, it would be good to have a knock sometime, although I'm struggling with my game at the moment. Perhaps we could meet in a club in the Birmingham area. I'm based in Droitwich but I'm happy to travel to Birmingham.

Good man, let me know when you fancy a game, i'm a bit tied up for the next month with snooker, lots of competitions going on but could have a game in birmingham. I don't mind travelling a little way for a game.

[Big Splash!]

It's Droitwich snooker club.

Me ma-in-law used to live there. Dead posh. You got that club cheap for a salt mine mate. lol Very nice town.

[jamesg19851]

5 squid? Bloody hell, where's that?

It's Droitwich snooker club.

[jamesg19851]

Is it having the desired affect and drawing people in to the lower prices?

I'm not 100% sure as the £5 deal is for day time only and I now go in the evening but I used to go in the day and there weren't that many people in. I get the impression that some days they really struggle which is a shame as it's a nice club and much nicer than playing at Riley's.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

During the day from 12 to 5pm it is £5 for as long as you like. After 5 it's on the meter at £7 an hour. Yes, I think it's to draw people in as they are often quiet during the day. It's not a big club, there are 7 or 8 tables, which are well maintained and it's friendly.

5 squid? Bloody hell, where's that?

[Shockerz]

During the day from 12 to 5pm it is £5 for as long as you like. After 5 it's on the meter at £7 an hour. Yes, I think it's to draw people in as they are often quiet during the day. It's not a big club, there are 7 or 8 tables, which are well maintained and it's friendly.

Is it having the desired affect and drawing people in to the lower prices?

[jamesg19851]

£5 for as long as you like? Is it a big club as that sounds cheap. I take it that is to draw some people in?

During the day from 12 to 5pm it is £5 for as long as you like. After 5 it's on the meter at £7 an hour. Yes, I think it's to draw people in as they are often quiet during the day. It's not a big club, there are 7 or 8 tables, which are well maintained and it's friendly.

[Shockerz]

£5 for as long as you like? Is it a big club as that sounds cheap. I take it that is to draw some people in?

[markz]

Get used to playing the first yellow using cushion to bring cue ball back across for green. j6uk did some great videos for colour clearance. Don't get too hung up on the clearing, that will happen as your learning the shots and getting used to playing them. Maybe ask your league captain for regular game or your best player in your team.

[jamesg19851]

Yh, I should really do my practice during the day as it's £5 for as long as you like.

I've just got back, in 45 minutes I managed to clear the colours once. The just off straight yellow with screw back is a stretch for me but I found this the easiest way to start. I should have done the clearance early on but missed a straightish black which was annoying. The time I actually did it I had to use the long tackle to pot the brown as I got out of position but I rescued it with a good pot and was straightish on the blue. A longish pink left about a half ball black which I managed to get.

I set up my phone to film the whole session so I could show the successful attempt but didn't have enough storage, I only have 8gb in total, of which 5gb is being used. Filiming must take up a lot of space.

Anyway, fairly happy with that as I got on the black 3 times in a 45 minute session and potted it once. Just one more clearance in a week to complete the challenge. One thing I did notice was that I was over cutting a lot of balls, which I started to remedy towards the end. Also my cue ball control needs a lot of improvement.

[markz]

Thanks for the game it was good to play against you, we don't get that many very good players in my club so it was good to see and a standard to aspire to. Thanks for that link, I can see the first challenge is to clear the colours off the spots. It's something that should in theory be easy but I know from previous practice that I do struggle with that. I'd try and provide video evidence but they might think it's odd in the snooker club, although I might be able to set up my mobile phone. Anyway I'm going to go down now for an hour or so, would go for longer but it's £7 an hour. Hopefully I'll be able to clear the colours more than once in a week.

Good luck mate, maybe try go the route we talked about and try find couple of nearby social clubs with snooker tables you could join. Works out much cheaper for solo practice.

[jamesg19851]

Hi James, where abouts are you based? I'm in Nuneaton near Coventry and sometimes travel over to Wolverhampton to give Markz a game. May be able to have a knock sometime?

Can't help you with the headaches but in terms of practice i'd just say play whenever you feel up to it. I've always found that practicing when you can focus is worthwhile but any other time is a waste of time.

P.S I won't ever moan about playing with a hangover again!
Cheers

tom

Hi Tom,

Yes, it would be good to have a knock sometime, although I'm struggling with my game at the moment. Perhaps we could meet in a club in the Birmingham area. I'm based in Droitwich but I'm happy to travel to Birmingham.