snooker pro tips 30, basics of side for beginners part 1

[101tonywhite]

Ok maybe I'm being thick, I understand the side, but how far to the left or right do you move the tip? Great vids by the way.

[MrMikeJkay]

wish had good snooker tables at the snooker hall i am at :( cuz this one on the vid runs soo smooth and fast

[ongong3825]

wouldn't the cue ball nt go straight if you aim the side and go off course? than spinning it would be useless if you miss... is it possible to spin the ball and go straight with it?

[jonolollmao]

great videos, im 16 and have been playing on a pool sized table (my house is too small for a full size table). ive only played on full size only about 24 hours in total in my life and last time i played was when i was 12. im playing on wednesday and ill follow your tips from all the videos:)

[formaline2004]

Neil I am actually saying the other clip is 100% right in the way he describes check and running side. He may be wrong in other areas but he IS correctly using the names check side and running side. It is NOT about whether the ball accelerates or not off the cushion. That is not what "check side" and "running side" are about. They describe only the side on the cueball relative to the object ball, always have.

[formaline2004]

Having said this, let me thank you for this excellent series and I apologise for being pedantic about the terminology. I think there is a lot of very valuable instruction here for interested players and we are indebted to folks like you who share a lifetime of experience and talent.

[neilmaxman]

@formaline2004 thank you for all you're time and efforts going into those comments .........what i really try to do is keep the game and my explinations as simple as possible..... i have learn't over many years now not over complicate terminologies ........thank you for also refering to clip 1.....and take it from me the other clip is 100% wrong

[MrPhilsd]

@neilmaxman he put a little too much time and effort me thinks... i would also like to thank you for the videos as i have gone from hitting 30 breaks with a high of 48 to hitting a 70 last week as a result of your top notch tutorials

[formaline2004]

If you are going to refer to cushion effects then talk about acceleration/decleration, but if you are going to talk about check and running side then the ONLY consistent way of describing it is in reference to the object ball.

[formaline2004]

Originally these terms were English Billiards terms and referred to the degree of throw of the cue ball off the object ball, not the first cushion effect. Most Snooker players try to cobble these terms into use in Snooker but they are hopelessly ambiguous in reference to the cushions because they constantly change depending on table positions. Side which accelerates off one cushion can decelerate off the opposite cushion, does that make it running or check?

[formaline2004]

For instance in Pro tips 1 if the white ball was higher up the table (closer to the black end) then what you describe as running side ( left side coming off the right side of the pink) actually becomes ( in your terms) check side.....very confusing to beginners. However by reference to the object ball it never changes, regardless of the effect on the first cushion.

[formaline2004]

Let me explain further. In your own example in Pro Tips 1 you are at pains to point out that the other guy got it wrong....he didn't, he was just using the classical descriptions of check and running by reference to the object ball not the cushion effect.

[formaline2004]

Initially if the cue ball came off the left side of the object ball with right hand side that was "check side" and the opposite of course for "running side". This was because it was a consistent way of describing it. You are simply describing the first cushion effect and saying that any ball that ACCELERATES off a cushion has running side

[formaline2004]

I have no argument that you understand side, it is simply that you do not use the terms the way that the classic texts do and that is where the arguments start. "Left" and "Right" are much clearer and unambiguous terms and much better coaching terms. Many excellent snooker players like you use the same language, but it really is not consistent. You are talking solely about the effect off the first cushion, but that is not how the terms " check side" and "running side" were first coined.

[formaline2004]

Even in this video which does not involve an object ball for the most part what you describe as running side is about to become check side except that you snatch the ball off the table at 3.48 and again at 4.11. The point is that both check side and running side are ambiguous terms the way you use them.

[formaline2004]

You play the shots well and describe the effects well the way you descibe side is inaccurate. In the classic literature ( Riso Levi, John Roberts, Major Bennett etc), "check side" and "running side" was ALWAYS referenced to the ball, not the cushion effect.

[formaline2004]

Thank you for posting Neil, but I want to argue with you about how you describe side.

[philbo1965uk]

What confuses people when describing side is that a shot can be both check and running on the same shot.(4.21sec)

It all depends on the trajectory the cueball takes differing from a plain ball stroke especially contacting a point on the cushion.

Example..Neil is playing check if he intends to stun up for the baulk colours.He could equally hit cueball on left side and stun up and this would be running side.

Its the angle,type of stroke and trajectory that dictates which side is applied.

[philbo1965uk]

If Neil were to place cueball further down to wards black spot and change the angle of the pot.Then hit same as 4.21 rightside so cueball hit cushion at a point behind the yellow spot then this would be check side ..if cueball were to hit leftside rail instead this would be running side .

So it is the trajectory of the cueball takes from its normal trajectory and the angle of the shot and cushion contact points.

Perhaps Neil can show a video demonstrating this so you can understand it better

[philbo1965uk]

oh dear.,..i think pro tip 31 addresses this...sorry neil

[Paggee]

No sound??

[Bangru89]

gooooood!

[miwkao]

Thank you so much! Most beneficial

[matt926uk1]

hi neil, last night i missed the easiest yellow with the rest, I always seem to cue across the ball. Could you please do a video showing the proper technique for rest play?