Snooker stance in pool

JimmyWhite

JimmyWhite

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys
I have been playing pool seriously (practicing drills, tournaments etc.) for about a year now and I had always felt that the stance is by far the most important part of the game.

A couple of days ago I decided to give the snooker stance a shot. I watched some youtube videos and I have been trying to change my stance ever since. I can't say I am doing it perfectly well for the time being but I am loving the new style of play. My accuracy and consistency has improved dramatically. What I like the most in it is that it has a rock solid and repeatable routine, which can make you very consistent.

Although I have played snooker only once in my life, (no snooker tables in my area) so there is no such thing as a snooker background for me, I think that if I manage to master the snooker stance in pool I will improve my game. From my point of view, consistency and accuracy are far more important than being able to draw the cue ball 2 or 3 times the length of the table using a more pool-like stance.

The only problem I see in the whole situation is that I am rather tall (6'4'') and the snooker stance is made for taller tables than the ones of pool. Apart from a slight pain on the calf of my right leg (I am right handed) and a little tension on my right hip, it feels very solid, balanced and comfortable (I tend to stop noticing those two issues after playing for a while though)

So are there any other users who have gone the same road? Can you point out to me some links or instructional material that will help me perfect the stance? For the time being I have only found this:>LINK<
Anyone with more info on the subject is welcome to contribute. (and instructors too) You think I should go for it?
 
JimmyWhite said:
So are there any other users who have gone the same road? Can you point out to me some links or instructional material that will help me perfect the stance? For the time being I have only found this:>LINK<
Anyone with more info on the subject is welcome to contribute. (and instructors too) You think I should go for it?
Click to expand...

The link doesn't work for me. can you describe the "snooker stance"?
 
I am by no means a professional instructor, but I think that whichever stance works best for you is the correct one.

One thing though...Your stance is not supposed to hurt. I would recommend tweaking yours a little until you find the point where you're both comfortable and accurate.
 
walrus_3d said:
The link doesn't work for me. can you describe the "snooker stance"?
Click to expand...

Snooker stance is traditionally defined as having both feet roughly parallel to the shot line, as opposed to the pool stance where we stand a bit sideways, the preference being toward the dominant hand.
 
the420trooper said:
Snooker stance is traditionally defined as having both feet roughly parallel to the shot line, as opposed to the pool stance where we stand a bit sideways, the preference being toward the dominant hand.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I don't really have a set orientation for my feet, they just kinda go wherever they have to to not run me into the table when my cue's on line. I don't like using the bridge so I end up doing a lot of one-legged leaning across the table, so the only question really is which leg to stand on. I liked one move I saw in a pro match, where the one foot's on the ground and the other knee is on the felt, but I don't think I could get away with doing that myself.

Re-reading, do you mean the feet themselves are parallel to the shot line, so you're square to the table, or that the line from heel to heel is parallel to the shot line, so you're square to the cue?
 
walrus_3d said:
Interesting. I don't really have a set orientation for my feet, they just kinda go wherever they have to to not run me into the table when my cue's on line. I don't like using the bridge so I end up doing a lot of one-legged leaning across the table, so the only question really is which leg to stand on. I liked one move I saw in a pro match, where the one foot's on the ground and the other knee is on the felt, but I don't think I could get away with doing that myself.

Re-reading, do you mean the feet themselves are parallel to the shot line, so you're square to the table, or that the line from heel to heel is parallel to the shot line, so you're square to the cue?
Click to expand...

It's this one.
 
Allison Fisher still uses a snooker stance and it works for her...of course, that's how she started out. Other converts from snooker have worked to adopt a "Pool Stance" and keep their snooker stance for the baize. IMHO either works, depends on your comfort. I've tried it, but it seems to put a lot of stress on my right leg hamstring and my stroke arm seems a little constrained...but that's just me. When I play snooker, I still use our conventional pool stance, and it works fine for me there, too.:thumbup:
 
http://www.terrygriffithssnooker.com/shop/online-masterclasses/the-'address-position'.aspx

http://www.terrygriffithssnooker.com/shop/online-masterclasses/the-'stance'.aspx

In Russian - Approaching The Shot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAXIS9NYdIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSK4w_9S_x0&feature=channel_page

http://www.snookerscene.co.uk/page.php?id=40

Seach google video for
Understanding Modern Snooker – Jack Karnehm

3 4 5 6 7

And
Snooker – Champions Way With Steve Davis

First 3

Unfortunately a lot of snooker stuff gets taken down for infringement of copyright, so you have to go looking for the good stuff like Davis and Karnehm.
 
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Jimmy

- Can't post the link right now, but search 'Del hill stance' on you tube.

Siz
 
Look this video, very simple:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X08w5E5RbJY
The important is you must have your right foot on the line of the shot. Then your right leg straight and the left bent, some player keep both leg bent it is personal preference.
Also your stance is not supposed to hurt, but you are tall and the table is low so you need to go down much more than an average height player.
 
I'm constantly amazed when I see pool players not having the correct stance - make no mistake, a snooker stance is the correct stance for cue sports. There's probably no need for it to be rigorously applied for pool, but it is the fundamental way to approach accurately potting balls on a table.

Ain't no great snooker players with a pool stance.
 
TheThaiger said:
I'm constantly amazed when I see pool players not having the correct stance - make no mistake, a snooker stance is the correct stance for cue sports. There's probably no need for it to be rigorously applied for pool, but it is the fundamental way to approach accurately potting balls on a table.

Ain't no great snooker players with a pool stance.
Click to expand...

I have seen Alex Pagulayan during the 2011 canadian snooker championship. He uses a pool stance, closed bridge and he has done 5-6 centuries and he has the high run of the tournament: 133. Ok, he can't compete with the snooker players like Hendry, Higgins, O'Sullivan, but he can play.
 
TheThaiger said:
I'm constantly amazed when I see pool players not having the correct stance - make no mistake, a snooker stance is the correct stance for cue sports. There's probably no need for it to be rigorously applied for pool, but it is the fundamental way to approach accurately potting balls on a table.

Ain't no great snooker players with a pool stance.
Click to expand...


"make no mistake, a snooker stance is the correct stance for cue sports."

You should probably inform Raymond Ceulemans of this information.

Dale
 
I used the snooker stance, it allows me to line up properly if I do the steps into it. Even when I form my bridge, I make sure the heel of my palm is touching the table so I sometimes have to bend my arm up like I'm trying to climb the table like Spiderman. Believe it or not there are two snooker stances, one is the more common textbook-Steve Davis-Stephen Hendry-way of playing where your legs are more parallel but not exactly and the other is the Joe Davis/Ray Reardon way of standing where the feet are 45 degrees. Both have the same ideas - front leg bent, back leg straight, and stability where you won't be pushed over.

Here's a Cantonese video where this Hong Kong snooker player teaches stance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsvLvlouKTQ

Ray Reardon on grip/stance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53qJGFjqIRM

The funny thing is that someone tried to tell me "THAT'S NOT HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STAND AT THE TABLE." once.
 
Slh said:
I have seen Alex Pagulayan during the 2011 canadian snooker championship. He uses a pool stance, closed bridge and he has done 5-6 centuries and he has the high run of the tournament: 133. Ok, he can't compete with the snooker players like Hendry, Higgins, O'Sullivan, but he can play.
Click to expand...


How does he see over the edge of the table? On his tiptoes? :rolleyes:
 
pdcue said:
"make no mistake, a snooker stance is the correct stance for cue sports."

You should probably inform Raymond Ceulemans of this information.

Dale
Click to expand...


The all time most solid stance of any player at any cue game - CEULEMANS!
Talk about a rock! Worst had the second most solid stance I ever saw.
 
jay helfert said:
How does he see over the edge of the table? On his tiptoes? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Well he had to use the bridge for a lot of shots but he had good cueball control so he had very short distance shot most of the time. Everybody was impressed by his snooker game.
 
SirNoobs said:
... Believe it or not there are two snooker stances, one is the more common textbook-Steve Davis-Stephen Hendry-way of playing where your legs are more parallel but not exactly and the other is the Joe Davis/Ray Reardon way of standing where the feet are 45 degrees.....
Click to expand...

If you find a Steve Davis instructional guide, it might show either stance, depending when it was produced. This is because he started off with the classic 45 degree version (and won a few world championships using it) before switching to the 'modern' square-on stance.

In fact, the difference between the 2 stances is sometimes less than it might at first glance appear. It is quite possible for the feet to be at right angles to the shot but with the left knee (for a right hander) twisted inwards, so that from the knees upwards it is essentially a 45 degree stance.
 
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