Snooker and pool?

M.Tpockets

M.Tpockets

Registered
I have a question for any one willing to add some insight. I started playing pool mostly 8 ball and rotation games a year ago. I always played snooker exclusively prior with family strictly as a social activity. My interest peaked and so did my drive to improve and shoot at a higher level. I purchased a table with out enough room to accommodate a 6 by 12. I went with a 9ft . I started playing league 8ball as well as a snooker league . My question is would I see faster improvement in my game if I played one or the other exclusively? My pool game seems to have improved but my snooker game may have regressed. Any insight or advice from any one who enjoys both Disciplines would be greatly appreciated.
 
I started a thread today about some bad habits I've picked up playing pool. I dont play snooker as much as I'd like, maybe once a week or twice if I'm lucky. Playing a mixture of the 2 shouldn't hinder either game in theory but from experience it does. The tables play completely different for a start and positional paths are different also. Firstly the pockets. The size isn't the issue but the cut of them is. Rounded jaws make balls rattle like no tomorrow and its hard to get back into the swing of what the pocket will accept when you have been playing pool a lot. The same can be said in reverse. If you play snooker a lot you have no idea what a pool pocket will accept and what cheating the pocket can achieve.

Secondly is the balls and cues used. Weight difference in balls and cue tip sizes make a difference to me. Going back to a larger tip in pool throws me off to start with but I soon get the swing of things. But my positional play sufferes hugely in pool coming up short a lot if I play snooker a lot.

Lastly is the styles of play. Completely different. Snooker is all out attack just trying to get a frame winning break, and safety battles are just about getting distance and the correct line on the CB. Leaving a shot is ok in snooker safety, just don't leave a shot to nothing. Pool is different and especially 8 ball. Safety play needs to be well thought out, and simply leaving distance isn't good enough against most.

If you play both in equal amounts then you can reap the benefit of both, but from my experience you don't play both equally. One usually gets more attention and the other suffers. But its like riding a bike, you never forget so it may seem one is suffering at first but it soon comes back to you.
 
the technical fundamentals of snooker will prepare you to be a good pool player.
 
Bob Dixon and pidges are amongst the only sensible posts I have ever seen in the snooker v pool debate.

And I have played both competitively
 
if you are looking for consistency then u should try to stick to the table that u will most likely be competing on, i prefer snooker over pool but no matter what there's always gonna be an adjustment from 1 game/table to the next, the adjustments become less and less over time but they'll always be there, for me the biggest adjustment has nothing to do w pockets but more so w the size and weight of the balls

for me personally my pocketing ability never really increased much from playing snooker but i feel like once i learned to control the cue ball w more consistency on a snooker table (offensively and defensively) that is when i saw a very noticeable jump in my bar table game, i think a lot of that comes from playing w stronger players and really paying attention to what goes on when u fight over the opening break, u will find out real quick if you're not hitting your intended contact point as to leave the cue ball behind the baulk line
 
Snooker on a nine foot has traffic problems, and the last 8 balls are basically a pattern runout - if you are good enough. If you are not, it almost like a nine-ball match - with smaller balls that require a more precise hit.

All the shots associated with pool are there in the snooker game on a 9 foot pool table - running balls down the rail, banks, combinations.

Americans have a snooty attitude that snooker can't be played on anything but a 12 x 6. Since they don't have the big tables, they won' try snooker on a smaller table. The more experience with different games the better solutions you will find.

The thing that gets me, unless I am playing both pool and snooker regularly, is the difference in the weight of the balls. If you are accustomed to the weight of one ball, switching a different size will result in a period of adjustment. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top