Post a reply

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Smart

Living Snooker wrote:Ben Woollaston reckons it's Neil Robertson. And he explains why in his latest blog at http://www.livingsnooker.com


no chance, totally manufactured bull (walk into the shot, no style......same as Wenny and Trump). Ali Carter has a lovely action and set up, but I know there are a lot of Ali de-rampers here. :wave:

Ali <ok>

Blobbo/Thwump/Wenny :td:

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Cannonball

Ben asks why change your cue action if it is successful and points to the downsides of changing cue action. He then gives the example of Mark Selby who has changed his action a few times. Exactly, if it's improved Selby that much, then there is every reason to change action! I thought Neil made significant changes to his set-up and action up in Leicester as an unknown, maybe I'm wrong. The point I'm making is simple, if you can find a way to deliver the cue with acceleration and power down a straight line, it may well be worth a go. To me, all pros change the way they do things over time, the most famous example is Steve Davis, who made a couple of big changes during his successful period and many since. Ronnie has altered his grip. Too many examples out there of successful players who have improved themselves. I don't see many who play like they did at 16. Ben is right about the huge importance of cue action, so if it ain't as good as it could be, maybe a change is worth a go, and if it delivers quick results, worth persisting with?

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Skullman

Strange he mentions Robbo with the best cue action. I thought it'd be Lee or Murphy who've been describing with the cliche 'Rolls Royce cue action'.

To be fair I don't notice as I'm not much of a player. The only one I notice is Dave Harold's and that's because he makes me think my stream's frozen when he's at the table.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Cannonball

Yep, I assumed he'd go for the obvious too. But he prefers Neil's because it is the most stable technique under pressure. Ben's got a point. When the pressure's on, what do you depend on and how good is it? I don't believe this is simply down to technique, the mindset of the player is also important, and affects what the player physically does, e.g. the cue action. Robertson is Australian, need I say more?

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby jojo

for me jimmy white had the best cue action ive ever seen from any player his was the best to watch smooth and raw as a ferrari

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Roland

Ben's actually a trained coach so he knows what he's talking about on this matter. My cue action is totally different to the one I had until my late 20s which came from being brought up on a 6x3ft table so my chin was a couple of inches above the shaft. It took ages to adjust but my game is way more solid now than it was back then, even though for some reason I can't quite figure I got a lot of 60, 70, 80 breaks with my old action but at the moment I think I've only made 2 70+ breaks in the last year.

In answer to the question, the cue actions and who has the best, I'd have to go with Stephen Lee.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Sickpotter

90's Hendry and White
Ronnie
Murphy
Lee

Some strokes can be retooled, others should not be touched. Could you imagine if Alex Higgins ever tried to change his stroke? :hmmm: Would've been a tragedy to lose that gem in the name of proper technique <cool>

A couple of thoughts/suggestions if you want to change your stroke.

Keep your changes small, it's easier if the changes don't send your game completely off the rails ;-)

Do not deviate too much from your orginal/natural stroke, if you have a long flowing stroke don't try to turn it into a short one.

I've seen players with some very sweet/smooth long strokes try to re-tool into something more compact and reliable under pressure and it ruined their game.

I know one regular ton maker who decided to emulate a player who's stroke was the exact opposite of his natural stroke solely because he saw how well a compact stroke worked under pressure. <doh>

Of course the fact that it worked well for another player by no means meant it would work well for him. :sad:

He failed to take into account is what that kind of a change would do to his natural rythm. He kept up his usual 4-5 feathers before delivering his cue but the shortened action was quicker, throwing his timing out of wack and causing him to stab at shots. The player eventually gave upafter months of torturing himself and settled with a stroke only 3/4 it's original length.

Success then right? Shorter stroke, more control, better under pressure? Theoretically it should have been but the change cost him, he never quite regained the touch/feel of the shot he had with his long one. He stopped looking as fluid/natural around the table and his breakbuilding is only 80% what it used to be.

Be careful, a good stroke is a terrible thing to waste <cool>

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby randam05

Neil Robertson :bowdown:

Certainly the straightest cue action, nice and compact, very clean and crisp and obviously perfect timing as some of the long deep screws he can play are un seen of.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Cannonball

Judd Trump; he times the ball very sweetly. Gets right through the cue ball. Few players have that power.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Cannonball

Judd's not a basher. If you look at his action carefully, there is very little elbow drop if any at all. His action is about timing and getting through the ball from a pendulum motion aided by a whippy cue that helps this action. His stance helps too, because his cueing arm has plenty of room to be able to go through the ball freely; feet wide apart, cueing foot in line, other foot quite forward. He's low to the table. The distance between cue and hip reminds me of early Hendry in a way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc5sNnDpQQQ

Have a look at 6:50

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Smart

Trumpster wrote:Judd's not a basher. If you look at his action carefully, there is very little elbow drop if any at all. His action is about timing and getting through the ball from a pendulum motion aided by a whippy cue that helps this action. His stance helps too, because his cueing arm has plenty of room to be able to go through the ball freely; feet wide apart, cueing foot in line, other foot quite forward. He's low to the table. The distance between cue and hip reminds me of early Hendry in a way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc5sNnDpQQQ

Have a look at 6:50

:love:

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby snookerfan1982

jimmy had the best cue action I have ever seen. At his best (1986-1992) he had a smooth and silky action with no pause in his backswing before he struck the cue ball. He generated a tremendous reaction effortlessly, a result of superb technique and perfect timing. I could happily watch him play all day long. All the top players of today great that they undoubtedly are robotic by comparison.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Vallomas

Stephen Lee
Judd Trump
ROS
Jimmy White

Alex Higgins, on the other hand, is maybe the top player with the worst (but yet effective!) cue action ever.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby TheSaviour

YEAH.. NOW THAT YOU MENTIONED.

But then they realised it is a solid gold, (like many other things also from that source, whatever that source ever is..) and they decided that they don´t wan´t to share it for free to anyone. Unless they have it to. Unless it is a completely intuitive.

There´s your great cue action definition. But the mystery that still very much remains is that what is that source. I think they have already done a pretty solid and comprehensive job when they have discovered and studied different people´s abilities and qualities. Nothing so far points towards any PARTICULAR person.

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby Andy Spark

People tell me I have a great cue action, so I would say I have the best. I certainly haven't seen any pros I'd swap my action for. :-) Even if the balls don't go in, when I'm cueing at my best I admire my action and wish I could see it from afar. I wish I could see it from the other side of the room and go, "blimey, look at his cueing! He has a Rolls-Royce, honey-soaked gem of an action". :-D

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby SnookerFan

Andy Spark wrote:People tell me I have a great cue action, so I would say I have the best. I certainly haven't seen any pros I'd swap my action for. :-) Even if the balls don't go in, when I'm cueing at my best I admire my action and wish I could see it from afar. I wish I could see it from the other side of the room and go, "blimey, look at his cueing! He has a Rolls-Royce, honey-soaked gem of an action". :-D



If that was anybody but you, I'd think you were joking. rofl

Re: Who's got the best cue action?

Postby SnookerEd25

HustleKing wrote:Bloody hell, even the newbies now know I hate EXTREME bumping :mood:


There’s a thread for that. Please use it.