Two
Tasks for the Brain
In
most other popular games, a player will always look at the
ball they are hitting until they have struck it. This is
not always the case in snooker.
Unless the object ball is very close to the pocket, the
margin of error on a pot can be so high that 100% effort
is required to play every shot, something which most players
can seldom achieve. "Hence The
Drill."
Some players can do all that is required instinctively but
there are many situations when players will miss the pot
and not know why? If they do not know why, how can they
improve?
Remember, in most cases, potting the object ball is not
the only requirement. Positioning the cue ball for the next
shot is another consideration and this alone can often lead
to a missed pot.
As an example, imagine a situation where having potted a
red, you are now in a position to pot the blue off its spot.
But because there are no loose reds available, you have
to play a cannon on to the pink to disturb the reds in the
pack.
Now your brain has two tasks to achieve:
1)
the pot on the blue, which remains the number one priority.
2) to strike the cue ball in exactly the right place
and at the right speed to achieve the cannon.
This
is a top-class shot, which is extremely difficult to execute.
Things can go wrong and there is always the danger of catching
the pink awkwardly and going in-off into one of the top
pockets.
Alternatively the blue is missed as your brain focuses on
achieving the second part of the shot instead of the first.
If this is the case, what has happened is this;
Before you have struck the cue ball, your eyes have drifted
towards the pack to see if you have come into contact with
the pink correctly. This is a very common fault and happens
in so many other situations. How then can we ensure that
your eyes remain on the object ball when striking the white?
There are three ways. ·
-
The last time that you cue up to
the white ball, after making your preliminary waggles,
pause slightly to transfer your eyes from the white to
the object ball. Now carry on with the last back swing
and after another pause at the back, go through with the
shot. This, in effect, means that two pauses are required.
·
-
With your eyes still fixed on the
white and, after cueing up to the white for the last time,
switch your eyes forward to the spot on the object ball
that has to be hit to as your cue comes back on the last
back swing. Care should be taken that the last back swing
is slow to give you time to transfer your eyes from the
cue ball to the object ball. ·
This
entails a good pause at the back, and as Steve Davis would
say, it could almost be classed as a 'wait' at the back
rather than a pause. Once again, I recommend practising
all these methods to find out which works best for you.
Do not underestimate the importance of sighting the shot
correctly.
Clearly this is only one example of when your mind may be
faced with more than one issue to consider. A distraction
in the crowd or your playing surrounds, a referees decision,
the requirement for inch perfect position, the position
on the scoreboard all create distractions from the most
important thing of all. What happens on the table!.
Following the correct routines and having method in your
game can prevent the errors that occur when your brain is
faced with a number of tasks at once.
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