Archive for 'Snooker'

Thirty-One Tips: 24. Practice with the Mechanical Bridge

Posted on 24. Jan, 2011 by .

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Spend some time in practice with the mechanical bridge.

Most players I know don’t like to use the rake. I will admit it is one of my weaknesses.  My accuracy suffers as does my speed control. I know how to use the rest, I just need to practice.  Part of the problem is my height.  I’m six feet tall and never use a bridge on a bar table and very rarely require it on a nine footer.  I even have trouble practicing with the bridge on the 9-foot Diamond ProAm I’ve got in my home.  There are only so many shots I can set up.  My idea for an intensive practice session is to find an ocean table and put my skills to the test.  I figure if I really try a challenging table with a variety of rests, I’ll keep interested and probably find the frustration a keen motivator.  Again, the snooker pros are the ones to watch.  Many world class tournaments have five or ten configurations of bridge heads, extensions, and even cues to aid the player reaching a shot.

Cheers,

Mike

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Thirty-One Tips: 19. Ignore the Odds

Posted on 19. Jan, 2011 by .

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As a reminder, I’m making an effort to write one tip each and every day throughout the month of January.  I’d like to hear some feedback and suggestions from you!  I’m starting to run out of steam and topics.  Thanks, you can contact me here.

Tip for January 19, 2011: Believe that you can win a match or a tournament even though popular opinion says you’re the underdog.

The 2011 Ladbrokes Mobile Masters Snooker Tournament that wrapped up last Sunday featured two Asian professionals in the finals.  This was a first for a major snooker tournament and helped live viewership of the match to number in the tens of millions.  What I find interesting about this event is the number of upsets, especially in the first round of play.

This event is an invitational where only the top 16 in the world rankings gain entry.  They are slotted into the single elimination bracket according to ranking. Take a look at the “Underdogs” winning their first round matches.  Only the current world champion Aussie Neil Robertson avoid a first round only to be dumped by Mark Allen, a 12 seed.

My advice is the next time you’re about to begin a match in which the pool room buzz thinks you’re about to be road-kill, loosen your collar and give it your best effort. Take this Masters as a fact to boost your confidence.  Upsets will happen and it could be you tipping the odds.

Exciting finals with #9 and #16 seeds. Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Masters_%28snooker%29

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Thirty-One Tips: 16. Practice Opposite Handed

Posted on 16. Jan, 2011 by .

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Practice with your non-dominant hand.

You just never know when a critical shot might come up in a game that would be so much easier to shoot left handed.  You could make the shot with your natural right had form, but reaching it is just impossible.  A mechanical bridge might to the trick, but sometimes your accuracy or speed control suffers when you use the rake. Times like these are when you wish you’d spent a little time tuning up opposite handed.

Snooker god Ronnie O’Sullivan sets the bar for ambidextrous prowess. You could spend hours watching incredible clips of his snooker highlights. One of his best moments, I saw live via the internet.

A little more than a year ago, I woke up at 6 am (no jokes please!) to watch his finals match in the Shanghai Masters Snooker. In frame (game) eleven, O’Sullivan plays Liang and he does another remarkable thing. He makes a break (run) of 109 points in 33 shots without a miss.

What I find amazing is the run consists of 19 right handed shots and 14 left handed shots. He’s naturally right handed, but plays better than most players with his left hand. He shoots his first left handed shot on the blue which brings his break to 14 points. As the run progresses, he mixes in his left hand more and more often. He is so natural and smooth, you might not notice it if you don’t pay attention. Truly amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s39faklrowg

Shot # Hand Color Pocket Score Break Time Code
1 Right Red Middle 1 1 1:10
2 Right Black Corner 7 8
3 Right Red Middle 1 9
4 Left Blue Middle 5 14
5 Right Red Corner 1 15
6 Right Blue Middle 5 20
7 Right Red Corner 1 21
8 Right Blue Middle 5 26
9 Right Red Corner 1 27 3:37
10 Right Blue Middle 5 32
11 Left Red Corner 1 33
12 Right Black Corner 7 40
13 Right Red Corner 1 41
14 Right Black Corner 7 48
15 Right Red Corner 1 49
16 Right Blue Middle 5 54
17 Right Red Middle 1 55
18 Right Black Corner 7 62 5:55
19 Right Red Middle 1 63
20 Left Brown Corner 4 67
21 Right Red Middle 1 68
22 Left Blue Middle 5 73
23 Left Red Corner 1 74
24 Left Blue Middle 5 79
25 Left Red Corner 1 80
26 Left Black Corner 7 87
27 Right Red Corner 1 88
28 Left Blue Middle 5 93
29 Left Red Corner 1 94 7:54
30 Left Pink Middle 6 100
31 Left Yellow Corner 2 102
32 Left Green Corner 3 105
33 Left Brown Corner 4 109
34 Left Blue Corner MISS

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Thirty-One Tips: 10. Watch Snooker

Posted on 10. Jan, 2011 by .

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Please, please watch snooker.  The guys across the pond play at a level that has to be seen to believe.  They make tougher shots for more money than anyone on the planet.  It is inspiring and instructional.  You must see it to believe it.  Bonus-January 9-16, 2011 is The Masters tournament from Wembly.

The winner gets in US Dollars $231,000.  That’s correct. One tournament, nearly 1/4 Million Dollars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Masters_%28snooker%29

Check links to watch these matches live on my forums at www.billiardcoach.com/forums

Edit:  How’s this for quality streaming?

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