Screw shots.

[Danger Steve]

Hi chaps!

A question regards screw shots, mainly I suppose mid to deep screw shots in particular! I’m noticing now I’m back playing a couple of hours a day that my screw shots are getting better. Delicate screw shots no problem and even improvements screwing back a couple of feet without having to over hit the cue ball. However! Shots over a few feet and trying to screw back a similar distance I’m struggling....?? I’m cueing them nicely and really getting into the cue ball but on the longer screw shots I’m lucky if I get it back a foot! And on screw shots over say 6ft, it’s pretty much just a stun shot!

The other thing I’ve noticed as my screw shots have improved is the sound of the cue (or the tip?), on all screw shots I get a kind of snap/crack sound? And the longer/deeper the shot, the harder I hit the louder the sound is!

So I suppose there are few questions here. Is this normal? Is there something wrong? I have been thinking of a new 1 piece cue, does a heavier or lighter weighted cue help with screw shots? Do more expensive cues have stiffer shafts?

Just after some help and advice really!
cheers

[Starsky]

Hi ,

I would get the technique right first with a lighter cue. It’s a common mistake in all sports to try improve technique by changing your equipment . I’m not a coach but I would make sure your getting through the ball on your deep screw shots. There is a temptation to overdue the power aspect when actually it’s all about timing . Also make sure you don’t grip the cue too hard .

Take a look at YouTube as there are some good coaching videos on there that will be much easier to learn from than just putting into words . I’ve had a look at Barry Stark and he seems pretty good on there.

In regards to the noise , where are you practicing at the moment ?. The acoustics can make a difference on the noise a cue makes . I’m finding the same thing as I’ve also been practicing my screw shots with a new cue on my pool table in my log cabin.

[Danger Steve]

Wood cabin/shed.

Point taken on the videos, problem is I know all the theory but can’t seem to get it to work in practice! More practice required..? At least it sounds like the cue isn’t the problem? Im assuming weight of cue has absolutely nothing to do with how well a player can get screw into the cue ball?

[Nifty50]

https://youtu.be/IS3SJ7jgJSg

Worth a look. Might help a bit.

[Starsky]

Wood cabin/shed.

Point taken on the videos, problem is I know all the theory but can’t seem to get it to work in practice! More practice required..? At least it sounds like the cue isn’t the problem? Im assuming weight of cue has absolutely nothing to do with how well a player can get screw into the cue ball?

It could just be the cabin but every cue I’ve had makes a different sound. Without seeing and playing with the cue myself its impossible to confirm either way. My cabin is a bit echoey and it could be just that with yours.

I wouldn’t say weight of cue has nothing to do with how well you can screw a ball . If you already have decent technique a heavier cue can make it easier to screw the ball. You first need to learn the skill and you should be able to do that with any cue .

There is a great saying which goes something like ‘try again , fail again , fail better. It’s a great mantra when it comes to practice and learning a new skill.

If you want to get yourself a heavier cue then go for it but it’s not the fix for learning a better technique.

Good luck

[itsnoteasy]

https://youtu.be/IS3SJ7jgJSg

Worth a look. Might help a bit.

That's excellent, everything you need.
I've just realised Danger Steve are you still playing on half an open table or have you got the table fully set up now ?

[Danger Steve]

That's excellent, everything you need.
I've just realised Danger Steve are you still playing on half an open table or have you got the table fully set up now ?

Still playing with just 1 corner pocket and 2 cushions! Still, better than nothing! Hopefully shops will reopen soon and I can get it fully functioning

[vmax]

Make sure the grip hand fully closes after the cue ball has been struck and not before, to ensure this have your grip hand slightly open at the address point and not fully closed.

Remember that unlike a US pool cue which has a pro taper ie: the ferrule end of the cue is a dowell (the same diameter) for the first 12/15 inches before it starts to taper towards the butt, a snooker cue has a coned taper all the way from butt to ferrule so the cue will naturally rise as the diameter increases as it goes through your bridge, so flatten your bridge hand so that the cue stays as low as possible, do not jack up the butt and strike down, keep the cue as horizontal as you can, stay still and allow the cue to do the work and you will have a natural follow through until your grip hand closes.

When I first played UK 8 ball, around 1975, I used a very light old machine spliced racker with an 11mm tip and no ferrule that had a pro taper (proper billiard cue) and my screw shots on those old Arca pool tables, with the bigger balls and a larger cue ball, were effortless using this technique. No one else in the league could screw the ball back like I could on those tables as they were used to the smaller ball tables, I only lost away games

[itsnoteasy]

Still playing with just 1 corner pocket and 2 cushions! Still, better than nothing! Hopefully shops will reopen soon and I can get it fully functioning

That can't help with screw back, it must be in the back of your mind that the white will come off the table.

[Danger Steve]

That can't help with screw back, it must be in the back of your mind that the white will come off the table.

I wish I could use that as an excuse! Unfortunately not.

Practicing yesterday I managed to screw back about 9” on a 5 foot shot, some improvement at least. I’m finding the harder I need to hit it the harder it is to stay still! If I do stay still it’s as though I can’t get the arm through quick enough to generate any spin.

[itsnoteasy]

I wish I could use that as an excuse! Unfortunately not.

Practicing yesterday I managed to screw back about 9” on a 5 foot shot, some improvement at least. I’m finding the harder I need to hit it the harder it is to stay still! If I do stay still it’s as though I can’t get the arm through quick enough to generate any spin.

Have you tried coming back in little increments? So if you can cue nicely and screw back well from two feet , just come back a few inches and cue the same, keep increasing the distance until you start hitting at the cue ball instead of cueing nicely, then drop back that few inches get your cueing again then increase and try and cue the same. It's something I did, I don't know if it's a proper way to go about it but it helped me,It really isn't about power it's about cueing, cue nicely, cue through, and it will come back. Don't hit it hard, just cue better and trust it will come back.

[Danger Steve]

Have you tried coming back in little increments? So if you can cue nicely and screw back well from two feet , just come back a few inches and cue the same, keep increasing the distance until you start hitting at the cue ball instead of cueing nicely, then drop back that few inches get your cueing again then increase and try and cue the same. It's something I did, I don't know if it's a proper way to go about it but it helped me,It really isn't about power it's about cueing, cue nicely, cue through, and it will come back. Don't hit it hard, just cue better and trust it will come back.

That makes sense! I’ll certainly give that a try later and see how I go. Thanks