punching vs hitting

[Derek P]

Always difficult to write this sort of stuff

Basically it is a feeling in the mind and then in the hand - Pace of the shot has such a differing effect on any angled pot, so it is usually a balance between where on the white you strike and pace of the shot

What really helps me is to set up a few set positions, and then find out what works

For example - Half ball pot on the yellow (white about 2 feet up and in line with the green, as if you were practicing clearing the colours)

Play the yellow firmly with stun and a touch of left hand side, work out where it needs to hit the right hand side cushion to pass the blue and get position on a red between the pink and black

It is not a difficult shot once you have played it 20-30 times

It comes up in games all over - same shot on a red to take a bulk colour for example

Another shot I play is a half ball brown off 3 cushions for a red between pink and black - Half ball brown, white takes bottom rail, side cushion, just misses the yellow - hits left side cushion above the middle bag onto the red

Both these shots it is the pace that throws the white wide, and maybe a little side just to give it more run !!!!

The shots you mentioned were explained to me as using 1 of the long figure of 8 on the table, this comes from billiards and it’s a good thing to be aware of the long figure of 8s and the short figure of 8s are useful positional shots when the cue ball has to travel as invariably when used correctedly you can use ‘the line of position to guarantee even over distance that you have a good chance of being on your next ball the two shots you mentioned are great examples another one is when your high 3/4 ball black playing for yellow bounce it off back and side cushions and your running the line of the yellow into its own bag you have about 4ft margin for error of pace.

In terms of the feeling of the shot and visualing it in your mind is all great things to work on but you should also be aware of is that physically where you strike the cue ball on centre or on the side of the white or indeed the pace will widen the angle the cue ball takes from object balls and cushions. If you don’t land quite where you like or where you think take a note that you were half a tip below centre too much and next time you play this shot in practice come up the white a little or vice versa always remember that when you add pace to the shot it will increase the reaction off the white and the cue ball with stun at a sharper angle the opposite is true when your close to the object ball playing bottom will often over screw and all you need to do is play slightly below centre and you’ll pull the white back a couple of inches

[Drac]

Always difficult to write this sort of stuff

Basically it is a feeling in the mind and then in the hand - Pace of the shot has such a differing effect on any angled pot, so it is usually a balance between where on the white you strike and pace of the shot

What really helps me is to set up a few set positions, and then find out what works

For example - Half ball pot on the yellow (white about 2 feet up and in line with the green, as if you were practicing clearing the colours)

Play the yellow firmly with stun and a touch of left hand side, work out where it needs to hit the right hand side cushion to pass the blue and get position on a red between the pink and black

It is not a difficult shot once you have played it 20-30 times

It comes up in games all over - same shot on a red to take a bulk colour for example

Another shot I play is a half ball brown off 3 cushions for a red between pink and black - Half ball brown, white takes bottom rail, side cushion, just misses the yellow - hits left side cushion above the middle bag onto the red

Both these shots it is the pace that throws the white wide, and maybe a little side just to give it more run !!!!

Good post. If I'm a bit off I will go back to this........ see it, (visualise the shot) feel it, (ask self "I wonder what this shot will feel like") do it ( connect the senses)..........

[jonny66]

Always difficult to write this sort of stuff

Basically it is a feeling in the mind and then in the hand - Pace of the shot has such a differing effect on any angled pot, so it is usually a balance between where on the white you strike and pace of the shot

What really helps me is to set up a few set positions, and then find out what works

For example - Half ball pot on the yellow (white about 2 feet up and in line with the green, as if you were practicing clearing the colours)

Play the yellow firmly with stun and a touch of left hand side, work out where it needs to hit the right hand side cushion to pass the blue and get position on a red between the pink and black

It is not a difficult shot once you have played it 20-30 times

It comes up in games all over - same shot on a red to take a bulk colour for example

Another shot I play is a half ball brown off 3 cushions for a red between pink and black - Half ball brown, white takes bottom rail, side cushion, just misses the yellow - hits left side cushion above the middle bag onto the red

Both these shots it is the pace that throws the white wide, and maybe a little side just to give it more run !!!!

I like this line, I think it's what makes snooker such a confidence game. If you aren't confident with the feeling in your mind your hand/arm won't do it the way you wanted to do it.

[tmax]

Always difficult to write this sort of stuff

Basically it is a feeling in the mind and then in the hand - Pace of the shot has such a differing effect on any angled pot, so it is usually a balance between where on the white you strike and pace of the shot

What really helps me is to set up a few set positions, and then find out what works

For example - Half ball pot on the yellow (white about 2 feet up and in line with the green, as if you were practicing clearing the colours)

Play the yellow firmly with stun and a touch of left hand side, work out where it needs to hit the right hand side cushion to pass the blue and get position on a red between the pink and black

It is not a difficult shot once you have played it 20-30 times

It comes up in games all over - same shot on a red to take a bulk colour for example

Another shot I play is a half ball brown off 3 cushions for a red between pink and black - Half ball brown, white takes bottom rail, side cushion, just misses the yellow - hits left side cushion above the middle bag onto the red

Both these shots it is the pace that throws the white wide, and maybe a little side just to give it more run !!!!

[highestbreak50]

What your describing when hitting above centre but hitting the same spot and getting a different reaction is the difference between stroke and a stun shot. There are only really 3 ways to hit the cue ball, 4 if you include drag but essentially that's just screw that's lost the reaction by the time it hits the object ball.

But

1. Stroke - Is plain ball natural angle anywhere above centre will give you the natural path of the white ball.
2. Stun - At varying heights even above centre will open up the path off the white and send it off at a sharper angle from the object ball.
(This is 'punching' the ball as you call it and it's generally the easiest shot to play hence why most pro's prefer to stun run through rather than roll balls)
3. Is screw which is below centre with a better timing of getting through the white rather than punching the ball as Joe Davis said you almost try to hold on to the white as you strike to time the delivery of the cue with the pace of the shot will produce the varying amounts of screw.

To work on the effects of this you can place a little mini pack of reds say 3 on the natural path of the white ball when you pot a low half ball black off the spot. As you add stun to this shot and then come down the white half a tip or a tip at a time you will see the reaction of the white is sharper until your playing with extreme bottom and screwing the white back round to hit this mini pack each time. Move it back towards you across the table and attempt to get the cannon. Once you can pot the black and get the cannon in every position you'll understand how the white reacts at varying heights to the 3 shots which are stroke(always above centre) stun & screw

Good luck

tnx for explanation.. i just was abit confused with the theory of this

[Derek P]

What your describing when hitting above centre but hitting the same spot and getting a different reaction is the difference between stroke and a stun shot. There are only really 3 ways to hit the cue ball, 4 if you include drag but essentially that's just screw that's lost the reaction by the time it hits the object ball.

But

1. Stroke - Is plain ball natural angle anywhere above centre will give you the natural path of the white ball.
2. Stun - At varying heights even above centre will open up the path off the white and send it off at a sharper angle from the object ball.
(This is 'punching' the ball as you call it and it's generally the easiest shot to play hence why most pro's prefer to stun run through rather than roll balls)
3. Is screw which is below centre with a better timing of getting through the white rather than punching the ball as Joe Davis said you almost try to hold on to the white as you strike to time the delivery of the cue with the pace of the shot will produce the varying amounts of screw.

To work on the effects of this you can place a little mini pack of reds say 3 on the natural path of the white ball when you pot a low half ball black off the spot. As you add stun to this shot and then come down the white half a tip or a tip at a time you will see the reaction of the white is sharper until your playing with extreme bottom and screwing the white back round to hit this mini pack each time. Move it back towards you across the table and attempt to get the cannon. Once you can pot the black and get the cannon in every position you'll understand how the white reacts at varying heights to the 3 shots which are stroke(always above centre) stun & screw

Good luck

[highestbreak50]

these days i am focusing alot cueball control alot. i know that if you hit the exact same spot on cueball but with different pace, and different timing you get different result. however it is very easy to understand that if you play a shot softer or harder you get a different result, but punching the ball in will give you totally a different result

watch this nic barrows video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvitu7adib8&t=3s

just watch when he plays above centre , he plays it twice.

1st time he punches , the cueball increases the angles
2nd time he hit it softer and gets a different result


is there any other practice/routine so that we can easily improve

i was told by my coach once that visualize the spot on cueball where you are going to strike, once you are down dont readjust. however i am starting to doubt this, bcaz sometimes once you are down you might go higher/lower on cueball. sometimes i miss shots bcaz i spend too much time guessing the spot on cueball while standing, (eg: me : ok hit this shot requires 2 tips below center to get the required shot " abit of stun+screw )

my positional play isnt bad at all, however this visualizing the spot on cueball or thinking ahead of where you are going to aim on cueball , sometimes messes around with my head and i give alot of importance even while featuring, and i lose the pot.

please share your valuable thoughts