133. Straight Pots - Test your cueing

Many snooker players find the straight pot difficult. The main reason for this is an inconsistent cue action. In this video Barry demonstrates a little practice routine to examine and test your straight cueing technique.

[@mrd9534]

Thanks for the videos Barry. I've gone from not being able to hit a ball to getting breaks of 30-40 within a few months. Your videos are top notch 👍

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

MrD. Great to hear, you have obviously worked very hard, well done.

[@benjaminrichter4882]

Fantastic as usual. Thank you Barry. I've been a professional juggler for 30 years and now teach others. Through watching your videos i've realised that the principles you work with are very similar to those used in good juggling. It's inspiring to see that i can transfer the knowledge i have to snooker. A relaxed and quiet body, attention to the tiniest of details, consistency of technique and lot's of practice!

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Benjamin. I think the principles we both work under relate to most sports, often one of the hardest things when teaching is to get the pupil to relax, particularly when learning something new, failure is part of learning but in an effort to reduce failure the beginner tenses up creating the very thing he is trying to avoid. For the professional player the quite mind is essential and only the very best seem able to acquire it. Thankyou for your insight on these thoughts.

[@benjaminrichter4882]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach very well put Barry, as usual. One day i'd love to come to England for a lesson. Regards from Berlin.

[@mixed.up.contents]

Oh oh this video, this piece of art, this amazing wisdom, ive seen this one over 5 times, each time new advices, im totally thrilled with this channel. Love you mr Stark

[@coolmind2476]

Great video. I like the emphasis on straight cueing or better to say consistency. Only then you can really trust your aiming as well. For me straight shots over medium distance are the hardest, one reason is the cueing but another reason is that the brain compensates slight incorrect aiming so that sometimes I think I am aiming straight but in fact I don't 😥

[@MamouSimo]

Very often standing up and resetting the aim then go down to shoot is a good thing. Concerning the compensation, you have just got to "reset" your brain by practicing and doing the same shot 100+ times so the brain doesn't think and it becomes natural. I've struggled a lot with that. Sometimes I was aiming and my brain was saying it's impossible to pot it, but I played it and spotted balls. It's just physics, if you hit the right spot, it will take the right line. And eventually the brain accepts it :D ! Good luck with the practice

[@coolmind2476]

@@MamouSimo , you are absolutely right.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Cool. Sound logic from Simo. Well said.

[@kevinhouse4798]

Barry a great video again! Greetings from Germany :) One moment that my game improved a lot was when I realised you have to think about all the potting angle changing factors in combination. Maybe this could be a interesting video. You already talked about the most things but not as a summary in one video. For example you play a thin ball with side against the club cloth (e. g. Pink to the middle pocket) Then you have to take care what does the cloth with the ball? What does the side with the object ball? What does the side with the cueball? What does the tempo with the object ball? (Swerve effect) So I think a summary of all the effects which manipulate where the ghost ball should be was a great topic! In snooker love, your Kevin

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Kevin. Interesting, I will give it some thought.

[@yannickiqbal8861]

Sir Barry your videos greatly improved my game thank you so much

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Happy to help

[@sharky_spike]

hi barry...a drill I like to practice is the object ball in the center of the table & the cue ball about 6 inches from the corner pocket diagonal...after making the object ball then draw back into the pocket u started in front of...next follow into the same pocket as the object ball went

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

ShArKy. Two severe tests of good cueing, well done.

[@hrithikraj01]

That intro was creative 🔥

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Hrithik. Many thanks.

[@shanewarne2434]

Barry i am so confused about do I have to just see the line and play the shot or aim at a point on the object ball Aiming is the only thing can you make a detailed video of aiming please.

[@TheVenomCast1]

I believe he has explained about the potting angle and aiming before

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

shane. Beginners do tend to need something specific to aim at, like full ball, half ball etc. But as you get better you will learn the angles and realise that experienced players play the line of the shot.

[@TheSnookerShed]

Thanks Barry for taking the time to reply. Andy

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Andy. My pleasure.

[@musicbro8225]

Of all the shots to miss, the straight shot hurts the most, It really knocks your confidence. I like to make sure the object ball is in the middle of the cue ball as I am looking down my cue.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Music. We each have our own way of doing things, if it works for you it is right.

[@ho-ux8rm]

Good teacher 👍

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Glad you think so!

[@ho-ux8rm]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach I have more success to pot the ball with check side as with run inside, why is that🤔? Thank you in advance 👍

[@mouradzahid8640]

Yes your videos help us so much finding the problem , but what is the solution? I can play thousand of this shots without improving

[@karthikarjun3931]

You will be better on the 1000th shot than the first one.

[@coolmind2476]

Once you identify the problem, u can and will find a solution by changing the related aspect of your technique. Many times I was totally surprised how a very small change could mprove my consistency, e.g. move the head slightly left or right, rotate the bridge very slightly, change foot position, loosen the grip, etc...

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

mourad. There are so many problems that players have that it is impossible to name them all together with the solution. Start with a straight shot ( not too much distance initially) you should be able to pot that straight shot fairly consistently. If you can't then there is something wrong with your aim or cue delivery or both. Most normal well coordinated people aim correctly on that straight shot so if you miss it is your cue delivery that is wrong.

[@sj460162]

Ive returned to this video Barry because Ive discovered that when im stood behind the line of the shot the line of the shot is in reality going through my groin and not my belly button like I thought!? So ive been aligning myself on the wrong line. I tested this on the baulk line. But how do I correct it barry. Thanks, Steve

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

@sj. The important thing is to place the cue on line, some players take their stance and learn over to see the line of the shot before taking their stance up. Others will stand centrally and move their right foot (right handed player) to the left slightly to get their cue on line. Still others will stand centrally with feet only slightly apart before moving their right foot straight forward. What works for you may not work for someone else.

[@sj460162]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thanks Barry. Makes sense

[@scchs67]

Barry, first off, thanks so much for your wonderful channel and instruction. Sorry if this has come up before. I searched but could not find anything. Rule question: Player A is 13 points in front and fouls attempting to pot the final black. Player B gets 7 points but is still 6 points behind. Does the frame end at this point or does Player B get the opportunity to pot the final black and win by 1 point? Thank you.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

scchs67. The first foul on the final black ends the frame regardless of the score. So in this scenario at the point where there is only the black left on the table player B is 13 points behind, he cannot win.

[@scchs67]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thanks for confirming that.

[@vitoralmeida1976]

Barry, do club arrows serve to help keep them in line during the shot?

[@shawnsullivan2729]

Sir Barry, I could listen to your advice all day long without hesitation!! Thanks once again for today's lesson!!

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Shawn. Thanks for the compliment, glad you like the videos.

[@rezajamshidi5615]

Hi mr.stark please tell me bending from hips is right or waist and what is the diffrence among them also what kind of effects these types of bending cause on our cue qction i feel more better cue action when i bend from hips but the problem i have in this kind bending is that i have problem with spin because cue brushes my chest and i feel its shaking

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Reza. So much depends on the height of the player on this, bending from the hip is obviously better n terms of comfort but because the player is supported by the table anyway the other should not be a problem either.

[@rezajamshidi5615]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you so much

[@Brandon-dx6mm]

Barry this time stark

[@Dhirallin]

Hi Barry, I have question about how to build aiming intuition. I've heard that a player shouldn't make adjustments to their aim while they are down on the shot. This implies that a person needs to learn how to aim with deadly accuracy from a standing position. However, I'm a bit uncertain how someone could build their intuition this way. For example if you are down on the shot and you miss the pocket, then your intuition will eventually learn what the correct aim looks like from the 'down' position, but it won't learn what it looks like from the standing position, because too much time has passed since you lined up the aim while standing. There is a disconnect between the standing and down positions in terms of training intuition, if you know what I mean?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Rajie. It is true that the majority of the aiming process should be done from the standing position, however there will nearly always be minor adjustment to be made when you are down on the shot. If this minor adjustment becomes a little too excessive then that is the time to get up and start the aiming process again.

[@coolmind2476]

One question : when I do this exercise and I hit the white in the center (without topspin or screw) I pot the red 9 out of 10 times. When I try to put topspin to pot red and white in the same pocket I miss potting the red around 50% of the time. Red is going to the left, white is going to the right - so I am adding unintentionally right hand side to the cue ball. What could be the reason that center ball striking works fine but topspin doesn't?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Cool. Adding top spin certainly examines your cueing a lot more than playing with gentle stun. Because the ball is skidding forward with stun it reduces the chance of or limits the effect of unwanted side spin.

[@zhangken9884]

Hi Coach, i have a problem. When i standing in preshooting routine. I can see the straight line for example to pot straight ball. But when i carefully go down and my head down to the table. I see it was not the straight line. It is with slightly angle. However i can pot the ball in. How can i do then?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Zhang. Without seeing you play it is very difficult to determine exactly what you are doing, but the eyes and brain determine what you are seeing and there may be some slight adjustment needed in the position of the cue in relation to your dominant eye. Firstly determine which is your dominant eye ( see my video how to do this) then place your cue precisely on the baulk line, when you place your chin down on the cue it should look as though you are aiming along the line, if not you may need to move your head so that the cue is more towards your dominant eye.

[@quangngocnguyen6186]

Sir Barry, i play pool in my country, but i'd like to delivery my cue, my stance, my grip, aiming method: line as snooker well as your video coaching- very useful. i've played for 4 months and practiced at club billiard. i have some problems: when i practice over 2 hours, then i can't straight my cue. or another day, i can't do it as period day... when i played with my friend, my consistency disappear. could you do me some offers. thank you! sorry for my english!

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Quang. Very difficult to help without seeing you play, may I suggest you take a good look at your basics, may I also suggest you take a look at my videos from number one to ten. These cover where to place the bridge hand, where and how to hold the cue etc. These basics simply cannot be ignored so study them and try to emulate them, I am sure they will help. Good luck.

[@quangngocnguyen6186]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thanks Sir for your offers!

[@vinays70]

hi barry , i can pot short straight shots but long straight shots are very difficult for me and also cuestick dont go straight while potting, what to to do barry ? also my wrists movement is not stable, it rotates anywhere , my wrist always slips while shot , so it makes wrong shots or wrong cueing

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Vikey. Obviously the greater the distance between the balls the greater the need for accurate cueing. Hitting the cue ball in the middle and cueing through the middle is the most difficult of skills to master but if you are to improve your long potting it is something that has to be learned. Please have a look at my videos covering where and how to hold the cue and position the bridge hand, your fault is more than likely to be there.

[@harishsingh7009]

Barry please help me out while playing shot to a right pocket my success is 70% whereas while playing to left pocket is 10% Can you suggest a possible cause for it. I am I right eyed person, can this be a issue

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Harish. It is possible that you are not using the right eye correctly but probably unlikely. Check that you are not applying unwanted side by where you hit the cue ball, don't forget that you can apply side by cueing across the ball even if you hit it in the centre check this on the baulk line and playing over the spots. If all that is okay then have the position of your cue slightly more towards your dominant eye, but try the other things first.

[@speccyiiii]

Most of the pots I miss are usually straight. Not any more hopefully! Cheers👍🏻

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Simon. Good luck with that Simon, work hard.

[@michaelking8598]

#TheMaster

[@udnjmzwhnlknzxoglerw4720]

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[@FabianPyka]

once i´m at an angle im rubbish i must say

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Fabian. If you struggle with a particular angle just keep setting it up until you can judge it properly, please make sure you examine your cueing though because that could be the problem.

[@FabianPyka]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach i should start taping my cueing

[@andrewsmith5619]

I have practised reasonably straight potting off the pink spot to both centre and both corner pockets with varying pace and action on the cue ball for a while now. I don't make every pot (probably about 66%) but I find it is a good practice, particularly learning about how the nap of the cloth affects the shot at varying pace. It also helps with practicing from both sides of the table.

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

Have you had an issue with one eye being dominant when aiming leading to a bias in one direction? I seem to have a bias on cutting too fine in one direction and too coarse in the other. I've been testing the method of aiming shots using only my dominant right eye but I'm not sure its s good idea. Would very much value your advice Barry.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Terry. Please don't just use one eye this is wrong, You may not be using the dominant eye correctly, in other words not cueing close enough to it. You could also be applying unwanted side which can cause your problem, please don't forget also that you may be cueing across the ball slightly, test this on the baulk line. It could just be one of these problems but in my experience it is seldom one thing that is slightly incorrect, more likely it is a combination of two things. On a long blue you may aim correctly but the reason for the miss is that the cue delivery is out and this is a good place to start.

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

Thanks Barry for your helpful reply. I'll certainly pay more attention to avoiding unwanted side. I've made a bit of progress by consciously making a small adjustment for my aiming bias. Your approach of taking the game apart for systematic practice is helping me to slowly improve my accuracy.

[@TheSnookerShed]

Holy Grail of any cue sports but more so in the distances of a billiards table I would double my breaks and potting consistency if I can crack the straight cueing. Thanks Barry

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Andy. So very true, knowing how you do what you do is the first step, if it is not working change it is my advise but be sensible, record yourself on video, I would be surprised if you cannot spot something that will help.

[@bottlecap57]

Straight pots, something I've practiced more than any other pot in recent years. From medium to long range with stun or sometimes deep screw. It's strange though, sometimes when I have a high success rate I will also try the cue ball up and down the spots routine and find that I'm not striking as centrally as I thought, however I do hit hard for a tougher test. One thing I've learned for sure is the importance of keeping my head still. Years ago it didn't appear to matter so much but it's a must now. If I can feel the cue brushing my chin on the backswing and the forward strike I know I've given myself the best chance of the pot. Not always easy to do but well worth trying.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

The Snookerist. Can't agree more, the only thing I would add though is be careful of tension, forcing the contact can be just almost as bad as moving your head.

[@georgedagosdagopoulos7587]

Another helpful video, knowledge keeps coming in. Thank you Sir!!!!

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

George. My pleasure, I will keep trying George.

[@georgedagosdagopoulos7587]

Thank you for your reply Sir!

[@karthikarjun3931]

I appreciate your dedication sir. And you look like my grandpa 🙂

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Karthik. Your grandpa must be a very good looking fellow.

[@karthikarjun3931]

Haha..😂 absolutely yes 😉

[@steviemax147]

I hate mid range straight shots I can make regular 30-40 breaks but as soon as I’m faced with a straight shot where the cue ball is approx 3ft from the object ball I will almost certainly miss and sometimes by 6 inches or more. It’s driving me mad and it’s also embarrassing and saps confidence every time it happens. It’s got to the stage where I absolutely dread getting down on the shot!

[@steviemax147]

It feels like I’m guessing every aspect of the shot ie doesn’t feel like I’m cueing at the centre of the cue ball, doesn’t feel like I’m standing in the correct position and my eyes don’t know what to focus on. It’s frustrating because it feels like it should come natural.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

steviemax147. I hate to say it but if you are having trouble with relatively easy straight shots then I am afraid there is something wrong with your cueing technique. Please use the baulk line to examine your cueing and alignment, the answer lies there. Check out my videos which show where and how to hold the cue, also where to place the bridge hand and how its position can affect the follow through. You are making 40 breaks possibly because your white ball is fairly good and you don't have to face tricky pots because of it, a straight shot over the distance you mention should be the easiest shot of all (as long as there is no positional element) to play, it only demands centre ball striking and straight cueing.

[@saulbispolima397]

Is your snooker table 12' or 9' ?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Saul. The snooker table is full size and measures 12ft by 6ft.

[@theznooker]

a question! i had this alignment problem where my cue butt was out of baulk line when i checked the alignment. i changed my stance and i am online now. however i cannot pot easiest ball, is it because i am used to that bad alignment and i am cueing the old way? please suggest me! thank you

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

ART. Very likely that you are cueing the old way, There is seldom one problem, there is normally a minimum of two. You have cured one problem but the other remains, you either work to cure the cueing or accept and work with the two original problems.

[@PestOnYT]

The camera on the cue is probably making it awkward to play. However, if I look very closely to your shots I see that the cue is rotating left right quite a bit. Probably due to the way your right hand rolls during the shot. Also one can see that you are indeed slightly off from the straight line. Although, you still are able to pot as you compensate for it. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to criticize you. I'm just trying to figure out if these deviations are "normal" or due to the camera's (unbalanced) weight. Or, to put it in other words: If i rotate my cue the same way, is that something I should get rid of or just learn to cope with it? - Thanks for your videos. They are great.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Peter. Most players cue rotates a little, it is not a problem as long as it is minimal and you cue in a straight line. I always check my alignment each time I practise so possibly it is the camera angle or indeed my eyes, they are getting old.

[@PestOnYT]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thanks for your answer. I'm 54, my eyes are getting old, too. ;-)

[@Rupe51]

Hi Barry ... glad to see you still making videos. I appreciate your dedication to the sport and the gifts you so freely share with enthusiasts around the world. Many thanks!

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Rupe. My pleasure, glad you like the videos.

[@tiyawn29]

The way the cue is staying perfectly straight while moving it back and forth,just blows my mind. My cue is all over the place, up-down-left-right.🤣 Hope to improve my cueing soon.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Tiyawn. Have a look at my video which covers the grip, where and how to hold the cue, get that right and it becomes easier but will still require a lot of work. Good luck.

[@AdrianBav]

I've always been very bad a straight shots and could never understand why. I've been watching your videos all year and after a few months I realised that it was my cue action that was the issue. I now look forward to straight shots as an opportunity to test now my practice is coming on, and I'm happy to say i'm now potting a lot more straight shots than ever before. Thank you so much for these videos.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Adrian. Great that you like the videos and are steadily improving because of them, well done.

[@vinays70]

hi barry i have a some more question regarding breaking, if a player makes a miss on hitting a red ball in first break(in first shot or in the starting of the game), is it a foul or the player can play 2 more shots for the break ?????please reply i am confused..

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Vikey. Breaking off and missing the pack of reds is just like any other shot, a foul and a miss will be called. His opponent can ask him to play again from where the cue ball stopped or he can ask to have it replaced. He could also play the shot himself from where the cue ball stopped.

[@harrystresslevel]

Barry, do you intentionally twist your wrist when you deliver the cue? Also, thanks for the videos. They've been a major source of help.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Zero. I don't intentionally twist my wrist it just happens as a result of my shoulder injury, the years have trained it as a result of trying to cue straight.

[@asifnaqabshah4335]

Useful vedio thanks for uploading also special thanks to Mr. Barry Stark and his team.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Asif. Many thanks, glad you enjoy the video.

[@sj460162]

Another nice video. Good excercise and methology. The main issue I have is how do I know what the problem is? Could be aiming wrong or cueing or anything. Its identifying the problem that I struggle with. Barry what do you feel about all these potting aiming systems. A lot of pool players use them like centre to edge?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Steve. Years of being involved in the game have taught me one thing above all other and that is that experienced players miss not because they are aiming wrong but because they do not deliver the cue where they are aiming. Obviously that is not always the case but invariably it is. The problem some players have is that they have a flaw in their cueing, they don't know what that flaw is all they know is that the ball does not go in the pocket so they start to aim differently, when the ball starts to go in they think that they have cured their problem but in actual fact what they have done is introduce a flaw to counteract the first flaw and in most cases it lets them down at some stage. ( Judd Trump is one outstanding exception to this) There are a lot of aiming gadgets on the market, some better than others but most offer very little help to the serious player, centre to edge can be useful on some shots but its about the only one, snooker players learn to recognise and play the line. On a straight shot most players aim correctly ( not all) when they miss its because of delivery and cue action and that is where to start work.

[@sj460162]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thankyou barry...im up the club this afternoon...ill work on the points you mention.

[@wadepatton2433]

Distance merely multiplies any angular or speed errors. Methinks the complications are the same. Thank you Barry.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Wade. Distance really examines technique and makes every shot more difficult.

[@wadepatton2433]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Yes of course. But the exact same stroke that pots the short one and misses the long one, does so because there is more time and distance for errors of angle and spin to take the ball off course. Thank you Sir for your tutelage, I mean no disrespect.

[@saqlainmushtaque4595]

My cueing is very straight i can pot any straight ball at any distance i do the Stephen Hendry sir practise of 21 balls i can pot those straight shot 16/21 in minimum

[@addictedtonothing23]

than focus yourself on getting better, not bragging or thinking that you are better.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Saqlain. Thats very good, the next stage is to work very hard on cue ball positioning because the player has not been born ( and never will be) that can pot difficult balls all the time.

[@saqlainmushtaque4595]

Thank you but the problem is that i am not consistent at all straight shots aren't a problem as i do the Stephen Hendry practise almost daily but the main issue is consistency on potting short range balls which is not straight which is why I miss big break In the open table practise you told a while ago i can make breaks of 50/60+ where my highest is 90(15 reds 15 blues then a guy randomly picked up the cue ball didn't let me finish ) but the mental game is very disturbing i always think that i will either overcut it or undercut it which results in a miss