More tips for Snooker

The Stance
The purpose of the stance is to form a consistent, comfortable and solid base from which to deliver the cue on line of the shot with minimum movement in the body. The right foot(for right handed play) should be comfortably on or near the line of the shot and the left foot comfortably square or ahead of the right foot. The hips should swivel (left hip forward and down) and the right leg straight (or near straight) and the left leg comfortably bent. This allows room for the cue to pass above the right foot and alongside the right hip. The cue placed on the bridge hand and the chin and chest laying as flat to the horizontal cue as the table and position of the balls allow.

The Potting Angle
I'd describe the potting angle as the angle between the line along which you need to strike the cue ball and the line that the object ball takes to the pocket.

Recognition of the potting angles is best by practice alone and by visualizing the "dummy" ball described as above, as a guide. You may find benefit in practicing the four shots that many text books quote (quarter ball, half ball, three quarter ball and full ball) although, because there is obviously potting angles that fall in between these, a random approach can be more realistic.

The Eyes
The position of the eyes is vital in the stance and cue action. The eyes will provide constant feedback during the approach, stance and cue action that the cue is being delivered in a straight plane on the line of the shot. For normal vision, the eyes should automatically be placed either side of the cue as a natural consequence of placing the chin on the cue. There is a scope for accommodating a dominant (or master) eye during head positioning and sighting and this is covered under master eye.

The important aspect of sighting to focus upon is the need to look alternately at the position of the cue addressing the cue ball and the point of impact on the object ball. Only the combination of these two sighting points can confirm the line of the shot.

The Cue Action
The purpose of the cue action is to deliver the cue in a straight, level action along the line of the shot. Everything covered above this section comes together in the cue action. The cue action requires that the player has a correct, well drilled approach to the table and adopted a comfortable solid stance. The cue action also requires that the bridge has placed the first "V" on the line of the shot and the grip has the second "V" on the line of the shot.

The Cue Ball Control
Cue ball control is all about influencing the path of the cue ball, generally speaking, after the point of contact with the object ball. There are three main groups of factors to think about:

Follow-through, stun and screw---by striking the cue ball on the top, middle or bottom;
Side---generally used to influence the angle of travel from a cushion but the effect on the baize also needs to be considered;
Strength of shot---by striking the cue ball harder or softer depends on how far the cue ball needs to travel.

It's best to learn the basics of these factors in simple practice routines before introducing them into your game. One tip I've always found to work quite well is encouraging the right stroke is to envisage the cue ball as being like a hard boiled egg!! The stroke should break the shell on the near side and go through the shell on the other side. This sets the right visualization to ensure you follow through with your cue action, regardless of the effect you are putting on the cue ball.