woe..good to see people enjoying snooker here. Use to play the game about 22 years ago when i was in England. Back then, snooker was not even introduce yet in MaLAYSIA. It was popular only from 86 onwards. I still have my cue which I bought in England which is a PowerGlide 19oz cue and 10mm tip. I love heavy cue as it gives more stability and powerful drawback just like Jimmy White and Alex Higgins cue which is also 19oz. My highest break is 38 and i have stop playing since 94 after winnibg the interconsultants team games. If you are starting out with pool, i would suggest snooker first as you will be able to play pool better because snooker offers precise potting and also strategy in defense. I have taken part in pub pool later in 98 and rarely lose because of my solid technique which i acquire from snooker. Make sure you guys acquire the proper technique in terms of stance, cueing and sighting. The best reference book in my opinion is the one written by Steve Davis which include some reference from the lengendary Joe Davis and Ray Reardon. Great stuff. I also have the book by Jimmy White for his excellent insight into playing snooker and break building. In addition, I have an autograph by Jimmy White when i met him in London way back in 86. Enjoy your Snooker/pool. Its a real exciting sport.

yes thats the book i am talking about. Before i read that book, i was struggling with my cueing, sighting and also finding out which is your dominant eye to use for aiming. After studying the book and lots of practice , i was breaking the 30 mark. But then to break 50, you need consistency and solid cue action and then the game gets technical because you have to strive for position and thinking 2 to 4 shots in front. Understanding the nap behavior and cushion rebound is imperative, speed of table and so forth comes into play. One thing i really learn from Jimmy White to achieve power and accuracy without hitting the cue ball out of position is feathering you cue close to the cue ball (thats only possible if you have good eyesight or depth perception). And also watch how he use very little stroking before hitting the cue ball. If i am not wrong only a single stroke. Paused before you hit, and sight the object ball before hitting the cueball. Maintain a smooth stroke throughout and follow through completely. No jerking or body movement. Power comes from solid and smoothcueing not brute force. Even Alex Higgins who display a lot of body movement during playing but remains still for the split seconds he hits the cueball. He only exagerates the body movement after the shot. Thats because he's a real showsman to excite the audience. i wish i could join you guys for a game but i have moved on to other interest. Best of Luck, guys, remember practice, practice and practice.

similar to a car piston...smooth, follow through and also the grip is so important when you do the back stroke into the forward stroke..keep the grip steady without squuezing it and then after the forward stroke squueze the grip firm..this is to ensure no jerky, or lateral movement in the cue action..just a straight steady and firm follow through..easier said than done..but once you have captured the flow it comes naturally and believe me your potting avearge will definitely increase...this is important when you are using sides so as not to throw the cue ball out of its path too much although you need to compensate slightly for the spin effect, again also depends on the nap whether you are playing against or along the nap...

my first rule of getting a cue is always to get the correct length to suit your reach and height..secondly the weight of the cue and balance..make sure the cue is well balanced...i always prefer a heavier weighted cue around 1/3 from the base...and 19 oz at least..cue tip size is rather personal but not less than 9mm unless you are a pro..other than that get a cue you feel comfortable with..a cue is a lifetime investment..never change a winning cue..look at steve Davis or Jimmy white..they have been using the same cue since they started..even if they have to change or modified the cue it will always have the same specs but still wont be same..as some pro have gotten use to the flaw of the cue and compensated with them over theyears..look at terry griffith cue..its like a fishing rod ..thin and flexible..but he is used to it and compensated in his stroke delivery..the only gifted snooker player who can play with different cue and doesnt have a favourite cue is Canadian Kirk Stevens who made 147 in the '82 B&H masters, i think with a borrowed cue..outstanding player in the 80's who is also Jimmy White other doubles partner in the Hoffmeister championship. Jimmy White regular doubles partner is his chidhood hero..the Irishman Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins..who uses a 22 oz cue..with lead inserts in the butt of the cue..

unless you are a real natural player who has your own distintictive way of stroking and hitting the cue ball with a lot of success, then with or without pause cueing or whatever style you use then continue to do so. In general, the basic of the game and cue action needs to be mastered by mere mortals like us in order to improve our game..theres nothing wrong in imitating players like steve davis or jimmy white as their cueing action has proven to suceed and works to a great degree..besides all the pro if you observe carefully, all of them uses the bare simple basics of cueing..so there's no real avenue to reinvent the wheel..even pool players exhibit the same cueing basics as snooker player although they display more flair and flamboyant during the game..but basics is basics. For me, i would rather a have a solid cueing action which i can fall back to when i am not cueing well which is much more easier to trouble shoot rather than having too much variables in your cueing action.