To
progress at any sport it is important to regularly assess
your own development. This can be done in a number of ways
at snooker, but one way, which is widely used, is to monitor
and record the level of breaks you are achieving on a regular
basis.
This can be done in practice exercises on your own, perhaps
completing the 'line-up' and in competitive frames against
your peers. Lastly, the range of breaks you are achieving
in match play may also provide some useful guidance.
Although
a person's highest break score is not an accurate reflection
of their ability the average break a player regularly achieves
provides useful 
information
to the coach helping them improve performance.
A regular 20 -30 break player, may need to practice shots
which dislodge more balls from the cluster, in order to
enhance his break building potential. A 70 - 80 break player
however, may need to work on the mental side of the game
to achieve the holy grail of century breaks.
Assessing your game will allow you to begin to practice
some of the things required to improve. 'Work smarter
not harder'
Breaks
1 - 30
If you regularly achieve breaks between 1 and 30 you are
clearly just beginning the game and have not progressed
beyond many of the basic requirements of snooker.
You are capable of potting four or five balls in succession,
but nothing more. Your cue ball control will be poor and
it is doubtful if you are cueing 
straight.
Careful
consideration of everything that you do at the snooker table
is now required, from your grip, stance, sighting, cue action
onwards.
It is imperative that you now begin to practice the right
things in the right way or you will not improve.
Breaks
31- 60
To
be regularly achieving breaks between 31 - 60, displays
a decent level of ability and represents a useful achievement.
You will have practiced a lot to achieve your knowledge
and expertise, working hard at certain aspects of your game
to become this good. Progressing beyond this stage to the
next will however be difficult. This will require many hours
practice and dedication, honing your cue action, learning
to control the cue ball and discovering the shots that facilitate
bigger breaks.
At this stage your learning curve remains very high, with
a study of the more advanced techniques required to progress.
Breaks
61 - 99
Well done! Regular breaks at this stage demonstrate dedication,
talent and ability, and a determination not to be defeated
by one of the hardest games to master.
You have the determination, work ethic and many of the shots
to make centuries but do you have the natural ability and
mental strength to carry you on?.
It
may be years before you reach a century - of course, you
may never do it. To reach your goal you must increase your
practice regime and heighten your learning curve. Continue
to work on your cue action and technique, whilst learning
from others and perhaps most importantly focus
your mind to the task in hand.
Crossing the century barrier can be very difficult, mentally.
It may take a number of near misses, spread over a number
of months before you get there.
'Don't
give in now, keep the dream alive'.
Breaks
100 +
The
century plus player combines talent, dedication and mental
strength. A player's first century break is one of the highlights
of his snooker career, and details of it are remembered
forever. Clearly, to achieve this standard takes many years
of hard work, development and continuous improvement.
There
are very few shots that the century plus man does not know
or cannot play, but reaching this stage does not guarantee
a total understanding. There are many famous examples of
top sportsmen who have reached a tremendously high standard
in their chosen sport, but have watched it tumble around
their ears because they could not spot a fault developing
and put it right.
So where do you go from here? Reaching the century plus
pinnacle represents your own personal achievement and satisfaction,
but does not 
guarantee
an income from the game. It is a harsh fact of life that
reaching this stage, however difficult, represents only
the first stage of your snooker career.
Developing this further to become a professional player,
requires unswerving dedication, outstanding talent and aptitude
for the game and unfortunately, large financial support
and mental toughness.
'With
these factors in place however, there are still no guarantees'
