If you've elevated your pool game via adopting a Snooker stance and alignments. . .

[arnaldo]

My curiosity was aroused when I read a few very respect-worthy players’ comments (on another thread) on how positive was their switch from a traditional pool stance -- to one that emulated Snooker players’ general placement of the feet, hips and upper body parts -- but I didn’t want to de-rail the excellent “What player most influenced your game” thread containing their mentions.

It’s obviously worth experimenting with, since a fair number of pros and high-level non-pros have very successfully adopted many of the Snooker-related alignment principles.

If you’ve ever broken the elements down: on a mechanical level, what elements of the switch might account for more aiming accuracy, stroke smoothness/repeatability, etc. in your own case? (Or if you’ve ever conjectured about why other pool players might have benefited.)

Seems definitely worth giving it some practice time and look forward to understanding more about what’s physically at work as improvements are seen.

Arnaldo

 

[Nick B]

I started with snooker so I can't speak from that perspective. Over the years I have loosened up a bit to allow me to spin the rock a little more for rotation games. I in general its tough not to be for good fundamentals.

Nick

 

[BarTableMan]

Snooker Form

This is one of the great secrets of the game. Stop this thread and keep it to yourself. I watch snooker matches daily to absorb Hendry and Selby at their art.

 

[Yoda4962]

the secret

The secret is ..... ' when you discover that stance doesn't make any difference at all' !

 

[MitchAlsup]

The snooker stance locks the hip so you can't 'lead' from your feet. This leads to a quieter upper body and greader accuracy through lack of upper body movement.

With a pool stance you can use the back foot to add energy to the ball by swinging through from the hips. Most of the time this leads to various insundry accuracy issues due to uppr bodymovements, hense the mantra, heep your head still.

The snooker stance alos takes pressure off the rotator cup in the hips, too.

 

[ENGLISH!]

Stance?

First some backround. Despite my AZB handle I was born, raised & have lived all of my 59 yrs. of life in S. La. I have never taken a professional lesson. My Father introduced me to the fundamentals that he 'knew' when I was 13 yrs. old & never mentioned anything about stance. I stole everything else including all of the englishes from watching & playing an old man that would not teach me anything.

Now, all that having been said, it is fairly obvious that I am, for the most part, self 'taught'. I also played other games & sports: football, tennis, baseball, basketball, ping pong, horse shoes, etc.

I think that due to the varius 'stances' of all the various sports, many of which are square at times. I naturally gravitated to a 'snooker' stance well before I even new there was a difference between the two.

Now, think about it, snooker is played with smaller pockets on larger tables with smaller rounded pockets. The need for precision is paramount & they play with a more square stance.

In my opinion, the main benefit is the alignment of the eyes. I have coached the main three sports & golf. They used to say that hitting a baseball was the hardest thing to do in sports. Many would argue that it is hitting a golf ball that is not even moving. Why? The common thing of the two(2) is that one is standing 'side ways' to the path of the ball.

In coaching middle school baseball, many a time a young player that did not have the benfit of much playground coaching would have trouble hitting the ball. When I put them into the proper position they immediately had success. The reason is that those boys & girls usually had their head tilted to the side when looking at the pitcher. I position their head with level eyes & success. they hit the ball much, much better.

Think about it. We walk around all day, everyday doing almost everything that we do with our eyes on a level plane. Then why would one want to do anything that is remotely difficult with one's eyes on a slant or cocked to one side, or tilted.

I thing that is the main difference. You pick out, look at, & line up your shot with your eyes level. The snooker stance allows you to simply walk in while getting into 'position' to shoot the shot & keep your eyes level up to the time that you actually do shoot the shot. AND it is comfortable with less stress & tension in the body. IMHO

Can you play very good pool with a pool stance? Obviously many can. But.. I bet if you look closely, almost all of them have level or very nearly level eyes.

That's my long winded humble $0.50 cent opinion.

Rick

PS I am NOT an instructor.

 

["Popeye"]

I started with snooker so I can't speak from that perspective. Over the years I have loosened up a bit to allow me to spin the rock a little more for rotation games. I in general its tough not to be for good fundamentals.

Nick

Yep... did the same thing. My chin is a little raised above the cue, but my stance and form is still the same way I was taught.

 

[arnaldo]

Thanks for these superb, well-stated insights and analyses so far, identifying some of the unique biomechanical factors that occur. Makes it easy to understand their potential for increasing one’s overall accuracy with the Snooker stance and alignments. Clearly the stance:

-- locks the hips, leading to a quieter upper body (what a great descriptive phrase by Mitch!), enabling greater accuracy.

-- automatically levels the eyes, and also provides more comfort and less body stress and tension.

(And I think I sense that a more ideal, tripod-like form naturally results, with the bridge hand forming the third “pod” element.)

Arnaldo

 

[Tramp Steamer]

The snooker stance locks the hip so you can't 'lead' from your feet. This leads to a quieter upper body and greader accuracy through lack of upper body movement.

With a pool stance you can use the back foot to add energy to the ball by swinging through from the hips. Most of the time this leads to various insundry accuracy issues due to uppr bodymovements, hense the mantra, heep your head still.

The snooker stance alos takes pressure off the rotator cup in the hips, too.

I believe what Mitch says, to be true. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you've ever watched Allison Fisher, and Danny Harriman, you'll see they are almost dead square to the table when they are down on a shot. :smile:

 

[ENGLISH!]

Thanks for these superb, well-stated insights and analyses so far, identifying some of the unique biomechanical factors that occur. Makes it easy to understand their potential for increasing one’s overall accuracy with the Snooker stance and alignments. Clearly the stance:

-- locks the hips, leading to a quieter upper body (what a great descriptive phrase by Mitch!), enabling greater accuracy.

-- automatically levels the eyes, and also provides more comfort and less body stress and tension.

(And I think I sense that a more ideal, tripod-like form naturally results, with the bridge hand forming the third “pod” element.)
Arnaldo

What I have bolded above is a very good point. It provides stability in both the side to side & front to back directions. Similiar to a football 3 point stance.

 

[poolrod]

I was told that I have a Snooker stance, and it's great for making balls, just tougher to load up on the cue ball.

 

["Popeye"]

I was told that I have a Snooker stance, and it's great for making balls, just tougher to load up on the cue ball.

I have no issue loading up the cue ball, but it all comes from my stroke and wrist.

 

[OneIron]

I read that it's also easier to reach long shots with a square stance. And long shots are common on a snooker table. Sounds reasonable.

 

[CJ Wiley]

I learned a lot from a guy that trained Champion Snooker Players

I was told that I have a Snooker stance, and it's great for making balls, just tougher to load up on the cue ball.

I believe facing the cue ball more than a conventional stance is a VERY GOOD thing to do.....you can see the shot more naturally and don't have to twist your body to the left every time. (this could lead to back issues and also will tend to move under pressure)

I learned a lot from a guy that trained Champion Snooker Players and have played against some of the best ones in the World (in London playing pool).

My stance isn't a full snooker stance, but I do have my left foot on the parallel line of the shot on the table (for several reasons)...CLICK LINK to see how my stance lines up and Earl Stickland just started doing this 6 weeks ago as well.
Earl Stickland vs CJ Wiley

 

[lee brett]

I explain the stance on my DVD and how to align correctly. Buy the DVD :wink: hint hint lol

 

[poolrod]

I believe facing the cue ball more than a conventional stance is a VERY GOOD thing to do.....you can see the shot more naturally and don't have to twist your body to the left every time. (this could lead to back issues and also will tend to move under pressure)

I learned a lot from a guy that trained Champion Snooker Players and have played against some of the best ones in the World (in London playing pool).

My stance isn't a full snooker stance, but I do have my left foot on the parallel line of the shot on the table (for several reasons)...CLICK LINK to see how my stance lines up and Earl Stickland just started doing this 6 weeks ago as well.
Earl Stickland vs CJ Wiley

You look like me out there, more hair and better looking though,lol. We both play a little high from the cue, left foot in the same position. I guess I'm not in a full Snooker stance either. I try to make sure that the only thing moving is my stroke arm, and my stance is very stable for that. Thank you for sharing your info. Rod.

 

[mosconiac]

When people say the snooker stance is more "square" they are only talking about the hips & feet. The shoulders end up in a similar position to the side-saddle pool stance. Left shoulder is low & near jaw. Right shoulder is higher & behind right ear.

This rotation is what results in the full body constraint that snooker players enjoy. The spine rotates from the squared hips to rotated shoulders (relative to the shot line) which places it in tension & makes it less prone to movement.

The hips are locked by the position of the feet.

The shoulders are locked by the tension in the spine.

The only body part that is free to move is the cueing arm.

When you feel this sensation, you will be committed to the snooker stance.

Further, the stance (when done correctly) places the right foot, bridge hand, dominant eye, right shoulder, elbow, & grip hand in alignment. You might even feel ike your body is pressed up against a wall (a single plane). Think about how important that is.

 

[poolrod]

When people say the snooker stance is more "square" they are only talking about the hips & feet. The shoulders end up in a similar position to the side-saddle pool stance. Left shoulder is low & near jaw. Right shoulder is higher & behind right ear.

This rotation is what results in the full body constraint that snooker players enjoy. The spine rotates from the squared hips to rotated shoulders (relative to the shot line) which places it in tension & makes it less prone to movement.

The hips are locked by the position of the feet.

The shoulders are locked by the tension in the spine.

The only body part that is free to move is the cueing arm.

When you feel this sensation, you will be committed to the snooker stance.

Further, the stance (when done correctly) places the right foot, bridge hand, dominant eye, right shoulder, elbow, & grip hand in alignment. You might even feel ike your body is pressed up against a wall (a single plane). Think about how important that is.

My avatar says it all, my left foot is pointing at the far left corner pocket, and I look pretty square to the table,lol.

 

[1ab]

An eye dominance test confirmed I am left eye dominant. While I shoot right handed, it was suggested that a snooker stance might ease the contortion of my neck and shoulders when getting my chin close to the cue. I didn't have any reference, other than the internet, to understand the nuances of that particular stance. So I started lining up my right foot with my cue, about a year ago, and it is easier to feel stable and relaxed over the cue. I'm unsure how close, overall, I am to a snooker stance, but I don't have any reservations about believing it has positively affected my game.

 

[naji]

My avatar says it all, my left foot is pointing at the far left corner pocket, and I look pretty square to the table,lol.

Only problem with your head a way from cue is at times under pressure, you tend to change head position without realizing, where as touching the cue will make your eyes always in place, one variable out of the formula. Again, easy shots no problem, but long large angel cuts is where the difference shows.