In this weeks edition we are going to look closely at the stance and how you can use a good stance to improve your cue action.
Whether your sport is snooker, tennis, golf or football all success comes from a firm foundation and in most cases this is linked to the way in which we stand to approach a sporting action.
In Snooker and Pool the way in which we stand (the stance) to approach a shot is one of the basic fundamentals of the game. A correct stance can improve our cueing no end.
The first thing you should do is make sure you have a wide base of support. This means moving you feet apart to provide good support for your body weight.
Why is this important? The importance stems from the need to balance and with the correct support your body is less likely to over-balance causing you to miss a shot. Moving your legs apart (a good rule of thumb is shoulder width) will spread your body weight across two points of contact making you more evenly balanced as you lean forward into a shot.
The next thing to focus on is your hips. They should really be square on to the table and the shot you are about to complete. You cannot do this with straight legs and it will mean bending the knee on the opposite leg to your cueing arm (For right handers the left knee - for left handers the right knee).
Being square on with a wide base of support will allow you to bring your cue through straighter equalling a better pot success rate. You are able to do this as all other elements are removed from the actual action of bringing the cue through and hitting the ball.
The final part of the stance, and this is also linked to sighting the ball, is how far to lean over the cue when you have your feet in the correct position.
Most snooker players lean right over so that the elbow of the cue arm is high behind them - the chin also touches the cue as it comes through. This is better for sighting and again has a lot to do with balance, the bridge hand becomes the third point in a very solid triangle configuration with the two feet. This can have something to do with comfort and I do not always lean right over and many US players stand quite upright. Technically perfect though is chin on cue.
The most common problems with the stance are as follows:
1. Feet close together causing balance issues.
2. Standing at an angle to the table
3. Standing in an upright position - poor for sighting and for balance.
(c) P. Williams - January 2008.
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