Improve Your Cue Action: Centre-ball Cueing
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 If you are a beginner it is important that you learn to strike the cue ball in the centre, however, it is not only relevant to beginners. Experienced players also need to take a step backwards sometimes and go back to basics.

Why is centre-striking so important? It is particularly important when improving the accuracy of your potting, adding unwanted side spin can cause the cue ball to follow an incorrect path leading to more missed balls. Another point to make is that a lot of players try too hard to find position on the next object ball, sometimes using a centre ball hit at varying paces can prove just as useful and eliminates the risk of something going wrong.

To find centre-ball we need to look back at a couple of our previous lessons, you need a steady relaxed grip on the cue with a correct and solid stance. In addition to this it is also important to find your dominant eye so that you know you are hitting the centre of the cue ball.

To improve your centre-ball striking try this practice drill.

Start with the cue ball at the position marked 'S'.

Place two object balls on the bottom rail approx three ball widths apart. Strike the cue ball at a medium pace to hit the rail between the two object balls and see if you can return the cue ball to your cue tip.

To make it more difficult strike the ball harder and move the object ball closer.

This drill will show you whether you are putting unwanted side on the cue ball.