Snooker as training aid for pool

berlowmj

berlowmj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Many of you have suggested that snooker provides good training for pool.

The qualitative leap in performance I experience when I go from practice on a 9' table to a bar supports this method. I guess psychologists would label it "transfer of learning."

Do you use the pool balls on the big snooker table or do you play with the snooker balls? All suggestions welcome.
 
I play both snooker & pool. But when i want to practice my Pool ball pocketing skill, I will practice on the snooker table with Numbered Balls (same size as snooker balls), One Cue Ball + 15 numbered balls.
 
berlowmj said:
Many of you have suggested that snooker provides good training for pool.

The qualitative leap in performance I experience when I go from practice on a 9' table to a bar supports this method. I guess psychologists would label it "transfer of learning."

Do you use the pool balls on the big snooker table or do you play with the snooker balls? All suggestions welcome.
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I play snooker (or English Billiards) with the correct-sized balls (2 1/16 inches). What I find it most useful for is to point out any defect in my fundamentals, such as failure to stroke straight. It's also good for working on a solid open bridge.

I think carom is good for your pool as well, but I started playing in a room with at least two of each table and it seemed entirely natural to try some of each. I'm puzzled by people who are so "focused" that they think that playing anything but their specialty will ruin their game. I think exactly the opposite is true.
 
Back in the day I would play snooker for at least an hour and it was a great way to get me sharp before playing 8 ball on bar tables. Those bar table pots were a piece of cake after playing on the snooker table. These days there are no snooker tables in town any more so sadly I no longer have that option.
 
btw, the few draw backs of practicing on a snooker table with snooker sized ball prior to playing on a 9 feet pool table is - ball control speed, as you will need some time (a few games) to adjust to hitting bigger & heavier balls. The other drawback is you can't really practice pocketing balls with heavy inside or outside english on a snooker table, as you will tend to miss a lot of shots, especially longer distance shot. Then there is the issue with the cue, switching from a snooker cue back to a pool cue.
 
limbo said:
... Then there is the issue with the cue, switching from a snooker cue back to a pool cue.
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I have a cue that is more or less suitable for all three games, except it is a little heavier than I would like.
 
When I was playing in Tacoma, Wa, I used to practice shooting regular pool balls in on a 12 foot snooker table. The table had 860 Simonis on it, and it did wonders for my game. I used to practice what i called "long stroking" the balls in on that table. It's just what it sounds like. I practiced with a really long stroke. Draw shots, follow shots, etc.

Since it was really hard to "aim" big pool balls in those pockets, it got me used to "feeling" the stroke line. Basically, it made it a lot easier to let go with a good stroke. The reason, because during practice, you ain't making many balls if you don't stroke em good.

I mainly practiced shots with the cue ball close to the object ball, and both about 9-10 feet from the pocket, OR, the cue ball about 7-8 feet from the object ball, and the OB about 2-3 feet from the pocket.

If I won the lottery tommorrow, I would have a practice room with a 9 foot Diamond, a 12 foot table with snooker cut pockets and Simonis, a Diamond 7 footer, a Dynamo 7 footer, and a Chevilotte (sp Bob?) Billiards table.

My time per day would probably be something like 25% snooker table with big balls, 50% 9 foot Diamond, 10% Billiards table, 10% Diamond 7 footer, 5% Dynamo.

Russ

Russ
 
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I haven't done it in a few years, but "back in the day" I warmed up with Snooker and it made potting on a nine foot table feel effortless. Thanks for reminding me of this -- I've just asked one of my playing partners to do this next time we play.
 
I have spoken to quite a few players from the UK who have ran over 140 points in one inners, about the difference between 9 ball and snooker.

They told me 9 ball requires a different stroke, and a different stance. When I watched them played, I noticed their style of play being quite different from snooker players.

I think there are different shot selections, and perhaps a wider range of shots in 9 balls, that practising on the snooker table alone cannot help a player to perfect.

On the other hand, I agree that practising on the snooker table can help one's potting power, which is one important part of the game.

I like snooker--I started playing snooker, and I still enjoy it very much. As a matter of fact, I have just ordered a snooker cue from John Parris.

I do not expect snooker would help my 9 ball game that much. I think 9 ball is largely about cue ball control and knowing what to do in various situations. I think I need to practise and play lots of 9 ball to really understand the game. But I like to play snooker, because I really enjoy it.

Just my 2 cents,
Richard
 
I don't think it's the game of snooker itself that helps pool game. It is better and more disciplined shot routine and possibly a little more controlled stroke that you'll bring back from snooker table to your 9ft pool table.
 
it awalys helped me to an extent, when I played at a room with both tables, I would play snooker everyday, actually I like it better than 9-ball, I dont think it would help one pocket much.
 
do you think that playing on a tight pocket table would yeild the same results as praticing on a snooker table?
 
"play on a snooker table and a pool tables pockets will look like buckets" have heard this so many times, yes it's true but no matter how the pocket looks your game is still gonna be the same, if anything u will underestimate shots on a bar table coming from a snooker table i know i have, i practice on 9 footers but only play on 7's during tourneys, although i'm playing my best pool ever on a 9 footer my bar table game isn't peaking, no matter what when u go from one type of table to the next there will be adjustments u have to make, some players may be able to get away with it but most probably don't, it's best to practice on whatever equipment you'll be competing on

offensively u can learn certain things by playing snooker but if u play it correctly u will learn patience and it really is a virtue, if u can learn to consistently hide the cue ball on a snooker table then u will of really gained something useful that u can use on any pool table in virtually any game played on it
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Snooker is definately a good thing to practice when your arm gets crooked and you need to work on ball pocketing.

Billiards is great for learning new routes on a pool table and what's possible with using spin, but a lot of players seem to have trouble when they go back to pool. The extra spin most players put on the ball in billiards, especially on slow billiard tables, messes them up when they try and go back to playing games like nine ball. Using a tip to a tip-and-a-half of english on the majority of shots leads to a lot of rattled balls unless you're pro level or a filipino. For kicks in one pocket,etc... three cushion is great.
 
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