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| By Chris on 09/17/2008 |
Coaching and Playing Snooker
Dear Barry,
I am 14 years of age and when I am older I would love to be a professional player on the main circuit. What would be the best way to get the abilty to become a professional? How would I prepare for the journey?
Also, If I cannot make it as a pro, I would be very keen to have a job in the snooker industry, such as coaching. How would I become a snooker coach and be able to coach professionally full time and make a possible living out of it? A lot of the people around me say to me that I should 'aim for a proper job' and I havn't got a chance to get a big enough job in snooker to have it as full time, is that true?
So far, my highest match break is 42 and in the line up exercise, 76.
Do you know when the Video Coaching will be on the website?
Thank you for any help you can offer me,
Chris
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Barry says:
Chris
Apologies for the delay in answering, I have been on holiday.
Becoming a snooker professional is the hardest thing in the world on your own.
You need talent, coaching, financial backing, time and luck, even then there are no guarantees.
Ronnie O'Sullivan made his first century break when he was ten years of age, Anthony Hamilton when he was 14. I mention this just to indicate how difficult it is.
They both served their apprenticeship in junior competitions then later on the pro-am circuit which was in abundance in those days.
I cannot advise you one way or the other but if your highest break is only 42 you need coaching to get the best out of your talent. From there you need to enter as many competitions as you can to gain match experience.
To become a coach you need to be or have been a fair player, from there you need one of the three coaching qualifications available from the Amateur Body. The European Body. The Professional Body.
But be warned snooker players don't like parting with their money so you will need to be a very good coach to make a living.
From the way you have worded your letter I think you are quite an intellegent lad, may I suggest you make sure you concentrate on your education and exam results while playing as often as you can, you are young and a decision can be made a little later.
Matt is trying to get the video coaching organised but he is also trying to concentrate on his own main tour ranking, I'm afraid at this time its 'watch this space'.
You don't mention where you are from but if you look on the World Snooker web site you will find a list of coaches, there may be one from your area, don't try to learn the game on your own, it is very difficult to do that.
All the Best
Barry
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| By douglas brewer on 09/05/2008 |
practice advice
i have a 10yr old son very keen on snooker and plays in a couple of snooker events at pontins during practice he does line ups long shots he currently has a127 in line up and a40 in matchplay are there any tasks you could suggest he practices and where we can go for regular tournaments yours thankfully doug
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Barry says:
Doug
127 at ten years of age is good even at the line up,he is obviously showing some control of the cue ball.
There are lots of skills he can practise that stretch his ability without being unrealistic,its just a question of taking an element of the game away from the game, setting a target to achieve, then putting those skills back into the game.
1/ Baulk colours, pot in any order,keep replacing them, keep cue ball within 15 inches of baulk line (towards blue)set target of say 50 points etc. (keep diary to monitor improvement)
2/Line of ten reds one foot from baulk line, long pots into corner pockets. set target say 50%,keep record.
3/Blacks off the spot, set target, then impose conditions, i.e. cue ball must bounce off top cushion or must not touch cushion etc.
4/Pot blue from slight angle, play cannons on reds that are positioned in a line across the table in line with the pink spot.
5/ I am big believer in learning to use the top cushion effectively, the black should be potted at an angle, causing the cue ball to rebound from the cushion, the variations of top, stun,screw and side should then be used to dictate where the cue ball finishes, he could try playing a cannon on reds placed in various positions.
6/ Never forget the value of open play, by that I mean, colours on their spots, reds all over the table in pottable positions and count his breaks, recording them with the date for future reference.
There is always a very real danger of expecting too much too soon, please remember this and set realistic targets for him.
Regular tournaments depends really on which part of the country you are from, Malcolm Thorne of Leicester runs a few junior tournaments, or you could try the Global Snooker web site.
Keep in touch
Regards
Barry
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| By Anthony on 08/16/2008 |
striking
Hi when I strike the white should my grip hit my chest all the time as I seen a clip on terry griffis say's it should.
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Barry says:
Anthony
Every player is different, some players hit the chest others go past the chest, and some do both depending on the shot.
The distance of the cueing hand from the chest determines the amount of follow through before the chest comes into play. If this distance is too short it is possible that the chest will interfere with the shot.
I believe at the start of the shot the cue should be touching the chest, if at the end of the shot it is not touching the chest the cue has either gone off line or dropped with the arm to go past it.
On a power shot or even a medium pace shot the hand will invariably hit the chest but on some gentle shots it will not.
Use the chest as an aid to straight cueing but don't let it rule your cue delivery.
Regards
Barry
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| By danny on 08/13/2008 |
Behind and in the shot
how do u know u have landed perfectlu on the potting line and how should your feet and body be behind the shot in relation to your body when in your stance i am right eyed right handded my back leg is at 45 degrees and my front leg is at 90 degrees where should my cue run over my right foot
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Barry says:
Danny
I believe there is too much emphasis placed on the stance when placing the cue on line, that doesn't mean however that it can be ignored.
Try this little baulk line routine:- Place your right foot directly in line with the baulk line, have the toe of your foot pointing directly along the line. Place your left foot slightly wider than hip width and about half the length of your foot in front of the right. This will place your body squarer to the table and enable you to use your dominant right eye slightly better.
Place your cue on the baulk line and assume the cueing position, Make sure you take your body to the cue, (Never take the cue to the body)
You will probably feel strain behind the right knee now, if this is so just turn your right toe out slightly to alleviate this. Get a friend to determine that you are on the baulk line and practise this approach a little to make sure it is automatic and part of your pre-shot routine.
Good luck
Barry
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| By Shane Haycock on 07/17/2008 |
Royal Quinton British Legion snooker team
Hello, our team is in the halesowen district snooker leauge, im struggling with my long straight shots, i also struggle with any type of shot where the object ball is on the cushion and making the object ball hug the cushion. can you help? thankyou very much, ive never seen anything like this on the internet before and could find this very helpful for my game.
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Barry says:
Hello Shane
When dealing with long straight shots, a lot of players (but not all) aim correctly but then miss the shot.
If they are aiming correctly but miss, this is because they have either played with unintentional side or not delivered the cue where they were aiming.
On the side issue it may be that what looks like middle to you when you are down on the shot is actually slightly off. Get a trusted friend to look over you while you are on the shot rememdering that there is often two different pictures, one with your chin on the cue and one from higher up looking down on the cue ball.
To help with straight cueing rest the cue against the chest during the shot, your cueing hand should be approximately six inches from your chest, this will allow you to play the shot and get through the cue ball without the chest interfering.
There are three ways in which the distance between the cueing hand and the chest can be adjusted:- 1/Move your cue hand. 2/ move your bridge hand. 3/ bend or straighten your bridge arm.
Example:- If you move your cueing hand back one inch while at the same time moving your bridge hand forward one inch and also bend your bridge arm, you will probably increase your follow through by three inches before your chest interferes with the shot.
If you improve you long straight potting in this manner I am confident that pots along the cushion will not give you so many problems. However remember these are tricky shots for all players so don't take liberties with them, and pots along the top cushion are always slightly easier than pots along the baulk cushion because the nap of the cloth tends to ease the ball away from the baulk cushion, whereas it tends to hug the top cushion.
Good luck.
Barry
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| By luke on 06/26/2008 |
stance
is there a better way that i can get my stance correct so that i am able to run the cue through straight
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Barry says:
Luke
I believe there is too much emphasise on the stance in terms of delivering the cue straight and on the correct line.
However that does not mean it can be ignored, for a right handed player your right foot should be on the line of the shot, this sets up your right side allowing free cue delivery.
Your left foot should be slightly more than hip width away from your right and slightly in front of it (about half the length of your foot)
Bend the left knee and brace the right knee with your body weight leaning slightly forward.
The first priority with the stance is that it should be stable and comfortable, once you have achieved that, repetition will make it automatic and part of your pre-shot routine.
Regards
Barry
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| By martin lock on 06/23/2008 |
lazer cue
hi barry i am enjoying my snooker more and more at 53 years of age , and have recently treated my self to a new cue the peradon one piece lazer, it,s a lovely cue no frills or fancy colours . and i would like to know if you know any thing about this particular cue. it weighs 18 and a half ounces and is this a good weight for players these days. kind regards martin lock.
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Barry says:
Hi Martin
Peradon are a reputable company and make a good product and many players prefer the one piece cue, adding that it generally gives them more feel for the shot.
I am not familiar with the lazer model but if you are happy with it and it suits your game, thats all that matters.
My own cue weighs 18 and a half ounces and I am happy with the weight of that, however Ding Jun Hui picked it up at the Academy and thought it was a little heavy, his own cue being around 17 and a half ounces.
The slightly heavier cue is probably more suited to club tables but on the ultra fast professional table perhaps the lighter cue has the edge.
Please remember a cue is made from wood, a natural product, and as such will have variables from one piece to another, two cues which look the same will often play totally differently, if you like it, stick with it.
Good cueing
Barry
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| By bassem eltahhan on 05/11/2008 |
problem
how can i controlling my lead in the match?
i'm 25 years old from egypt do u think if i joined any snooker academy in englad i can be a professional snooker player if i got the talant?
thanx for help
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Barry says:
Joining any snooker academy in England or else where is no guarantee of success in the amateur or professional ranks.
However if you have the talent and the dedication to succeed then the academy in England is the place to be.
Here your will learn to make the most of the talent that you have, by being coached by leading coaches and practising in ideal conditions.
The road to become a professional is difficult even for leading amateurs and to become a successful professional is even more difficult.
However, I do not believe that 25 is too old but it will be arduous journey.
Regards
Barry
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| By Peter Philpot on 04/22/2008 |
Barracuda
Hi..Could you tell me please if the barracuda gold medal cue is any good please?? Pete
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Barry says:
Hi Pete
MC Snooker used to supply these. They are of avereage quality and reasonable value for money for a machine spliced cue. You would be better taking one of our "hand spliced" cues with mini butt and extension. Much better quality and great value for money. If you need any more details please dont hesitate to ask.
Thanks for your question
Barry
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