Snooker Aiming Tricks

What would happen if you paused at the end of your backswing for a really, really, really long time? Because in this critical moment, what you're aware of and even the specifics of what you're thinking about will make a bigger difference to the success of the shot than any part of your cue action. And we can separate that out into three separate elements. The first of which is aiming, and it means you need to know where to strike the object ball in order to pot it. Along with this, you also need to be focusing on the strength of the shot, basically just how much power the shot needs in order to get the desired outcome. And of course, you can only say you have full control of the cue ball if you're completely aware of how much it needs to spin on the bed of the table. So the three things I need to know as I'm ready to strike the cue ball are aim, power and spin. Getting this right means I've got the pot and the desired position, but this is far too complicated to be thinking about all at once. So we need to simplify it into two separate elements where the first of these simply allows us to line up the shot with minimum effort. And you do this by imagining where you need to push your cue through on the object ball in order to pot it. And it's exactly this point you need to be focusing on when your cue's at the end of your backswing. But unfortunately, the only way you're going to be able to tell if you're getting the angle right or not is with practice. And the second thing you're going to need to know at the end of your backswing is where you want the cue ball to go. Again, with enough practice, this will allow for both the power and spin you're going to add to the cue ball, really simplifying what you need to know at the most important moment. Because if you don't have a clear thought in your head of what needs to happen, you'll never be able to play a shot with confidence. Having one clear thought in your head at this time is absolutely crucial to getting the pot and the position right. So what does happen if you pause at the end of your backswing for a really long time? You need to focus clearly on how you're going to play the shot for a lot longer, which can be really challenging. And that simply makes it really good practice. So this is how it works. You set up the amount of balls down the middle of the table. It's going to be a challenge for you to clear in one break. That might be three, that might be 10, or it might be all of them. Then when you go to play a shot, you pause at the end of your backswing and hold it. And you will need to be concentrating at this time on both where you're going to strike the object ball and how you're aiming the shot. Also, where you want the cue ball to go at this point. And for all the time you're pausing, you're going to be having to keep this idea in your mind and not change it. And the longer you can do that for, the better you're going to be able to focus on the shot. So what you do is pull your cue back, pause, and then see how long you can stay focused on the shot you want to play. And this is going to do two things. The first of these is help you to focus on these shots and make you think about what's important when you're striking the cue ball. And secondly, you're going to notice you start to feel more and more under pressure the longer you hold that pause for. And this is quite good of simulating the pressure you're going to feel in a real frame of snooker. And when you start playing with a regular pause in that frame of snooker, you're going to find that pressure coming off you. Also, you're going to notice it's a little bit easier to concentrate on both where you're aiming and where you want the cue ball to go when you're playing the shots. So when you pause, you're going to be conscious of where you're aiming and pushing the cue through too, at the same time as being fully aware of where you want the cue ball to go. And if you've been practicing enough, you should be able to get it there. Practicing a long pause can also help prevent you rushing the shot, which is probably one of the biggest technical reasons why you'll miss. So how this works is imagine I'm pulling my cue back, but before I've got it back as far as I want it to go, I hit through it and end up missing the shot. And the main reason this happens is pressure, because once you pulled your cue back, you just can't take it anymore and you suddenly hit the ball before you really considered what you're going to do. So by practicing long pauses and keeping your focus on exactly what you want to happen when you strike the cue ball, you're a lot less likely to snatch at the ball when it comes to playing in a game. Before we do any more, let's just quickly find Alex, who's in Kiel, Germany, which is there. And if you combine this with getting the perfect tension in your cue arm and the delivery speed of your cue right, you're going to start potting balls a lot more accurately. And this video about cue tension shows you exactly how to do that. Or find out more about cue ball spin by clicking on the other video. And remember, don't just watch play and make the commitment to becoming a better player by subscribing to the channel and visit the website. See you later.