If you hold your cue out in front of you, so you're holding the butt of the cue (tip pointing at the ceiling)... It should be just enough pressure that the cue doesn't fall through the hand 👍🙂

Exactly right David 👍

Hi Chris, You're right in that to a certain extent you'll be able to pot balls using lots of different styles (grips, stances, delivery), so for me as a coach it would come down to the individual goal of the person I'm working with. Do they just enjoy playing and want to learn some extra shots that will helps them get a bit more enjoyment? Do they want to make more regular 50s? Do they want to make century breaks? How much time do they invest into playing a practising? So all of those things would help me decide what I do want to change and what I don't. Lots of players get "stuck" at their certain level of ability because they never look for the next thing thing that's going to help them achieve new goals and targets. Good question!

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z9Nhi9leqb6bqmw.html

This needs to happen

Hi Tony, Yes, in my opinion we can all get to a very high standard with the right focussed practice and knowledge of doing the correct things. It's if fallacy that people are a 50 break break player within months of playing. I have been around snooker a very long time now and see hundreds of players, and I have never seen anyone walk into a club having never held a cue and make 50+ breaks within months. I mean what is natural talent? The ability to pick out an angle for a shot easier than the person standing next to you? That's one example. But if the other person practises the angles, then why can't they learn them as well? Or the ability to cue straight without much effort? Doesn't really help if you can see the angles. Or the ability to control the white ball by imparting different spins on it? Doesn't help if you can't cue straight or read angles. What I'm saying is, there are so many factors and facets to being a good snooker player (hitting spheres around with a wooden stick), that's it hard to imagine any person has an innate advantage over someone else.

@@BartonSnooker thanks Steve,,its just that due to your coaching,personal and vids,,,I managed a 57 break,,practicing 2 hours every day I now struggle to get the first red down.

Hi Simon, hope you're good! I have a bit of extra pressure on the grip if I'm cueing off the cushion and playing top. You don't want the cue tip to slip off the white ball, so that added bit of resistance and stability provided by the slight extra pressure helps to get a cleaner contact. It's only a little bit extra though. I wouldn't say I'm ever squeezing very tightly. Just a tad of extra pressure to stop the cue top slipping off as I say. They're the exceptions. Most shots require no tension on the grip hand. The more relaxed, the better 👍

@@BartonSnooker thanks Steve. Note that I’m not gripping it tighter overall. Just that once I have pushed through I squeeze my hand at the end of the cuing action once I’m pushing through the cue ball. But only in roll shots and off cushion

It's all a little random Ryan. Obviously you'll be one of the top players in your area, and then it depends on who you know that plays in the local area. It's not always guaranteed that the best players will be the ones playing. They'll always be very, very good players obviously. But sometimes it the comes down to: - exact location - what team you play for in your local area - who runs the league - how well you've been playing recently It's all a bit random really. Just depends.

@@BartonSnooker thank you for your reply! Would you say it matters what team you enter? And basically just try to win as much as you can and hope for the best?:) sorry to badger you

@@ryanpollard3370 doesn't matter that much what team you enter. If you're an exceptional player, you'll be spotted and wanted for the county places.

@@BartonSnooker thank you buddy I really appreciate it! Have a great Christmas!

@@ryanpollard3370 you too Ryan 👍👍

The table I use has been there for over 100 years, so I leave the table as it is. Steel block Cushions provide a consistent bounce, that's what they're for. But on a very good table that is regularly maintained like mine, you wouldn't notice whether it was steel blocked or not.

@@BartonSnooker ill come and try it for a match next year once this covid crap has died down :)

Why copy one exception, when you can name another 20 players that all do it the same way? There are always things we all do a bit differently, but to pick one player that does something specifically, that none of the other top players do, doesn't seem logical to me. Try to emulate what MOST of the best people do.

I guess you're right Barton, but Ray was world champ 6 times. It might be worth looking at his action to find out how he could be so consistent over so many years. Just because it looks right doesn't necessarily mean it is, and with Ray's action it was certainly hard to understand how he could be number one. I'm merely wondering if there really is a "best" way to cue as everyone is different. Trying to constrain players to a certain method may do more harm than good. I know when I used to play I found that with a relaxed swing I played my best. But I never tried to align my cue arm. You just can't see it anyway, never mind do it. I'm not criticising, just my two pennorth for argument's sake. Cheers and best wishes, Ken

@@kennyc3670 I agree Ken. Whenever I am working with players on the table, I am also helping them to improve their OWN cue action and style. I never tell players to copy a particular way of playing. All I can do in videos is give 'best practice' ideas to people as I can't see every individual. So I just throw out as much useful advice as possible so that players know what to work on. Obviously in a tailored 1-2-1 session, I can see what's holding certain players back and work specifically on the things they need to improve on. But yes, I fully agree we are all different and there is no 'ONE CORRECT WAY' to do it - we're all different 😀

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Oops! Sorry 😁