With snooker once again on the world stage during the 2013 World Snooker Championships at “The Crucible” in Sheffield, England, the world was treated to an awesome display of skill by the world’s top players. It is hard not to be a fan of the entertaining Ronnie O’Sullivan, who again won the title… back to back and for the fifth time overall now. He has a special combination of talent, confidence, and experience that enable him to prevail against the world’s best players.
And don’t overlook his technique, whatever you do. Snooker is the prime example of many of the things I teach about fundamentals. There really is not room for being sloppy with your body control in that game. Americans have been lulled into a false sense of security by the manufacturers of “Bar Box’s” and the widespread existence of “Bucket Sized Pockets” on 8 and 9 foot tables in pool halls all across the country.
It is ok to play on Bar Box’s and bucket pockets once in a while, but existing ONLY on that arena will do little good for preparing you for playing on tight equipment or for playing under pressure. So often I hear local amateurs say “I don’t want to play on that table, its way too tight!” Well if you are here reading this it must be because of a desire to improve your game.
And so I challenge and invite you to step up your level of commitment to excelling in the act of making shots and controlling the cue ball on a pool table, or any type of billiard table be it 3-cushion, pool, snooker, Russian Pyramids etc… by seeking out and playing on tougher equipment than what you are accustomed to.
The lazer like focus and dedication required to play on tougher equipment will have the effect of transforming you into a more skilled and accurate cue “sportsperson.”
So lets have a look at what Ronnie is doing…(btw it’s not just Ronnie, all the players in this event have body control skills that far exceed most pool players)
Have a very close look at how these guys set up, deliver the cue while keeping their body still, and then get up to the next shot.
- Decide what to do
- Get on the stroking line
- Get down into your stance
- Move your stroking arm and strike through the cue ball
- Keep your body still while stroking and till the end of the stroke
- Stand up and go do it again on the next shot
Trust me, if you can put this into your pool game, you will be well on your way to being the best in your league and possibly better than most “A” level pool players around the world…and perhaps one day winning a major pro title. If you are reading till this point, I know you want to get better. And I know I’ve just given you one of the keys to the kingdom. Now working hard to own this and make it work for you… is up to you. You can’t be too obsessed with perfecting this by the way, for that’s what it requires. Go crazy on mastering this stuff.
Ok practice hard and I’ll see you soon…
Max Eberle
PS: TO GET THE DETAILS ON BUILDING YOU INTO A POOL PLAYING MACHINE CLICK HERE