15. Aiming in Snooker with Unintentional Side

[@dumb9nine]

I've been struggling with aim and your videos have directed me ways to correct my mistakes. Thanks a ton sir !

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Ravi. My pleasure, Glad the videos are helping.

[@Nim3R]

I have started recently training with a friend that had this problem. I told her she was putting effect on the shot but she wasn't able to see. We solved it putting a mirror just in front of her and suddenly saw the problem. It took around 2-3 weeks starting the training shooting just straight to the cushion to check for side spin. At the end it worked. Thank you for your videos, Barry.

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

So simple yet so helpful. Genius.

[@adolfspammer1088]

Man, this is brilliant, probably the best lessons I have ever found on youtube! Thanks a million!

[@trennie15]

Right handed Macular in the R eye. Help if you can Ted

[@carldouglas7777]

My game on another level now I use my dominant eye thanks barry

[@catweasle5737]

Good coaching tips. I use a method from a tip from Steve Davis of hitting the cue ball up and down the center spots. The cue ball should come back to the tip of your cue.

[@1989glowworm1989]

So it's basically muscle memory, re teaching the eyes so it will eventually comes natural, mr stark, you are a true inspiration to the new and old players out there, this small information will go far for all players 👍

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

1989glowworm1989. Don't forget really the eyes are only a medium for passing information to the brain.

[@1989glowworm1989]

Thank you Mr stark, your video's are very inspiring, and are going to help create some great players, 👍

[@shuancook9005]

Hello Barry Thanks for the dominant eye information,I have just found out mine is left side thanks to the paper drill. Every time I miss it is always right side never left. I will work on this I think it might help. Shaun.

[@akshayc3919]

Thanks a lot for the method to correct my cueing! I always happen to impart a small amount of undue right hand side pushing the object ball slightly to the left. I've also had problems with delivering the cue straight and some of my screw shots are only stun shots. I also chip the ball occasionally when i strike too low and miscue when i strike on the top.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

akshay. There are a lot of problems here. I'm afraid it sounds as if your cue action needs a good overall. Try cueing along the baulk line keeping the cue on line and as parallel as possible. Put yourself on video and view with a critical eye.

[@graememcgregor8407]

I've hit across the ball to the right for years. Drives me nuts! I took my cue action to pieces and found I was leaning too far into the shot, left leg was taking too much weight and subsequently bending. In addition, I was pulling my elbow in to my side. Combination of the two was almost pulling myself over sideways! I was noticing so many times that the cue was fouling my right hip, the white was fizzing off to the right and the OB was trying to find a pocket halfway up the cushion! Had no idea how to cure it as it felt so natural. With your videos I have built myself a cue action from the ground up with reference points throughout. Still had the problem slightly for some time but I have now found the back leg still not perpendicular - brain still looking for a way to take me over sideways! I have now been working on that and wouldn't you know it, I am potting substantially more balls! With that comes the confidence to go for more balls. Your videos have been instrumental in the reconstruction of my cueing. I know there is a reasonable (lower club level) player in there, maybe soon we can get him out to play!

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Graeme. I think a good way for you to really tackle this is to place the cue exactly on the baulk line but in such a way that you can take up your stance and grip without moving the cue. Do this a few times regularly to establish a pattern and routine that is correct and comfortable.

[@farhadsaffarzadeh5180]

Happy New Year Dear Great Coach

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Farhad. Many thanks, Happy New Year to you too.

[@batlin]

Very elegant exercise, this!

[@leonclarke6426]

Hello, I am having a problem I keep cueing to the left of the cue ball right at the final moment but when I do my stokes i am in the centre so I am pushing it to the left right at the final second, I did the test to see which eye is best and it's my right eye but when trying to practise with it under my right eye it really doesn't feel comfortable and because of that I miss more. thanks.

[@barrystark2730]

+Leon Clarke This sounds like a cueing problem rather than a dominant eye problem, may I suggest you cue along the baulk line to examine your cue action. No need to use a ball but if you normally cue resting it on the chest, see if you can cue straight when not using the chest. Sometimes the chest can hide a flaw, particularly with the grip, I'm not in favour of hiding flaws, rather expose them and try to put them right then put the chest back into your action.. Hope this helps.

[@yassinemounaji5113]

What a great tip Barry

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

yassine. Glad you like the video.

[@deepanshrastogi]

great work...love u

[@kostaszontoner]

hi barry i had an aiming issue for years,when it looked to me that i was hitting center i was hitting the cue ball with right hand side,i've practiced hard for a couple of months and i have re-trained my eyes to see true center ball but i still have another aiming issue,i've noticed that on some shots the cue looks angled to the left but in reality this is when i'm aiming correctly and when i adjust my aim so that the aim looks correct and the cue doesn't look angled then in reality the aim is wrong and i miss.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

kostas. Providing you are confident that you are cueing straight it sounds like a dominant eye issue and you need to find your sighting line. Place the cue on the baulk line (exactly) place your chin on the cue as you normally do and note the position the cue touches the chin. Also note whether it looks as if you are aiming at the far junction of baulk line and cushion, if it does then there is nothing wrong with how you are sighting and you need to examine your cueing. However, if it looks as though you are missing the junction that I mentioned then you should experiment moving your chin on the cue and closer to the dominant eye line. A word of warning here please don't think your eyes and brain will accept this immediately so don't move too far straight away, take it slowly, just like your centre ball issue it takes practise and time for the adjustments to be made successfully.

[@kostaszontoner]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thanks barry,from what i know if the cue looks angled to your left then you need to move your head more to your right.i have the cue slightly towards my left eye so i need to bring it even more towards my left eye,am i right?

[@saqibmunir9649]

hello barry .please explain the angles around the black ball potting .full half and quter ball etc

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Angles around the black are no different to angles anywhere else on the table. Some players use the half ball, quarter ball potting technique but most just play the line of the shot. I will be compiling a video of positional techniques around the black ball shortly and I hope it will answer your questions.

[@saidas108]

Barry Stark Snooker Coach I watched the video you mentioned but I'm still not clear on exactly what the "line of the shot' other than in rather vague terms of the center of the pocket which is easy to determine rather than where to strike the object ball to go there isn't.

[@shaheensultana4281]

hi,sir i m very much inspired by seeing your valuable vedios but i have a problem when i play i feel pressure and i miss the potting so plz do u recommend any ideas for me

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Shaheen, We all feel pressure, its the person who can handle it the best who usually wins. This starts with a reliable technique, one where you have an established pre shot routine hat works. Once this is established use visualisation and diaphragmatic to help you.

[@achilleasvidos4025]

Mister Stark, I am 12 years old fanatic snooker fan from Greece and I really want to improve my game. Snooker in Greece isn't popular and I have to pay 10 euros to play just an hour! I actually want to tell you that a great way to improve your channel is by using a small head cam! By doing this the viewers will be more satisfied! Cheers from Greece!

[@400fps]

Not quite sure. When you say to do this regularly i'm not sure i quite follow, how does one turn this into a practice? Do you mean to do this while shooting, should one do this while shooting say stop shots during practice or is this by it self a drill where one would do it get get up re-address the ball then check get up re-address the ball and check and so forth a couple of time each time they practice.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Marvin.This is a drill where a player can check himself that he is striking the cue ball centrally. Doing this drill regularly each time he practices will reduce errors in this area. So get down, check, get up, re-address the ball etc. Exactly as you describe it.

[@leonclarke6426]

Will try that cheers, I am wanting a bit coaching tho and was wondering were it is u coach from? I live in blackburn, Lancashire . Thanks

[@bfgskittles4247]

So if it turns out I'm playing unintentional right hand side, what do I do? Do I aim slightly left to make sure I'm hitting the centre of the white?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

BFG. There are two main reasons for applying side. 1/ Hitting off centre. 2/ Cueing across the ball. Ensure your are cueing straight on the baulk line and then ensure that you are hitting the cue ball centrally by forming a loop bridge and looking down on the cue ball, this is explained in one of my videos. You can also place the cue tip to the bottom of the cue ball and look at the two arcs either side of the tip, these should obviously be even. Don't forget if the right hand side has been happening for some time then the brain will need a little time to adjust.

[@jama211]

Alright now that’s proper genius

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

jama. Many thanks, hope you continue to like the videos.

[@gopalbudhathoki344]

Sir...when i get down to the shot i see my cue pointing toward right of aiming line and i adjust cue which causes to miss potting ..when i hit OB always finishes to right jaw of the pocket.. i m left handed and right eyed..is there any solution ...help me plz

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Gopal. There is seldom one problem, more than likely there are two. You are aiming wrongly to compensate for cueing across the ball, or ice versa. Both these problems must be tackled at the same time, if you tackle only one then you will still miss. Try this:- Place the cue on the baulk line, exactly!. Now take up you normal cueing position without moving the cue, it should look to you that you are aiming at where the baulk line meets the cushion. Next try to cue along that baulk line, this may need a little work, especially if the cue comes off line. Now move away and walk into the very same position, keep doing this a few times until you are comfortable with putting the cue on line and of course delivering the cue on that line. Then starting with simple pots repeat the pre-shot routine you have practised on the baulk line, don't rush this, it takes a little time to establish anything that is relatively new. Good luck.

[@gopalbudhathoki344]

@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you so.much

[@relaxandsleepmeditation50]

helppppppppppppppppp pppppppppppplease as i get down my cue goes offline, i dont know why. i dont bring the cue to the chest. i try holding the cue with one hand and go down, and also with 2 hands and go down, and also bring the cue from left side as i go down but it goes offline what am i doing wrong? tnx

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

RElax. This is so difficult to analyse without seeing you play, but try putting the cue on the baulk line then taking up your cueing position without moving it, you could get a friend to hold the cue while you do this, obviously this can be a little awkward to do but not impossible with a little perseverance.

[@hemptime123]

ugh, this is such a giant issue for me and i only play on a pool table currently.

[@daniellim8119]

Barry i just tried today. However. When i adjust to the left i put unintentional left hand side when i adjust to what i think is center it became back to right hand side and i noticed the tip is uneven is it me or the tip? My coach says is 70% aiming 30% cueing is it true

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Daniel. This sounds to me that you are cueing across the ball and that is where your concentration must be placed. I am afraid that I disagree with the percentages you state and that I would reverse them. I justify this by saying that on a straight shot, normal, well coordinated players aim correctly but when they play the shot, they miss, the reason is because they have not delivered the cue where they are aiming.

[@daniellim8119]

Thanks Barry

[@asyuen1]

Hi Barry , I am big fans of you from Hong Kong , I am practicing the cue action, i am always have side on the cue ball , I am thinking my eye sight problem , after using your method to check, I found is my cue delivery after the back swing ,will deliver to right hand side to the cue ball, but not delivering as a straight line . I found my wrist when contacting to the chest , will slightly close to the chest to make the cue tip pointing to the right . My question is how to improve my cue action delivering in a straight line. Many thanks . Wishing you all the best , cheers

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

terry. Don't hit balls like this, but try to cue along the baulk line without using the chest to support the cue. This can be quite tricky for some players but it is a worthwhile practise to firstly examine your cue action and then to groove the muscles in the correct manner. Do this practise regularly, it will help.

[@asyuen1]

Barry Stark Snooker Coach thanks very much , will keep practicing ,

[@owaisabdulmoeed7644]

Hello, Mr. Stark. If I'm being honest with myself, I've never really thought about my cueing action or technique before, for me it was always either giving unintentional side or cueing across the cue ball that caused me to miss an otherwise easy shot. Now, after having watched some of your videos, I am certain it was the technique that caused problems in nine cases out of ten. I've started focusing on correcting my stance, the way I hold the cue, and the way I deliver the shot. I have a few problems: Firstly, I am now a little confused whether my elbow is supposed to be tucked in while playing the shot or going kind of away from my body (the latter is how I naturally like to play). If you've done a video regarding these things, i.e., where the elbow should be, whether the cue maintains contact with the ribs while playing the shot, etc. I'd really appreciate if you could provide me with the link. Another issue I'm facing is the unfurling of the fingers while feathering. I never used to do this before, and would keep my grip firm with all fingers, and obviously this would cause the cue to move up and down. But the problem now is, I feel my shot accuracy has decreased drastically as I try to focus on this furling unfurling action, and feel maybe I'm overdoing it and should reduce it a bit? It would help me a great deal if you could guide me on how to go about to correct these issues.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Owais. The text book will tell you that the elbow and arm should be straight up and down, I feel that generally this can be an advantage providing it is a natural position. It is only important that you cue in a straight line and this can be achieved even if your elbow is not in the text book position, in your case away from the body. The cue should start touching the body and some players end with the cue still on their body, others tend to drop the elbow resulting in the hand touching the body but not necessarily the cue remaining in contact, again the real essence is cueing straight. Unfurling the fingers gives some players a lot of problems in the early stages of learning it and it is easily overdone, try to keep the wrist in one plane with no inversion this should help. Good luck.

[@shashankshekhar1215]

sir I try to get through the ball but at the end of delivery my hand got tighten please give some tips.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Shashank. Perhaps you are trying to get through the ball too much. Its an important aspect of playing the game and its quite natural for the hand to tighten a little as you hit and get through the ball but you must learn to do this without tension. Start by making a fist with your grip hand (don't hold the cue) and really squeeze for a minute or so, then take hold of the cue and make a conscious effort to really relax the grip.This will heighten the senses and allow you to become more aware of the differences. good luck.

[@mustafahussain8432]

Hey..you are just amazing. I want to know a little thing about my cue delievery.. My hand (from which I am holding the cue) touches my chest when I deliever the shot? Whenever I play powershot it also hurts my chest a little bit. Is it good or bad? Glad to have your reply?help. Thanks Regards: A fan from your fans. :-)

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Mustafa. I used to have this very same problem in my early days but found that the reason was too much tension, the hand reaching the chest is okay but on the power shots try hard to reduce any tension in that grip. A good way to achieve this is in your practise play the shot then stay still and try to be aware of your body, (hand, chest etc) Try to discipline your action so that you have the same degree of tension in the hand at the finish of the stroke as you do at the start of the stroke, you will never quite achieve it but the fact that you are trying will help. Good luck.

[@mustafahussain8432]

Barry Stark Snooker Coach Thanks alot.... Great man indeed you are. ❤❤❤❤

[@mustafahussain8432]

Sir! sometimes I play very well almost potting every ball and sometimes I cant even pot a simple ball....We say it good day bad day. Whats it in your opinion? Why this happens?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Mustafa. We are human beings and our feelings and actions will vary from day to day, even top professionals will have good and bad days, this applies to any sport. However, if there is a wide disparity between good and bad days then I am afraid your technique needs a little work.

[@mustafahussain8432]

Barry Stark Snooker Coach Thank you coach

[@MobileGameSeries]

same problem with me, in one snooker club i play very well, and in other snooker club i play very bad , even both have nice table and cue but don't know what is the issue

[@delrioalejandro5321]

i am little confused that ...moment before my shot where should my eye must look.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Alberto. When you play the shot you should be looking at the object ball.

[@shawnsmith1865]

that is fantastic!!

[@Just4UGaming]

Hi Barry, first, let me say thank you! Your videos have helped a lot! I've spent the last three days down at my local snooker club 12-3pm practicing. My main problem is unintentinal side (very slight left, and I mean very slight. I tried your cueing technique of potting the ball from the brown spot, down the table and seeing if I can get it to touch my cue, and It's always sooo close but off slightly to the left) I thought my aim was off, but could this be the reason I'm missing? I've done what you have said in this video and my aim is centre, does this mean my delivery is off? I think i may have trouble not wobbling my delivering arm, any tips?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Zendo. Great that you are asking questions of yourself rather than just carrying on because this can lead to establishing hard to shift problems later on. There is seldom only one problem but generally two, it sounds as if you have a very slight problem in applying side and cueing across the ball. Please don't be alarmed, with a little work this should be fairly easy to rectify, periodically use the loop bridge and look down on the cue ball ensuring you know where middle is, also cue along the baulk line without using the support of your chest on the cue. This will highlight any discrepancy in your cueing and give you something to establish the correct muscle action during cue delivery. Due these two practises regularly otherwise they tend to creep back in. Good luck.

[@Just4UGaming]

Barry Stark Snooker Coach Thank you! I will go down the club today and get practicing!

[@sidneyyee9913]

For years people have told me I was hitting the ball off center but yet it looks to me like I'm hitting it dead center. Over the years I began to accept it as how my eyes perceive things, and nothing really can be done about it. This video has finally given me the answer I was seeking, that the problem can be corrected! However, I would like to ask, based on your experience sir, how long do players take to "re-condition" the brain? I know there is probably no exact answer but would it be a matter of years, or just a couple of practice sessions?

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

sidney yee. Glad you are on the right track with your off centre striking. You certainly will not solve the problem in a couple of practise sessions but neither should it take years. You are right there is no definitive answer to your question but providing you are doing the right practises and checking regularly, a few weeks should suffice. Problems like this do tend to re-emerge on occasions so be patient with it and keep checking periodically, even though you believe you have cured the problem

[@Artin88ir]

Brilliant, love💚 same problem i have

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

vash. My pleasure, glad you like the video.

[@albertjuniorlbalansay1287]

Thank you coach thank you for intro billiard skills and tecnic

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Any time!

[@healingbodyandsoul1683]

after the hurricane Higgins, i love you mr. stark. because of you, my game has changed drastically. but one thing I want you to guide me is how to keep calm when i play under pressure?? I'm your fan from Pakistan, and will be glad to hear from you. cheers

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Rodney I will try to cover this topic in a video, in the mean time try to develop a pre-shot routine and keep calm with diaphragmatic breathing.

[@healingbodyandsoul1683]

Thank you so much for your reply. Any tips for the pre-short routine?

[@曾斯棋]

Hi，Barry，i am siqi.I have a question for you. I also suffer unintentional side problem.But I think my flaw has much to do with cue action rather than the use of dominate eye(sometime i can see myself putting side on and then correct it).In the mirror,i saw my elbow and upper arm sticking out of my body.Sometimes i twist my wrist towards the inner arm.But try to twist the arm vertical seems awkward,not natural to me .I think i should change the stance.But which part of the right foot should over the line of the shot? the front part of the foot or the heel,or it's a personal thing.How can i get the whole arm completely over the cue and vertical to the ground? I think this is important.

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

siqi. Although it cannot be ignored I believe there is too much emphasis placed on the stance particularly when it comes to the point of aiming. You aim with the eyes and the brain not your feet. Placing your arm in a vertical position needs to be achieved naturally not forced. This natural position can be achieved by exercise if for example you have restricted mobility in you shoulder, but otherwise get yourself comfortable. The grip is the dominant factor really and this is where I believe (without seeing you play) you should concentrate. Please take a look at my video on the grip, try to practice it by concentrating on the front of the hand, use the baulk line as a guide when doing this, it will help. Good luck.

[@曾斯棋]

Dear sir, thank you so much for your advice! i only come to understand it recently. one year ago i just could not understand why you put so much emphasis on grip. i stuck with my own ideology too deeply. it took me maybe two week to overcome the unintentional side problem. sounds incredible ! now my game is at it's best. aside from that, i really learned a lot from your tutorials.

[@MikeHughJass]

15. Aim Part 3 16. The Grip Part 2 ??? I'm not sure I see how these videos are numbered

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Darrin. Please look at the playlists.

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

Good tip

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

Glad you think so!

[@carlosatilano]

Oohhh very interesting

[@amarsbarr]

these videos are good but far too short and non detailed. why not just make a full 2 hour snooker training video and go into detail for each section

[@BarryStarkSnookerCoach]

+amarsbarr Thanks for your comment. Constructive feedback is always welcome. Using KZbin as a platform to post short videos is a deliberate objective, as it enables the viewer to quickly view the content that covers the aspect of the game that the individual wishes to learn more about. I feel that this would not be possible with one long linear video. Another benefit is that viewers can create their own playlist of favourites. I have already created some themed playlists on the channel which play the relevant videos one after another. (The original long answer that amarsbarr comments on has now been shortened. sorry amarsbarr but you were so right about being an essay).

[@matend8125]

+amarsbarr i personaly like them to be short ,but thats just me

[@amarsbarr]

Yeah I suppose thats good