PROSNOOKER

The diagram, displaying speed during the process of cueing, shows a gradual increase of speed. Starting slowly building up, with the climax at the final part of the cue action.

The ‘O’ represents the moment we hit the ball. We notice the cue even accelerates at that stage. Thus affirming the idea that the cue should go through the ball.

Of course you can hit the ball in different ways by for example accelerating earlier, or less. It is important you acquire a basic effective cue movement where the usage of energy synchronizes with the output of the cue action.

Don’t be misguided to start with a bigger acceleration for shots you need to play harder. In this diagram you see the cueing speed immediately takes off. Once  nearing the cue ball you notice the cue has no acceleration power left. You can still control the cue ball as such, but not in a directive way.

Two examples where this cueing acceleration occurs:

1) Player A needs to play an intense screw shot. Instead of multiplying in speed through the ball, the cue accelerates at the beginning, with the result the cue ball will almost not have screw to come back. 

2) The situation where the length of the final backswing is shortened. Having not the run to build up, the player will rush with the cue the moment he starts his cue action.

Basically, you will already make huge progress treating the ball correctly with the idea not to hit it, but to push it towards the object ball. In this way your fixation will be shifted to the object ball instead staying on the white. Shifting the fixation usually also is shifting the acceleration much forward.

What about the acceleration when hitting softly?

Good question! We know that length  and speed need to adapt tot he cueing intention. Usually there is less acceleratoin as there is less length and shorter cueing distance. You can either:

1) accelerate gently, or

2) cue without acceleration, or

3) decrease in velocity through the cue ball.

 

GENTLE and SMOOTH cue action with hardly any acceleration. You immediately notice the differences:

- less acceleration,

- less hitting power and

- shorter distance through the ball.

 

 

 

Here you notice an even more gentle cue action without any acceleration through the ball.

Be careful! Know what you are doing for players tend to lose their focus. So even with softer cueing you have to stay very positive as well as directive up till the very end of the cue action.