Observations on Professional Snooker

bigshooter

bigshooter

<--vs Chuck Norris on TAR
Silver Member
For the first time in my life I watched several professional snooker matches yesterday on Youtube. I am impressed by the caliber of play, snooker certainly is a game of precision.

A few things that surprised me was the safe break which is very similar to straight pool. Another thing that surprised me is that most of the rack is played into the bottom two pockets.

I thought snooker was about a lot of really long shots since the tables are 12' long but the majority of shots are 3 to 4 feet into the bottom two corners while maintaining an angle on the 7 ball in order to get shape on another red.

I am impressed by the way these players gently break out parts of the remaining reds in the rack in such a way as to continue the run, lots of precision. I thought the breakout would send balls all over the table but not so. They meticulously and precisely break out a few balls in order to continue running into the bottom two pockets.

It was fascinating to me, I may even watch some more. :wink:
 
I'm a pool player at heart, and would do anything in my power to help the sport grow in America.

With that being said, I really really love watching snooker. It's better to watch full matches , because than you get to see the strategy played out over a longer period.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLk71tnNxOU
 
Glad you are enjoying this amazing game.
Yes most of the scoring is done around the black ball at the top of the table and requires tight cue ball control.

Breaking out reds is an art form which is hard to appreciate on camera and this art form is what separates the great break builders.

As far as the long game goes, in the modern game this is even more essential to have a consistent long game as the safety play is so good it is often the only way to start scoring.
 
few pool players really understand this

bigshooter said:
For the first time in my life I watched several professional snooker matches yesterday on Youtube. I am impressed by the caliber of play, snooker certainly is a game of precision.

A few things that surprised me was the safe break which is very similar to straight pool. Another thing that surprised me is that most of the rack is played into the bottom two pockets.

I thought snooker was about a lot of really long shots since the tables are 12' long but the majority of shots are 3 to 4 feet into the bottom two corners while maintaining an angle on the 7 ball in order to get shape on another red.

I am impressed by the way these players gently break out parts of the remaining reds in the rack in such a way as to continue the run, lots of precision. I thought the breakout would send balls all over the table but not so. They meticulously and precisely break out a few balls in order to continue running into the bottom two pockets.

It was fascinating to me, I may even watch some more. :wink:
Click to expand...


As you noticed, once you get a run started in snooker the game is played in two pockets six feet apart with two more six feet away from there to bail you out if you have to use one. Rarely you may have to go down to a far corner. Then all the numbered balls have usually been spotted or respotted so you are shooting the same "drill" at the end of every game. That isn't to say that snooker isn't more difficult than pool, it is but not nearly as much as a pool player that plays it once or twice thinks it is. You have to relearn the working zones of pockets and shot speed is often of far more importance than in pool.

I really enjoyed snooker and was the best player at my favorite pool hall. Unfortunately I was also the only player other than the old fellows playing golf on the snooker tables, not really snooker so I never got to gamble playing snooker. If I had room at home for one table ten foot or bigger it would be a snooker table. For recreation I don't think pool holds a candle to snooker.

Hu
 
ShootingArts said:
As you noticed, once you get a run started in snooker the game is played in two pockets six feet apart with two more six feet away from there to bail you out if you have to use one. Rarely you may have to go down to a far corner. Then all the numbered balls have usually been spotted or respotted so you are shooting the same "drill" at the end of every game. That isn't to say that snooker isn't more difficult than pool, it is but not nearly as much as a pool player that plays it once or twice thinks it is. You have to relearn the working zones of pockets and shot speed is often of far more importance than in pool.

I really enjoyed snooker and was the best player at my favorite pool hall. Unfortunately I was also the only player other than the old fellows playing golf on the snooker tables, not really snooker so I never got to gamble playing snooker. If I had room at home for one table ten foot or bigger it would be a snooker table. For recreation I don't think pool holds a candle to snooker.

Hu
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Growing up we had a very old snooker table in the local bar, it had tiny pockets that the ball could barely fit in, a little discouraging to a kid.

Recently we got a nice Conelly snooker table installed, put new rails and Velocity Pro cloth on it. It plays super sweet... I guess I'll go ahead and play a little snooker.

I think the game around here will be golf though, the old guys love it.
 
BeiberLvr said:
I'm a pool player at heart, and would do anything in my power to help the sport grow in America.

With that being said, I really really love watching snooker. It's better to watch full matches , because than you get to see the strategy played out over a longer period.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLk71tnNxOU
Click to expand...

This is a great introduction to the game - Trump Vs Lisowsky - with both players going for it full pelt.

It is simply beyond me how snooker can be more aggressive, exciting and quicker than pool.
 
Pathetic Shark said:
This is a great introduction to the game - Trump Vs Lisowsky - with both players going for it full pelt.

It is simply beyond me how snooker can be more aggressive, exciting and quicker than pool.
Click to expand...

It's beyond me why you cannot make a post without taking a potshot at pool.
You should attempt to appreciate more than one cue sport, it might expand your thinking.
 
I feel that snooker is mostly played on two six by sixes.
The pack play is very similar to straight pool....
..it is not wise to break the pack and send the balls into trouble elsewhere.

A hundred run at either game is equally skillful, imo.

But long distance shots, safety or offensive, favor younger eyes and muscles
at snooker....I don't think a fifty year old will ever win a world snooker title anymore.

But at straight pool, it can happen.
 
When I was growing up, there were snooker tables all over town, in every pool hall, as well as some 3 cushion tables as well. I actually love both pool and snooker, but it's hard to find decent snooker equipment. Recently a snooker hall opened up on the west side of Houston that has six 12X6 tables. I want to try and get my buddy I play with to go over there this week maybe Thursday as I'm off. I hear the equipment is superb, that they bought the tables in England and had them shipped over.

I watch a lot of snooker live on haha sports, though the time difference usually means you have to watch early in the morning here to catch the matches (early like around 5-10AM). Since I'm a shift worker and am used to being up all kinds of weird hours, it works for me. There are several more other than hahasports you can watch, just go to the snooker forum to check em out, but haha has been the most consistent for me for watching live.
 
BeiberLvr said:
I'm a pool player at heart, and would do anything in my power to help the sport grow in America. ...
Click to expand...
The US National Championships will be in Houston at the and of May. If you know any snooker players here, let them know. The winner and runner-up are eligible for the IBSF World Championships.
http://www.snookerusa.com

Bob Jewett
Treasurer, US Snooker Association
 
We have a snooker table at our local rec room, just a 5X10 but still very different than a pool table. Most of the guys that play on it real play more of a pool style game than snooker. For example lots of banks something you rarely see in a top snooker match. I like it for a change of pace.
 
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