Singles League: Dan Norton 1-3 Paul Bell

[Daniel]

The match was played at Potters not Pegasus as Norton was working until 6.30pm in Long Eaton.

Without ever being pushed hard, Bell did as much as was needed to win this match over Norton, who is rapidly becoming the whipping boy of this division.

Frame 1 was a scrappy affair with Norton just doing enough to take it after both players missed several chances to win the frame.  The remaining 3 frames were mostly Bell picking up small but significant breaks with Norton unable to string together 3 pots.

So Paul is still undefeated in the singles league and I am yet to post a win.

Well played Paul.  Looking  good to win the division at this stage.   :bravo:

I seem to be falling deeper into poor form with every game.  I am now reduced to just focusing on basic technique rather that just winning frames.  With low confidence so many basic errors and bad habits have crept into my game.  I asked a mate to video me take a few shots and I could not recognise the player I saw.

[Steve Butler]

Another great win for The Safety Officer!

:bravo:

I asked a mate to video me take a few shots and I could not recognise the player I saw.

Did he look a bit like James Robinson?

[Daniel]

Maybe a little?

[James Robinson]

If any one knows anything about being low on confidence and suffering from poor form  then it should be me.

Least i now know im not alone now then.

I hear your crys dan, its just annoying when you know you can play so much better.

[Wayne Martin]

Dan - If you need some help, I don't mind going to Pegasus early and helping you out a little.
Obvioulsy you will have to put the hard work in afterwards, but I'll give you a few pointers and some stuff to practise if you like!!!!!

Let me know.

[Daniel]

It's the strangest thing!  If I saw somebody else do what I've been doing I'd think, "What the f**k is he doing?"  It's lasted so long now I'm starting to think there's something wrong with me.  Maybe I'm developing some nervous disorder. :laugh: :laugh:

It is nice not to be the only one, I  must admit.

The frustrating thing is, I'm playing against players who I should be having entertaining little battles with.  However, I'm playing so badly the competitive bite to the game just isn't there.

Hopefully we'll both snap out of it sooner rather than later, James.  I hope you like the pic of  your namesake by the way.

That would be a massive help Wayne.  Thanks mate.  I might not be able to get down there early this Tuesday though as I'm down  to work late.  I could do with some routines/drills to get me back to cueing straight/smoothly and things like that.  I know how I should strike the ball and stuff but it just isn't happening.  What used to seem so natural now seems really awkward.  If you let me know Tuesday when you're about...

Thanks for the sympathy and support guys  :thx:

[Steve Butler]

There's some great practise routines HERE Dan.

Who is that other James Robinson?  I always thought there was only ONE James Robinson!

[Jordan]

Daniel mate, unlucky with that result. The safety officer is a very hard player to beat, so don't be too disheartened that you lost. I think you will improve again because you said you use to be good, then stopped playing for a while. I know i'm not the best player in the game, but I know that there are some simple things you can do that will help your game a little.

1. Stay down on the shot.

When I played you, I noticed you jumped up after you struck the ball. You're probably aware of this but when you do that, as your striking the cue ball, your body starts coming up as well, which brings your cue up. When your cue comes up, you won't be striking the cue ball where you want to be.

2. Don't hit the cue ball so hard.

I also noticed when I played you, that you hit the cue ball very hard when you didn't need to. Most shots you don't need to hit the cue ball that hard and you will notice if you watch the pro's on TV, they almost never hit the cue ball really hard.

Wayne gave me a few tips and pointers a while back now and it's really helped my game, so getting help from him will be very useful. :thumbup:

[James Robinson]

yeah i want to know who this other james robinson is aswell, how dare he steal my spotlight lol :laugh:

[Mike Langdon]

good advice Jordan.  when your low on confidence nothing seems to connect....No concentration, No Timing, Rushing Shots and hitting the ball too hard + confusion about what you want to do with the cue ball etc etc.

Always remember it's a really tough game which will always kick you in the teeth. Also don't dwell on past glories as it will just frustrate you even more.  I remember when i walked back into a snooker club about 8 years ago having not played for 10 odd years i was so frustrated and hated the experience so much i thought i would never play again.  I'd forgotten everything and was rubbish and that's the frustration of the come back trail....you know what you used to be able to do and now you can't!

So for you Daniel old chap it's back to basics.  Forget side and tricky positional shots it's time to keep it simple. Your target is to stop missing simple reds cause you're trying to screw down the table for pink or black! settle for a nice simple Yellow or Green instead, afterall whilst you're at the table your opponent can do now't. Forget break building and just concentrate on getting a colour with every red you pot and fall in love with the art of good safety play.  Playing a bad safety shot doesn't hurt your confidence half as much as missing pots whilst finding that baulk cushion time after time is a great confidence builder for touch and feel of the cue ball, afterall hitting the object ball in the right place and leaving the cue ball exactly where you want it during a safety shot is no different to potting a red and getting position on a colour......god i'm waffling on now, damn this wine is good!!! :drink:

[Daniel]

All good advice folks. :thx:

I was warned that if I started playing again that I would hate not being able to do what I used to. Maybe I ought to have listened harder.

I find it very difficult not to use side and so on if I think it's the shot to play, party just for the satisfaction when it comes off.  I am conscious of the fact that if I think/play as if the shots I COULD do more than 15 years ago are all going to come off then it will only lead to tears.  Hitting the ball too hard and not staying down are really just me being an arse when I get frustrated.  I should know better at my age.  :blush:

James Robinson is an actor who played the young William Wallace in one of the Highlander films I think.  I'm surprised you haven't heard of him James.  Don't worry though, he's not as good looking as you 

[James Robinson]

Cheers for that dan well at least i know who he is now.

Here is a thought though, i know we never met or played each other, maybe we could have a knock one day might help us both get out of this doom and gloom we are both in.

[Steve Butler]

I find it very difficult not to use side and so on if I think it's the shot to play, party just for the satisfaction when it comes off.

That reminds me of something I read in Jimmy White's Snooker Masterclass many years ago and I have never forgotten it:

"Someone who had been at one of Terry Griffiths' excellent coaching sessions came back with some advice from the Welshman: unless you are regularly making 40 breaks, you shouldn't even be thinking about using side.  That's good advice - but I'd go further than that.  I would say that whether you're making 40, 80 or 100 breaks you should be avoiding side like the plague.

We all know the temptation.  Put on bags of check and watch the crowd's reaction as the white comes clawing off the cushion at an unnatural angle.  Or lay on the running side and wait for the gasps as the cue ball zips away at an incredibly wide angle.  It's not necessary most of the time, honestly.  Side may add to the spectacle, but it seriously affects potting and throw-off.  You'll know that side pushes the white off path and influences the throw-off from the object ball.  Why add to the complication and calculation?"

[Ross Wilkin]

IMHO as an average player i'd agree with that, theres so many other things that can go wrong anyway, wrong pace, too much or too little bottom or top, distracted etc and most of the time you have 2 or 3 different options for position anyway. Then again, maybe I've got more to worry about missing cos i AM an average player!  

[Daniel]

The comments about not complicating are eminently sensible.  I shall TRY to resist the temptation to play shots that will hardly ever work.

You got less to worry about than me Ross.  If you thought I was struggling last time we practiced together, you should have seen the other night mate. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

James,

A game would be grand.  I can't play this week though.  I can play the weekend starting Sat 6th.  I've emailed you my number.