Frame by Frame

2 weeks off...

2007-05-14T11:27:00.000-12:00

i've had 2 weeks off from snooker, call it my pre season if you will, and i'm sick of not playing snooker, i love it to much, and i think the break has done me good, it must have, cause i'm fired up for playing tomorrow.

I think i've sorted my head out, i've been through some philosophies and i've decided that, fuck it, i'm not going to get as far as i want in snooker. my mate can be happy as larry for beating me, despite playing shit, he can sleep comfortably knowing he's played and won, whereas i can't sleep well knowing i've played bad and won, let alone lost.

So i've discovered that you have to beat whats infront of you, no matter what level, it's the same in football. I'm a forest fan and it's all well and good complaining your up against Blackpool or Bristol at home but you've gotta beat em, and simply drawing or losing to em (as we have this season) isn't good enough.

this compares to my snooker. it's all well and good feeling your better than someone, but if you don't beat them, then to put it simply, your not.

so i've got to keep my aims low. you walk out that club tomorrow with a win and your a winner, no one can take that from you, you've won. i've lost my last 4 matches and you aint jack shit if you cant win the next few games. sure i tend to give up after a few bad frames, and your a quitter, unless you can dig deep and do yourself, or others, proud by over coming the odds and winning.

my mental state has been bad the past few weeks, in all things going, uni, snooker and football. if i'm not doing as well as i know i can, then i give up, it's not going to happen.i THIS IS A SHITE ATTITUDE and i need to sort it, dick head.

it's affecting my game, on and off the table. i know in my head that if i'm not playing good snooker (or football) then my whole attitude stinks, even to life. i think i'm potentially at a bad time, but bollocks cause i'm having a good time and , well fuck it!

i'll keep learning at snooker, i need to, cause i can be a contender, i can be the champion of the world.

if i want

Something to get ready for

2007-04-18T06:26:00.000-12:00

Snooker has been a bit slow this past month. I said i'd play snooker almost everyday to practice and get some form going. However finances have been slow and Uni work has been coming thick and fast, with only around a month to go tho!

I played today (my second match in a month) and well, lost it 3-2! i am quite shit and throw it away all the time. I know i need to sort my mentality out and concentration is at an all time low, not just at the table too, which is quite worrying, with my snooker and uni work suffering.

I found out a league at my club started last week, i must have missed the notices but a worker their is going to ask if i can get into the league this time around, fingers crossed! i'm going to practice at home some more to save cash, as soon as my new tip dries.

Quick Update

2007-04-02T06:29:00.000-12:00

Not much on the snooker front at the back end of march, university and job seeking has taken a forefront in life! along with friends being back from uni i've not even played any pool!

I made an impressive and nerve wracking 54 break in snooker the week after my last post, but have not had a match since mid march, maybe tomorrow i'll sort a game.

So i've improved my best break, by 22, and had the odd practice match. Now easter is here i intend to try and play everyday be it practice or a match, subject to any work that needs doing or any hangovers that may come my way (had a few belters this past week!)

The good think with my snooker at the moment is that i've reached a standard where whenever i leave the club i can be happy with the level i'm at. Hopefully a game this week should confirm my ability and if i can hit, say, two 20 breaks in my next match i'll be happy. A win too would be nice.

Injury Setback

2007-03-16T06:19:00.000-12:00

I've had a couple of niggling problems this week, although i have played and match and had a practice session.

I played football on saturday for the first time for a while, and after skipping a warm up felt a strain in my right thigh as i hit my first shot! serves me right i guess!

Anyways the problem stayed for 3 days when i played my match and was still in some discomfort leaning over the table and putt weight on it to lean into a shot.

I then practiced on Thursday and although my thigh wasn't affecting my snooker, my left shoulder was causing me problems. It's a reaccurance of pains i've had on and off for well over a year now and they were starting to affect my game.

So i skipped practice today knowing i need to rest up, looking to be back in shape for next thursday. My thigh feels fine today, playing football again on thursday didn't seem a good idea as it flaired up again worse than before, but overnight i think it's cleared completely. However unfortunately my shoulder is still painful and not fully flexible. I don't know now how to try and sort it. Whether to rest up for a week and see how it feels, or maybe do some weights and fight through it like i did with my thigh. I'll see, weekend off snooker again i think. Might even help my uni work if i'm away from the tables, something else to do in the day other than snooker!

The match on tuesday went to plan i guess, I won 3-1 playing solid enough snooker.2 match unbeaten run. Runs of results didn't matter too much before but they are starting to become important, especially with a likely league to be coming to our club soon i want to be playing well and with a strong run of form going into some big matches against much better opponents.

structure to my practice

2007-03-04T05:21:00.000-12:00

Snooker has taken a bit of a back burner this past week as i've been in university a fair bit again. I've had 3 matches since my last update, and lost twice 7-4 and 4-3 in very dissapointing fashion, but i'll put them behind me, and have done with a 3-1 win recently were i got going allbeit after a couple of frames.

I've only been able to practice twice this week aswell, which is annoying, and may stay like this for a week or so as i'm going to have to start some uni work!

Thursday's practice was frustrating, as things didn't seem to drop as well, but i could take some positives, such as 5 successive straight long reds of the blue spot. Showing my cueing is improving through the work i've been putting in on the practice table at home.

Friday's practice was the best ive probably ever played, i had a relaxed attitude and my first hour flew by as i'd been potting very well. By then i was already happy with my work and knew if things got dreadful then i'd had at least a good hour potting. Things fortunately kept up and i'd potted well for 2 and a half hours.

I developed a bit of structure to my practice, which i want to keep up next time. I start by knocking the top colours yellow, green and brown. Some nice easy pots which require positional thinking. Then i crack on with a line up, then move on to potting several balls off each spot. Black downwards, which revealed i have a few problems mostly off the yellow spot, which i looked to rectify.

This is helping my game as pinks and blues (both long and to the middle) are forming my accuracy in and around the high scoring area of the table. Then i usually go back to a line up for break building or a long line where i pot what i want.

Throw in a few random long pots and i've set up a nice routine which lasts over an hour.

I've realised a few things about my game. When i miss its generally because i hit it too thin. So learning to hit the ball thicker seems a little strange but they were dropping square in the middle of the pockets, which as any player knows is good to be seeing regularly.

Also with my long potting i had a tendancy to put backspin on the ball, even if i didn't need to. I found this often leads to a kick or a wild contact where the object ball flies off. Topspin i feel gives me better control and the follow through often leads to better position, especially if it gets me by the black spot. Something i'll look to work on this week.

On the break building front things are getting better, but still no elusive 30. A 27 in a game last week and a 28 in practice on thursday, i missed a long red that would roll onto the black, so i potted the black meaning that one long out of position red cost me a 35 break. Not too bad to say within a week i've come close twice and could've bettered it by 5. Especially in a week were snooker has been on the back burner.

Think the call this week is for more practice, ideally i would like to avoid a match, but if the chance comes up i might just take it, as the form i'm in i'd fancy a win to boost my confidence throughout all my practice.

3 Days practice

2007-02-22T05:48:00.000-12:00

This week i've practiced everyday, fortunately i've been off uni a fair bit too. I would've practiced today but i had a few things to sort and a bit of a hangover!

Practice is going good, and have seen a marked improvement even between monday and wednesday. I've mainly been working on the line-up and around the black spot, in an attempt to get my break building up. It certainly needs improvement, even still with the line-up my highest break is 25.

I've decided that i'm only going to focus on my break building in matches, sure i'll do the line-up but won't do myself down if i'm poor at building breaks. If i can focus on my long-potting and general position play i find it's more productive and generally fun. Especially as yesterday things generally seemed to be dropping and i could enjoy my time, it's the standard i've been wanting for months and months now. Finally i'm constantly happy and have a get up and go attitude about playing snooker and practice.

I've got a match sorted for tomorrow i think, and i'm hoping to win. It would be nice to play well but i think i just need to get another win under my belt, as i've not played a match in over a week and i want my practice to pay off, with a result. Preferably a big score and i don't want to concede more than 2 frames, because i think i'm playing so well that he shouldn't even get a frame in and that he'll have to play well to do so. I'd be annoyed if i let him get a frame in because i'd played badly or given him countless opportunities.

I also want to build up a good lead early on. If i can take the first 3 frames i'm sure i'd kill off his challenge, but something like 2-1 or 3-1 and he'd come back at me i think. I hope i can deal with his challenges, and even if i lose a couple of frames early on, i'd be annoyed, but would be good to see how he handles it if i start to attack when he has a lead. Fortunately he hasn't had any meaningful lead over me for a few weeks despite winning a few matches.

I think we're closely matched in terms of skill, however i want to push on now and consistantly be better than him. Fingers crossed it'll start tomorrow with a convincing victory, and with continued practice and focus keep winning for the coming weeks (and months) ahead.

Practice pays off

2007-02-13T08:40:00.000-12:00

Well i played today and hit some decent form, my cueing was good, and i put it all down to the practice that i put in this last couple of days. The majority of shots cued sweetly, if my accuracy took a little while to get going.

I went 1-0 down in a scrappy frame (they usually are) but made an encouraging 15 break and finished out of position but pulled off a good safety. we went into the colours close, although he had a slight advantage and when i needed blue onwards we scrapped it out and he took the blue ( i stuck it up).

I wasn't to be down hearted and started well enough, i could feel my game slipping into place despite a couple of bad misses which angered me. I've realised the more effort you put in away from matches, the more you want to win. Some weeks i just want to go and play well, and other weeks i have a desire only to win. This is serving me well as at times i'm playing well and winning.

I clawed this frame back to make scores 1-1. I got some good little breaks going, fortunately the most of my scoring was around the black spot (where i've been practicing). And this set me up well for the rest of the night.

He took the next frame to make it 2-1 and i was really dissapointed. Again we got into the colours and no doubt a few more mistakes cost me this frame. Trouble is it's not because the opposition is playing well that i'm losing these silly frames, what rubs off worse on me is the fact that he's playing bad and still taking frames. Perhaps i need to work on my safety?

I can take encouragement though, however as the past few weeks we've gone into the remaining colours about even. If i can just learn to clear up the colours, i'll be happy.

Next frame i turned up the heat. Some nice safety and good scoring in and around the black spot. I took a break of 2 pinks and a black before missing a blue with the rest. gutted. Ah well my game fell well into place and i had to smirk as i won this frame before we needed to get into the colours. 2-2.

This last frame i took in emphatic fashion. I think i got a break in the twenties with heavy scoring either side to make my opponent put away his cue and walk out! Again! I have to say i loved it! Ok he was getting some bad luck but it's nice to know i can frustrate people by playing well. It doesn't happen to me, i could happily sit back at the tournament as i was destroyed and watch some great snooker. It's making me change my attitude to snooker. It's making me think that if someones playing well, how do i stop it? right now i'm thinking i need to play higher opponents. Ok i'm not destroying the easier opponents, but i'm learning!

I think if i can come up against someone i really need to get stuck into and stop them playing it could do me the world of good.

So after he left i started to practice. I've found out my club offer half rates if your on your own, so it's something i'm going to take up and get a few hours under my belt inbetween uni. I hit a few long pots sweetly and my form was spot on.

I even did a mini line up and hit a 20, so i can see room for improvement, rapidly. I got three breaks in the 20's today, my standard is well up. Now all i need to do is keep up my practice both at home and on the practice tables at the club.

Practice makes perfect

2007-02-12T11:32:00.000-12:00

I've been practicing hard this week. In fact since Thursday i've played everyday bar saturday (hey, we all need our days off!) On friday i knocked up 3 hours practice, and sunday i managed at least 2 hours. Today i also hit an hour and a half practice, could have done more but for some reason my concentration was a bit off.

Anyway i'm going to play tomorrow, practice or match (not sure yet) but if a match is on then i'll get down there before to practice a little. After the way i've been playing i can't help but think that someone is gonna be on the end of a real hiding from me soon, hopefully it will come this week and show my practice has paid off.

I've been practicing straight pots and my cueing. Cueing is looking good if i do say so, it is finally allowing me to concentrate on the object ball. I've also been practicing shots around the black spot, trying to roll them in. It's hard work and i don't like it as much, but i know it'll serve me well, and already am improving. I'll see tomorrow if the practice has paid off.

The new cue is holding up wel, i've adjusted a lot quicker than i thought i would. I guess the way i play i can adapt quickly to changes in conditions, be them differing table conditions or changes to my cue. The conditions of the cue ball and snooker balls also differ (notably between the club i play at in nott'm compared to those in Direby) and i think this has helped my game and could explain why i take a couple of frames to adjust.

Still can't find a bloody cue case either! getting on my nerves now. Practice was good today, for the first time my shots are dropping well and consistantly, perhaps better than they were before i took a break over the summer.

I also want to keep an eye out for other tournaments, i might look at rileys, in direby and of course at my local club. I badly need to overcome memories of my tournament before christmas. It wasn't me that played that day, i didn't care about losing, didn't care about playing, i just showed up cause i put my name down. I was at a bad place in snooker, one i hope never to revisit, but now i feel like my normal self in terms of snooker, in fact my passion may be stronger. I now want to be at the club more than i used to, something i would have never dreamt during December. I now want to take my snooker further, and see how far i can run with it, hey even make some money from it.

I put success in snooker on a pedestal, and now i think i've removed that and can see success coming my way, hopefully within the next couple of years. I don't care how small the success in the coming months. A textbook snooker, a sweet long red or beating my top break, every step counts to my goals in snooker and i know that all the next few months are about getting as many hours under my belt as possible, ideally 2+ times a week at the club plus hours in on the table at home.

Lets see how the rest of the week works out, i know, writing this now, i can't wait to see how i play for the rest of the week.

New Cue

2007-02-09T04:44:00.000-12:00

I got my new Peradon cue and extension this week and gave it a run out. I've adapted to it well and starting to play well with it straight away, just need to find a bloody cue case, can't find one anywhere!

I lost the first time i played with it, something like 5-2. I allowed myself the loss, and a few more as it is a new cue and will take a while to get used to.

The reaccurance of my first couple of frames being the best hit as i took the first one, lost the second, took the third then rolled over. frustrating really as i know i'm a better player than my opponent, my technique is a lot better than his, just stabbing at the cue ball and rocketing them in everytime. frustrating.

Anyway we played again the other day and I won 3-2 in a very even game where almost every frame went to a black ball game. Nice to win really, and i played well in the last one. I was just determined to win, i couldn't go home with another loss. I usually play well in the first 5 frames then my game tails off, so it was quite handy we only played the 5 frames.

I went home and practiced for a further hour and a half which i think did me the world of good, and i'm going to go and play for an hour solid after writing this and then maybe later on too. I want to include breaks in my practice which will keep my concentration in check.

I need my cueing to remain as it is, so i can perfect the technique of eyeing the object ball a lot more than the cue ball. if my cueing allows me to focus on this more my game should improve.

First loss for a while....New cue arriving soon

2007-02-02T08:57:00.000-12:00

This week has been slow on the snooker front, had a few things going on off the table like being back at uni etc and recovering from going to Forest away at Chelsea in the F.A Cup!

Played yesterday though, still with my hybrid cue, although i ordered a new one. I've gone for a Peradon Edwardian cue 3/4 and a screw in telescopic extension. Looks better than my jimmy white signature one which was cracked and taped up.

I chose it as it looks nice and traditional, along with 3/4 cues are generally heavier, which I feel should improve my game and enable me to get through the ball better. Off the table i might do some work at home. I've decided to drop hitting balls on my pool table, i don't think it helps my game too much. I might just practice cueing, so it feels like a natural motion. I felt a bit strange last night having not played for a week, but my cueing was up to scratch within a frame or two. It's back to feeling natural, but as is my nature, i think it can get better.

I want to get back practicing, as i've never done that at the pegasus club. I reckon if i can get around half an hour a day for a week or two it will help me immensely. That would ensure in the working week i could knock up 2 and a half hours on my own, and possibly throw in some match time too. Even when i'm at uni i could still get in an hour and a half in the local club, or a couple hours in Derby on a table for £5 all day with my mate.(A little less organised, but more social and more enjoyable, which you need from time to time!)

Anyway, back to yesterdays action. I went 1-0 down in a close frame, where the oppo played better. both got well into the 30's and if memory serves me right only won on the last couple of colours, i think i stuck a few up for him aswell.

More determined today though, i knew i could kick start my game and wanted to hit a psycological blow and regain a lead from behind. I always find my head drops when someone is coming at me from a lead.

The second frame I played some great stuff, and raced to a lead in the 20's within a couple of visits to the table, we got to the colours and I polished off them all to secure the frame. Not in one visit but still played some good stuff and rode my luck. 1-1.

This frame I was unstopable from start to finish, attacking snooker, safety was pretty poor but i never gave him a look in. I scored well and got well into the 40's overall, even polished off the colours well and was unlucky not to get in amongst the black spot. Again around the black spot I was good, after last week i was a bit rusty, i'm very confident around the black spot and my positional play is getting better around this area.

This frame has to go down as the return of my long potting. My position away from the black spot was quite bad, but i put that down to inexperience around that end of the table, and of course you have to work harder to get on the yellow,brown, green from that end in my opinion. Anyway a particular shot stands out showing my confidence, attitude, cueing and ability. I had my hand on the table and a long straight red. I knew if i put a little backspin on it i could free up for the blue to the middle, or at worst, leave a long straight red. I potted the red nicely, clean in the centre, using my technique of eyeing the object ball last as i strike the cue ball. I missed position on the blue for the middle, but thought "oh well i'll just have to stick it in the other pocket". I cued this one well and it went clean into the same pocket.

This gave me a belief which lasted the entire night in my long potting. It seems as though however that when i get my long potting going, my short range potting gets inconsistant.

So i took the third frame, making it 2-1. I'd hit my psychological blow and taken the lead from behind. The snooker animal came out in me, i wanted to win the next, and try hammer my opponent again. It was nice to feel the NEED to win again, but i kept my head by saying that i'm playing well and just go and do my thing. I think i'm maturing as a player, at a great rate since returning to the table, things are starting to click physically and mentally.

The next frame i'd raced to another great lead, and had him as we neared the colours. But he landed a decent snooker with no natural angle to escape. I'd taken my foot off the pedal and my attempts to get out were going nowhere near. He put me in again 3 times and regained some ground, eventually taking this frame and levelling up 2-2. I was furious i let it slip, and am right now as i write this match up.

I lost the next one aswell, my game was dropping as he came at me. I was still potting enough balls to feel content with my play, and still think i was unlucky to lose this one. I think we drew and went to a black ball game which he took after a few shots and i stuck him up. I remember thinking "it's quite easy, but the way he's playing he could miss". So yea, i was gutted to lose this one.

The next frame was the last one, to save some money really! I was still playing quite well and i think he got one or two snookers in to get the edge. He took it, to make it 4-2, flattering to say the least as i played the better snooker i think. After we talked a bit and he mentioned that he'd lost 3 in a row, so i took that as comfort, and would like to think it's a one off! if i can go another 3 games with 3 wins i'd be happy with that!

I think the key is to ensure i win next time we play, put him back in his place! although i'll have a new cue, and must remember to give a couple of months to settle with it. I fully expect my next few weeks results to be eratic, but with enough practice should be able to bed my new cue in quickly enough

During the last two frames i started to think while off the table about my aspirations in snooker. When i first started i'd set two objectives if you will. 1) win a trophy of some sort and 2) play for the club team. The way i'd played tonight i saw some kind of possibility that both could well happen. A man i saw practicing the other week was on a break of 89, so i need to be getting around that sort of potting standard, or have a bloody good safety game!

i realised this will not happen overnight, and could be 10 years or so away. It helped me keep my feet on the ground and realise that i've been playing properly for about a year and a half. So my 30 break best keeps me well on track. A new goal, Goal number 3) achieve a century break by the time i'm 30.

I know i said i wouldn't set goals, but i feel i need to. They are very long term goals however and put me under no pressure what so ever.

My Goals:
1) Achieve a century break by the time i'm 30
2) Play for a club team
3) Win a trophy

5-1

2007-01-25T10:18:00.000-12:00

Title says it all really..........trounced my opponent at snooker today and played some of my best stuff, typical old school me, fairly dodgy (although improving) at short range pots and deadly from long range.

That was a great positive from today, my long pots, they were good, and I owe it to the hours I put in yesterday trying new things. I'm still striving to improve my technique, and will be for years to come, but yesterday it started to dawn on me i needed to change my technique and today proved that. When I address the ball i'm good, but when i go to take the final stroke i would be looking at the cue ball and only holding the mental image of the object ball in my head, rather than the other way.

This has come from watching the pro's on TV basically, where i realised that at contact, their eyes were focussed on the object ball. So i've tried that today and it's worked, 5-1 would suggest so anyways!

The first frame of the day started well for my opponent, he'd taken a lead something like 24-3 and i was looking at defeat. The 3 red's i'd potted were really good ones, a long red, a tight pot into the middle from the edge of the pack and one at a tight angle near the black spot.

I picked up my form towards the colours, and remarkably potted every colour in around 3-4 visits to the table. Again a great positive to my attitude, i was staring defeat in the face and came back, believed, and eventually took the frame!

The second frame was the best of the night, spurred on by the comeback at the end of the last, i raced to a score in the 40's with him needing snookers he conceded to make it 2-0, he was clearly down, even his mood was starting to affect my mood. This frame the long potting fell into place and the middle pockets seemed to open up, as evey cut i made to the middle went in, similar to how my luck around the black spot has been coming in previous weeks.

3rd frame i was playing badly, and he started to come at me and got another great lead. I was playing badly and he was playing bad enough to think i could take him. AGAIN i performed well on the colours, took the blue, a tricky pink and tried to double the black, it failled, and we scrapped it out at the black, he stuck it up, not that easily, dead straight, but i converted for a 3-0 lead.

I was chuffed, i'd played both well and bad, had to scrap and shown flair. My good lay had earnt me the points and my scrappy play and a bit of safety (wasn't too hot today) had helped me defend those leads.

The forth frame my bad play had started to surface and again my opponent came at me. He was playing as well as he had today, but I knew i could beat him in this one. His scoring was again so few and far between i should have taken him, had i remained consistant as i had previously. He took this frame in a fashion i had become used today, getting the points on the colours.

After he slotted the black away (i stuck it up) i went to the toilets, i find it helps me keep my head. For the first time for months and months i was gutted to have lost a frame of snooker. Not in my performance, just the fact i'd lost. It was here i realised i'm back baby!

Reading ronnie o'sullivans book a line which caught me said "if you get the enjoyment back in the game, then the hunger for winning will come back" and it is so true. I realised 'hey i really care that i've lost, i'm gutted, i'm playing well and he's playing bad, i want to whitewash him'.

So 3-1 up and still gutted, i'm just chuffed my attitude is back, and as i write this, am already plotting my route to success next week. I want to start beating him regularly, frustrate my opponents, almost make them feel as bad at their performance as i had felt over mine in late 2006.

The 5th frame i showed what i was all about, determined to take this frame to stop any chance of a comeback. He started strongly, decent scoring around the black and blue. But i matched him, and my long potting started to fall into place, combined with decent short range pots i notched up a decent score, just with a fair few visits to the table (too many for me). 4-1 up and playing well. 'Winning snooker' as i'd called it when compared to yesterdays performance.

The final frame i'd again started well, my opponents luck was all out and after he stuck me up again he folded, his luck was bad and demoralised him so much he had to call it. To be fair i think i'd have gone on to record a few frames after that one as i'd found my groove.

Another positive to take is that i don't get tired or fed up as soon. it'd taken me very few frames to get going, and was keeping it up. Hopefully over coming weeks i'll be able to get into top gear as soon as and last for a lot longer.

I'm looking at getting a new cue soon, only as my cue now looks a right state! it's a cross between two cues and the patterns don't match. It's a shame as i'm playing well with it, but i think it's time. I put a lot of my recent performances down to the tip i'm using, it's fairly big and seems softer than my last, it's working a treat.

Good enough result tonight, wanted a whitewash, but maybe i'll have to wait till next week!

Overcoming bad play

2007-01-24T07:21:00.000-12:00

I've kept up playing well, i played last night and i played today having taken time off over the weekend from snooker to cue up for chelsea tickets! (1o hours!)

Yesterdays play was more fun, with three of us playing each other in one game. Got a 19 break and was dissapointed not to make it into the 20's for a 3rd time in a week. On the 19 break i took on a pink which went close, and kept perfect position around the black with 3 open reds, could have been on to a big score.

Today i played my mate from Uni, and took a 1-0 lead through some good enough play, made a 18 break in my second visit to the table, but the rest i played quite badly. The second frame he upped his game and somehow beat me! his highest break is 14!!!

mentally this was quite scarring, especially as i had been trying, although the table was very tight and he took his chances.

I took the next 2 frames to make it 3-1 and was playing very badly, but i managed to scrap it out. Remembering to keep my asperations within the club, i am now playing at a standard i was at before i took a summer break. Being able to play match winning snooker is something which had escaped me for 3 months but is now back and seems to be up to scratch.

I took the last frame too, making it 4-1, and played some good snooker, especially on the colours. I had to get back to Uni but maybe if i'd played longer i would have really upped my game? i know i need to be able to play for a high number of hours, in order to let my game settle and of course improve as i rack up the hours.

Playing regularly is great though, i've regained my passion. I'm playing tomorrow one on one with my old work mate, and it should be a good match. I beat him last week for the first time for a while (well, deserving to win aswell) and i really would like to make it 2 out of 2 for the past few weeks. He looked in good shape yesterday and took some beating even in the mess around (curtesy of yours truly!)

Still going...

2007-01-19T14:10:00.000-12:00

Today i was set to practice but got a call from a friend asking if i wanted to play him. Today is third day in a row i have been playing snooker, and it's great to be playing so much.

I took the first frame, allbeit in poor fashion, nothing compared to 24 hours earlier when i got off to a flyer. He was well out of practice as he hadn't played in around 2 months. I also took the second in unconvincing fashion.

He made it 2-1 as we scrapped out the third frame, i had picked up my game but he managed to scrap it out well. I then came back and made a solid break, scoring highly i made a 23 to make a score of around 40 within 5 visits to the table. something i have been doing well this week, notably around the black spot cutting in a fair few balls.

He made it 3-2 although i was playing well he seemed to rack up a fair few points. He then made it 3-3 with some good play, i played really well but he seemed to make up the points. hey it's a funny old game. He actually won today 4-3 after a great comeback, although neither of us knew how. I'd potted well, and to make it 3-1 I potted well on the final few colours and felt confident, which i still do.

Think i'll be playing monday next week, so could be able to get in 2-3 sessions next week, which would be great. i'm on a role at the moment and playing winning snooker. I'd say at a risk that i'm playing as well now as i was before my break, which is great to see and hopefully i'll be earning soon so i can buy a decent cue. Currently i'm playing with a hybrid of my current cue, an old butt end and a tip which i prepared in 15 minutes and glued on at a rush in just under 2 hours before using it. Stranegly it's making me play the best i've probably ever played!

lets see what next week brings eh?

Icing on the cake

2007-01-18T12:35:00.000-12:00

I've just completed my first week back in snooker since taking a break after my first tournament, and as i write this I am undefeated in terms of snooker sessions. So for the week I have played 15 frames and won 10 of them

I played a few casual games yesterday against a mate who is just starting out, and to be fair played fairly badly, allbeit over a few beers. I won 3-1 and to be fair on myself only lost the final frame due to the tip falling off my cue so I had to use one from the rack. I took a 3-0 lead and got fairly cocky, played badly and only made a handful of good shots. I treated it as a practice session, just to get a few more hours under my belt.

Tonights events were the 'main event'. Playing my mate from work, a very good player, and to be honest his safety game tonight was top draw, it had to be, as my snooker, mostly aggressive was the best it has been for a year, dare i say ever.

After my tip had fallen off yesterday i picked it up and kicked it to the floor, knowing it was done for. I had a sneaky suspicion it was fucked, even a month ago before the tournament and i was right. I was set to play my mate at 3:00 and at 1:10 in the afternoon i started sanding my new tip and clamped it up, hoping for the life of me it would dry in 2 hours. Pretty windy day today aswell so i opened my window hoping it would do the trick.

i was right, as come 3:00 i took the clamp away and it seemed to hold, i packed my cue up and headed for the club. Running late i took straight to the table, and as seems to be the case (especially this week) i knocked up a 30 score within minutes, making rought breaks of around 8-12-10. I was hitting them sweetly, notably around the black spot. I continued to pot solidly, similar breaks of 8-10 set me on my way to a convincing first frame.

As we re-racked i prayed my form would continue, as my mate said "your on fire" i could only hope it was true. The second frame began, and i got a decent break off, leaving him tight to the cushion. We exchanged safety, as is common in the opening stages between us. I hit some great form, and notched up a cool 27 break, my second highest ever, i forget the others, but it had two blacks and a blue in their. I'd started with 24 in 2-3 visits to the table, and by this visit had about 50 odd with only 5 visits to the table. I was hitting them so sweetly, as i realised how much spring i had to my (fairly massive) tip and it struck me just how bad my previous tip was.

So i'd taken a 2-0 lead and as the previous frame hoped my form would continue. This one tailled off a bit, as in i wasn't scoring as heavily per visit to the table. He took this frame, i could live with it though as his safety had been immense. I'd developed a fairly comfortable lead of around 20 and thought i was set for a 3-0 lead, but his safety got him a foothold, and then his potting fell into place. He made it 2-1 with some workman like play, all credit to him.

This guy tends to get on a roll in snooker and this frame he was fairly deadly at the table, potting more so his strong point this frame as he made it 2-2 comfortably, still his safety was nice and his ability to snooker me forced me to concede the frame.

My attitude surprised me at this stage, over the past few months i would have thought 'shit i've lost' but now i thought 'whatever, i've played really well and he's picked up his form, lets see how this next one goes'. I was surprised how well he was playing now, this frame his snookers were decent, if not always accurate. first time i miscued was this frame too as he started to gain his form and momentum. Momentum is funny in snooker, and with some players seems a big factor, certainly with my opponent as he made it 3-2 to him. Again i thought 'fair do's he's played very well and has momentum, but i've played well too'.

I realised I had to stop his momentum, and when i broke off for around 5 minutes i played every shot safe, to try and break up his flow. It seemed to work as things didn't drop so much. This one got scrappy, as my game was dropping off and so was his. Safety shots started to go amiss on both sides.

We were fairly even going into the final colours. I started to pick my game up, and pounced on his misses to make it 3-3. I was really, really chuffed as i'd stopped his momentum, played some real competitive snooker and grinded out a result. I wanted to carry on this confidence into the next frame.

I was very comfortable in this frame, i knew if i lost i could, the way i was playing, get a result in the next one. I took shots on which were a bit risky, and tried shots like developing other colours, i was chuffed aswell as a lot of them came off, even if i didn't pot i'd be pleased with the position i got. I turned things up in this one, even making a break near 20, i'd found my form again, and was showing some stamina as i went 4-3 up. My now i was feeling myself at the table again, it was a high scoring frame, both well into our 30's with very few fouls.

I could see the shots i wanted and the position would follow. I approached the shots KNOWING i would pot them, and could focus a lot of my mind on position, which was great today. And i could count the number of misses i had with easier shots on one hand, which kept my confidence up and allowed good positional play, and for the first time in snooker could really confidently play to nudge balls and develop play. I remember a great black which was tight on the cusion and an easy red which i potted and developed the black, hit it a little too well but stuck it up for the middle pocket and went on to pot it and stay on a red to a blue, showing how well my scoring was in small doses today.

At 4-3 i suggested that if he wins we go to a decider, but if i win we call it, and i can go to the pub and get some tea!

By this time i think he was demorilised, and, sensing victory, i potted fairly well but not too convincingly. i took it 5-3 and was only really deadly on the brown-blue-pink to take the frame, but they were good pots, and i was surprised at how well my concentration lasted after 8 frames, all of which were competant play, with the first two outstanding, notably the second which was highlighted by a 27 break with high scoring breaks either side. I'd love to watch that one back again as i think it was my best frame ever.

I may practice tomorrow, the first time i've practised for a very long time, too long if i'm honest. What i loved today was walking out of the pegasus, where i said if i'd lost i wouldn't care as i'd rather play great and lose than play badly and win. I saw the guy that beat me last month in the tournament, and boy would i have loved a frame with him today just to see, to show him how i can play, and i'd been fired up and ready to go today.

But the feeling i have about playing well is awesome, i do miss it and want this feeling tomorrow and the day after, and the day after. i want to try and play as much as i can, within budget, a student budget that is, and just enjoy playing. Fingers crossed it will stay as good as this for a long time!

It all clicks....i've got the bug!

2007-01-12T11:46:00.000-12:00

First day back to the table after taking a months break, which was needed, I now crave playing snooker, maybe moreso than before. Whats more encouraging is my attitude to snooker is improving, days before snooker is back on TV (when i'm usually inspired) and i've got the bug again, hopefully as bad as ever.

Right now i want to travel everywhere and play in as many clubs as possible, enter as many tournaments as possible and see where it gets me. Right now i'm not concerned with winning or losing (strange, as it's my nature to care about winning) just as long as i play well i'm happy as larry.

for example today, woke up at 6:15 to get to uni for 9:30 for an exam. finished by 10ish and we played pool in the bar, i was putting together good table time and thought that if i could carry this on to the snooker table in the afternoon i would be in a good position.

Lost every game of pool, but who gives a shit? i'm a snooker player!

got at the club, now under refurbishment and looking good if i say so myself, a nice new bar being put in place :. I had to referee the first game for my two mates and pick the balls out the pockets for them, but it only served to wet my appetite for the game. I was ready and rearing to go, as much as i've ever been in snooker.

My time came around, and for what i believe to be the first time ever i potted my first three balls at the table. ok, the guys knew i was a decent player and were looking forward to me putting on a show. And a great start got my confidence up, i missed a couple easy ones, but i let em slide, i've not hit a ball for a month! I won my first game back, gained a healthy lead of about 32-5, to my amasement within around 5 visits to the table gained a great advantage. I took my foot off the pedal and it got rather close (not doing myself down, it's down to inexperience, this year will be only my second year at a full size table) but i was able to see it through, overcome the pressure and pott well enough to secure a win.

Enter my next mate, by no means a snooker player, but like every other guy, competitive and will play dirty and defensive to win. Strange as i write this i remember by first week at Uni playing him, as i listen right now to the song that was on my mp3 player that very week.

Anyways, ditto to the previous frame, took a healty early lead, 20-0 in a short period of time, this frame was more of a mess around, and I let it get silly, took a few unneccessary risks and got down to the pink and black, him needing both to re-spot the black. I was really relaxed now and really enjoyed the frame (i can't remember the last i enjoyed) and he bottled an easy pink although he is shite with the rest. I potted (a long) pink and claimed the frame and two successive wins on my return to the table.

I've learnt in my break to keep my aspirations within the snooker club. Don't try and match the pro's in your appraoch until you have years of snooker under your belt. The way i see today, i was the favourite to win both games, overcame the pressure of challengers, and won both games despite a lot of pressure and male pride, I won, nobody beat me at snooker today, and it's a great boost to the ego, something i've needed.

I'm playing my mate next week, he's my biggest competition, and we're good mates, snooker buddies, if you will. I want to get some practice in before i play him, and claiming a convincing victory over him will be the icing on the cake.

Out but not down

2006-12-17T01:14:00.000-12:00

"To be walked all over you have to be lying down"

One of my favourite quotes that i sometimes repeat to myself in order to try and improve my performance. It sums up how i'm playing at the moment, but i'm not going to be depressing, i'm taking positives today.

I lost today in the first round of the tournament, 2-0 best of three, with a handicap of 21 each time. My opponent was a half decent player, funny enough he reminded me of how I used to be able to play, and was reassuring to know that when i get back to the standard i was i could beat him, even whitewash him. So revenge is on the cards, just got to wait until the next tournament.

My friend went out in the second round, having got a buy in the first frame, lost 2-1 to some guy he should have wiped the floor with, and looked to be doing in the first 10 minutes.

My attitude is starting to change, this tournament has made me feel better and inspired me to try hard in the new year. What i need now is a break from snooker, i'm not going to play in january i don't think, certainly not a match.

Practice is what i need, watching some of the good players today at the club reminded me how much i miss potting, and potting well. I miss compliments from other tables as to how i'm playing and some of the characters you can only find in a snooker hall.

I'm going to beat my best break of 30 next year, thats for sure. I'm half considering a new cue, although i know it's not the way to solve problems on a table, but i think spending more than £30 on a cue will stop me thrashing it about (i've already split the wood and it's taped together!) and while searching for the cue and researching what will be best, i might just regain some interest in the game again, it's inspiration i need, i can't even find it from watching the pro's which used to make me produce some of my best stuff.

One day to go...

2006-12-15T11:16:00.000-12:00

Sunday 17th December represents my first tournament ever in snooker, and nerves and anticipation are running high. However none higher than the anger I have at the moment for my own attitude to snooker.

This tournament could not come at a worse time, and i don't know when my next chance will be to represent myself.

When I started playing again a couple of months ago I set myself a target of 'mid december' to get back to where I was before I took a break. That date is now here and bollocks have I got anywhere near, it's one day to go until the biggest game of my life and my cue tip is in a clamp drying, having been reduced to a third of the size it was when i played my final game tonigh before the tournament.

I realised in the first 5 minutes playing tonight that my problem may not be with the way i'm playing. I know it's like a bad worker, blaming their tools, but i realised my cue tip may be too big, and it sunk in more as shots i would eat up all day, even in practice, where going miles, and i mean miles, wide.

However my biggest problem is my attitude. It's one thing changing the way I play or the cue tip I use, but my attitude can't be changed overnight, right now I want to put away my cue and not play for at least a year. You can see my problem going into a major game, which i'm hoping will inspire me.

With that rant out of the way, I want to try and give myself some confidence. I've re-tipped my cue, which I hope will give me a better feel for the ball. When I re-tipped my cue after the first one broke, i've never been the same, not able to get to my previous best of 30. The tip I have been using up till tonight was, in my opinion now, too big. I'll have a few hits tomorrow with it, but i'm on the piss all day as Forest are playing Leyton Orient at home and will be battered, so if i don't play well at 10 sunday morning it may well be due to hangover, which I could live with.

Also I don't know how I play under pressure. Tournament pressure must be bigger, and there are some real premadonnas at the club I play at, so beating a few arseholes would be real sweet. If i bring my best game i'd fancy seeing out the winner a few years back, who missed one or two balls tonight!

I'll set myself a goal of just getting by the first round (Last 16 sounds better), or equally as important getting further than my friend who is also playing on Sunday (and beat me 4-1 tonight)

What I am sure of is that Sunday will be the last time I hit a snooker ball before christmas, because I really need the break, and depending on how Sunday goes, maybe the last ball I hit for the foreseeable future. Playing snooker at the moment is a chore for me. Why pay for the experience of beating myself up and leaving often angry and low in confidence?

I think when I do decide to return to the tables, it will be the practice tables, facing an opponent is just too much at the moment. I know i'm not playing well at the moment but maybe that's all it is? maybe in the near future my fortunes and gameplay will improve? comparing it to my love of football, all teams go through rough patches and come out to do well, possibly thats what could happen to me.

I do intend to play snooker all my life, and still at an early age and only having 4 years experience, this is the first time my progress has haulted, and if I can get another good 4 years after this low patch, thats not too bad going!

I think thats about everything off my chest, and I have to say it's helped. We'll just have to see what goes on Sunday, I'll be sure to write up my progress.

Back to the table

2006-11-02T11:26:00.000-12:00

Today i completed my first week back playing snooker after a break from the game, stretching around 3/4 months, and what a mistake it was taking a break.

I've played 2 games and lost 2 games, 4-2 and 4-1 and represents the first time i've lost 2 games in a row possibly this year. I also practiced for the first time alone since May this week, it was frustrating as I can see what i want to do, as before my break, but my hands and cueing won't let it happen. I can take some credit though because the cue ball was chipped!

Long potting was the worst it's ever been today. I had high hopes for it, as when i played last week it seemed to be close to the usual sort of standard, but no, it was awful and i was regularly missing shots by 6-10 inches, poor form.

My opponent played well to be fair, but I can't help think that I made it easy for him.

Goals for next weeks practice should focus on cueing, which I can also practice at home. I think i just need to get back potting balls, take my time (which i need) and keep my confidence. I am looking to be feeling myself by mid December, and before the years out, want a 24 break, which will mean that in this year i will have equaled my best break, and beaten it. No too bad a progress I suppose.

Introduction

2006-06-21T03:40:00.000-12:00

I decided to do a blog to record my progress while playing snooker, mosly to record wins and losses but also over time could be interesting to see how my game develops, and note positives and negatives in the way in which i play. I'll also suggest others try something similar, as i would be interested to follow other snooker players progress.

So i think i'll start by discussing my previous two matches.

Last week I played a friend from work, he's consistantly at around a 12-14 break standard, as I would say I currently am. His highest break is 27, so i'm only just ahead of him with my 30 break!

We drew 3-3, with the 6 frames being played in around 2 and a half hours, which is relatively quick. It's also the worst i have played for a while, as it was really hot. I got off to a great start, with a 24 break in the second frame, i took a 2 frame lead. then the heat and dehydration kicked in and i lost the next 3 frames in a row, and was about ready to finish.

I pulled the last frame out of the bag and couldn't wait to get out really, wasn't in the mood to be playing. But I can take a lot of confidence in my opening two frames, i took my time and got my cueing back on track, something which has been suffering as of late due to lack of practice and too much football on the TV!

My positional play in this match was also, in the opening two frames, as good as it has been for a while. My mindset is also on track, as i am now regularly thinking atleast one shot ahead, which is a good sign for my game as i usually concentrate solely on potting or position. I'm also a lot more comfortable around the black spot, and can get good position in and around the black, and if i can practice this more often should be on track to beating my 30 break soon.

My most recent match i played a friend who has a much greater technique to my other work friend. however his break building suffers as he plays very little and is very, very safety minded! i think his highest break is around 20.

I won this match, 3-1, although the last two frames went down to the black ball and i could, and should have finished things off sooner. I wasn't pleased with my play, as i often ran out of position, or did not concentrate too well. My cueing was way off, and i could see it was shaky, something i NEED to practice to get back into shape, i'll do some cueing into a bottleneck i think, as i find it is the most effective way of keeping a straight cue.

We also saw Michael Holt at our snooker club, sitting down after what we assumed was practice. I had heard him and anthony hamilton regularly visited our club.

I'm not sure when i'll next be playing, so i intend to get at least an hours practice in this week, work on my cueing above all things.

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