02. Follow through - Straight Cueing in Snooker
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- čas přidán 31. 03. 2016
- Snooker Cueing in a straight line. Establishing fixed points in your cueing action includes having a good straight follow through. This will help you strike the cue ball correctly and help you to cue straight. Barry Stark, World Snooker Coach, tutorial. #cueball #snookercoach #snookercoaching #worldsnooker #billiards
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I'm 57 and hope it's not too late to learn ..Great video , thanks Barry!
sundowner. I am 76 and still learning.
2:34 "OK that's ridiculous." What a cool, calm instructor. I'd like to play a game with him once. Great video. Thank you for this.
This man is a true coach! He explains everything in such a clear and proper fashion, and his directions seem to mirror classic textbook language of any subject from the early 20th century when everything was taught so intelligently. My game - and confidence - has already improved from watching a mere handful of his lessons.
Easy. Many thanks, very glad that you enjoy the videos and the coaching style that accompanies them.
Great tips Barry thanks from Aussie. We needed you back in the early 70s mate!
This man is the real deal. I just stumbled across his grip video. "The trigger" absolutely amazing information. I cant wait to implement it into my game. I will be watching every one of your videos sir
Brian. Careful though, don't over do it, easy and gently is the key.
Been watching your videos, fantastic, a privilege to get coaching from someone with your experience, I started 35 years ago and now I know where I have been going wrong! Can't wait to get on a table, keep up the amazing work thank you.
J J. Many thanks, glad to be of help.
love the videos Barry. much love from Canada!!
Thank you Barry, I’m watching your videos. I’ve been playing many years. I’ve been using your techniques for a couple of days and already noticed improvements
Paul. Getting the basics right is so important, glad you like the videos.
Thank you so much Barry for your help. I find the ghost ball method almost impossible, but will try again and persevere as I have had success with it some years ago. getting older all the time though, best wishes, Colin.
Wonderful coach, makes things clear and simple,
I would like to show my appreciation of your teaching by saying thank you Barry.
I was playing snooker during school time, eventually I drop out this game due to no improvement.
I've got tremendous improvement on my skill until I learn from your video. It makes me understand that, the basic is important to play snooker well.
Lee. My pleasure, glad you like the videos. Good luck.
Great Sir I had a cueing problem and was unable to identify. your videos helped me alot. :)
Hello Sir, Excellent explanation of the follow through concept. Thank you. 😇
Thank you so much Barry your the best snooker professional ever Alex Higgins would be impressed with you great details on how to hold your cue properly your so good
Wow, thanks
frankly speaking you help us a lot to play snooker efficiently
Thanks Barry for your advice.,
After watching so many videos of modern day coaches, finally I came back to old school teacher ....!
meaning. Sometimes the old ways are still the best. Many thanks.
Been knocking regular 20/30 breaks in with your help. Thankyou.
I contacted you before about a cue which I have now bought and joined a club thanks for your help. I have one other issue and would appreciate your advice
Thanks Barry, I think those American potting ideas, which are supposed to help with potting angled shots, are to my mind not worth the time of day. I think after your earlier advice, I now understand what you mean by aiming for the line of the shot.
as you suggested, I practiced the ghost ball method, and visulise
a point half a balls width ( radius ) from the object ball, in line with the pocket. aiming for this point pots the ball. Thanks a lot Barry, I've seen all your vidios and re watch them too. Are you filming any more soon? All the best Colin.
This guy is THE BEST !! Thank you Sir
You are very welcome
Thank you sir iam from india learning snooker from your mentoring sir. .
Thanking you
You're the only person who improved my shots thanks so,much Sir
Brian. Glad to be of help, I only gave you the information the improvement is down to you. Well done.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach ok Sir God bless you Sir,one day i want to play in the tornament
Question for Barry Stark, could you please clarify what you said on Utube on potting. This was when you said to aim for the line of the pot, as it is impossible to aim for the actual contact point.
I use the edge of the object for a shot I think is half ball, but don't understand how to aim for the line of the pot. could you please help me on this point , best wishes Colin.
Great videos
vc é o melhor!!!
weto. Thanks for the compliment. Glad you enjoy the channel.
This is very valuable information...establishing TWO fixed points. The one I have always been lacking on is the idea of using the body and chest as the SECOND fixed point. I've been playing pool for 60 years so I know my way around the game. Any idiot knows that the Brit snooker players on those 6x12 monstrosities of tables are the best shotmakers in the world. I have studied them relentlessly for a clue....but this revelation of yours has always escaped my observations. I can see now one of the prime reasons they're able to do what they do. I've incorporated this method of TWO fixed points using the chest as point 2, into my game for only three days now and it is amazing. It keeps me dead on the shot line...right dead on it. On these pool tables here in the states, it is pure murder! And mister, I like it. Thank you very much for this information.
Joe. Several British ladies moved to the states to play pool after a career in snooker and did quite well. Alison Fisher, karen Corr. Kelly Fisher. I am reasonably certain that if you find videos of them you will see snooker traits in their pool game, particularly with Karen who I used to coach. Good luck.
Fabulous! !!!!
Is it height does matter for cueing?
Hello Mr.Barry.....Kindly can I know what brand cue you are using and
what is the tip size of the cue your'e using...Youre videos are helpful a
ton ...thanks...And also kindly tell me what size cue should i buy...Im
6 feet tall...and what is the perfect cue tip size for snooker...and
what brand cue would you suggest...can I go for a 1 piece cue or 3/4
cue...Thanks in advance for your reply...taake care...god bless :)
I just start learning from now 16/02/2020
That cool Master Barry Stark
Zain. I wish you well with your progress.
@Barry - How far back from the tip on a pool cue should the bridge hand be? Do I recall correctly from one of your videos that it is 10.5"?
saidas. Certainly I have said 10.5" is a suitable distance for a lot of players, however, this is not set in tablets of stone and the players physical stature has a bearing on the distance.
Any suggestions on power strokes( if you haven't already addressed it)?
rick. power strokes by their very nature demand greater accuracy, in truth they usually create inaccuracy. You must try to keep still, but generally because of the power being used movement is created. I'm afraid only practise will eliminate these errors.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach this is what I assumed but I greatly respect your advice and wanted to hear your thoughts. I'm a pool player trying to combine the best techniques of both cue sports
when I try to pot a straight blue into one of the corner pockets from the baulk line, I miss. I can only do it 3 times out of 10.
I don't have a tight grip, the chest pressure is low too. After the backswing pause, I accelerate more slowly.
What will improve my cuing so I do it like 8 times out of 10? Thank you.
Zouhair. Difficult one this without seeing you play, but one thing is for sure it means you have to improve your cue action. Cue along the baulk line, long and smooth, grooving those muscles in the correct manner. The more you do this the more you groove those muscles, try it without resting the cue on the chest, grooving them even more. Then put the chest back and it should become easier.
Hello Barry, with regard to using ones chest to guide and stabilise the cue. I have been trying this lately, and have found that as I feather, the cue tip can be seen to move from right to left. Don't know if I am doing this correctly. As the cue butt has a slight taper, could this cause the deviation. Also should I perhaps press only lightly against my chest. I would appreciate your guidance on this,
Colin.
colin. First of all the cue should only be brushing against the chest, certainly it is a supporting guide but done without tension or undo pressure.The taper on the cue does not really have any bearing on the direction of the cue. The chest is your friend during the cue action but it can tend to hide a flaw in your cueing if you rely on it too much. Try this little test, without hitting a ball cue along the baulk line without using your chest for support, you should be able to cue straight comfortably, if you can't it is usually indicative of a player relying on the chest too much.
Brilliant logical easy to follow instruction - is there a way of seeing all of the tutorials in one place - how many are there to date?
Mike. Go to CZcams, type in "barry stark snooker coach tutorials" and you will see them all. If you also subscribe you will be notified of any new ones that we upload.
Thank coach
Hello Barry,
thank you for your recent help on aiming.
I would be interested to hear your views on some aiming systems, mainly from the USA, which I think are dubious.
One is called parallel potting, and relies on the contact point
on the object ball, and the contact point on the cue ball, using parallel lines between them, and a line between the two points.
I have tried this in the past, and found it complicated and difficult, and don't remember having any success.
The other one is called Edge to Centre System, and requires lining up along the edge of the cue ball towards one of three points , A, B and C which has to be selected. then pivoting the cue to aim through the centre of the cue ball. This is then supposed to be correctly lined up for the shot. have you an opinion of these two so called systems. would love to hear your thoughts, all the best , Colin.
colin. I have not seen these systems but one thing I do know and that is on a straight shot (no angle to assess) most well coordinated players aim correctly, yet when they play the shot they miss. Why? because they have not delivered the cue where they were aiming and that is down to technique. No aiming system ever invented will improve that only working on that technique to deliver the cue straight at and through the ball will give a player the consistency he needs.
how do you work out how where on the cue these marks should be? I know it differs for different players but I feel like these marks would be very helpful to me because I believe one of my problems is that my follow through is too long
Jake. I itemise this in detail on one of my videos, please have a look. In the mean time your first mark is where the bridge hand goes and that should be between 10 and 12 inches. Your second mark should be 6 inches away from your first and that determines your length of follow through. Your grip hand should be in a position where the lower arm from elbow to hand should be around vertical. These are only guide lines and my video explains it in greater detail.
Hello Barry - Great videos you've got here, thanks a ton. Recently I took a slo-mo video of me playing some shots where I noted I've been dropping the elbow quite low on almost all shots. I tried correcting/pinning the elbow by being conscious on all the shots I play, whilst it improved the accuracy of the shots, there's been a considerable loss of reaction on the cue ball, my guess would be because of lack of follow through. Ideally what would you recommend, keeping the elbow still and work on follow-through by other means you suggested here or dropping the elbow and work on accuracy?
Allen. Its difficult to recommend one or the other, Ronnie drops his elbow but Judd keeps his high, both are very successful. If pushed I would favour dropping the elbow because it allows more follow through and it really is a big feature in Ronnie's game. Be careful here though because most players drop their elbow a little and it can be overdone.
+Barry Stark Snooker Coach thank you for your reply Barry, I preferred dropping the elbow as well. +1
Hey Barry.
my eyesight is right and I am right handed so my stand is square. the problem I have is, that in virtue of my stand my right shoulder is not behind my eye, not on the line. my cueing is ok, but the stronger the shot, the more it tend to go off the line. If I bend my body to get my head in front of my shoulder it does not seem natural and its hard too aim correctly. I am quite new into the game and I am not sure if and how I should change it.
It is very difficult to give you constructive advice without seeing you play, but check out my videos on stance and grip. A lot of players tend to move the cue off the correct alignment when they get down to actually play the shot. Remember to take the chest to the cue rather than the cue to the chest, the video will explain why. Being new to the game also means your body is not used to being in the snooker position. Make sure you conform to the basics and be patient, allowing your body to adapt.
Hi Barry, another great video. Thank you. Apologies if you have been asked this already, but do you recommend or have an opinion on any training aids to improve cueing? The three main ones I have found are: 360 PureStroke trainer, DigiCue and Nic Barrow’s Cue Action Trainer. Not trying to put you on the spot, just looking for an honest opinion on the pros and cons and if you think that any would do the job. Thanks Matt
Matt. I am aware of all these training aids but I am afraid I have never tried any of them. I suppose I am a little old fashioned and tend to stick with eye sight and feel.
Great video barry. I watched this and really enjoyed it. Please explain my latest discovery thanks to watching your videos.
I keep missing shots to the left so I got into my stance along the bulk line to see if my cue was on the line. I noticed that even though I was happy it was straight aiming down the shaft and the line when I looked down I was actually an inch offline?
So now when I pot balls I move my cue to where I know its straight but and I pot the balls..but it never looks right and so im not totally comfortable with what it looks like? I hope that makes sense.
Maybe you could help me explain this wierd kink in my game? Thanks, Steve
Steve. Firstly you are not alone with this, even some top players have the same problem but have learnt to compensate by either aiming or cueing differently. Be very careful with this but it could be that you are not using your dominant eye correctly so position the cue a little more towards that eye. Please notice I have not said under that eye only slightly a little more towards it. That could be the problem but not necessarily. It could be that over the time you have been playing your brain has become accustomed to how you position yourself to play and it just needs some time to adapt. Remember, the eyes only let the light and image in, it is the brain that interprets that image and that interpretation can be altered slightly.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thanks very much for your reply Barry. Im convinced this is where my problem lies..in sighting incorrectly. I feel so uncomfortable when I nudge my head over slightly however and am convinced I will miss. I will percivere and thankyou so much for helping me identify and rectify a possible major flaw with my game.
One more quick question Barry before I get back on the practise table. Im totally confused about the best stance with my dominant left eye and using the baulk line to check my alignment I find I am pulling my cue offline to the left (im right handed by the way). How should I drop down on the shot efficiently to avoid this.
Thankyou again Barry,
Hi, Barry Stark Snooker Coach. Does the cue need to keep touching the chest whatever I shoot or prepare? Please
hi
can please make a video how a play should stand and position himself before playing a ball
Alvie. This video has already been made, please look through the channel and you will find it as been comprehensively covered.
Hi Barry - great videos. Do you use a Parris cue and what size tip do you have?
gpok1982. I have a couple of cues, one is a Parris cue and the other was made by CueCraft. Both have a tip size of 9.5mm.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Thanks for reply best wishes for 2018
love your videos ihope you can answer my i have farly muscluar chest and finishing with the hand tuching the chast tands to push it of line and miss the pocket to the right (hand beeing pushed to the left) holding the cue slitly father back and stoping shay of the chest realy helps but i need to forcefully stop it from reaching the chest any advice on that
idan. The distance between the cueing hand and the chest as you adopt your cueing position will usually determine the amount of follow through, may I suggest you ensure you have enough room there. I would not encourage you forcibly stopping the hand reaching the chest, this should be a natural and relaxed movement. Certainly start your cueing position with a fullish grip, concentrate on the front of the hand as you take the cue back unfurling or releasing the back fingers then return to the full grip gently as the hand reaches the chest, this is important as it aids the timing of the shot.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you i will try this also i am going to apply what you said in ep 67 and put a marker on the cue
my preparation before a shot is very fast and fidgety how do i sort this out?
This should be easy but in reality it is quite difficult, old habits die hard. Try aiming with a static cue then concentrate on a steady and methodical pre-shot routine. Lets three feathers or waggles, a definite pause and then cue delivery. I'm not in favour of being too regimental in your routine it tends, to handicap your natural ability, but here we are trying to cure a problem so it can only be a good thing.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach
thank you very much sir,
will practice my stance and cueing.I am watching your videos and practicing accordingly, am sure my game will improve tremendously.
thanks and regards
Nice job Berry!
When we talk about aiming,does this mean to stand casually and use English on the cue ball; or to simply stand in the line of the shot into aimed area?
Hamid. You should never do anything casually in this game or it will let you down at some stage. English (side) is something that should be used sparingly and you would be better advised to use centre ball striking as much as you can. Have a look at my videos which cover the stance, establish one that conforms to the general basics, one that is comfortable for you and use it as much as the position of the balls allow.
What's your opinion on dropping the elbow after a hard shot?
Sorry for the delay in answering your question . Judd Trump tends to keep his elbow high, Ronnie tends to drop his elbow facilitating a technique commonly known as a drive. Both are obviously effective and like they say , "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." Nobody gets through the ball quite like Ronnie and he would not be able to do this without dropping the elbow significantly. Most players will drop the elbow a little during the execution of a shot, to do it like Ronnie demands a lot of movement from the major muscles of the arm, and/or going past the chest and/or altering the grip during the shot. Whatever works for the individual is fine. Incidentally most good billiard players drop the elbow allowing them to get through the ball better and impart a greater degree of spin.
Barry, I am really enjoying your videos but I have real problems in getting low enough in my stance to look down the cue.
I am 6'5" tall and have very dodgy hips and spine. I just cannot get low down when I am cueing, so that I am always hitting down.
Can you offer any suggestions as to how to compensate for my problems?
Thank you.
John. A difficult one this particularly because of your hip and spine problem. It would be unprofessional of me to offer any physical advise without knowing the full extent of your problems, perhaps physiotherapy could help with increasing your mobility. If you can manage it without causing discomfort don't be afraid to bend both knees, this will help you to get lower and keep the cue more parallel with the table. There are several professional players that do this and providing you keep still it is not an handicap, I wish you well with this.
Hi Barry! I wondered if I you cud give me a little help! I am 6ft 7 however I use a longer cue which i had made which is 63 inches! The problem I feel I have sometimes is that I play with a fairly straight left arm and sometimes I feel like the cue hand hits the chest and even passes my chest especially on shots I need to hit a little harder! Should my cue hand be passing the chest at all on any shots! I have reached a decent standard where I can get the odd 40/50 break but I feel I need to sort this problem out before I can improve further! Is it as simple as bending my left arm more as I’ve checked that the tip is at the ball when setting up the shot and my bridge is also only 10.5 inches! Any thoughts would be muchly appreciated!
Michael. The only object is to cue straight, how you achieve that is an individual thing. The chest is an aid but must not be considered the be all and end all. At 6ft 7 I would be surprised if you didn't go past the chest on some shots even with a 63 inch cue. I would certainly try bending the left arm a little, (not too much) to see if that helps but then I would work with what you have got, it may mean relaxing the front of the hand as you reach and go past the chest but a lot of top players do that. One that springs to mind is Stephen Lee who some pundits remarked had the best cue action in the world. Look him up on CZcams playing some exhibition shots in China and Thailand and take notice of his grip as he plays a power shot.
Thanks Barry! Much appreciated 👍
Sir can u tell me which thing can we do for strong arm
Haseeb. The last thing you need at snooker is strength, let the cue do the work. Work on your technique and allow the cue and muscle action to develop naturally.
Hi Barry, I have a question about the distance between my hand and the chest. Watching a lot of pro players, they all have their forearm perpendicular to the cue when striking the cue ball. When I try to have a perpendicular forearm at the point of contact, I find that the distance between my hand and my chest becomes very short, and when I try to increase this distance by the techniques you mentioned in the video, I find it very difficult to maintain a perpendicular forearm when I'm addressing the cue ball. Is it important for my forearm to be perpendicular to the cue when I'm addressing the cueball, and if so, how could I try to increase the distance between my hand and my chest to generate more follow through?
Thank you Barry, loving your videos as a beginner snooker player from Hong Kong!
Samson. The distance between the grip and the chest is as you imply very important, but to achieve this the forearm being perpendicular depends on several factors. 1/ The physical stature of the player. 2/ The distance of the bridge from the cue ball. 3/ Bent or straight bridge arm. Dwelling on the physical stature, what is the length of his arm from shoulder to elbow? How much flexibility does the player have in the shoulder joint? What is the angle of the upper arm from shoulder to elbow? This angle is often over looked but if a player carries his elbow high, the distance from shoulder to elbow on an horizontal plane is shortened, therefore so is the distance from grip to chest if he insists on a perpendicular lower arm. The perpendicular arm is a guide and that is all it is. Take a look at my video which describes where to hold the cue by using two marks on your cue
Barry hi, so if my unfur and onfur wil make the cue turning slightly during the feather is it ok?
Daniel. A lot of players have slight rotation on the cue as it is delivered, the key word here is slight. This will not affect the shot and providing you cue in a straight line please don't worry about it.
Thank you Barry your advises had made me see the game more better since I started it.
I like your method of teaching, I have a question regarding chin on the cue, I have back and neck problems and am 6ft 2" so I can't get my head down fully on the cue, as a result I can't sight from along the cue only from above it.
Is there any advice on adapting stance or changing something else to help?
Daz. Sorry you find it difficult to get your chin on the cue and being tall certainly doesn't help with back and neck problems. There is a lot of rubbish spoken about the stance and whilst it cannot be ignored perhaps you could try widening it to reduce your height or bending both legs to lower your body. Obviously I don't know the extent of your back and neck problems but I can recommend two books by the same author, ROBIN McKENZIE. (Treat your own back) and (Treat your own neck.) good luck.
Thanks Barry, I do widen my stance quite a bit and find it easier to adopt the closed hand bridge and slightly push down on my queing wrist. I will keep watching your excellent vids. for me your the best teacher on here, keep up the good work.
Hi Barry. Are all snooker cues the same length? I have one but sometimes it feels too short. Is there an extension I can buy for it or are there longer ones to buy? On mine, I feel like my hand hangs over the rear edge. Is this a silly question?.......Thank you, Sal : )
kyotosal. It certainly is not a silly question. The average length of a snooker cue is 58 inches, my own cue is 57 inches. Kyren is taller than me and has long arms, his cue is 59 inches long. Cues can be lengthened quite easily by a competent cue manufacturer, you just have to decide on whether the cue is worth extending or if it is more advisable to buy a new one. Have a look at my video which shows where to hold the cue and where to place the bridge hand, this will help you to decide whether your cue is too short or not.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Thank you Barry. It's good to know there are longer cues to buy. I just haven't had time to get to where I bought mine to ask them. Yes, I have watched your excellent video on hand placement at least 3 time Sometimes it takes a while for it to sink in and I haven't been able to get to a table easily here in Bangkok. All the snooker clubs are far away from me. At least now I know what the next thing is to do. Thanks again for your time in answering me.....Sal : )
Hi Barry, I have a problem with my right arm coming out, I know if this didn't happen I could maybe be a half decent player (at a low level) but because of this fault I know that even if i'm starting to get a break ( not a huge one but maybe up to 20 maybe 30 ) I know at some point that this fault will appear and mess it all up.
I practise up and down the spots and across the baulk line and I pot balls into the center and corner pockets using the 10 top, screw and stun methods and I find I can do this, the problem seem to happen mostly when I play someone.
The balls are all nice and i know there's a big breaak for the taking but I miss the black off the spot or the blue in the middle and instead of the 30 or 40 i should be getting i end up with one or 9 or 16 ish if i'm lucky.
Do you have any advice as i really want to start beating those smug so and so's who consider me no challenge.
Please help.
You say this happens mostly when you play someone, this suggests to me that tension is the main reason for the fault appearing. All players go through the stage of doubt or anxiety on some shots. Try to establish a pre-shot routine in your practise and then stick to it in your matches. Diaphragmatic breathing will help you to relax.
Thank you Barry I'll give that a go before I get down in the shot.
Also...and I know you've covered this subject, but I could really use an in depth tutorial on aiming as in the pointing of the cue part,
I'm not sure if I miss because of the arm coming out or because my aiming method is a bit out.
I kind of do two things....
1 is a contact point:- where the white will touch the object ball and 2 I try to look where I need to point the cue in order for the white to contact the object ball where I think it has too.
People say I'm getting down on the shot and all lined up ok, it just goes wrong after that, leaving me not knowing if the ball is going to pot or not until it goes in.
This is such a fantastic game and I wish I could play it right.....boo hoo
I have a question regarding the rule if like we. Have a freeball blue is infront of the red ball and i call a free ball blue amd pot the red and red is pot so as blue is it a foul or how would the score go!!! And same situtation is only color ball is left on the table have a free ball and green ball is onfront of yellow amd i call green ball free ball amd both the balls are pot how would the score go!!!!
faisal. In the first scenario the blue has effectively become a red, if you strike the blue first and the red is potted that is okay and you will score one point. If you strike the blue first and both the red and the blue are potted, that is also okay, the blue will be re-spotted and you will score two points. In the second scenario the green effectively becomes a yellow, if both balls are potted that is okay, the yellow stays down, the green is re-spotted but you only score two points.
Hi Barry,
I am a new to snooker.I have one doubt about the fixed point on body. The snooker stick has a small slope at the end. So if we keep the stick touching the body through out the shot, the stick will hit the cue away from its centre rite?
rahulhobby. Please don't concern yourself with this, it is one thing to be precise but another to be overly concerned with minute detail.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach thanks Barry. Have you done video on finding the line of aim? Or it just comes automatically with practice ?
How do I determine whether I am cueing on the line of aim that I have gone down on and not cueing straight off the line of aim that I had gone down on?
Durgesh. The beat way to prove this is to work on the baulk line. Cue along the baulk line, first ensuring that you are on the line then playing an imaginary shot and then ensuring that you are still on the line. This is a good test of you cueing.
Makes a lot of sense ...great solution...Thank you Sir
Good job sir
What does power mean?
Is it about long back swing or throwing it forward forcefully?
Hamid. Power simply means hitting the ball hard, cue power is totally different and it means timing the ball sweetly throughout the contact and follow through. Watch the top pros, how they can get the action on the cue ball without any real effort. A longer back swing will help most players to achieve this timing, the problem with most amateurs is that they are frightened of this length because they have not grooved the cue action and they feel they cannot keep it straight. Nobody is saying it is easy, in fact it is difficult but the time spent working at it will pay dividends later.
Mr stark i usually play with bended bridge arm by the statements in this movie my bended bridge arm is wrong because i get more follow through? And always we should have straight arm?
Reza. Most players in todays game play with the cue on their chest and achieve enough follow through without going past the chest. Without moving your bridge or grip hand you will find that if you bend or straighten your bridge arm you can vary the amount of follow through without going past your chest. Some players can go past the chest, get the required amount of follow through and still cue in a straight line, these players can play with a straight bridge arm. Basically we are all different and what suits one player does not necessarily suit every player.
Good evening sir, am Wilfried from cameroon, do you know about the 360 pure cue? its a queue with a spring, if you know it please do you think it can help my cueing?
Wilfried. I have heard of the cue and seen a video of it in use, I have not however tried it out myself so cannot give a fair assessment of it.
thank you coach
Hi Barry
I'm father has bought a snooker table a while back and I need to beat him. So I need tips on how to get on the black then red and a few more blacks. That would help a bit my trouble is that I can't control the cue ball to come back to get on the black or another colour.
Do you have a dvd out?
Vince
Vince. Control of the cue ball is the real art of the game, I am afraid there is no easy answer just keep practising and making constructive adjustments to your game. Improve your cue action and you will improve the cue ball control, the two go hand in hand.
Thank you for your reply Barry. Ok I will keep practicing control of my positioning. Many thanks Vince
Dear Barry, I have watched this video for the second time and something struck me. When I do up and down the spots I have noticed that I can do it nicely when I intensionally keep the grip hold very loose but when I only concentrate on the top cushion and deliver the cue I almost always come off with right hand side and never even once with left hand side. I am a lefty so this means I am moving the butt slightly towards the left and hence imparting the right hand side. In this video you talked about the fact that if the follow through is any less than desired you will complete the shot by coming away from the chest. Then this should mean what I need to do is to try to complete the shot consistently. Perhaps I need to mark my cue as well and practice.... thanks a lot !!!
Q. M. I think you are a thinking man and have come up with the answer to your own problem. In other words, you don't need me, well done.
Dear Barry, thanks for the appreciation. But to me it shall always be a matter of trial and error as well as doubt in the end. And so I shall always look forward to expert opinion coming from an expert of a high order such as yourself. I follow your advice closely and practice it in trying to accomplish in becoming a decent consistent player. Carry on and keep educating me and many like me sir for I shall ever be truly indebted to your kind service !
4:30 onwards ididnt understand what you meant, giving alot of players , alot of problem?
i do lots of follow througgh and my shoulder drops, but my coach told me dont worry about dropping your shoulder etc
can you also explain abit more what you meant at the end of your video?
thanx
ART. When some players try to get more follow through they laterally bring the cue butt away from the chest, this then causes them to cue across the ball. It is not a problem to drop the elbow and can actually be beneficial providing the player can keep the cue straight as he hits and goes through the cue ball. Your coach obviously feels that you are cueing straight and can do this while dropping your elbow so carry on listening to him
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Dear Barry many thanks for the great tutorial video. In the end u said"anymore and i can lose control at the back, anyless and to get the follow through what tends to happen is i go pass the chest.. " i don't understand what does it mean by anymore or anyless, what is anymore or anyless? I am from China, my English is not as good as perfect as native speaker. Pls try to explain, i appreciate very much
Thanks coach
Rezwan. My pleasure.
Hi Barry, when I practice snooker for several hours, I found that the left hand bridge arm, especially the back of left hand will have a bit of pain. Am I in the wrong stance or something wrong? I checked that my stance is quite square and my weight is evenly distributed between both legs. Just curious how snooker professional can play for a long time without getting any pain issue
But I find I really add some weight to my left hand, not sure if it is excessed
EDwin. It does sound as if you have too much weight on the bridge hand, my I suggest you move your left foot SLIGHTLY forward allowing you to take more weight on the left leg which will reduce the need to have as much weight on the bridge hand and arm. Please remember I have said slightly forward we don't want to alter your body position too much.
hi can i ask for some help here. im having a little problem with my cue action because when i follow through shot my hand will hit the chest then go past the chest.i don't know whether following through shots and go past the chest point is good or bad because it has become a habit i would say. And if its bad how can i change that habit.
Benson. Some players go through to the chest, others go past the chest, it really doesn't matter as long as you get through the ball and do so with a straight cue action. It is probably easier to keep the cue straight by only going to the chest rather than past it but remember the cue is only in contact with the cue ball for a fraction of a second which ever method you use.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach ohh I see. Thank you very much for your help
Hi barry...tnxx to answer my question plzz...how much the contact of the cue with the chest is important? and did i have to add a contact with the chin also?
Samir. If you don't rest the cue on the chest you are asking an awful lot of your technique to keep the cue on line as you play a shot, particularly any shot that requires any degree of power. Getting down to the level of the cue (that is chin on the cue) is an important aid to sighting and to some degree keeping still. Please don't struggle to maintain this contact throughout the entire delivery though as this can create tension, rather just allow things to happen naturally.
very good explication tnxxx a lot :):):)...just when i asked you about the chin did i have consider that as a fix point?
Dear Barry, I believe this has been one of my great mistakes in terms with technique. I am rather tall (6 feet) and a lefty. whenever I do up and down the spots drill my white would either come back straight if i am doing it correctly or otherwise with right hand side. Never ever left hand side. Seeing this video suggested to me that most probably I am doing my follow through by coming away from the chest. Whenever a lefty would come away from the chest on follow through that would mean unintentional right hand side. I use a 59 inches cue because 58 feels a bit small to me.
How do you suggest I correct that please ???
Q.M. Sidd. Cueing over the spots, whilst a worthwhile practise can sometimes be a little misleading, try hitting the cue ball gently along the baulk line from about the brown spot. Take note how the cue ball leaves the first cushion rather than the second cushion, this can tell you things that over the spots cannot. Also, try this practise without resting the cue on the chest, then bring the chest back into it and see if the results are in any way different.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach all right. I shall do that and let you know my results. Many thanks coach.
Firstly I would like to thank you and how much I appreciate your videos.
I am a beginner and very keen to improve my technique. I am practicing my straight line cueing . I have drawn a straight line on my old 6ft snooker table. And close my eyes to take one of senses away as demonstrated in your other video.
I always end up with my cue either side of the straight line in practice.
Do you have a tips on how to improve this.
Kind regards chris
Chris. The fact that you say your cue ends up either side in practise rather than continually on one side suggests that all you need to do is practise more to groove a consistent action. Try cueing along the baulk line without resting the cue on the chest this should help to groove the muscles in the correct manner.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach
Thank you very much for replying back to me. I will practice with a gap between my chest and cue along the straight line I have drawn.
I have been spending alot of time studying your videos on technique. I am finding that the cue ball more often than not goes where intended. Even on long pots. All thanks to your brilliant videos.
Kind Regards Chris.
hi barry could you give me tips on how to approach buying a cue please what do I look for ?
Dylan. Most cues have a shaft made of Ash or Maple, you will have to choose which one you prefer. The butt will normally be made from ebony with veneer inlays primarily to make it look good. Some butts have varnish on them, some not. I personally don't like varnish at all and certainly no varnish on the shaft. Make sure it is straight by looking along it and fits comfortably into the hand. The weight should be between 17oz and 19oz with a tip that measures between 9mm and 10mm. Lastly its always advisable to take an experienced player with you who can help with your selection.
great thanks a lot :)
Hi Barry,
Would just like to say how good your latest videos with Selina are. I would rate them as good or better than anything you have done. How many have you done with Selina, I've just watched part two.
All the best Barry, I shall keep watching,
Colin.
colin. I have only done the two videos with Selina, she is now practising hard on what we have worked on and by all accounts making good progress.
Hi Barry. I would love to get my game to a higher level. I have terrible technique and I feel that it stands between me and any future success. I would love to receive some one to one coaching from you.
I'm sorry but my time is very limited due to family and other commitments.
i don't want to be pedantic but your follow through was about 8-9 inches. But you're a great instructor keep up the amazing work.
Ashley. I am sure you and I know how important the follow through is and I am constantly trying to find little ways of increasing it but under control.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach ye I’ve just come back from a practise session and did a few stretches before playing like I saw in one of your videos.
The drive increases follow through,this is what del hill told me.Hitting to the chest promotes snatching or quitting on the shot.Cuing is subjective and personal from coach to coach players to players but if you drive your promoting acceleration through the gears and more follow through ,ronnie and stephen lee and murphy now selby all drive,the problem with itting the chest is you have to practice more to groove that action.The drive might not suit everyone but it simplified to me how to cue well,the problem with this game is people get to technical with there action and over think it.
Where should a good cue balance, I'm looking at adding a bit more weight to my cue, but not sure where the best place to add it is, how will it affect delivering a strait cue if it's too for back or forward. Many years ago I picked out a hand made one piece 18 and a half ounce Riley ash cue, best cue I ever had, it just seemed to want to flow forward when i played a shot and I was just guiding it, Unfortunately, not long after owning it, I was buzzing round the table building a break, when I court the tip in-between the light meter and some conduit and snapped the ferrule off! I fixed a new ferrule on my self, but the cue was a bit shorter and never played the same.
Gregory. When you snapped the ferrule off the cue you liked it seems to me that you disturbed the balance by making the cue slightly more butt heavy, you obviously prefer a cue where the balance point allows the cue to settle nicely on the bridge hand but that can easily be overdone. The balance point on the average cue of 58 inches long is around 16 to 17 inches from the butt end of the cue.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Ahh thanks, makes sense, at the time thought it played bad, was because the wood is thicker lower down and it had lost it's action/spring, i should thinned the wood down a bit, which would have moved the balance back a bit as well, LOL, instead i gave it to a pool player who liked it, my current cue is just over 18 ounces, i will try adding half an ounce just below the balance point, will only tape it on to see how it plays.
I am right handed but play snooker left handed I also broke the scaphoid bone in my right hand a good few years ago. I have always had a problem with my bridge I haven't played since I was a teen almost 20 years ago. As the bridge is important do you think it would be worth the effort as I'm just restarting to try to play right handed? Or is it a crazy idea thanks
Wayne. The bridge is important of course but only in the sense that your cue moves freely along it and that the bridge does not move, if it does then the cue moves and cue delivery becomes haphazard. There is nothing wrong with developing skills with your other hand in fact I would encourage it, but to change totally will require a lot of work especially someone like yourself in your thirties/ forties. Walter Lindrum was right handed, lost part of a finger and changed to a left handed player becoming world billiards champion and streets ahead of anybody else, he was however only a youngster when he changed. The advantage he had because of it was that when the occasion demanded he could just play shots with his other hand.
Thanks very much for the reply Barry admittedly started trying right handed difficult but I'll give it a few months and see how it goes I know it's a challenge but I think worth a try as I have never Bridged really with my thumb left handed so thanks again and for all your videos
I'm going to try this, oing through a really bad patch atm cant make a 20, I keep whacking my hand into my chest quite a lot and it hurts. How do I know where to put the first mark on the front of the cue? Is it a a measured distance 🤔
James, Not really a measured distance as everyone is different but a good guide would be 10 to 11 inches.
hi barry you can see my previous comment here 4 years ago, and still i have the same alignment issue. just a question? i have a very serious alignment problem, did everything but didnt work.
my question is where should be the ideal contact point on chest? i mean in address position where the cue should be touching? above the nipple? mine is 2 inches below the nipple and shots looks off, and i put right hand side all the time. and my alignment is always on right hand side of cue ball and the butt is towards left side of me.
tnx huge, appreciate your reply!
Snooker. Where the cue touches the chest is irrelevant unless of course lack of mobility is preventing the player from getting down into something like the proper position. It is the eyes and the brain that put the cue on the correct line of aim, likewise they also indicate the correct place to hit the cue ball. Anomalies arise because of bad habits like cueing across the ball, the player misses and instead of curing a cueing problem he aims differently or applies side unknowingly, over time this tricks the brain into thinking he is striking the centre of the cue ball etc. You need to determine your dominant eye, you may be using it incorrectly. Then without a ball, place your cue exactly on the baulk line, take up your stance and taking care not to move the cue, take your body to the cue and your chin to touch the cue. Take note where the cue is touching the chin in relation to the eyes. Do that a few times to get used to the habit, now place a ball on the baulk line and use the line to make sure you are striking centre, see if you can keep the ball on the line when you gently hit it and it rebounds off the side cushion. If none of this looks right you may need to adjust the position of the chin on the cue, remember don't move the cue once you are certain it is on the baulk line.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach tnx for the reply, i have tried my chins too, and my normal chin centre is the better. one thing is that i dont twist my heap much, and my right leg is straight (right hand player) i have seen many pros that their right legs have abit angle. this is why my elbow is slightly out, i know that the out elbow works for some but it doesnt work for me, how do i fix this issue? tnx
Hi Barry does it matter on the weight of the cue. I have used different types of cues that vary in weight.
Dilip. This is personal preference, a cue normally weighs between 16 and 19 ounces, my own cue weighs about 18 ounces but it is simply a matter of choice.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thanks for your reply.
Thank you
You're welcome
Barry , sometimes I find it very hard to c the line of aim or judge if it thick 3/4 th ball or thin half ball , in the end I end up missing a simple shot . Help me through it coach .
Xandorjee. Without seeing you play the only advice I can give is to use the ghost ball to give you a good indication where to aim, I would also check your cueing because even good players don't always deliver the cue where they are aiming. Play over the spots to check that you are cueing in a straight line consistently. If your cueing is inconsistent learning the correct potting angle becomes to some extent, guesswork.
Thank u Barry , will that in mind .
Hi Barry sorry it's me again.
Can you advise me how to pot balls that are tight against the cushions.
Vince
Vince. Potting balls along the cushion are always tricky and need to be approached with caution, I always say don't sacrifice the pot just because you are striving to achieve position with the white ball. If your cue ball is tight on the cushion as well as the object ball it is just simply a question of a full ball contact. When the cue ball is off the cushion slightly it is still just a question of of hitting the cushion and cue ball at the same time. When the cue ball is well away from the cushion running side is generally helpful, this tends to enlarge the target area and makes it a little simpler, please don't forget however that these are difficult shots and should be approached with caution.
Thank you Barry. I will take you're advice on board. Many thanks again. Vince
Great
Berry could you share your experience how to have a softer back hand ...which in turn create a CLICKING sound ..
How to improve this?
Hamid. Having a softer back hand is all about relaxing and letting the cue do the work. I am afraid I do not know what you mean by creating a clicking sound unless you mean when the two balls make contact with each other, if that is the case then that too will be achieved by relaxing the back hand.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach
When you play with rigid muscle,your shot does not create a clicking sound ...
It is hard and looks as if hit with a blow which I dont like .
Moreover, I am still confused about FRONT and BACK handing..Should I play with front hand all the way;if yes, how to aim then?
Thank you
Can you tell me how much distance is appropriate from cue tip to our hand bridge...in normal...
?
Taral. This varies from player to player but generally it is between 10 and 12 inches.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you guruji 🙏
Sir...i am left handed n right eyed...when i get down to the shot my cue's goes to the right(not on line of aim)..i feel tension during my backswing..bt cant control it..i try to use square stance....how to control it..any suggestions???? Help me
Gobal. This sounds as if you are moving the cue to the body instead of vice versa. Try placing the cue exactly on the baulk line, now take up your cueing position and ensure you move your body to the cue, be careful not to move the cue. Do this a few times until you establish a routine whereby the cue is placed on line and the body is taken to it. Good luck.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach thank you...
Good evening sir. I wanted to understand how do we figure out the contact point?
Raj. The contact point is the point furthest away from the target line, I am afraid though that only experience will guide you to it. Snooker players do not choose a contact point to aim at, they select a line of aim and the contact point becomes part of that line of aim.
Sir should the cue slide with chest during cueing or should have a distance from chest.
I found that I pot more balls by having distance but my control on cue is lost.
I think you explained it at last of this video but sorry could not understand.
M. Modern players rest the cue on the chest during cueing. You are probably potting more balls with the cue off the chest because of where you are holding the cue. Check out my video on where and how to hold the cue, also where to place the bridge hand because this can influence the amount of follow through. Good luck.
Queria entender English para aprender essas técnicas desse velho, parece muito bom.
Adryan. I can't help you with that one but surely someone in your country can help.
Can anyone help ...I can't stop putting left hand side on the cue ball when I'm aiming in the centre of the cue ball ...and the harder I hit the ball
I get even more left hand side ...
I'm left eye dominant
Tried changing my stance but I still putting left hand side on
HELP
(Reply from channel administrator) Many thanks for your comment. Barry is currently away in Poland offering his support to Kyren Wilson at the World Games invitation event in Poland 24th - 30th July.
He sends his apologies, but hopes that in the meantime there are other experienced players/coaches out there in the community that may be able to offer a response to your comment.
Barry will be back answering questions on the channel as soon as time permits. Thank you for your support.
Dave. Have look at my video on looking down on the cue ball. You also have to be honest with yourself, are you putting the side on because of a sighting issue or because of a cueing issue or both. The stance has very little to do with this but I would check your sighting and cueing on the baulk line.
I wish I knew the answer Barry ...I think I got a good cue action so I would go along the lines it maybe my sighting ....I'm trying to get my chin on the cue like I did when I was 21yrs old .....I have had 25 yrs break from the game and been playing 6 months now ....in my hey day I could make some century breaks ....I have managed to make a 40 break of late .....I play the White up the spots and it goes to the left if I hit it firm ...I play long blues and miss it by the same place every time ...I'm getting better results with my chin on the cue but it feels uncomfortable just now ....I'm 66 yrs young
Dear Sir Barry, I'm 16 and have been obsessed with snooker since I was 5, however, I never got my own cue, any suggestions on where or which type of cue I should get? Maple? Ash? Much respect from Hong Kong. Thanks for all your videos, they are so good!
Carlos. It is always best to get your own cue but selecting one is very much an individual thing. Some players prefer Maple whilst others prefer Ash all I can tell you is that probably Ash is the most popular. Reputable companies that make a good product include CueCraft -- John Parris -- Omin, etc and many more. Having one made to your own specifications can be very expensive and you will have to wait a while. Choose one that is not too whippy, between 9.5mm and 10mm tip size and sits nicely in the hand and is neither too thick or too thin at the butt.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Understood, thanks a lot Coach! Stay awesome
Last question, are there any drills or type of shots I can use to test when im choosing my own cue, and how should my 'ideal' cue feel like when im hitting the ball?
Wat must be ideal distance between cueball and V of the bridge sir?
swaril. I recommend no less than 10.5 inches (27cm) and no more than 12 inches (30.5cm) There are always players, good and bad, who vary from these measurements but they are a very good guide.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach ...ty sir
Experiência em pessoa . Podia ter legenda em português pra. Os brasileiros entender a voz da experiência
Hey Barry I have a question. So in reference with the cue in contact with the chest. Is it In contact to the nipple? Or close to it? Where exactly on the chest? Under the chest?
Papi. Every one is build differently, some carry the cue high others low, shoulder flexibility determines a lot. Don't pay too much attention to this, the chest is only an aid to cueing straight don't let it dictate to you, as long as you have enough room to play the shot, get through the ball etc it is not that important where it touches the body.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you very much for your reply. ive seen almost all your videos. i love the enthusiasm you put in showing correct form and technique. one final question if you dont mind me asking Mr. Stark. i dont know how familiar you are with the world class players and how familiar you are with their technique. i personally am a huge fan of jimmy white because he can generate so much power. im from the US so theres a lot of videos out there from where you guys are from that i cant see. i know its a bummer.. so i only got to see what i could from Jimmy. my question is this. what kind of grip or how exactly does jimmy hold to cue for the wrist flick action as hes mentioned before his cue action comes mainly from the wrist. i notice i try to use wrist flick for perfect timing but after the cue contacts the chest i cant follow through as my elbow tends to go to the side kind of like if it bounces off. he hardly extends his backswing and even follows through and can generate all that power
Thanks
No problem
Hey Barry,
I really like your work, i play snooker as hobby but very passionate about the game.
my height is 5 feet 7 inches , currently i am using O'min Champion cue which is 57 inches in height is this cue prefect for me?
thanks.
Avnindra. I am 5 feet 8 inches tall and my cue is 57 inches long. I find that the length is ideal for me. I am fairly certain that the cue length is okay for you, but if you follow the guidelines of where to hold the cue mentioned in my other videos, any doubt you have should be eliminated.
+Barry Stark Snooker Coach thnx Barry
A cue that comes up to your shoulder height is often a good guide to how long it should be.
thnx
Avnindra Thakur No problem.
Dear Coach,
should the cue meet the chest on the nipple or above it? And shall I press the cue to the chest or not?
Masa. So much relating to your question depends upon the players physicality as to where the cue touches the chest. Notice I said touches the chest not pressed against it, that will only result in tension. Place the cue on line then take the chest to the cue, not cue to chest, where it touches the chest is an individual thing.
Thank you very much!