this is probably your best video Barry - thank you, it's not the point on the ball..... hence all my bloody mistakes.... all my pots were from the line.... biggest mistakes can be from the most smallest of errors. THANK YOU BARRY!!!!!
Hi Barry - thanks very much for your tutorial on aiming. I have been a cue sports player for over 20 years and recently i started doubting a basic basic way of aiming, as you mentioned in videos when you start thinking problems (which in my case wasnt really there) you start changing things which made things worse. I have been subconsiously aiming down the line but hadnt really realised the process and the mechanics until watching your videos. So thank you very much for getting my head around the process and correcting my mistakes. Really appreciate the video Barry. Keep up the good work and thank you again!!
These are great videos Barry . They are helping me become a much better player , than I was . Im also finding that , putting the practice time in , helps greatly . I wish I had room in the house for a big enough table 😁. I have also directed my 12 yr old son to watch your coaching lessons , as he has taken up the sport and we play each Sunday morning . Thanks again , and keep up the great work .
barry i just followed all your tip and i thought i was pro i just entered a tournament and lost now big Dave and the boys say there gonna break my legs , can you help me please??????
To save you from walking around on crutches because of big Dave and the boys go back to basics. Cue delivery is 90% of the game, study my videos and practise their mandates and hopefully Dave will be buying you a pint instead of breaking your legs.
Hello Barry, I hope you are doing great. I watch all your videos as soon as I get the notification. I know I am repeating this but you are the best coach and I appreciate what you have been doing for the love and respect of the game. I have one request as I am struggling with this and I am sure that a lot of other people might also be struggling with the same thing - Timing of the Shot. I will highly appreciate if you could make a video on this topic, covering - what is a timing of the shot, how to improve it and example of pro players' shots in this regard. Thank you
Yogesh. There are differing views on what timing is but not really on how to achieve it and I have already recorded a video on the subject, please have another look. Why is it that top professionals can screw the ball the full length of the table but other players struggle, the answer is timing. The professional generates cue tip speed as he hits and gets through the cue ball, but he also goes further than that, he hangs on to it. I believe that although the contact time between cue tip and cue ball is minimal, when timing is perfect that contact time is fractionally increased. It is very difficult at the moment for me to show this on video because we do not have the specialised camera needed and they are very expensive. To achieve timing you must relax and learn to feel the cue ball, when you do it correctly I guarantee, you will know it.
Ronnie O`Sullivan himself made a video (Ronnie O'Sullivan teaching 2017) giving some tips on snooker and in a particular section, he teaches that you need to be relaxed and calm when striking the cue ball. You need to feel through your hand and arm and whole body the feedback your cue give to you. It`s a fraction of a second that give you so much information if you pay enough attention. And with that feedback, you will learn to keep the tip of your cue on the white as long as possible.
Thank you Barry very much for this tip... im beginner and I tried to hit a point on the target ball... not possible and i didnt know why... I wondered why when i didnt "think about it" they just went in... NOW I know thx to you.
MrBleedk. Snooker players play the line, a line that has been learned through hours of practise. Unless it is an exact half ball or full ball it is impossible to pick a point on a round object.
Thanks for the great videos, Barry! They are very helpful! If I may request, please go in a little more detail on aiming and explain a shot that's at an angle from pre shot routine to stance to actually making the ball. We do aim for the line of the shot, making sure ball travels in that line, but when we finally play the shot, we focus on a specific point on the round object ball. And the cue ball does hit that point, making the ball or missing the pocket, overcutting or undercutting it. That's a real struggle sometimes.
Haris. There are two lines. One is obviously the line to the object ball, the other is the line from the object ball to the pocket.Some coaches will teach the half ball etc.or quarter ball method or indeed the furthest point from the pocket method and either can be a good starting point when learning the game. As a player progresses though he will be visualising the line the object ball will be taking on its way to the pocket. Granted he will hit a specific point on the object ball but my point is that during the course of his aim he will be visualising the ball heading along the line to the pocket. Experience through trial and error will teach him where that line is.
Hello Berry, I do not understand English, so I'm having a hard time understanding the method along the line, I could record a video with an illustration just like the ghost bol method?? thank you so much LuMoraes - From Brazil.
good morning. I went back to your video on the grip I realize that my grip was way off and I was not using the proper technique holding the cue in my right hand. I have been practicing my stroke on my kitchen table and I have noticed it is a little easier to make the cue go back and forth straight if you are holding it correctly in your right hand. thank you for putting these videos online can't wait to get to the table today and pot some balls
Try this method, which have helped me eliminate some of the guess work in potting: 1) In your practice session, arrange the blue ball on its spot. Put the cue ball at an angle (any angle is fine) 2) Back away from the table and look for the line that Barry is talking about in the video above. The line should be from the back of the pocket and it goes straight across the blue ball, as shown in my caveman diagram below. ( -----------------------O--------- 3) Now take a different colored ball (i.e. yellow) and place it directly behind the blue. Make sure it is touching. The line is now going across both yellow and blue, dead center. ( -----------------------00-------- 4) The position of the yellow ball indicates where you need the white ball to be when it strikes the blue. If you deviate slightly, you might still make the pot, though bigger deviations will result in missing the pot. 5) Final step, remove the yellow and get down for the shot. Imagine where the yellow was. Hit the cue ball into that position. You will pot the blue. Trust your brain, not your eyes! (
nurabdul. If I am reading your instructions correctly, you are describing the ghost ball theory and practise which is covered quite comprehensively in one of my videos.
Sir...Your perspective towards the game is wonderful. Your video tutorials improved my game very fast as a 20 break player to +80 break most of the time....I've a question about aiming...as you've mentioned there are four basic cut angles. What if one has to aim a 3/8 or 5/8 cut shot or 7/8 cut shot...?? How it should be done...?
NICKOTOXIC. There will always be debate about this, but my opinion is that snooker players play the line. That is irrespective that the shot is exactly half ball, or exactly quarter ball or as you quote 3/8 or 5/8 or 7/8 there is a line from the object ball to the pocket and that is what snooker players play for. To aim for a particular spot on a round object and be precise is impossible. If you hit the point on the object ball that is furthest away from the pocket (no side) the ball will go in the pocket, but as I have said you don't aim for this point, you play the line. The fact that you have played the line correctly means you will then hit the point that is furthest away from the pocket.
antricio. Learning the line of the shot only comes with experience, use the ghost ball method initially to learn the contact points and then try to visualise the line that the object ball has to take.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you Barry. I've heard a lot about aiming for the contact point vs aiming for the centre of the ghost ball. Aiming for the contact point would often produce shots which are too thick. It is difficult however to focus on the middle of an imaginary ball. Do you have any recommendations other than practice and intuition?
Hello, Barry.I think it is easy to know the line of pocket to center of the object ball. But how to know the line from cue ball to the object ball ? Can you further talk about it?
yes this is what i want to know also. to say im aiming at the line,, he does say he is just using a half ball shot, sounds to vague to me, but it works for him
thank you, I am having great trouble keeping the cue straight. when I finish my stroke the cue is left of the target line on many strokes. making me nuts. trying so hard. I know it must be a effect from bad stance or grip. going crazy trying to fix
Jeffrey. Its unlikely that your stance is causing this but the grip is the most likely. Study my video on the grip and work hard at it. It will not happen overnight but patience and effort will show rewards.
Thank you so much Barry. I believe I have watched your grip video about 15 times. What I am really struggling with just bring the cue back straight and delivering it straight. It really does wobble. In my elbow drops very quickly.
mohan. Lets stick with a half ball shot into the middle pocket as in the video. Hit the cue ball in the middle and aim with your cue for the edge of the object ball. When those two balls collide, (assuming you have done it correctly) that will be a half ball contact. If you do that often enough you will no longer aim for the edge of the object ball with your cue but you will start to see the line to the pocket and that will be how you aim. This very principal makes the blind pocket (the dreaded cut back shot) very awkward because the pocket is not in the players line of vision so he cannot see the line of the shot and to some degree it is guess work. Granted, good players guess very well but will normally exercise caution with these shots. I hope that clears things up for you. Good luck.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Sir Barry, I generally draw an imaginary line from the pocket to the point on the ball I should be hitting. I’d be really honest, doesn’t work all the time. Is there something I could do to adjust this technique.
hey barry can you please make a detailed clip about , front pause and back pause in relation to eyes. i am struggling with this for a long long time . i used to focus on cueball alot more, then i tried to remove pause . then i also started to do a front pause and look at object ball. when to lock your eyes, how to lock it. i will be very happy if you could spend sometime making this video i am sure this is whats holding me back. tnx... wish you a long life
ARTgamer. I have covered this in detail in one of my videos, please have a look. Most players pause at the cue ball to determine they are hitting it in the correct place, then they lift their eyes to the object ball as they are performing the backswing for the final time. Whichever method you try (see video) please give it a reasonable length of time to see if you are going to like it.
I can't agree with you more. I've been inconsistently potting balls by using ghost ball aiming method. Then, I just try to use my body to align to the potting line, it pots way better.
Hi Barry, great video, just to illustrate playing the line, do you imagine the line going through the red? Then imagine that line to be an inch from the red, then play the white to that point on the line ?
There are two lines to consider, one is the line the cue ball takes and the other is the line the object ball takes. Try the ghost ball routine to give you a good indication of the line the cue ball should take, experience and practise will teach you the rest.
hii Sir your tips are usually useful enough ., Barry, i usually try to aim at a point on the ball for long pots., but faces lot of angle deflection while potting on a blind pocket.Also if potting with a little force in the center pocket with same line of aim as explained in your video ., it sometimes hits the jaw(like it touched in your case) and comes out so i try to aim line of aim at opposite jaw,.
If you can aim at a point on the object ball and get success, I am not going to tell you that is wrong. If you can get success by the half ball, quarter ball etc method, again, I am not going to tell you that is wrong. Whatever works for the individual is right. However, most players play the line of the shot, that is why blind pocket shots are so tricky because the pocket is not in their line of vision. Potting at an angle and with force into centre pockets is always risky even for top players please be careful.
Hi Barry. In the Potting Line Part 1 - video you outlined the impact of spin induced throw (squeeze) on the object ball trajectory. In this video you don't mention that, and it appears that you are stating that it doesn't apply to "aiming along the line". Can you please confirm that you also need to take into account the spin induced throw (squeeze) effect for this method?
Hugh. When you play with side the cue ball is pushed away from its natural line, the harder the cue ball is struck the further it is pushed off its natural line. The opposite is true about the object ball, the harder it is hit by the cue ball the less it is squeezed off line. There is one other point to take into consideration about the amount of squeeze and that is whether the object ball is being hit full in the face or otherwise. Lets say you are applying right hand side on the cue ball and hitting the object ball thinly on the right to cut it to the left, the side is spinning into the main body of the object ball and you will obtain more squeeze than if you applied left hand side on this same shot, which is now spinning away from the main body of the object ball. Just another reason why playing with side is tricky .
Many thanks Barry - I appreciate your explanations regarding the impact of applying side to the cue ball. However, my question was simply looking for confirmation that you need to take into account the impact of spin induced throw (squeeze) on the object ball trajectory. for both aiming methods. Regards. Hugh
Hi Barry. Love your videos leaning a lot. Regarding this video, when you talk about playing the line rather than the point in object ball, is every line not a half ball shot. Because if you line object ball with the pocket, regardless of angle it will be facing the pocket so if you put your cue over the top of the object Ball and follow to center of pocket it will be always half ball shot. Unless I'm picking this up wrong.
brian. I'm sorry but you seem to be confusing yourself. Lets look at an exact half ball aim, this is determined by hitting the cue ball in the centre and aiming with your cue at the edge of the object ball, its as simple as that. My point is that experienced players may recognise a half ball shot but will seldom play it as a half ball shot in terms of aiming, they recognise the line to the pocket, they can see the pocket and they play the object ball along that line.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach I 100% agree with what you say. And many thanks for your reply. I understand the ghost ball theory and understand it will work for most shots, but as the cue ball goes further away in terms of angle you can get the squeeze. Is there anything further you can say to help with the line of the shot, rather than trying to hit that spot on the cue ball which as you said if your a fraction off you will miss as such a small point.
Dear Coach Barry, great video ! i want to ask you about back cut shots( if im playing the black on its spot with that shot the white goes away to baulk area without hitting any rail). This shot to me is very tricky as i attempt to find the line of red when im doing my practice stroke, i always overcut and undercut it but rarely make it, is there specific advice for it ? if its the same angle but the white goes to the short rail im much more accurate and confident. another question is how do i know the line of white ? i can see the line of shot for the red but i can only get a feel for the line of white. thank you for answering all my comments so far so much value and quality in both your videos and comments.
Yasser. Cut back shots are tricky for any player, they are known as blind pocket pots and that is precisely why they are tricky. It is also why snooker players play the line rather than shall we say the half ball, quarter ball method of sighting. Not every one agrees with me so you I can only tell you what I believe in. When it comes to cut backs, lets imagine you are trying to pot the black off its spot from a position where the cue ball is low on it. My advice is to walk around so you are in a position where the black is a straight pot. don't take your eye off the black while you take up your position at the cue ball. This will help you to assess the correct line of the pot.
my body and age will not let me put my chin on the cue and see the cue ball. here is the question, is it a must to keep the cue in contact with your chest? pectoral muscle? I also noticed that you keep your right arm "inside" the target line. or is that just the camera?
Jeffrey. Resting the chest against the cue is good but not essential I have seen good players who do not. The only essential is to cue in a straight line and the chest can be a valuable aid to this. My right arm is inside the target line due to old sporting injuries.
Hi Barry, what do you exactly mean by playing along the line. For potting anything, I need the direction of the cue, which means to say I need an aim(which is a point).
I can understand why there is confusion when we talk about playing the line in respect of potting a ball. logic suggests you need a definitive target, e.g. half ball, quarter ball, furthest point from the pocket etc. However, unless the pot is exactly half ball or full ball it is a futile practise to aim for a specific point on a round object. A good example is finishing low on the black as opposed to high on the black. In the latter example the player can see the pocket and plays the object ball along the line without aiming for that elusive specific point on the object ball. Finishing low on the black means the pocket will not be in the players line of vision (the dreaded blind pocket) and even top professionals approach this shot with caution.
Hello Mr.Barry, im an enthusiastic amature and i faced the problem of unintentional side which im currently working on with the help of your tip. i also have have been struggling with my stance, could you please tell me how my feet are supposed to be positioned while judging the shot , some say the left foot is supposed to be parallel to the aiming line and honestly im confused.
With regard to the stance, the modern player tends to stand squarer to the table. A right handed player will generally place his right foot on the line of the shot, the left foot slightly wider than hip width and slightly in front of the right foot. My video on the stance explains this fairly well. The eye sight and brain determine the line of the shot not the stance, although the stance cannot be ignored.
Hi Barry, i like your videos and i have a similar question to many. picking a line the cueball will travel to the object balls contact point is troublesome for me. as many say we need to keep our eyes on the contact point during delivery of the cue, however when we have a ball less than half ball the cue is usually pointing outside the OB edge , i.e into thin air, how can one judge this line when there is no reference. i would appreciate if you could go into more details on picking the line, the approach to it and how you visualise this
I understand how difficult this is to grasp for a beginner but as I have said you cannot play to a determined point on a round object. If you play a straight shot you can visualise the line to the object ball and then to the pocket. Then place the balls in roughly the same place but at a slight angle, you will still have the line to the pocket in your line of vision. Keep increasing the angle by slight amounts but keeping the line to the pocket in your line of vision. You will soon start to recognise where to hit the object ball. If all else fails try the ghost ball practise as a guide.
This is an amazing tip that I have found to be incredibly useful. I used to make big errors in estimating the line from the object ball to the pocket, if the angle between the two lines gets too big. Now I try increasing the angles, starting from an easy pot (almost full ball) as a practice routine. It seems to help me guess where to hit the object ball without having to look around the whole table, and without using small imperfections in the cloth to keep the visualization of the potting line in line (haha)! Thank you Barry for the great tips. You helped me greatly in improving my game and keeping my love for playing this great game going.
Hello Barry, I am a snooker player from Hong Kong. Recently I have devided to play this game seriously, but I am stuggling on aiming a shot. I use the half ball, quarter ball etc aim. I work out roughly the angle between the two lines, one is joining the center of the object ball and the pocket and the other line is joining the center of the cue ball and the center of the object ball. Than I guess what type of shot it is ( for example a half ball shot). The problem is that I am not confident when I am down on the shot sometimes because I am just guessing the line of aim and miss a lots of shots. What can I improve to take my game to the next level? I will be happy if you reply. Sorry for long message.
Chi. I would suggest here that you use the ghost ball method explained in one of my videos. Work hard with this method but don't forget that aiming correctly is only half the battle, you still have to learn how to deliver the cue where you are aiming and to be honest that is really the difficult part.
dear sir I was wondering if this sequence is right.i stand behind the line if aim then go down to this line assuming that this is the correct line then when I am on the shot I see where my cue is aiming on the object ball and this is the point where my cue finished in a straight line...is that so correct?
Kareem. Sounds good to me, please don't forget that on a straight shot most people (not all ) aim correctly, the main reason they miss is because they do not deliver the cue where they are aiming. The message is, keep working on your cue action.
HI sir grwat video once again. I've this problem, I can't actually follow through whrn I deliver my cue. sometimes when I deliberately try a bit more to get my cue through the white ball I end up making jerk and missing line of aim.
Getting through the ball in a straight line is quite simply one of the hardest skills in the game but it is something every player must strive to achieve. Please check that you have sufficient room between your cueing hand and the body to allow the follow through, then relax your grip as per the grip video. Remember, there must be no tension particularly in the grip, examine this fact before and after the shot.
coach barry, i want to ask you if you can explane to me, and thats out of curiousity, how your aiming routine is. for example, i recently became able to play the line of shot theory. I did it through imagining a tube that contains the object ball and it goes to the pocket. from that image i can see the geometric center of the cueball, so now i only need to go down on the shot and aim towards a clear imaginary point(so i only focus on making straight strokes to make the shot). i just want to compare my way to yours for feedback and i just woundered how would someone whos experienced imagine the line of shot. thank you
Yasser. Seeing the line of shot is obviously a basic fundamental of playing snooker, how a player achieves this is right for him if he gets success. What I find is that some players forget the squeeze effect caused by friction on angle shots. You can find this out for yourself by experimenting with the ghost ball theory, you will soon find that on some angle shots you will be hitting balls thick and adjustments will have to be made. Only experience and cueing correctly can teach you to identify the line of aim but if your tube idea works for you please continue with it.
when I attempt to see the line of aim (CB trajectory) ideally I am matching the contact points on both balls. my question is should I just step back, try to see the line then step into it? wouldn't that be instinctual and inaccurate or does it get better with practice ? thank you
Yasser Its good practise to step back and visualise the shot before walking in. It will become instinct if practised and it will get better with sensible practise.
So with that said " I don't aim the point on the OB I play the line" does it mean Barry that I am suppose to focus on the line between the CB to OB which is in case the bed of the table?
Daniel. Playing the line is what top snooker players do. Experience will teach you to identify that line and you will soon learn to recognise it with no help from me or another coach. Stephen Hendry used to take a last look at the pocket before delivering the cue. He was the only top player, to my knowledge, that did this. I mention this to illustrate that players develop their own way to find the correct line. If you are having problems in this area please try the ghost ball method, it should help.
Hi sir, I rewatched this video again having encounter some problems in my game, if I want to play along the line what should I focus on? the white, the red or the line between the white and the red? Having said that whenever I focus on the red I tend to over cut or under cut it really need some help get back to me ASAP Barry Cheers, from Singapore
Daniel. As I have said in my video's, there are two lines, one line is from the cue ball to the object ball and the other is from the object ball to the pocket. Now, lets assume we have a perfect half ball pot, that means that if you hit the cue ball in the middle and aim your cue at the edge of the object ball that ball should go in the pocket when you play the shot. However, the player will visualise the line from the object ball to the pocket and play the ball along this line rather than concentrating on the half ball contact. Experience through trial and error has taught him about this line and his brain retains the knowledge. I come back to the point that that it is why the cut back pot is so tricky, the player cannot see the line because it is out of the field of vision. I am aware that not everyone agrees with me and it is points like this that make the game so interesting. Keep focusing on the object ball and you will learn to recognise the intended line, In the mean time please examine your cueing because your inconsistency may be down to this rather than aiming incorrectly.
Hey barry, hope you are at peace. Its has been striking me, ever since i have heard do say 'aiming starts at the butt end of the cue', can you explain, coz kyren kind of keeps the butt on line while walking in. Cheers
siddharth. Its no good having the tip of the cue on line if the butt end is off line, this will only cause you to cue across the line of aim. To make sure that the whole of the cue is on line its not a bad idea to bring the cue down on the line rather that across it while you getting into the right position. I hope that explains it for you.
sir barry i want to ask that what is bennifit of put cue under dominante eye how much it is important and tell me that i have to put my cue under dominant eye in every aiming method or just ghost ball method?
shahzaib. All players are slightly different, if you don't use the dominant eye there can be a tendency to play with unintentional side or to cue across the ball, or both. This is not always the case so be careful about moving to cue directly under the dominant eye, sometimes moving towards that eye rather than getting directly under it is sufficient. Once you have established the correct position it should be adopted for every shot.
shahzaib, In a later video Barry talked about the dominate eye over the cue. That one video almost eliminated my unintentional side spin the I was puting on the cue ball. I think, for most people, the dominant eye should be over or very close to over the cue. Find and watch Barry later video. And as Barry he said, "If things a currently working well for you be careful about changing things."
Rushabh. When you say through effect I assume you mean the throw effect. If that is so then no, it is not true, the throw will be more on a fast table with a thin cloth. If you were to play on the television table you would be amazed at how much the cue ball moves off line when side is applied.
Hello Barry Sir, Good morning, Sir i will try this from today but sir there is one thing which confuses me alot. I know the angles of the object ball half, full, quarter etc etc. When i check the angle off the table and when i get's down the shot then my eyes and brain fights with each other that this is not the point of aim. Sometimes i make good breaks like 60, 50 and even more and sometimes i misses a straight red or a black ball of the spot when i was on the open reds. I don't know why ? and after that i changes my technique and first day i plays good and next day i started missing the balls ? lol sorry but i laughs at myself .. Watever the technique i change i still play the same . sorry if iam confusing you but i think its all important to learn the angles of the object ball. You are a great coach please help me, should i see the pocket from the object ball ? Is that the thing your saying in this video ? .. i just want to chase my dream to be a professional player and meet you in uk. Please explain the line of the shot and guide me the correct way that what technique i should use. Thanking you Harpreet Singh
Harpreet. You will never learn how to aim consistently until you learn to deliver the cue in a consistent manner. The fact that you are missing straight balls off the spot tells me that your cueing is not consistent and to be honest this is where you need to focus, check your cueing on the baulk line, then over the spots using top spin then drag, once you improve your cueing the rest starts to fall into place.
Sir, I got it now that how to pot the balls in the line of aim.. Finally, i got it that i move the cue towards the pocket in the last swing. From today i will start practising hard to finish the cue exactly straight on the point of aiming. Will make my video and check it again and again. Thank you
Barry, I love your videos but need more clarification on what you mean by "playing the line". Are the snooker players aligning their aim with the line that goes from the pocket to the back of the ball and simply not focusing solely on the microscopic target on the object balll? Thanks much.
Allen. I can see that this can be confusing to beginners but try this. Set up an exact half ball shot, with centre ball striking aim your cue at the edge of the object ball and play the shot. If you have delivered the cue correctly the object ball should go in the pocket, repeat this a few times and your will find that you no longer have to aim for the edge of the object ball but you can see the line of aim. All shots are the same as this, experience will teach you that line of aim providing you are delivering that cue consistently and correctly.
Bibek. I'm afraid there is no magic formula, just keep practising the right things. If you are confident that your cueing is straight but you still have a problem please remember the ghost ball practices. As I have said before it is not 100% accurate but it will give you good guide lines to improve.
Layana. If you draw a line straight from the pocket and through the centre of the object ball there will be a point on the object ball that is furthest away from the pocket, of that there is no doubt. But aiming to hit that point which is on a round object is impossible, snooker players do not do that they aim to propel the ball along a line, a line which is learnt through consistent cueing and experience.
I simply don't understand the concept of playing along the line of the shot, your cue ball is not on the line of the shot. Do you mean the line to the ghost ball position?
Douglas. The are two lines, one is as you say, the line to the ghost ball position, the other is the line from the object ball to the pocket. Beginners will best learn this by using the half ball , quarter ball method but after a period of time they will start to recognise and see the line the object ball will need to take. The reason a cut back shot is difficult is because the player cannot see the line of the shot, it is not in his line of vision, a classic example of this is trying to pot the black from its spot when the cue ball is near the top cushion.
Shane. As I have said in my videos, snooker players play the line and that includes me. Experience, trial and error has taught me to recognise that line. There are only two definitive targets if you play the half ball method, they are full ball (straight shot) and half ball shots. All the rest are assessments by the player, the only way you can assess correctly is to allow experience with trial and error to teach you. However, trial and error will only teach you if you cue exactly the same all the time, ideally in a straight line, it is futile to say that you have learned a potting angle when you cue differently each time.
Yess sir but I see the point and if nessary i make the adjustment is that correct or not just correct me and sir I hav a problem. When I play a shot like you said I am keeping the cue paralo but when I hav to play screw shot hav to play it force that I just miss it help me and and about dominent eye method is it neccary will th ere be any change if I keep it middle thank yu so much for helping me out ur really good..!
Hi respected sir. Plz show us hot to pot the object ball on long shot i have tried so much practice and practice but i miss it in slow and fast shot also but its not potting to much hard and i wish that i learn the long pot straight long shot plz show us sir i shall be very thankful to u thank u.
LOVER. Potting long is no different from potting short shots except that because of the distances involved any errors that you have in your aim or in your cueing are exaggerated. Again because of the distances involved and the possible increase in power needed you should increase the length of the back swing allowing the cue to do the work rather that your muscles. You should really examine your cue action on the baulk line with a long fluent action and then try to replicate it when hitting a ball. I am afraid there is no magic formula just hard and sometimes frustrating work but if you try to do things correctly paying particular attention to delivering that cue in a straight line, progress will come.
I need help 😔 Please i have big problems with cue How to setup the cue on line Correctly I'm tired 😴 ?? And please anyone give me the steps when standing behind the cue ball in the form of simple points what i have to do exactly?? sorry I can not speak English well ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Mustafa. Please don't apologise for your English, you write it very well. The best advice I can give in respect of your question is to work on the baulk line initially. Place your cue on the baulk line and then take up your normal stance ensuring that you do not move the cue and that you take the body to the cue rather than taking the cue to the body. Take a look down at where your feet are when you are in this position and your right foot (right handed player) should be pretty much underneath the cue. Do this whole move a few repetitions until you are familiar with it then incorporate it into a pre-shot routine that you try to do before every shot.
Shazaha. The side pockets are generally quite easy if you have a full pocket to aim at, they become very tricky when you are approaching them at an angle. If you catch near or far knuckle of the pocket or play with any degree of pace you have to be so accurate. Spare a thought for the professional, the tables they play on have very tight side pockets and place severe demands on their accuracy.
That's the biggest problem for snooker players is finding the exact line, I guess you can teach your self to become expert at hitting the cue ball but finding the line is the most difficult part and can take many years. It's like art drawing.
free thinker. Beginners can use the full, half, quarter ball method to get them started, then experience will help them to visualise the line of the shot rather than selecting a specific portion of the ball to hit. Insight starts with recognising these facts.
dear sir I was wondering if this sequence is right.i stand behind the line if aim then go down to this line assuming that this is the correct line then when I am on the shot I see where my cue is aiming on the object ball and this is the point where my cue finished in a straight line...is that so correct?
this is probably your best video Barry - thank you, it's not the point on the ball..... hence all my bloody mistakes.... all my pots were from the line.... biggest mistakes can be from the most smallest of errors.
THANK YOU BARRY!!!!!
Hi Barry - thanks very much for your tutorial on aiming. I have been a cue sports player for over 20 years and recently i started doubting a basic basic way of aiming, as you mentioned in videos when you start thinking problems (which in my case wasnt really there) you start changing things which made things worse. I have been subconsiously aiming down the line but hadnt really realised the process and the mechanics until watching your videos. So thank you very much for getting my head around the process and correcting my mistakes. Really appreciate the video Barry. Keep up the good work and thank you again!!
cskyo. Glad to be of help.
Barry,
Please go into more detail on playing the line of the shot. My pea brain is confused on how you align the cue to be on the shot line.
I have the same question.
I would all so like more detail on the line of the shot.
These are great videos Barry . They are helping me become a much better player , than I was . Im also finding that , putting the practice time in , helps greatly . I wish I had room in the house for a big enough table 😁. I have also directed my 12 yr old son to watch your coaching lessons , as he has taken up the sport and we play each Sunday morning . Thanks again , and keep up the great work .
Derek. Well done, I hope you both develop your game.
I am an (amateur) America pool player, but I am extremely impressed by Barry's snooker training videos.
Joseph. Very glad that the videos are helping.
barry i just followed all your tip and i thought i was pro i just entered a tournament and lost now big Dave and the boys say there gonna break my legs , can you help me please??????
To save you from walking around on crutches because of big Dave and the boys go back to basics. Cue delivery is 90% of the game, study my videos and practise their mandates and hopefully Dave will be buying you a pint instead of breaking your legs.
crack open a cold one with them
time for you to hide out in the belgian congo, should take you about 17 minutes from idlewild airport, right? ;)
Hello Barry,
I hope you are doing great. I watch all your videos as soon as I get the notification. I know I am repeating this but you are the best coach and I appreciate what you have been doing for the love and respect of the game.
I have one request as I am struggling with this and I am sure that a lot of other people might also be struggling with the same thing - Timing of the Shot.
I will highly appreciate if you could make a video on this topic, covering - what is a timing of the shot, how to improve it and example of pro players' shots in this regard.
Thank you
Yogesh. There are differing views on what timing is but not really on how to achieve it and I have already recorded a video on the subject, please have another look. Why is it that top professionals can screw the ball the full length of the table but other players struggle, the answer is timing. The professional generates cue tip speed as he hits and gets through the cue ball, but he also goes further than that, he hangs on to it. I believe that although the contact time between cue tip and cue ball is minimal, when timing is perfect that contact time is fractionally increased. It is very difficult at the moment for me to show this on video because we do not have the specialised camera needed and they are very expensive. To achieve timing you must relax and learn to feel the cue ball, when you do it correctly I guarantee, you will know it.
Ronnie O`Sullivan himself made a video (Ronnie O'Sullivan teaching 2017) giving some tips on snooker and in a particular section, he teaches that you need to be relaxed and calm when striking the cue ball. You need to feel through your hand and arm and whole body the feedback your cue give to you. It`s a fraction of a second that give you so much information if you pay enough attention. And with that feedback, you will learn to keep the tip of your cue on the white as long as possible.
Thank you Sir, i must say your video and guides has been much help. Thank you very much Sir.
Very enlightening. Thank you very much, Barry.
Thank you Barry very much for this tip... im beginner and I tried to hit a point on the target ball... not possible and i didnt know why... I wondered why when i didnt "think about it" they just went in... NOW I know thx to you.
MrBleedk. Snooker players play the line, a line that has been learned through hours of practise. Unless it is an exact half ball or full ball it is impossible to pick a point on a round object.
Thanks for the great videos, Barry! They are very helpful! If I may request, please go in a little more detail on aiming and explain a shot that's at an angle from pre shot routine to stance to actually making the ball. We do aim for the line of the shot, making sure ball travels in that line, but when we finally play the shot, we focus on a specific point on the round object ball. And the cue ball does hit that point, making the ball or missing the pocket, overcutting or undercutting it. That's a real struggle sometimes.
Haris. There are two lines. One is obviously the line to the object ball, the other is the line from the object ball to the pocket.Some coaches will teach the half ball etc.or quarter ball method or indeed the furthest point from the pocket method and either can be a good starting point when learning the game. As a player progresses though he will be visualising the line the object ball will be taking on its way to the pocket. Granted he will hit a specific point on the object ball but my point is that during the course of his aim he will be visualising the ball heading along the line to the pocket. Experience through trial and error will teach him where that line is.
Hello Berry, I do not understand English, so I'm having a hard time understanding the method along the line, I could record a video with an illustration just like the ghost bol method??
thank you so much
LuMoraes - From Brazil.
good morning. I went back to your video on the grip I realize that my grip was way off and I was not using the proper technique holding the cue in my right hand. I have been practicing my stroke on my kitchen table and I have noticed it is a little easier to make the cue go back and forth straight if you are holding it correctly in your right hand. thank you for putting these videos online can't wait to get to the table today and pot some balls
Jeffrey. If a player has a problem with his game its a fair bet the grip needs some attention, well done.
Is it possible to see in a future video more detail in depth on the line of the shot. Thank you
brian. I will see what I can do.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach thank you much appreciated
Try this method, which have helped me eliminate some of the guess work in potting:
1) In your practice session, arrange the blue ball on its spot. Put the cue ball at an angle (any angle is fine)
2) Back away from the table and look for the line that Barry is talking about in the video above. The line should be from the back of the pocket and it goes straight across the blue ball, as shown in my caveman diagram below.
( -----------------------O---------
3) Now take a different colored ball (i.e. yellow) and place it directly behind the blue. Make sure it is touching. The line is now going across both yellow and blue, dead center.
( -----------------------00--------
4) The position of the yellow ball indicates where you need the white ball to be when it strikes the blue. If you deviate slightly, you might still make the pot, though bigger deviations will result in missing the pot.
5) Final step, remove the yellow and get down for the shot. Imagine where the yellow was. Hit the cue ball into that position. You will pot the blue. Trust your brain, not your eyes!
(
nurabdul. If I am reading your instructions correctly, you are describing the ghost ball theory and practise which is covered quite comprehensively in one of my videos.
Sir...Your perspective towards the game is wonderful. Your video tutorials improved my game very fast as a 20 break player to +80 break most of the time....I've a question about aiming...as you've mentioned there are four basic cut angles. What if one has to aim a 3/8 or 5/8 cut shot or 7/8 cut shot...?? How it should be done...?
NICKOTOXIC. There will always be debate about this, but my opinion is that snooker players play the line. That is irrespective that the shot is exactly half ball, or exactly quarter ball or as you quote 3/8 or 5/8 or 7/8 there is a line from the object ball to the pocket and that is what snooker players play for. To aim for a particular spot on a round object and be precise is impossible. If you hit the point on the object ball that is furthest away from the pocket (no side) the ball will go in the pocket, but as I have said you don't aim for this point, you play the line. The fact that you have played the line correctly means you will then hit the point that is furthest away from the pocket.
Can you explain more about playing the line of the shot please Barry?
antricio. Learning the line of the shot only comes with experience, use the ghost ball method initially to learn the contact points and then try to visualise the line that the object ball has to take.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you Barry. I've heard a lot about aiming for the contact point vs aiming for the centre of the ghost ball.
Aiming for the contact point would often produce shots which are too thick. It is difficult however to focus on the middle of an imaginary ball. Do you have any recommendations other than practice and intuition?
Hello, Barry.I think it is easy to know the line of pocket to center of the object ball. But how to know the line from cue ball to the object ball ? Can you further talk about it?
yes this is what i want to know also. to say im aiming at the line,, he does say he is just using a half ball shot, sounds to vague to me, but it works for him
thank you, I am having great trouble keeping the cue straight. when I finish my stroke the cue is left of the target line on many strokes. making me nuts. trying so hard. I know it must be a effect from bad stance or grip. going crazy trying to fix
Jeffrey. Its unlikely that your stance is causing this but the grip is the most likely. Study my video on the grip and work hard at it. It will not happen overnight but patience and effort will show rewards.
Thank you so much Barry. I believe I have watched your grip video about 15 times. What I am really struggling with just bring the cue back straight and delivering it straight. It really does wobble. In my elbow drops very quickly.
Sir Barry, can you please elaborate on this a little further please. I have still not been able to grasp this completely
mohan. Lets stick with a half ball shot into the middle pocket as in the video. Hit the cue ball in the middle and aim with your cue for the edge of the object ball. When those two balls collide, (assuming you have done it correctly) that will be a half ball contact. If you do that often enough you will no longer aim for the edge of the object ball with your cue but you will start to see the line to the pocket and that will be how you aim. This very principal makes the blind pocket (the dreaded cut back shot) very awkward because the pocket is not in the players line of vision so he cannot see the line of the shot and to some degree it is guess work. Granted, good players guess very well but will normally exercise caution with these shots. I hope that clears things up for you. Good luck.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach
Sir Barry, I generally draw an imaginary line from the pocket to the point on the ball I should be hitting. I’d be really honest, doesn’t work all the time. Is there something I could do to adjust this technique.
hey barry can you please make a detailed clip about , front pause and back pause in relation to eyes. i am struggling with this for a long long time . i used to focus on cueball alot more, then i tried to remove pause . then i also started to do a front pause and look at object ball. when to lock your eyes, how to lock it. i will be very happy if you could spend sometime making this video
i am sure this is whats holding me back.
tnx... wish you a long life
ARTgamer. I have covered this in detail in one of my videos, please have a look. Most players pause at the cue ball to determine they are hitting it in the correct place, then they lift their eyes to the object ball as they are performing the backswing for the final time. Whichever method you try (see video) please give it a reasonable length of time to see if you are going to like it.
I can't agree with you more. I've been inconsistently potting balls by using ghost ball aiming method. Then, I just try to use my body to align to the potting line, it pots way better.
Max. The ghost ball method can be useful for beginners but as I have often said, snooker players play the line, experience teaches you that.
Hi Barry, great video, just to illustrate playing the line, do you imagine the line going through the red? Then imagine that line to be an inch from the red, then play the white to that point on the line ?
There are two lines to consider, one is the line the cue ball takes and the other is the line the object ball takes. Try the ghost ball routine to give you a good indication of the line the cue ball should take, experience and practise will teach you the rest.
hii Sir your tips are usually useful enough ., Barry, i usually try to aim at a point on the ball for long pots., but faces lot of angle deflection while potting on a blind pocket.Also if potting with a little force in the center pocket with same line of aim as explained in your video ., it sometimes hits the jaw(like it touched in your case) and comes out so i try to aim line of aim at opposite jaw,.
If you can aim at a point on the object ball and get success, I am not going to tell you that is wrong. If you can get success by the half ball, quarter ball etc method, again, I am not going to tell you that is wrong. Whatever works for the individual is right. However, most players play the line of the shot, that is why blind pocket shots are so tricky because the pocket is not in their line of vision. Potting at an angle and with force into centre pockets is always risky even for top players please be careful.
Hi Barry. In the Potting Line Part 1 - video you outlined the impact of spin induced throw (squeeze) on the object ball trajectory. In this video you don't mention that, and it appears that you are stating that it doesn't apply to "aiming along the line". Can you please confirm that you also need to take into account the spin induced throw (squeeze) effect for this method?
Hugh. When you play with side the cue ball is pushed away from its natural line, the harder the cue ball is struck the further it is pushed off its natural line. The opposite is true about the object ball, the harder it is hit by the cue ball the less it is squeezed off line. There is one other point to take into consideration about the amount of squeeze and that is whether the object ball is being hit full in the face or otherwise. Lets say you are applying right hand side on the cue ball and hitting the object ball thinly on the right to cut it to the left, the side is spinning into the main body of the object ball and you will obtain more squeeze than if you applied left hand side on this same shot, which is now spinning away from the main body of the object ball. Just another reason why playing with side is tricky .
Many thanks Barry - I appreciate your explanations regarding the impact of applying side to the cue ball. However, my question was simply looking for confirmation that you need to take into account the impact of spin induced throw (squeeze) on the object ball trajectory. for both aiming methods. Regards. Hugh
oooo you changed my life !
aidin. I sincerely hope your game continues to develop.
Thank you so much mr. Stark !! Thank you for reply . I am an iranian . Playing here without a coach . You are so kind !thank you for your lessons .
Hi Barry. Love your videos leaning a lot. Regarding this video, when you talk about playing the line rather than the point in object ball, is every line not a half ball shot. Because if you line object ball with the pocket, regardless of angle it will be facing the pocket so if you put your cue over the top of the object Ball and follow to center of pocket it will be always half ball shot. Unless I'm picking this up wrong.
brian. I'm sorry but you seem to be confusing yourself. Lets look at an exact half ball aim, this is determined by hitting the cue ball in the centre and aiming with your cue at the edge of the object ball, its as simple as that. My point is that experienced players may recognise a half ball shot but will seldom play it as a half ball shot in terms of aiming, they recognise the line to the pocket, they can see the pocket and they play the object ball along that line.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach I 100% agree with what you say. And many thanks for your reply. I understand the ghost ball theory and understand it will work for most shots, but as the cue ball goes further away in terms of angle you can get the squeeze. Is there anything further you can say to help with the line of the shot, rather than trying to hit that spot on the cue ball which as you said if your a fraction off you will miss as such a small point.
Dear Coach Barry, great video !
i want to ask you about back cut shots( if im playing the black on its spot with that shot the white goes away to baulk area without hitting any rail). This shot to me is very tricky as i attempt to find the line of red when im doing my practice stroke, i always overcut and undercut it but rarely make it, is there specific advice for it ? if its the same angle but the white goes to the short rail im much more accurate and confident. another question is how do i know the line of white ? i can see the line of shot for the red but i can only get a feel for the line of white. thank you for answering all my comments so far so much value and quality in both your videos and comments.
Yasser. Cut back shots are tricky for any player, they are known as blind pocket pots and that is precisely why they are tricky. It is also why snooker players play the line rather than shall we say the half ball, quarter ball method of sighting. Not every one agrees with me so you I can only tell you what I believe in. When it comes to cut backs, lets imagine you are trying to pot the black off its spot from a position where the cue ball is low on it. My advice is to walk around so you are in a position where the black is a straight pot. don't take your eye off the black while you take up your position at the cue ball. This will help you to assess the correct line of the pot.
Does this mean that snooker players are playing on feel rather than aiming at a specific point
Yes
my body and age will not let me put my chin on the cue and see the cue ball. here is the question, is it a must to keep the cue in contact with your chest? pectoral muscle? I also noticed that you keep your right arm "inside" the target line. or is that just the camera?
Jeffrey. Resting the chest against the cue is good but not essential I have seen good players who do not. The only essential is to cue in a straight line and the chest can be a valuable aid to this. My right arm is inside the target line due to old sporting injuries.
Hi Barry, what do you exactly mean by playing along the line. For potting anything, I need the direction of the cue, which means to say I need an aim(which is a point).
I can understand why there is confusion when we talk about playing the line in respect of potting a ball. logic suggests you need a definitive target, e.g. half ball, quarter ball, furthest point from the pocket etc. However, unless the pot is exactly half ball or full ball it is a futile practise to aim for a specific point on a round object. A good example is finishing low on the black as opposed to high on the black. In the latter example the player can see the pocket and plays the object ball along the line without aiming for that elusive specific point on the object ball. Finishing low on the black means the pocket will not be in the players line of vision (the dreaded blind pocket) and even top professionals approach this shot with caution.
Hello Mr.Barry, im an enthusiastic amature and i faced the problem of unintentional side which im currently working on with the help of your tip. i also have have been struggling with my stance, could you please tell me how my feet are supposed to be positioned while judging the shot , some say the left foot is supposed to be parallel to the aiming line and honestly im confused.
With regard to the stance, the modern player tends to stand squarer to the table. A right handed player will generally place his right foot on the line of the shot, the left foot slightly wider than hip width and slightly in front of the right foot. My video on the stance explains this fairly well. The eye sight and brain determine the line of the shot not the stance, although the stance cannot be ignored.
+Barry Stark Snooker Coach thank you Mr. Barry, ill be sure to check the video
thanks alot... you have been a great help
Hi Barry, i like your videos and i have a similar question to many. picking a line the cueball will travel to the object balls contact point is troublesome for me.
as many say we need to keep our eyes on the contact point during delivery of the cue, however when we have a ball less than half ball the cue is usually pointing outside the OB edge , i.e into thin air,
how can one judge this line when there is no reference.
i would appreciate if you could go into more details on picking the line, the approach to it and how you visualise this
I understand how difficult this is to grasp for a beginner but as I have said you cannot play to a determined point on a round object. If you play a straight shot you can visualise the line to the object ball and then to the pocket. Then place the balls in roughly the same place but at a slight angle, you will still have the line to the pocket in your line of vision. Keep increasing the angle by slight amounts but keeping the line to the pocket in your line of vision. You will soon start to recognise where to hit the object ball. If all else fails try the ghost ball practise as a guide.
This is an amazing tip that I have found to be incredibly useful. I used to make big errors in estimating the line from the object ball to the pocket, if the angle between the two lines gets too big. Now I try increasing the angles, starting from an easy pot (almost full ball) as a practice routine. It seems to help me guess where to hit the object ball without having to look around the whole table, and without using small imperfections in the cloth to keep the visualization of the potting line in line (haha)!
Thank you Barry for the great tips. You helped me greatly in improving my game and keeping my love for playing this great game going.
Hello Barry, I am a snooker player from Hong Kong. Recently I have devided to play this game seriously, but I am stuggling on aiming a shot. I use the half ball, quarter ball etc aim. I work out roughly the angle between the two lines, one is joining the center of the object ball and the pocket and the other line is joining the center of the cue ball and the center of the object ball. Than I guess what type of shot it is ( for example a half ball shot). The problem is that I am not confident when I am down on the shot sometimes because I am just guessing the line of aim and miss a lots of shots. What can I improve to take my game to the next level? I will be happy if you reply. Sorry for long message.
Chi. I would suggest here that you use the ghost ball method explained in one of my videos. Work hard with this method but don't forget that aiming correctly is only half the battle, you still have to learn how to deliver the cue where you are aiming and to be honest that is really the difficult part.
dear sir
I was wondering if this sequence is right.i stand behind the line if aim then go down to this line assuming that this is the correct line then when I am on the shot I see where my cue is aiming on the object ball and this is the point where my cue finished in a straight line...is that so correct?
Kareem. Sounds good to me, please don't forget that on a straight shot most people (not all ) aim correctly, the main reason they miss is because they do not deliver the cue where they are aiming. The message is, keep working on your cue action.
HI sir grwat video once again. I've this problem, I can't actually follow through whrn I deliver my cue. sometimes when I deliberately try a bit more to get my cue through the white ball I end up making jerk and missing line of aim.
Getting through the ball in a straight line is quite simply one of the hardest skills in the game but it is something every player must strive to achieve. Please check that you have sufficient room between your cueing hand and the body to allow the follow through, then relax your grip as per the grip video. Remember, there must be no tension particularly in the grip, examine this fact before and after the shot.
coach barry,
i want to ask you if you can explane to me, and thats out of curiousity, how your aiming routine is. for example, i recently became able to play the line of shot theory. I did it through imagining a tube that contains the object ball and it goes to the pocket. from that image i can see the geometric center of the cueball, so now i only need to go down on the shot and aim towards a clear imaginary point(so i only focus on making straight strokes to make the shot). i just want to compare my way to yours for feedback and i just woundered how would someone whos experienced imagine the line of shot. thank you
Yasser. Seeing the line of shot is obviously a basic fundamental of playing snooker, how a player achieves this is right for him if he gets success. What I find is that some players forget the squeeze effect caused by friction on angle shots. You can find this out for yourself by experimenting with the ghost ball theory, you will soon find that on some angle shots you will be hitting balls thick and adjustments will have to be made. Only experience and cueing correctly can teach you to identify the line of aim but if your tube idea works for you please continue with it.
when I attempt to see the line of aim (CB trajectory) ideally I am matching the contact points on both balls. my question is should I just step back, try to see the line then step into it? wouldn't that be instinctual and inaccurate or does it get better with practice ? thank you
Yasser Its good practise to step back and visualise the shot before walking in. It will become instinct if practised and it will get better with sensible practise.
So with that said " I don't aim the point on the OB I play the line" does it mean Barry that I am suppose to focus on the line between the CB to OB which is in case the bed of the table?
Daniel. Playing the line is what top snooker players do. Experience will teach you to identify that line and you will soon learn to recognise it with no help from me or another coach. Stephen Hendry used to take a last look at the pocket before delivering the cue. He was the only top player, to my knowledge, that did this. I mention this to illustrate that players develop their own way to find the correct line. If you are having problems in this area please try the ghost ball method, it should help.
but on those acute angle more than 45 degree ghost ball have a high margin of error
Hi sir, I rewatched this video again having encounter some problems in my game, if I want to play along the line what should I focus on? the white, the red or the line between the white and the red?
Having said that whenever I focus on the red I tend to over cut or under cut it really need some help get back to me ASAP Barry Cheers, from Singapore
Daniel. As I have said in my video's, there are two lines, one line is from the cue ball to the object ball and the other is from the object ball to the pocket. Now, lets assume we have a perfect half ball pot, that means that if you hit the cue ball in the middle and aim your cue at the edge of the object ball that ball should go in the pocket when you play the shot. However, the player will visualise the line from the object ball to the pocket and play the ball along this line rather than concentrating on the half ball contact. Experience through trial and error has taught him about this line and his brain retains the knowledge. I come back to the point that that it is why the cut back pot is so tricky, the player cannot see the line because it is out of the field of vision. I am aware that not everyone agrees with me and it is points like this that make the game so interesting. Keep focusing on the object ball and you will learn to recognise the intended line, In the mean time please examine your cueing because your inconsistency may be down to this rather than aiming incorrectly.
Thank you sir will get back to you Cheers
Hey barry, hope you are at peace. Its has been striking me, ever since i have heard do say 'aiming starts at the butt end of the cue', can you explain, coz kyren kind of keeps the butt on line while walking in. Cheers
siddharth. Its no good having the tip of the cue on line if the butt end is off line, this will only cause you to cue across the line of aim. To make sure that the whole of the cue is on line its not a bad idea to bring the cue down on the line rather that across it while you getting into the right position. I hope that explains it for you.
sir barry i want to ask that what is bennifit of put cue under dominante eye
how much it is important
and tell me that i have to put my cue under dominant eye in every aiming method or just ghost ball method?
shahzaib. All players are slightly different, if you don't use the dominant eye there can be a tendency to play with unintentional side or to cue across the ball, or both. This is not always the case so be careful about moving to cue directly under the dominant eye, sometimes moving towards that eye rather than getting directly under it is sufficient. Once you have established the correct position it should be adopted for every shot.
so its mean if we put alwys our cue under dominant eye it will never miss to target point if cue moving is good?
shahzaib, In a later video Barry talked about the dominate eye over the cue. That one video almost eliminated my unintentional side spin the I was puting on the cue ball. I think, for most people, the dominant eye should be over or very close to over the cue. Find and watch Barry later video. And as Barry he said, "If things a currently working well for you be careful about changing things."
Great video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Sir is it true that the throw effect is more on slow tables with heavy nap than fast tables with thin cloth
Rushabh. When you say through effect I assume you mean the throw effect. If that is so then no, it is not true, the throw will be more on a fast table with a thin cloth. If you were to play on the television table you would be amazed at how much the cue ball moves off line when side is applied.
very nice and pro explained
ahmed. Glad that you found the video informative.
Hello Barry Sir,
Good morning, Sir i will try this from today but sir there is one thing which confuses me alot. I know the angles of the object ball half, full, quarter etc etc. When i check the angle off the table and when i get's down the shot then my eyes and brain fights with each other that this is not the point of aim. Sometimes i make good breaks like 60, 50 and even more and sometimes i misses a straight red or a black ball of the spot when i was on the open reds. I don't know why ? and after that i changes my technique and first day i plays good and next day i started missing the balls ? lol sorry but i laughs at myself .. Watever the technique i change i still play the same . sorry if iam confusing you but i think its all important to learn the angles of the object ball. You are a great coach please help me, should i see the pocket from the object ball ? Is that the thing your saying in this video ? .. i just want to chase my dream to be a professional player and meet you in uk. Please explain the line of the shot and guide me the correct way that what technique i should use.
Thanking you
Harpreet Singh
Harpreet. You will never learn how to aim consistently until you learn to deliver the cue in a consistent manner. The fact that you are missing straight balls off the spot tells me that your cueing is not consistent and to be honest this is where you need to focus, check your cueing on the baulk line, then over the spots using top spin then drag, once you improve your cueing the rest starts to fall into place.
Sir,
I got it now that how to pot the balls in the line of aim.. Finally, i got it that i move the cue towards the pocket in the last swing. From today i will start practising hard to finish the cue exactly straight on the point of aiming. Will make my video and check it again and again.
Thank you
Barry, I love your videos but need more clarification on what you mean by "playing the line". Are the snooker players aligning their aim with the line that goes from the pocket to the back of the ball and simply not focusing solely on the microscopic target on the object balll? Thanks much.
Allen. I can see that this can be confusing to beginners but try this. Set up an exact half ball shot, with centre ball striking aim your cue at the edge of the object ball and play the shot. If you have delivered the cue correctly the object ball should go in the pocket, repeat this a few times and your will find that you no longer have to aim for the edge of the object ball but you can see the line of aim. All shots are the same as this, experience will teach you that line of aim providing you are delivering that cue consistently and correctly.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Thank you for your reply.
I have problem judging line of aim. . Does it takes time and effort to judge the line ??
Bibek. I'm afraid there is no magic formula, just keep practising the right things. If you are confident that your cueing is straight but you still have a problem please remember the ghost ball practices. As I have said before it is not 100% accurate but it will give you good guide lines to improve.
ok. . .tq barry
What dose it mean hitting the point which is furthest away from the pocket ? I dont get it
Layana. If you draw a line straight from the pocket and through the centre of the object ball there will be a point on the object ball that is furthest away from the pocket, of that there is no doubt. But aiming to hit that point which is on a round object is impossible, snooker players do not do that they aim to propel the ball along a line, a line which is learnt through consistent cueing and experience.
I simply don't understand the concept of playing along the line of the shot, your cue ball is not on the line of the shot. Do you mean the line to the ghost ball position?
Douglas. The are two lines, one is as you say, the line to the ghost ball position, the other is the line from the object ball to the pocket. Beginners will best learn this by using the half ball , quarter ball method but after a period of time they will start to recognise and see the line the object ball will need to take. The reason a cut back shot is difficult is because the player cannot see the line of the shot, it is not in his line of vision, a classic example of this is trying to pot the black from its spot when the cue ball is near the top cushion.
Excellent
love you barry
naveen. Glad you like the videos.
Which method do you use sir?
Shane. As I have said in my videos, snooker players play the line and that includes me. Experience, trial and error has taught me to recognise that line. There are only two definitive targets if you play the half ball method, they are full ball (straight shot) and half ball shots. All the rest are assessments by the player, the only way you can assess correctly is to allow experience with trial and error to teach you. However, trial and error will only teach you if you cue exactly the same all the time, ideally in a straight line, it is futile to say that you have learned a potting angle when you cue differently each time.
Yess sir but I see the point and if nessary i make the adjustment is that correct or not just correct me and sir I hav a problem. When I play a shot like you said I am keeping the cue paralo but when I hav to play screw shot hav to play it force that I just miss it help me and and about dominent eye method is it neccary will th ere be any change if I keep it middle thank yu so much for helping me out ur really good..!
Hi respected sir. Plz show us hot to pot the object ball on long shot i have tried so much practice and practice but i miss it in slow and fast shot also but its not potting to much hard and i wish that i learn the long pot straight long shot plz show us sir i shall be very thankful to u thank u.
LOVER. Potting long is no different from potting short shots except that because of the distances involved any errors that you have in your aim or in your cueing are exaggerated. Again because of the distances involved and the possible increase in power needed you should increase the length of the back swing allowing the cue to do the work rather that your muscles. You should really examine your cue action on the baulk line with a long fluent action and then try to replicate it when hitting a ball. I am afraid there is no magic formula just hard and sometimes frustrating work but if you try to do things correctly paying particular attention to delivering that cue in a straight line, progress will come.
best helping and teaching snooker coaching just need zoo camera when you hit the striker at the end of instruction
I need help 😔 Please i have big problems with cue
How to setup the cue on line Correctly I'm tired 😴 ?? And please anyone give me the steps when standing behind the cue ball in the form of simple points what i have to do exactly?? sorry I can not speak English well ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Mustafa. Please don't apologise for your English, you write it very well. The best advice I can give in respect of your question is to work on the baulk line initially. Place your cue on the baulk line and then take up your normal stance ensuring that you do not move the cue and that you take the body to the cue rather than taking the cue to the body. Take a look down at where your feet are when you are in this position and your right foot (right handed player) should be pretty much underneath the cue. Do this whole move a few repetitions until you are familiar with it then incorporate it into a pre-shot routine that you try to do before every shot.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach your awesome i love you my coach ♥
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach th-cam.com/video/iq2S-0YQQV8/w-d-xo.html this video can help me? This is answer to My question?
im having problem to pot to the side pocket . why it is too hard !!! 😩
Shazaha. The side pockets are generally quite easy if you have a full pocket to aim at, they become very tricky when you are approaching them at an angle. If you catch near or far knuckle of the pocket or play with any degree of pace you have to be so accurate. Spare a thought for the professional, the tables they play on have very tight side pockets and place severe demands on their accuracy.
Talking about pints on the ball; “The point I am trying to make”
That's the biggest problem for snooker players is finding the exact line, I guess you can teach your self to become expert at hitting the cue ball but finding the line is the most difficult part and can take many years. It's like art drawing.
Sami. Its certainly a difficult part of the game but I also believe that delivering the cue on the line selected is just as difficult.
Thanks
❤❤
Makes little sense ... along the line is obvious because the the line goes to the pocket,. Not much of an insight.
free thinker. Beginners can use the full, half, quarter ball method to get them started, then experience will help them to visualise the line of the shot rather than selecting a specific portion of the ball to hit. Insight starts with recognising these facts.
Barry Stark Snooker Coach Right. Thanks! Good videos.
dear sir
I was wondering if this sequence is right.i stand behind the line if aim then go down to this line assuming that this is the correct line then when I am on the shot I see where my cue is aiming on the object ball and this is the point where my cue finished in a straight line...is that so correct?