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Snooker Coaching
Although not an officially qualified coach, I have played snooker for nearly 40 years, mainly in Cornish Leagues and have a century break (108) to my name, made last year, so I probably have some idea of the requirements of playing snooker.
On this page, with the help of County Coach David Grigg, I hope to start from scratch with some advice on the basic stance, techniques, and strokes required to make a reasonable success of playing snooker. It may not suit the advanced amateur or budding professional, but there are lots of you out there who are not in that class and would like some help, no doubt.
The first edition of this series
features, with a touch of humour added, the basics of stance and cueing
and
an exercise (shown left) to practise centre-ball striking. If you follow
the ideas and practise them, this series will build into a reference work
for the novice or average player. Because the
magazine is no longer available in the printed version, I shall add a few
ideas here on a regular basis, which can be taken in conjunction with the
Basic Shots page.
On two Sundays recently the Mining Snooker League organised coaching sessions for young players with David Grigg, and I will describe some of the points raised at these sessions. The first session was attended by eleven players of almost novice standard, and these were divided into two groups of six and five for each of the two tables available. Each player was invited to pot a few balls while David noted any points about their stance or action. In almost every case it was seen that there was noticeable head movement on the shot.
Head
and body movement
From watching the best players at tournaments, the most obvious thing
about their play (apart from their ability) is the lack of movement of any
part of the body except the forearm. If the average player can eradicate
any other movement, particularly of the head, then he or she can hope to
make rapid strides in terms of progress. In match pressure situations,
more shots are probably missed by movement or 'twitching' than for any
other reason.
Some time was therefore set aside at each session in getting players
consciously to keep their heads and bodies still on every shot.
Approach to the table
Another important aspect instilled in the players was how to approach the table for each shot. Most players tend to play a shot and then 'hug the table', coming into the next shot from the side. It was suggested that they step back after each shot and then approach the next shot from directly behind the line. This would allow them to assess the implications of the shot and the direction of striking more accurately. Fergal O'Brien is a prime example of this approach, and one could do worse than follow his example.
Accurate striking
Striking
the cueball in the centre in the early stages is another important factor
in good cuemanship. Any unintentional side imparted to the white can cause
problems in accurate striking of the object ball. In the accompanying
diagram the cueball is struck as centrally as possible up and down the
spots. A red ball is placed on the top cushion directly behind the black
spot to aid sighting. If the shot is correctly performed, the white should
travel back down the line of the spots, on line A. Some deviation will be
noticeable to the right or left of the line when the cueball is not struck
centrally. The next step is to strike the cueball harder, still hitting it
in the centre. The extra power applied usually results in inaccuracy, and
in a large number of cases the cueball's path back will result in it
taking path B, either to the left or right of the line. If the cueball is
then struck low and with power, applying screw or stun, it often becomes
even more inaccurate, resulting in line C, either to the left or right.
Even greater accuracy in striking the centre of the cueball is thus
required. A few minutes spent on this exercise daily will usually improve
the cueing of any player, and this is an aspect which is especially
important in long distance or power shots.
Potting Practice
In order to show the importance of accurate cueing,
each of the players was invited to attempt to pot six balls into the
corner pockets. The balls were first set up on line A, between the blue
spot and the baulk line, and the white placed on the baulk line in a
straight line behind each ball. At this close range some players managed
to pot up to five of the balls. However, when the balls were placed at
line B, level with the blue spot, the players were much less successful,
some managing none at all, and the highest success rate being three. Top
players are said to be able to pot up to twenty in succession from line B
or even further away. This is clearly one of the reasons for their
phenomenal success rates for long pots, enabling them to 'get in' and make
a break. Another useful exercise for the aspiring player!
The Mining League was so pleased with the results of the first sessions, that more took place in April. Come back here for news on points and tips from these sessions.
If you live in the Cornwall area, David Grigg can be contacted on: 01726 890394
For more details use the e-mail link below:
E-mail: LAllen1622@aol.com
Tel: 01209-714100