Your videos are so useful and I put them on practice everytime and it works absolutely perfect. Your the best coach 👍. Thanks Barton, appreciate what you do for us.
Hello Steve, did you ever make a video how to change and form the tip of the cue , I saw some videos ....but yours are the very best 👍☺️ and as I am german I understand very well your clear pronunciation. Thanks a lot.
Thank you Steve I have followed you for a long time now and enjoyed all your videos I have played for 40 Years and now 70 Years old so you are really never too old to keep learning,Snooker really is a difficult game to play consistently and you always need to practice the correct way and need encouragement well you really are the number one Coach on here and have the ability to explain and show simply how to improve your game of Snooker even too a 70 Year Old. Thanks again,
Great video Steve thanks, I'm 73 and played since I was 18 but never too old to learn as one reviewer has already said. I hope you didn't mind me giving some advice below regarding cueing straight along the baulk colours line. Best wishes for 2025.
Great video as always, good to see someone who actually understands the cue ball vs object ball argument (the pros, all pros even the ones they say they look at the cue ball, check line, target object ball, check cue ball, check object ball, final check on cue ball, then focus on object ball for delivery). The video cuts out at the end btw, just the last bit of the outro
Great video as always. No 7 would be lying down on the shot before making a sound plan about the shot, where exactly you want to strike the cue ball and where you want the cue ball to finish. Without a plan, our brain is confused regarding what you want to make happen, which creates tension and movement on the shot. Take your time, work out the trajectory, and only then lie down on the shot.
del hill who coached ronnie,etc,,i had few lessons with him, he told me aiming is done on the way in to the shot ill break it down...step 1..stand behind the line of the shot..step 2 walk into the line putting your right leg on line left foot slightly forward shoulder width apart. Step 3 put your tip to the cueball on the line.step 4...put your chest to the cue never put cue to the chest that puts the cue off line thats aiming that ronnie was taught by del.
Yes, personally, I'd love to see Mr Barton Snooker slowly rising from behind the table at the start too, like he's arriving by invisible elevator. "Or maybe I should take...the stairs! ... But why take the stairs when I've got a perfectly good canoe!?"
Having not played snooker for 20 odd years, making a comeback after watching your great lessons on TH-cam. But these days, can get the cue directly under the chin. Would the sighting be affected if the head is more elevated?
Steve, I have been watching all of your tutorial videos & I have learnt a lot from stance, swing, follow through & specially relaxing of index fingertip is amazing as it helps get better potting and more spin BUT there is one thing I have not been able to get which is GRIP. My QUESTION is upon back swing one should relax back fingers, Now main grip is in first ring of thumb & index, but should Relaxed FINGERS feel the cue or just the ring will do the work? If fingers will also feel the cue when relaxed where the cue will be relaxing / sitting / touching the fingers? & How many finger will be touching on back swing? This confuses me and makes me miss simple shots because upon delivery and closing hand it causes disturbance & jumps ( I know that closing hand should not be snapping )
You said about steering the ball into the pocket, but are there any techniques that you can use, if that has become a habit, and it's hard to get out of, what would you recommend. It is something I tend to do when I am potting a ball only to the right.
pick an angle, then go down and play the shot without feathering and without a pause for thinking if the angle is right. Just play the line you have chosen from above and cue as straight as you can. Repeat this with particular angle until you get the correct stance and line and pot the ball 3-5 times in a row. You may discover that you are aiming too thick from above and then compensating when down on the shot. Try this with different angles.
I will definitely try this, it's almost as if I don't trust myself potting to the right because, I feel as if I'm going to miss the shot especially at distance, you might very well have a point that I am hitting it too thick. I will give this a try for a week or so and then let you know how I get on. Greatly appreciate your help.
i was looking for a video that you might have made about grip, low and behold its the latest vid :) you didnt cover what i wanted to ask about grip though, and thats to do with holding the cue in the same grip all the time, what i mean is that i always hold the cue with the flat part of the butt nicely in my palm, for me its a natural place i think. but over time will this affect the tip? e.g. will screw shots wear the "top" of the tip (as it hits the lower white)? so say for one shot i didnt hold the cue in the same position, might i impart some unwanted side because the tip is worn on? or should i be using different grip positions on the butt to give a more even wearing down of the tip? thanks (great vids btw)
Steve, Do you stand on the same line of aim before a shot on a high black (for example ) if you're going to play it with side as if you were going to play the same shot plain ball? Or is the line of aim slightly effected as a result? Cheers
Biggest load of rubbish is people saying they look at the cue ball before the final strike ,never seen anyone play to a semi decent standard doing that .Stephen Hendry said last year his final look was the cue ball before striking ,crap ,check out Hendry in his prime and watch his eyes firmly fixed on the object ball .Once you have a reliable grounded set up there is no need to look at the cue ball when you deliver the shot , to me looking at the cue ball when your delivering the cue is like like driving looking at the steering wheel .
I think it's. more like hitting a golf ball without looking at it. What you're trying to do is hit through a particular spot on the cueball along the line you've picked.
I wish I had an instructor with this talent 50 years ago when I started playing snooker. With no proper coaching I became the mediocre snooker player that has haunted me to this day.
I hv improved but I dnt know after few days I miss my shots but definitely I know how to make positions ... I still miss those easy shots but the %g is low now
Not just the object ball, but the very point on the object ball you want to hit. Aim small miss small. It would be like saying a darts player just looks at the board when he plays darts. At least 3 of the other reasons for not cueing straight goes away if you are truly focused on the very pin prick point of the ball that you want to hit. You really have to be honest with yourself here, because 99% of the time you have missed is because you took your eye of the very point of the object ball you want to hit, even if you dont think you have. The other 1% is a kick or miss cue.
Hi Barton, whenever i start my feathers the chevarons were at the top. After i go for the shot and look at the cue the chevarons will be in bottom side. Why does this happen. Do i have to hold the cue little tight.
the best way for grip pressure is easy,,,,put your your cue on the table pick it up with the hand u grip with hold the cue straight out infront of u,if the tip dips down your too loose,if the tip rises your too tight hold the cue out with enough pressure so the cue stays vertical job done theres the correct grip pressure.
No. 6 has a lot of debate. I don't think your point makes a lot sense, especially since you also make the good point that you should not be aiming when you are down on the shot. Most professional snooker and pool players look at the cue ball last, and there's a good reason. If you hit the cue ball correctly, then it will go where you cue it. You could have aimed the object ball wrong, but the cue ball did what you intended. We never control the object ball, we control the cue ball.
Have a great 2025 & keep those videos coming. The question I got you got a long backswing. Yet look at players like John Higgins & mark alan they have a smaller backswing. How are that able to generate good spin with a smaller backswing
Maybe I am mistaken, but looking at older snooker matches (70s/80s) it seemed like some players consistently used a very short backswing. Was it just the flavour of the times or could there be some explanation to it?
@@BreakTheYagura the game has advanced so much over the years, hence one of the advancements like a longer backswing equalling the higher level we see today.
I’m an experienced player ( my way of saying I’m not a beginner) but no matter what I try I feel like my pull back isn’t straight. I’ve tried different foot placement etc etc and different grips but it seems I pull into my body slightly
@@medallion39 it's tough isn't it. I can only do generic videos for TH-cam. Working on the table with someone it's way, way easier to quickly identify areas of improvement for someone.
It might be that you are arcing or bowing sideways on the back stroke. Without the white ball try just cueing along the baulk colours line across the table to see how much you are deviating offline during the delivery stroke of the cue. The aim of this exercise is to create a back stroke that enables a straight and accurate delivery stroke.
It might be that you are arcing or bowing sideways on the back stroke. Without the white ball try just cueing along the baulk colours line across the table to see how much you are deviating offline during the delivery stroke of the cue. The aim of this exercise is to create a back stroke that enables a straight and accurate delivery stroke.
Im thinking 3 shot ahead and practicing .but on each shot i m not able to think 1 2 3 shot like u have shown at other videos . Especially high and low placement of qc is getting tough
Cueing the Ball... first, look at the shot your going to play...then step into the shot with a solid balanced stance... the rest will take of itself...
I have noticed that you have your chin very much over the stick. I have never understood how to contort your body to such a position. It actually hurts my shoot to hold this position It's very strange.
@@StefanDLazarov I'd always advise it if you've got no prior pattern and someone is asking between one and the other, but yeah, once the aiming is done, you should be able to close your eyes (a video I have done previously) 👍
@@WanderFeetChronicles 🤣 have you ever seen Judd Trump? He has THE worst "straight" cueing EVER. You just need to be constant. Look Michael Holt, he explains it well.
He doesn't line up straight, but brings the cue onto the correct line as he delivers it. He says himself that he actually plays with a very small amount of right hand side because of this, but has learned to adjust for it over the years.
The difference is Judd is one of the most naturally talented players the game has ever seen and has learned to compensate for his weird cue action over time. You should never look to such players for guidance, they're an anomoly. Freaks of nature that exceed despite their technical flaws, not because of them.
I have a (very important) question >>> where exactly are you looking at the „moment of striking“? At the „point of contact“ of the object ball OR at the „line of aim“ (for example, in case of a „half ball“…. looking at the EDGE of the object ball)
Thanks Steve I've watched all yr videos since I've started playing 2 years ago and now I just made a 57 break .thanks to you
Your videos are so useful and I put them on practice everytime and it works absolutely perfect. Your the best coach 👍. Thanks Barton, appreciate what you do for us.
Hello Steve, did you ever make a video how to change and form the tip of the cue , I saw some videos ....but yours are the very best 👍☺️ and as I am german I understand very well your clear pronunciation. Thanks a lot.
Thank you Steve I have followed you for a long time now and enjoyed all your videos I have played for 40 Years and now 70 Years old so you are really never too old to keep learning,Snooker really is a difficult game to play consistently and you always need to practice the correct way and need encouragement well you really are the number one Coach on here and have the ability to explain and show simply how to improve your game of Snooker even too a 70 Year Old. Thanks again,
Finally Steve, been waiting for your video forever!!! Good to see you back, the best Snooker TH-cam Coach!
Great video Steve thanks, I'm 73 and played since I was 18 but never too old to learn as one reviewer has already said. I hope you didn't mind me giving some advice below regarding cueing straight along the baulk colours line. Best wishes for 2025.
Great video as always, good to see someone who actually understands the cue ball vs object ball argument (the pros, all pros even the ones they say they look at the cue ball, check line, target object ball, check cue ball, check object ball, final check on cue ball, then focus on object ball for delivery). The video cuts out at the end btw, just the last bit of the outro
Really want to see more POV videos, like line ups and regular open table.
Thanks for your videos. For me you are the best coach!👍
Great detailed video Barton snooker I've been guilty of a few of these. Happy new year to you and your family
Great video as always. No 7 would be lying down on the shot before making a sound plan about the shot, where exactly you want to strike the cue ball and where you want the cue ball to finish. Without a plan, our brain is confused regarding what you want to make happen, which creates tension and movement on the shot. Take your time, work out the trajectory, and only then lie down on the shot.
CHEERS from Brazil....Happy New Year....always Thank You 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
u're a star Steve as always
Pls can you make again how side spin work and how to aim.btw thanks for the new video love it!
del hill who coached ronnie,etc,,i had few lessons with him, he told me aiming is done on the way in to the shot ill break it down...step 1..stand behind the line of the shot..step 2 walk into the line putting your right leg on line left foot slightly forward shoulder width apart. Step 3 put your tip to the cueball on the line.step 4...put your chest to the cue never put cue to the chest that puts the cue off line thats aiming that ronnie was taught by del.
Fabulous video Steve! Wishing you all the very best for 2025!!😊
Great video, I found that 3 mistakes are in my cue action too, need to address that and I have you to thank for that.
Excellent,fantastic, superb vídeo.Thanks
hi coach ..im from malaysia.. keep post about cueing straight and grip and basic thing cause im very2 to learn bout this
Great video - thanks as always
Twsisting the wrist during the cueing action (cue and cue ball contact) and grasping tming during cueing action (cue and cue ball contact)
As always great content keep it up ❤
Super creepy ending. I like the new direction this channel is taking.
😂
Yes, personally, I'd love to see Mr Barton Snooker slowly rising from behind the table at the start too, like he's arriving by invisible elevator. "Or maybe I should take...the stairs! ... But why take the stairs when I've got a perfectly good canoe!?"
@@DM-kv9kj Good idea 🤣
Tnx
Great stuff Steve
Nice video Steve, Happy New Year to you. Not sure what happened but the end was missing on this video for some reason.
Thank you coach!
Both Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry say they look at the cue ball as they strike?
great tips, i defiantely make some of those mistakes... okay all of those mistakes at times
Good stuff
Having not played snooker for 20 odd years, making a comeback after watching your great lessons on TH-cam. But these days, can get the cue directly under the chin. Would the sighting be affected if the head is more elevated?
Thank you , Something went wrong in the video near the end at 8.18
Nice ane helpful video 🔥👏🏻👏🏻
Steve, I have been watching all of your tutorial videos & I have learnt a lot from stance, swing, follow through & specially relaxing of index fingertip is amazing as it helps get better potting and more spin BUT there is one thing I have not been able to get which is GRIP.
My QUESTION is upon back swing one should relax back fingers, Now main grip is in first ring of thumb & index, but should Relaxed FINGERS feel the cue or just the ring will do the work?
If fingers will also feel the cue when relaxed where the cue will be relaxing / sitting / touching the fingers? & How many finger will be touching on back swing?
This confuses me and makes me miss simple shots because upon delivery and closing hand it causes disturbance & jumps ( I know that closing hand should not be snapping )
#5 is the most difficult to change😢😢
You said about steering the ball into the pocket, but are there any techniques that you can use, if that has become a habit, and it's hard to get out of, what would you recommend. It is something I tend to do when I am potting a ball only to the right.
pick an angle, then go down and play the shot without feathering and without a pause for thinking if the angle is right. Just play the line you have chosen from above and cue as straight as you can. Repeat this with particular angle until you get the correct stance and line and pot the ball 3-5 times in a row. You may discover that you are aiming too thick from above and then compensating when down on the shot. Try this with different angles.
I will definitely try this, it's almost as if I don't trust myself potting to the right because, I feel as if I'm going to miss the shot especially at distance, you might very well have a point that I am hitting it too thick. I will give this a try for a week or so and then let you know how I get on. Greatly appreciate your help.
i was looking for a video that you might have made about grip, low and behold its the latest vid :) you didnt cover what i wanted to ask about grip though, and thats to do with holding the cue in the same grip all the time, what i mean is that i always hold the cue with the flat part of the butt nicely in my palm, for me its a natural place i think. but over time will this affect the tip? e.g. will screw shots wear the "top" of the tip (as it hits the lower white)? so say for one shot i didnt hold the cue in the same position, might i impart some unwanted side because the tip is worn on? or should i be using different grip positions on the butt to give a more even wearing down of the tip? thanks (great vids btw)
Steve,
Do you stand on the same line of aim before a shot on a high black (for example ) if you're going to play it with side as if you were going to play the same shot plain ball? Or is the line of aim slightly effected as a result?
Cheers
Can useful for play pool? , plz tell me. Many thanks
Does your cue rest against your chest ?
Biggest load of rubbish is people saying they look at the cue ball before the final strike ,never seen anyone play to a semi decent standard doing that .Stephen Hendry said last year his final look was the cue ball before striking ,crap ,check out Hendry in his prime and watch his eyes firmly fixed on the object ball .Once you have a reliable grounded set up there is no need to look at the cue ball when you deliver the shot , to me looking at the cue ball when your delivering the cue is like like driving looking at the steering wheel .
Or a dart player looking at the dart as he throws it 😂
I like that analogy 😄
😂😂😂
I think it's. more like hitting a golf ball without looking at it. What you're trying to do is hit through a particular spot on the cueball along the line you've picked.
I wish I had an instructor with this talent 50 years ago when I started playing snooker. With no proper coaching I became the mediocre snooker player that has haunted me to this day.
I hv improved but I dnt know after few days I miss my shots but definitely I know how to make positions ... I still miss those easy shots but the %g is low now
Not just the object ball, but the very point on the object ball you want to hit. Aim small miss small. It would be like saying a darts player just looks at the board when he plays darts. At least 3 of the other reasons for not cueing straight goes away if you are truly focused on the very pin prick point of the ball that you want to hit. You really have to be honest with yourself here, because 99% of the time you have missed is because you took your eye of the very point of the object ball you want to hit, even if you dont think you have. The other 1% is a kick or miss cue.
Hi Barton, whenever i start my feathers the chevarons were at the top. After i go for the shot and look at the cue the chevarons will be in bottom side. Why does this happen. Do i have to hold the cue little tight.
Great tips Steve thanks. Im still not quite sure about my grip. I want to hold it loose for comfort but how loise is too loise steve?
the best way for grip pressure is easy,,,,put your your cue on the table pick it up with the hand u grip with hold the cue straight out infront of u,if the tip dips down your too loose,if the tip rises your too tight hold the cue out with enough pressure so the cue stays vertical job done theres the correct grip pressure.
@kirstyfeatley9885 thankyoy
No. 6 has a lot of debate. I don't think your point makes a lot sense, especially since you also make the good point that you should not be aiming when you are down on the shot.
Most professional snooker and pool players look at the cue ball last, and there's a good reason. If you hit the cue ball correctly, then it will go where you cue it. You could have aimed the object ball wrong, but the cue ball did what you intended. We never control the object ball, we control the cue ball.
You should have talked about point 5 to Alex Higgins.
Have a great 2025 & keep those videos coming. The question I got you got a long backswing. Yet look at players like John Higgins & mark alan they have a smaller backswing. How are that able to generate good spin with a smaller backswing
Maybe I am mistaken, but looking at older snooker matches (70s/80s) it seemed like some players consistently used a very short backswing. Was it just the flavour of the times or could there be some explanation to it?
@@BreakTheYagura the game has advanced so much over the years, hence one of the advancements like a longer backswing equalling the higher level we see today.
All the best for you for 2025!👍
where are you based for lessons ?
I guess mistake 6 is the fear that you don't see when the cue is going to hit the white
I’m an experienced player ( my way of saying I’m not a beginner) but no matter what I try I feel like my pull back isn’t straight. I’ve tried different foot placement etc etc and different grips but it seems I pull into my body slightly
@@medallion39 it's tough isn't it. I can only do generic videos for TH-cam. Working on the table with someone it's way, way easier to quickly identify areas of improvement for someone.
@ I fully understand 👍
It might be that you are arcing or bowing sideways on the back stroke. Without the white ball try just cueing along the baulk colours line across the table to see how much you are deviating offline during the delivery stroke of the cue. The aim of this exercise is to create a back stroke that enables a straight and accurate delivery stroke.
there can be a very easy fix for that.
I seem to have lower accuracy when I have a longer back stroke - shorter keeps cue online
It might be that you are arcing or bowing sideways on the back stroke. Without the white ball try just cueing along the baulk colours line across the table to see how much you are deviating offline during the delivery stroke of the cue. The aim of this exercise is to create a back stroke that enables a straight and accurate delivery stroke.
@ thanks - will give it a try
Im thinking 3 shot ahead and practicing .but on each shot i m not able to think 1 2 3 shot like u have shown at other videos . Especially high and low placement of qc is getting tough
that will come naturally with pratice
End of the vid is messed up I think.
Thankyou coach..lots of help..Love from India
Cueing the Ball... first, look at the shot your going to play...then step into the shot with a solid balanced stance... the rest will take of itself...
I grip the cue too tight
There is no valid point for straight cueing. Just hit the correct target on cue ball regardless of how do you cue.
I have noticed that you have your chin very much over the stick. I have never understood how to contort your body to such a position. It actually hurts my shoot to hold this position
It's very strange.
That myth with the eyes where they shoud look was already busted!
Busted eh? How pathetic. One part of any thing you do in life is where you’re looking. It’s not a myth. Grow up man. Grow up.
@@StefanDLazarov I'd always advise it if you've got no prior pattern and someone is asking between one and the other, but yeah, once the aiming is done, you should be able to close your eyes (a video I have done previously) 👍
Loads of top players look at cue ball when they strike the ball not the object ball.
Do you really have to? Judd Trump does not cue straight and he is doing pretty ok
If you don’t cue straight you miss shots. So this ^^ what you said, is pure bull.
@@WanderFeetChronicles 🤣 have you ever seen Judd Trump? He has THE worst "straight" cueing EVER. You just need to be constant. Look Michael Holt, he explains it well.
@@WanderFeetChronicles oh he is deleting comments. Good bye. Look Michael Holt, he explains and he can actually play
He doesn't line up straight, but brings the cue onto the correct line as he delivers it. He says himself that he actually plays with a very small amount of right hand side because of this, but has learned to adjust for it over the years.
The difference is Judd is one of the most naturally talented players the game has ever seen and has learned to compensate for his weird cue action over time. You should never look to such players for guidance, they're an anomoly. Freaks of nature that exceed despite their technical flaws, not because of them.
I have a (very important) question
>>> where exactly are you looking at the „moment of striking“?
At the „point of contact“ of the object ball OR at the „line of aim“
(for example, in case of a „half ball“…. looking at the EDGE of the object ball)