Anyone got any good potting routines?

fiestapower

Just curious..
Apart from the classic ones, Im not too sure.
Please enlighten me

Dudley Smith

Apart from potting the colours backwards and forwards which has to be done so you are confident in clearing up to win games, the TV line up of reds down the centre of the table/colours on their spots and also just spreading reds around the table loosely bunched behind the pink and a few under the black with some nice low hanging fruit around the blue spot I suggest the following routine.

Steve Davis used to put 15 reds in a line along the middle of the table, seven either side of one on the blue spot, and try to pot dead straight shots from the cue ball on the baulk line. This routine alone if performed properly and even one half hour attempt to establish a record say 3/15 to begin with is enough to try to perfect cueing. If you can pot even some of these or get close or notice do you always miss slightly on one side suggesting a little realignment in targeting then your long potting and especially mid- and close range potting will go through the roof.

Davis said he got to 14 a few times but never got them all the last I heard and said it was more difficult than compiling a 147. It is very difficult but alternatively, a less stressful routine if you can consistently pot the blue off the spot from all four directions say three each time then move to the next part of the imaginary "X" then your cueing will also improve rapidly.

I used to also put all balls 15 reds and six colours all over the table and just pot anything that took my fancy, short then long and forget about red and colour and even positional play but just concentrate on smooth potting into the middle of the pocket without touching the sides. Concentrate on cueing with a good rhythm, alternating your vision to looking at the cue ball dead centre (or another spin chosen by raising and lowering the bridge hand for top, bottom or sidespins) then eyes onto the object ball back again to the exact spot on the white where the desired spin will be imparted then a distinct pause then eyes finally back to the object ball focusing on the furthest part on the target from the pocket (the part to hit to pot the ball as Alex Higgins once pointed out - simple but important information).

Keep your head very still and practice like you play and play like you practice as Hendry said but importantly do not play more than 30% of the time on your own. The best practice is best of 7 for the docket and cash against a player at least as good as you who wants to take your money! There are lots of players who make big breaks in practice but haven't put themselves under enough pressure in practice so fold like a deckchair when the fear rises in competition.

147bsc

Contact Pj Nolan in the Ivy Rooms in Carlow, He is the National team coach and will give you more routines then you can do in a week.:pac:

giant_midget

forst of all to make sure that you can cue in a straight line consistantly you should use an empty 2ltr coke bottle, Try to get the tip of the cue in the mouth of the bottle everytime, That will give you a rough idea on how you are using your cue, Then do the line up routene..