Never played with helping side until watching this….but I made my first century in a league match last week, remembering to use abit of helping on a couple of shots. Cheers!
I asked Neil Robertson about this and he said the exact same things. He always uses at least a trace of side on every shot (except when it's dead straight) and he was also a bit confused why coaches are so obsessed in making new players focus so much on center-ball striking.
First you need to learn to strike the middle of the white and build consistent straight cue action around that. New players don't know (even if they think they know) how to hit the center of the ball and cue straight. Until you learn how to play straight and build your muscle memory around that, there's no point of playing with side, it will just screw your aiming and cue action. Professionals are actually very good at striking center of the ball, even if they play most of the angled shots with helping side. From what I heard Ding can play 10 out of 10 straight pots on blue across the whole length of the table with both blue and white ending up in the corner pocket, as an example ;-)
Really Useful Advice to Improve Breakbuilding Skills because this technique of embracing and using Helping Side allows any fairly accomplished Player to move the cueball around so much easier, in a more controlled way with far less cue power needed and thus every shot played retains more cueing & potting accuracy too . . . mastering frequent use of helping side will result in less missed pots, better cueball control and positional play . . . and ultimately will deliver much bigger breaks in a much shorter timeframe on the practice table. Great Video MH! 😃👊💯
Nice one Michael. Can’t wait to experiment with this. I’ve been a fan of yours as you’re into good music and also like me you’re a Forest fan! Good luck in the future.
So so glad we have very good pro telling us how it is,from when you speak at 7min 40 secs about cue action what you look like etc,this has been me the last few months bad ocd,had my best season last year only at ameture level mind you,so new season coming up in 2 weeks,this is very helpful advice for free much appreciated keep up the good work 👏👏👏👏👍
Nice one! I still put too much side or unwanted side on long range pots that affect the cue ball travelling to the object ball, will have a practice, thank you!
Hi Michael, I have tried this method with running side on an internet snooker site called isnooker, I find it is very helpful. At my age (68) it has been easy to adapt the way I play a lot of shots. Keep the video's coming, they are very informative. Good luck with everything you do. Many thanks. Colin
Great insight MH. Thank you. All these years we club players have been told to always aim center of cue ball. Now this changes a lot of perspective. First time I have heard of this on youtube. I remember many years ago an ex pro playing in our club. I observed that he played most of the shots with side spin.
Thanks Michael great video.. I've been playing for years and forever searching and listening to advice, to try and improve my game... I think over the years, I've always put to much side on the white, which then caused me to miss the pot.. I've found this video and your explanation very useful... Thank you 😊
Hi Holt, hope you're well I have always wondered this about a specific shot on a table and that is when playing stuns off the green or yellow or the pink to hit the cushion and come off it with helping side, you never have to adjust for the side, now I think I know this might be because of the throw of the object ball that makes it go into the middle of the pocket.. but I wonder what are some other shots on the table we could apply the same idea to ?
This is fantastic advice. I watched this video when Michael aired it but totally forgot about it. Used the 'helping side' last night and could'nt believe how many more high/low blacks off the spot i potted. I don't think i missed one. Its exactly how Michael explains and because you're only deviating about maybe a half to a tips width from the middle of the white you don't really have to allow anything for the throw of the cueball. Amazing👍👏
Hi been watching these videos and really helped me ,after a 10yr break after focusing just on aim as u said cleared the line up and played very well as ive been playing once a week after my break.Could u do a video on the dominant eye theory as i had a chat with a guy i got my snooker glasses from who told me our eyes work together at certain distance,our left eye at another then right eye etc so even if a player thinks they should cue under their left or right eye , they cant be certain that at some distance shots or longer pots what they think is the correct eye to sight from is actually hindering their accuracy.?
Yes definitely it helps me I am also playing in the middle for 2 years yes I make good breaks in the middle some hundreds but playing with trace of side actually helps me to control my white ball easily and it gives me good moment when I play my shots but I didn't learnt playing with side I have a play with trace of side concisely but I hope when I get better the game will be more easy,,,,,it helps ❤
Great video. Would you also apply this is you were playing from distance or where you aren't trying to run the white off a cushion? say 3/4 stun run through?
This is gold! Thanks for sharing your view as a top professional. I've been trying to eliminate my trace of right hand side for years, hope this will push me in the right direction.
Commented on a separate thread about only using side where really needed. Made a few recent centuries using that. Today, played about with adding traces of side to more shots to control the position of the cue ball. Made 10 breaks over 50 in a couple of hours including an 85, 79 and 73. It worked best on thinner cuts into tight pockets like reds below the black spot. Also used a bit of check side on soft 3/4 ball screw backs changing the angle of the white to a bit straighter and avoid unwanted cannons on other balls which didn’t really look possible. Will persevere.
Some more great advice which opens up new dimensions to peoples progress which to be honest tends to rich a point and then stagnate. More due to lack of understanding than effort. Has the player been born yet who can consistently find the centre of the white and hit it straight with power consistently?
It was Saturday I was practicing when I thought to myself, I’m always low on the next red after a high black. Low blacks are consistent. Great video! I’ll be trying this out next time. Thanks
@@MichaelHoltSnookerCoaching from someone who knew nothing about this it certainly has. Although sometimes I may be putting on too much side, it really is a tad u need. From low on a red to high, with choices of red closer to the line with the pink spot if needed. Useful if the black is safe and u need to go up for pink or blue also. Opens up the knowledge of knowing what shot to play (having the ability to use side effectively 👍 tomorrow I go again
One word Mike!, Revelation!! I am now trying to work out why I am cueing a shot and I am drawn so much to put on a bit of left hand side on high black for instance! I am going to go with the feeling of the shot instead of by the "book" middle ball shots ...Mike
have you heard of american pool player called cj wiley,he sort of teaches the exact opposite.he calls it the touch of inside.but like you he says this means he knows which side hes going to hit and by accident he might hit centre of cue ball.i have spent years focusing on object ball on way down and not finding part of white required.good videos!
So when it’s just a trace/ touch of helping side, do you still have to allow a little for the slightest deflection? Or just go for the aim you’ve chosen?
Thank you for this! Helping side does 'help' me to play those 1/2 ball stun shots much easier, as ghost ball aiming would otherwise fail you due to impact throw. I wonder if you use helping side on cushion shots and long range shots?
Yes I/others do. Long balls (especially when swinging the white around the back of the black) are definitely played with side. It “helps” the white on its way. There will be some adjustment on where you aim because of the pace of the shot which a player learns through practice. The learning process is made quicker if a player can consistently address in consistent spots on the cue ball. Aiming is the key.
H Michael. Subscribed and really enjoying your videos and your 'morning walks' on IG (though I am definitely learning more from the videos :)! Your relaxed unscripted (apologise if I am wrong) approach is very easy to watch and easy to follow. From the helping side video as you explained, would that high black from the green side, always have left hand side being referred to as 'helping' side as you explained (I think Matthew is asking a similar question below)? Would you still refer to that left hand side as helping (the cue ball travel or spin off the object ball) side if you played a stun follow off the top cushion, past the red for the red, in to the green side top black pocket? Please keep the videos coming 👍
Hello. Thank you mate. You could play it with or without, all depends on what the player feels comfortable with. If you did use the helping side you would probably feel like you could hit slightly higher on the cue ball to make sure you didn’t land too close to the black. With the pace you would play the stun-follow through you are in danger of putting on too much left and checking off the cushion. If you was trying to top the black in off 2 cushions for a red in the same pockets I wouldn’t use it because you are using a lot of top spin to create a new path for the white, helping side wouldn’t be “helping” in this situation. Helping side is there to help the white on it’s natural path after making contact with the object ball. 👍
Hello. I’d go with middle because you want the top spin to create a new path for the white to go on. Helping side only helps the white on the original path after contact with the object ball.
I like the way you explain the extra margin of error should you drift off target (check). But if you get more helping side than intended, you could miss because of the throw. So it gives you more margin on position and less on the pot?
Obviously if you miss the intended spot on the cue ball too much either way you will miss the pot. The little bit of room for error is similar for whichever side you miss on. Making sure you are the right side of the white (for helping side) helps to get the white where you want it to go. 👍
I always thought the pros used more side than they were letting on 😁 A little suggestion - when using the word 'right' when in context you mean 'correct', for the benefit of non native English speakers that's a subtle change worth implementing 😎... Anyway, nice video, thanks for the ideas. I'm going to mess around with this next time I play. Come to think of it, I do have a favourite angle.... It's like skiing, I can do awesome parallel turns to the left but not so much the other way! This sorcery may help.... COYR
Hi mate thanks for the video What level of player are you aiming at with this ? I a firm believer to a beginner putting the cue ball where aiming is much easier if it’s cued straight and hitting center teaches potting angles quicker because of the variables of using side,especially on different club conditions. I see what you mean by helping side it’s more a position aspect rather than a potting one. Thanks
Hello Every level. Its the opposite IMO. Its more important the lower a players level is. The middle is a very small area and hard to hit, one of the benefits of using helping side is the target area (to make the shot) on the white is bigger. Professionals who are more accurate cueists use it so amateurs who aren’t as accurate definitely should. Also, like I said on the video the throw and change of potting angle is very small (if any), this is only a trace of side. On slower tables the side helps a player out more. The last 12 months I’ve realised how much importance amateurs seem to put on straight cueing, it helps but nowhere near as important than knowing where to hit the cue ball.
Hi Michael, when playing with helping side how does this influence your lining up of the shot before getting down on it? Say for example I get down green side on the black and play with helping left hand side, would I aim for a different part of the black ball than I would if I was striking the centre of the cue ball? Or is the helping side negligible to the point you'd sight the same?
Hello, because helping side is only slightly left/right of centre the amount of deflection and changing of the potting angle from the side spin is very little. I’d go as far to say as it’s virtually the same potting angle as if you were hitting the centre. This is something you will learn through repetition, the key is to consistently aim the same amount left/right to learn the potting angles. 👍
Answer this to get perf on my next question.. Q: how many of the T16, with or without naming, do you think would improve there white by using more dabs of help side? Really enjoying your content here, and hopefully it’s onward and up from here..
Helping side is about the cue ball and where it goes. The only thing that sends the object ball on its way is the split second of the contact between the two. Immediately after that there’s nothing any amount of side can do to keep the ball on or to change its destination. I think it’s a myth. 👍
Hi Michael I got a book when I started playing the guy said nobody hits center regularly even pros so he said if you Play with a touch Of side one side or the other at least you know with practice where to aim I’ve tried to email him but he was very old at the time and. Did not get back I just wanted to know if you have a straight long shot what then regards Chris
@@MichaelHoltSnookerCoaching cheers Michael I just use center now it was getting confusing getting ok at playing thanks for getting back wish you success for your channel and you snooker career
Hi Michael, I have been watching and learning a lot from your videos, it's fantastic to see how a professional goes about it. The one about helping side is a real eye opener for me, thanks a lot. I was wondering if you could do one on the opposite, trapping or retarding side, how and why you might use it, or even if you would use it at all. Thanks again for the insights and keep it going. Paul.
I couldn't agree more, this obsession with finding the centre of the cue ball is nonsense, dead easy to hit right or left 10 times out of ten times . Accept it, deal with it and improvements will come.
Best video I've ever come across, I'm enjoying snooker more than ever now thanks Michael u th best out there.
Thank you. Really appreciate it. 😃
This makes a lot of sense to me. Looking forward to trying it at the club tomorrow!
Not a lot of good players are willing to share their experience, or what they have wasted time on. Thank you Mike.
Never played with helping side until watching this….but I made my first century in a league match last week, remembering to use abit of helping on a couple of shots. Cheers!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I asked Neil Robertson about this and he said the exact same things. He always uses at least a trace of side on every shot (except when it's dead straight) and he was also a bit confused why coaches are so obsessed in making new players focus so much on center-ball striking.
It’s because so many “coaches” have no idea what they are doing.
They shouldn’t be coaching IMO.
First you need to learn to strike the middle of the white and build consistent straight cue action around that. New players don't know (even if they think they know) how to hit the center of the ball and cue straight. Until you learn how to play straight and build your muscle memory around that, there's no point of playing with side, it will just screw your aiming and cue action. Professionals are actually very good at striking center of the ball, even if they play most of the angled shots with helping side. From what I heard Ding can play 10 out of 10 straight pots on blue across the whole length of the table with both blue and white ending up in the corner pocket, as an example ;-)
Really Useful Advice to Improve Breakbuilding Skills because this technique of embracing and using Helping Side allows any fairly accomplished Player to move the cueball around so much easier, in a more controlled way with far less cue power needed and thus every shot played retains more cueing & potting accuracy too . . . mastering frequent use of helping side will result in less missed pots, better cueball control and positional play . . . and ultimately will deliver much bigger breaks in a much shorter timeframe on the practice table.
Great Video MH! 😃👊💯
Nice one Michael. Can’t wait to experiment with this. I’ve been a fan of yours as you’re into good music and also like me you’re a Forest fan! Good luck in the future.
So so glad we have very good pro telling us how it is,from when you speak at 7min 40 secs about cue action what you look like etc,this has been me the last few months bad ocd,had my best season last year only at ameture level mind you,so new season coming up in 2 weeks,this is very helpful advice for free much appreciated keep up the good work 👏👏👏👏👍
Good work
Thank you for that always wonder how much a trace of side is
Nice one! I still put too much side or unwanted side on long range pots that affect the cue ball travelling to the object ball, will have a practice, thank you!
nice again Michael!!!
Hi Michael, I have tried this method with running side on an internet snooker site called isnooker, I find it is very helpful. At my age (68) it has been easy to adapt the way I play a lot of shots. Keep the video's coming, they are very informative. Good luck with everything you do. Many thanks. Colin
Great insight MH. Thank you.
All these years we club players have been told to always aim center of cue ball. Now this changes a lot of perspective. First time I have heard of this on youtube.
I remember many years ago an ex pro playing in our club. I observed that he played most of the shots with side spin.
My pleasure.
Love this makes sense
ok cool now I understand. Yes will try this.
Thanks Michael great video.. I've been playing for years and forever searching and listening to advice, to try and improve my game... I think over the years, I've always put to much side on the white, which then caused me to miss the pot.. I've found this video and your explanation very useful... Thank you 😊
My pleasure.
Hi Holt, hope you're well
I have always wondered this about a specific shot on a table and that is when playing stuns off the green or yellow or the pink to hit the cushion and come off it with helping side, you never have to adjust for the side, now I think I know this might be because of the throw of the object ball that makes it go into the middle of the pocket.. but I wonder what are some other shots on the table we could apply the same idea to ?
This is fantastic advice. I watched this video when Michael aired it but totally forgot about it. Used the 'helping side' last night and could'nt believe how many more high/low blacks off the spot i potted. I don't think i missed one. Its exactly how Michael explains and because you're only deviating about maybe a half to a tips width from the middle of the white you don't really have to allow anything for the throw of the cueball. Amazing👍👏
Thank you. 👍
Hi been watching these videos and really helped me ,after a 10yr break after focusing just on aim as u said cleared the line up and played very well as ive been playing once a week after my break.Could u do a video on the dominant eye theory as i had a chat with a guy i got my snooker glasses from who told me our eyes work together at certain distance,our left eye at another then right eye etc so even if a player thinks they should cue under their left or right eye , they cant be certain that at some distance shots or longer pots what they think is the correct eye to sight from is actually hindering their accuracy.?
Yes definitely it helps me I am also playing in the middle for 2 years yes I make good breaks in the middle some hundreds but playing with trace of side actually helps me to control my white ball easily and it gives me good moment when I play my shots but I didn't learnt playing with side I have a play with trace of side concisely but I hope when I get better the game will be more easy,,,,,it helps ❤
Great video. Would you also apply this is you were playing from distance or where you aren't trying to run the white off a cushion? say 3/4 stun run through?
This is gold! Thanks for sharing your view as a top professional. I've been trying to eliminate my trace of right hand side for years, hope this will push me in the right direction.
rewatching in the second time, definitely ringing bells on the high black from the yellow side.
Thank you. Please let me know if it does “cure” your bad side. 👍
Hi break for 25 years was 49. Watched this video and used “helping side” and got breaks 27, 39, 49 and drum roll 56 my next session. Thank you 🙏
My pleasure.
Keep going. 👍
Commented on a separate thread about only using side where really needed. Made a few recent centuries using that. Today, played about with adding traces of side to more shots to control the position of the cue ball. Made 10 breaks over 50 in a couple of hours including an 85, 79 and 73. It worked best on thinner cuts into tight pockets like reds below the black spot. Also used a bit of check side on soft 3/4 ball screw backs changing the angle of the white to a bit straighter and avoid unwanted cannons on other balls which didn’t really look possible. Will persevere.
When you use a trace, do you allow for deflection? And when aligning to the shot, what about that?
Quality mate
Some more great advice which opens up new dimensions to peoples progress which to be honest tends to rich a point and then stagnate. More due to lack of understanding than effort. Has the player been born yet who can consistently find the centre of the white and hit it straight with power consistently?
It was Saturday I was practicing when I thought to myself, I’m always low on the next red after a high black. Low blacks are consistent. Great video! I’ll be trying this out next time. Thanks
Let me know if it “helps”. 👍
@@MichaelHoltSnookerCoaching from someone who knew nothing about this it certainly has. Although sometimes I may be putting on too much side, it really is a tad u need. From low on a red to high, with choices of red closer to the line with the pink spot if needed. Useful if the black is safe and u need to go up for pink or blue also. Opens up the knowledge of knowing what shot to play (having the ability to use side effectively 👍 tomorrow I go again
One word Mike!, Revelation!! I am now trying to work out why I am cueing a shot and I am drawn so much to put on a bit of left hand side on high black for instance! I am going to go with the feeling of the shot instead of by the "book" middle ball shots ...Mike
Thank you.
Keep going. 👍
have you heard of american pool player called cj wiley,he sort of teaches the exact opposite.he calls it the touch of inside.but like you he says this means he knows which side hes going to hit and by accident he might hit centre of cue ball.i have spent years focusing on object ball on way down and not finding part of white required.good videos!
So when it’s just a trace/ touch of helping side, do you still have to allow a little for the slightest deflection? Or just go for the aim you’ve chosen?
Thank you for this! Helping side does 'help' me to play those 1/2 ball stun shots much easier, as ghost ball aiming would otherwise fail you due to impact throw. I wonder if you use helping side on cushion shots and long range shots?
Yes I/others do. Long balls (especially when swinging the white around the back of the black) are definitely played with side. It “helps” the white on its way. There will be some adjustment on where you aim because of the pace of the shot which a player learns through practice.
The learning process is made quicker if a player can consistently address in consistent spots on the cue ball. Aiming is the key.
H Michael. Subscribed and really enjoying your videos and your 'morning walks' on IG (though I am definitely learning more from the videos :)! Your relaxed unscripted (apologise if I am wrong) approach is very easy to watch and easy to follow. From the helping side video as you explained, would that high black from the green side, always have left hand side being referred to as 'helping' side as you explained (I think Matthew is asking a similar question below)? Would you still refer to that left hand side as helping (the cue ball travel or spin off the object ball) side if you played a stun follow off the top cushion, past the red for the red, in to the green side top black pocket? Please keep the videos coming 👍
Hello. Thank you mate.
You could play it with or without, all depends on what the player feels comfortable with. If you did use the helping side you would probably feel like you could hit slightly higher on the cue ball to make sure you didn’t land too close to the black. With the pace you would play the stun-follow through you are in danger of putting on too much left and checking off the cushion.
If you was trying to top the black in off 2 cushions for a red in the same pockets I wouldn’t use it because you are using a lot of top spin to create a new path for the white, helping side wouldn’t be “helping” in this situation.
Helping side is there to help the white on it’s natural path after making contact with the object ball. 👍
Great video, quick question how/would this apply to say a high black from the green side topspin shot? Or would you try to stay as middle as possible?
Hello. I’d go with middle because you want the top spin to create a new path for the white to go on. Helping side only helps the white on the original path after contact with the object ball.
I like the way you explain the extra margin of error should you drift off target (check). But if you get more helping side than intended, you could miss because of the throw. So it gives you more margin on position and less on the pot?
Obviously if you miss the intended spot on the cue ball too much either way you will miss the pot. The little bit of room for error is similar for whichever side you miss on. Making sure you are the right side of the white (for helping side) helps to get the white where you want it to go. 👍
I always thought the pros used more side than they were letting on 😁
A little suggestion - when using the word 'right' when in context you mean 'correct', for the benefit of non native English speakers that's a subtle change worth implementing 😎...
Anyway, nice video, thanks for the ideas. I'm going to mess around with this next time I play. Come to think of it, I do have a favourite angle.... It's like skiing, I can do awesome parallel turns to the left but not so much the other way!
This sorcery may help....
COYR
Yes. You are righ…sorry correct. I remember for the future. 👍
Thank you. ☺️
Hi mate thanks for the video
What level of player are you aiming at with this ?
I a firm believer to a beginner putting the cue ball where aiming is much easier if it’s cued straight and hitting center teaches potting angles quicker because of the variables of using side,especially on different club conditions.
I see what you mean by helping side it’s more a position aspect rather than a potting one.
Thanks
Hello
Every level.
Its the opposite IMO. Its more important the lower a players level is. The middle is a very small area and hard to hit, one of the benefits of using helping side is the target area (to make the shot) on the white is bigger. Professionals who are more accurate cueists use it so amateurs who aren’t as accurate definitely should.
Also, like I said on the video the throw and change of potting angle is very small (if any), this is only a trace of side. On slower tables the side helps a player out more.
The last 12 months I’ve realised how much importance amateurs seem to put on straight cueing, it helps but nowhere near as important than knowing where to hit the cue ball.
Hi Michael, when playing with helping side how does this influence your lining up of the shot before getting down on it? Say for example I get down green side on the black and play with helping left hand side, would I aim for a different part of the black ball than I would if I was striking the centre of the cue ball? Or is the helping side negligible to the point you'd sight the same?
Hello, because helping side is only slightly left/right of centre the amount of deflection and changing of the potting angle from the side spin is very little. I’d go as far to say as it’s virtually the same potting angle as if you were hitting the centre.
This is something you will learn through repetition, the key is to consistently aim the same amount left/right to learn the potting angles. 👍
@@MichaelHoltSnookerCoaching thank you!
Answer this to get perf on my next question..
Q: how many of the T16, with or without naming, do you think would improve there white by using more dabs of help side?
Really enjoying your content here, and hopefully it’s onward and up from here..
I don’t know of a high level player that doesn’t do it.
Would u still use helpin side if thers a long distance between cue ball and objectball
Yes. 👍
That’s a great insight. I’d previously been told helping side was to keep the object ball on track to the pocket. Is this a myth?
Helping side is about the cue ball and where it goes. The only thing that sends the object ball on its way is the split second of the contact between the two. Immediately after that there’s nothing any amount of side can do to keep the ball on or to change its destination.
I think it’s a myth. 👍
U don't get any cling on the object ball.
Hi Michael I got a book when I started playing the guy said nobody hits center regularly even pros so he said if you
Play with a touch
Of side one side or the other at least you know with practice where to aim I’ve tried to email him but he was very old at the time and. Did not get back I just wanted to know if you have a straight long shot what then regards Chris
Anything straight or just off straight you need to find the middle. 👍
@@MichaelHoltSnookerCoaching cheers Michael I just use center now it was getting confusing getting ok at playing thanks for getting back wish you success for your channel and you snooker career
Hi Michael, I have been watching and learning a lot from your videos, it's fantastic to see how a professional goes about it. The one about helping side is a real eye opener for me, thanks a lot.
I was wondering if you could do one on the opposite, trapping or retarding side, how and why you might use it, or even if you would use it at all.
Thanks again for the insights and keep it going.
Paul.
The main thing is "is the helping side can cause the cue ball to go offline or it dsnt have much impact on hitting the white ball?
No. The side is such a small amount it doesn’t really have much of an influence on the potting angle.
@@MichaelHoltSnookerCoaching thnku so much
I couldn't agree more, this obsession with finding the centre of the cue ball is nonsense, dead easy to hit right or left 10 times out of ten times .
Accept it, deal with it and improvements will come.