Players in any sport benefit from serious practice and snooker is no exception.
So set aside some of your normal practice time to work through the routines within this section. Your all-round game should improve, and you might speed this process up by making these routines competitive. Find a willing opponent of a similar standard to yourself and have five attempts each - the winner being the one who makes the highest aggregate score.
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Line-Up
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Line-up has been a favourite of snooker players for generations, and being a practice
routine there are obviously no set rules. Players may adapt it in any way they choose
but to make it effective there is one golden rule that you should always obey.
This is simply that when you miss a pot you reset the table and start again.
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The diagram to the left shows how the table should be set.
The reds can be placed as you wish, but don't place them
too close together or too far apart. For the first stroke you
may place the cue-ball where you please, after that - then
as in snooker it is played from where it comes to rest.
The objective of course is to clear the table, 15 reds,
15 colours, and yellow through to black.
Although less skillful players are unlikely to clear the table
they should still practice this routine seriously. Breaks in the
30's, 40's and 50's will be found much easier to make than
in a normal frame because the balls are all out in the open.
Regular practice will improve your break building and this
extra confidence will carry over to your competitive play.
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More experienced players can make this routine more challenging by considering
it a foul (and so having to start again) when the cue-ball contacts a cushion.
To really test your cue-ball control try to pot the reds in sequence.
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Another version of this routine is played with
only five reds and is quicker to set up.
The less skillful player has more opportunities
to clear the table and will more frequently have
to play the shot that leaves position on the yellow
- often one of the most useful strokes in the game.
More experienced players can add to the value of
this routine by trying to pot the reds in sequence
- each with a black.
If then successfully continuing to pot yellow
through to pink, the table should be reset before
the black is played so the break can continue.
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Former World Professional Billiards Champion Rex
Williams recommended this form of the routine in his
"Snooker - How to Become a Champion" (pub. 1975.)
Though far harder than those shown above it is well
worth your time and study.
The reds must be taken in sequence as potting one
makes the next available, so position on the black
must be thought about and played for carefully.
Practicing this difficult routine will be of enormous
benefit to your break building in this very important
area of the table.
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