The Snooker World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield is a theatre of dreams for every aspiring snooker player. TV presenter Alisha Singh asks Barry why he thinks that is?
Hello Barry and thanks for the great videos learnt so much from your videos after years off going nowhere. Rules question do you think that when a red ball comes off the table the award of 4 points should be changed too 8 points as that would be the maximum the opponent could have taken from it. thanks again Barry
Hi Barry, I have a question for you. Did you watch that Snooker incident where one audience member shouted "finish him off Ronnie!"? Did you find that moment funny or disrespectful?
Just me. The standard length of a cue is 58 inches and this generally suits most adult players between say 5' 8in and 6ft. There are obviously exceptions but to judge the length yourself take up your stance with the bridge hand between 10 and 11 inches from the cue ball (measurement taken from where the thumb meets the knuckle of the fore finger) position your grip on the cue so that the lower arm (from elbow to wrist) is roughly vertical, this should leave around one inch of the cue showing behind the grip. Obviously this is only a guide but you should be able to work out what length of cue is right for you.
Hello sir. I'm from India and can you please post a video of how to play a shot when two balls are touching in a way where the cue ball is in front of the red ball (they are touching). It's being very difficult for me . I always end up making a foul.
Can you make a video on pressure grip and timming grip humble request and ho tou practice angles +memorising them and what is momentum and flawless cueing how to carry it
Ihsan. Every player is an individual and so everyone is different., The coach and plyer have to agree on what suits the individual. Generally though the grip should be firm without being tight.
hello again, Barry! hope you been doing well. I have a question, whenever I am hitting the cue ball with the current cue i own, it feels like the cue is not giving a lot of feedback when hitting the ball, i feels like I am hitting thin air or i rather say gives you a very soft feel, how can i fix this?
Collin. This sounds as if the cue is too light for you, try borrowing a heavier cue just to see if you get the same feeling, if so it is time for a change.
Darren. I have just read the rules regarding your question and I can't believe there is no specific weight given. All it says is that the balls shall be of equal weight within a tolerance of 3g per set. It also says that the ball or set of balls may be changed by agreement between the players or on a decision by the referee.
There's one aspect that Barry should have mentioned and that's how incredible the top guys are. These human beings have quite possibly some of the greatest minds throughout any sports. It takes supreme focus and concentration. It takes years and years of tuning the muscles aligning the ligaments and keeping every part of the mind and body healthy. Then there's the eyes. Is the perfect eyesight gifted to a snooker player or can they be tuned. Then there's what's happening outside of snooker and the dedication just to get the perfect balance in life. Who else has demonstrated this by none other than Ronnie himself. How to achieve this, which would be inspirational for anyone. Unfortunately some people never get the opportunity to start from an early age if they moved countries when young. It can be quite devastating for them too, especially when they pick up a cue for the first time at 18 and know they will never ever get to the crucible or any arena for that fact.
Christopher. Lot of good points made there, however, One of the biggest problems that I and any other coach have is that players are reluctant to change. They do what they do because it is comfortable for them, any change is uncomfortable and they will have to go backwards before hopefully going forward. Not every one has the hand/eye coordination or talent to become a professional player but almost everyone can improve if they work at the correct things.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoachWish I was there. I'm 100% sure if I stayed in England none of my woes with anything would be haunting me. Moving from there to Australia as a 7 year old and never returning will affect anyone's game. I didn't even know what snooker was until 18 and now I'm 41 and only seen a snooker table 2 times in the last 5 months because of severe hardship. What if the changes necessary on the table are minuscule Barry???
Hello Barry I’ve been watching your videos for about 6 months I’ve been playing since Christmas and I wanted to ask what is your best advice for young players dealing with pressure in a match situation
Ewan. Pressure comes to everyone and there is no substitute for experience, the more matches you play in the more you get used to it. Having said that I am a big believer in establishing a sound pre-shot routine, one that has been worked on in practise and can be taken to the match table. Players tackle the mental side of the game in many ways, diaphragmatic breathing helps a lot, then there is visualisation and imagery. The real problem is that players tend to just use these skills briefly or on the day which is wrong, they need to be practised over a period of time.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you Barry I think that is good advice but I think one of the main things I do wrong in matchplay is I try to play too defensively when I really should be attacking my opponent
Hello i am playing snooker for a long time but coming to the line of the shot is very difficult to me I try to adjust it when i am down for the shot i have tried so many things please tell me how to solve this problem
Hardik. Adjusting the aim when you are down on the shot is something that must be done very minutely if at all. Without seeing you play it is very difficult to determine what you are doing wrong but think of bringing the cue down on the line of the shot rather than across the line, it is little things like that that can help.
Barry, apologies for asking a question not directly associated with this video but i'm intrigued. The other day Judd played a shot where the cue ball having hit the target ball (which was near the cushion), hit the cushion at pace, rebounded at pace and then stopped and reversed back toward the cushion as if it had bottom spin. It was an absolutely amazing shot (typical Judd) but i was surprised when the commentator lauded such a brilliant bit of cue ball control by saying that Judd has imparted massive top spin. Surely a ball that has top spin retains top spin after hitting a cushion. I find that counter intuitive. Do you have any thoughts?
Of course, the top spin becomes back spin once the ball rebounds off the cushion and starts going the opposite way. This shot only works when the object ball is near the cushion, because the spin has to be greater than the cue ball's speed/momentum at the point when it hits the cushion. When the object ball is near the cushion the cue ball doesn't have time to pick up speed before hitting the cushion, the spin's influence appears a lot greater. It's also called a 'banana shot'.
Sugar. Your final sentence sums it up. The ball has a lot of top spin on it and when it rebounds off the cushion some of that spin is still on the ball. When the ball rebounds off the cushion some of the top spin is retained on the ball. Therefore the ball is travelling in one direction but the retained spin is trying to take the ball in the opposite direction.
Hi Barry love your videos can you please help I have played snooker for some time but stopped about 12 years ago when my local club closed I got to a reasonable standard with a high break of 107 and a 140 in the line up I have recently gone to a club miles from me where I could hardly make a 30 break I suppose my question really is how can I get back to a reasonable level where I can make frame winning breaks is there anything I can do to speed things up
Alan. Snooker for me is all about a repeating cue action, if you can do the same thing all the time you have a better chance of improvement and of maintaining that improvement. Where and how you hold the cue is paramount to these two aspects of the game. If you can get them right the game starts to become a little easier, get them wrong and the game is very difficult. Nobody is saying that every player holds the cue in the same manner but there will certainly be characteristics that are similar. May I suggest that you study my videos on the grip and bridge hand, please pay attention to where the bridge hand is placed and how it can affect the follow through. Then where the grip is placed and how that can affect the follow through, then whether the bridge arm is straight or bent and how that can affect the follow through. Lastly and the most important is the formation of the grip, get these right and I am confident that your form will return. Good luck.
I’m 12 years old and I have a highest break of 65 and I’m always runner up in the u14 all ireland snooker tournaments but I have this problem, I can’t stop getting angry and showing emotion I can’t control. Do you have any advice on how to control it?
IGC. Lets start with a question, "What signs or signals do you think that this is sending to your opponent.?" When my opponent gets visibly upset it tells me that he is not happy with his game or that I am getting to him., straight away I have an advantage. Nobody is asking you to be pleased when you make a mistake, that would be silly but getting angry will only increase the chances of repeating the mistakes. Try this, place an elastic band around you wrist, when you feel your emotions starting to rise just gently twang the band. Use it as a reminder to relax, breath deeply using the diaphragm and stay calm. Good luck.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach it’s making him more and more confident the more I get angry, but I will try this thank you, and I have a tournament tommorrow and the day after. So thanks for your help I will definitely try this
Good day to you, Barry. Hundreds and hundreds of pints in, I've often wondered: how come one (well at least some of us amateurs) often plays better when mildly drunk? Guessing it's a matter of relaxation, helping to focus, and to ignore surrounding disturbances. But how can an amateur better get in that zone of focus without having a pint or two? In all seriousness!
Gandalf. That is one hell of a question but certainly one that deserves an answer of some description. I certainly believe that you have hit on part of the answer with alcohol playing a part in the relaxation process. Two notable proponents of this were Alex Higgins and Bill Werberniuk, both seemed to play their best after a pint or two. Away from the alcohol breathing plays such a big part in the relaxation process, yes we all breath but very few of us do it correctly. Take a look at a baby breathing and notice how the stomach rather than the chest expands, this is evidence that the diaphragm is being used correctly and that the lower parts of the lungs are doing their work. As we get older for some reason we get lazy and ignore the value of diaphragmatic breathing, we tend not to exhale all the carbon dioxide before we start the inhalation process and gain maximum benefit from the oxygen we inhale. May I suggest you practise this type of breathing, don't wait until you start the match though, practise it away from the table and note how it can calm you down. Breath in to the count of five, slight pause, then breath out to the count of seven. This count may not suit you so experiment to find one that does, trying to remember that the exhale should be longer than the inhale. Good luck.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thank you so much for the thoughtful and lengthy reply! I will definitely focus more on my breathing from now on. All the best
Ihsan. I assume you mean rhythm. All players have their own rhythm built over the years, one that they are comfortable with and one that gives them the greater chance of being in the zone. Some players like to play quickly others at a more leisurely pace, but in each case that rhythm has been established in practice. It can be quite off putting for a player to try to match his opponents pace of play, they should stick to their own. Some players will use pace as a tactic to put their opponent off deliberately playing slowly when they know their opponent likes to get on with it, legal but a little naughty.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach i have two questions, 1) if player "A" play a red ball and red ball go inside the pocket but red ball touch black ball before in, its a 7 points foul? Or red ball point its for the player "A"?
Paul. I have always believed that the physical skills and the mental skills associated with playing snooker cannot be separated. If a player has a physical weakness in his game and he views it as such then he will never be mentally strong. Likewise if he gets nervous or anxious then the physical side of his game can easily be affected.
Barry keeps on going on dates with this young chick barry gave her the good old barry hammer and now she is in love with his snooker wisdom well done barry
Look at Barry cutting a dash with that smart blazer and tie! Hurricane would approve! Well done, Barry.
wrong button fastened though..... unless he’s going for a ‘sprezza’ thing 🤔
@@BBS_Robski Ahh things happen, he's stylish enough to pull it off!
Think Barry is very well loved and respected in snooker 🎱
I love the interviewer! Well spoken with a sweet and knowledgeable personality. Good choice! She will go places
Thank you so much!
I love Barry Stark💖🔴⚫
I saw you on the TV Sunday watching the first session of the final Barry Ronnie was class the whole tournament deserved his 7th title simply the best
Steven. You will get no argument from me about that, brilliant.
Great to see a new batch of videos Barry and thoroughly looking forward to meeting you at our club in mid May.
Robin. Many thanks. Looking forward to it.
Hi Barry. Got a break of 22 today..2 Pinks and a black..felt like a champion..all thanks to you
kumar. Keep working at it, setting yourself targets, examining that technique and the progress will come. 50 break just around the corner. Well done.
Looking sharp Barry 👌
Thanks 👍
1:02 on the left Shaun Murphy's little brother ?
thanks mr barry for all your advices ... i'm improving my games another level... maybe enter few tournament this year...
Keep it up
Hello Barry and thanks for the great videos learnt so much from your videos after years off going nowhere. Rules question do you think that when a red ball comes off the table the award of 4 points should be changed too 8 points as that would be the maximum the opponent could have taken from it. thanks again Barry
L H . Please see below.
Hi Barry, I have a question for you. Did you watch that Snooker incident where one audience member shouted "finish him off Ronnie!"? Did you find that moment funny or disrespectful?
Sam. I am afraid I didn't hear the comment, but some supporters do get carried away sometimes.
Can you tell me what you advise as the correct guide to the length of a cue, or link me to the vid please. Thank you.
Just me. The standard length of a cue is 58 inches and this generally suits most adult players between say 5' 8in and 6ft. There are obviously exceptions but to judge the length yourself take up your stance with the bridge hand between 10 and 11 inches from the cue ball (measurement taken from where the thumb meets the knuckle of the fore finger) position your grip on the cue so that the lower arm (from elbow to wrist) is roughly vertical, this should leave around one inch of the cue showing behind the grip. Obviously this is only a guide but you should be able to work out what length of cue is right for you.
Hello sir.
I'm from India and can you please post a video of how to play a shot when two balls are touching in a way where the cue ball is in front of the red ball (they are touching). It's being very difficult for me . I always end up making a foul.
Can you make a video on pressure grip and timming grip humble request and ho tou practice angles +memorising them and what is momentum and flawless cueing how to carry it
Ihsan. Every player is an individual and so everyone is different., The coach and plyer have to agree on what suits the individual. Generally though the grip should be firm without being tight.
hello again, Barry! hope you been doing well. I have a question, whenever I am hitting the cue ball with the current cue i own, it feels like the cue is not giving a lot of feedback when hitting the ball, i feels like I am hitting thin air or i rather say gives you a very soft feel, how can i fix this?
Collin. This sounds as if the cue is too light for you, try borrowing a heavier cue just to see if you get the same feeling, if so it is time for a change.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you Barry, i'll keep that in mind
Hi Barry.. what is the correct weight of the white in snooker... 2 white balls I have weigh 127g and 142g and I much prefer the heavier 1..
Darren. I have just read the rules regarding your question and I can't believe there is no specific weight given. All it says is that the balls shall be of equal weight within a tolerance of 3g per set. It also says that the ball or set of balls may be changed by agreement between the players or on a decision by the referee.
There's one aspect that Barry should have mentioned and that's how incredible the top guys are. These human beings have quite possibly some of the greatest minds throughout any sports. It takes supreme focus and concentration. It takes years and years of tuning the muscles aligning the ligaments and keeping every part of the mind and body healthy. Then there's the eyes. Is the perfect eyesight gifted to a snooker player or can they be tuned. Then there's what's happening outside of snooker and the dedication just to get the perfect balance in life. Who else has demonstrated this by none other than Ronnie himself. How to achieve this, which would be inspirational for anyone. Unfortunately some people never get the opportunity to start from an early age if they moved countries when young. It can be quite devastating for them too, especially when they pick up a cue for the first time at 18 and know they will never ever get to the crucible or any arena for that fact.
Christopher. Lot of good points made there, however, One of the biggest problems that I and any other coach have is that players are reluctant to change. They do what they do because it is comfortable for them, any change is uncomfortable and they will have to go backwards before hopefully going forward. Not every one has the hand/eye coordination or talent to become a professional player but almost everyone can improve if they work at the correct things.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoachWish I was there. I'm 100% sure if I stayed in England none of my woes with anything would be haunting me. Moving from there to Australia as a 7 year old and never returning will affect anyone's game. I didn't even know what snooker was until 18 and now I'm 41 and only seen a snooker table 2 times in the last 5 months because of severe hardship. What if the changes necessary on the table are minuscule Barry???
Hello Barry I’ve been watching your videos for about 6 months I’ve been playing since Christmas and I wanted to ask what is your best advice for young players dealing with pressure in a match situation
Ewan. Pressure comes to everyone and there is no substitute for experience, the more matches you play in the more you get used to it. Having said that I am a big believer in establishing a sound pre-shot routine, one that has been worked on in practise and can be taken to the match table. Players tackle the mental side of the game in many ways, diaphragmatic breathing helps a lot, then there is visualisation and imagery. The real problem is that players tend to just use these skills briefly or on the day which is wrong, they need to be practised over a period of time.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thank you Barry I think that is good advice but I think one of the main things I do wrong in matchplay is I try to play too defensively when I really should be attacking my opponent
Hello i am playing snooker for a long time but coming to the line of the shot is very difficult to me I try to adjust it when i am down for the shot i have tried so many things please tell me how to solve this problem
Hardik. Adjusting the aim when you are down on the shot is something that must be done very minutely if at all. Without seeing you play it is very difficult to determine what you are doing wrong but think of bringing the cue down on the line of the shot rather than across the line, it is little things like that that can help.
How many grams does the snooker stick, coach?
Barry, apologies for asking a question not directly associated with this video but i'm intrigued. The other day Judd played a shot where the cue ball having hit the target ball (which was near the cushion), hit the cushion at pace, rebounded at pace and then stopped and reversed back toward the cushion as if it had bottom spin. It was an absolutely amazing shot (typical Judd) but i was surprised when the commentator lauded such a brilliant bit of cue ball control by saying that Judd has imparted massive top spin. Surely a ball that has top spin retains top spin after hitting a cushion. I find that counter intuitive. Do you have any thoughts?
It’s top spin shot. The reaction force of hitting makes it screw back and then suddenly stops makes it follow through force.m towards the cushion.
Of course, the top spin becomes back spin once the ball rebounds off the cushion and starts going the opposite way. This shot only works when the object ball is near the cushion, because the spin has to be greater than the cue ball's speed/momentum at the point when it hits the cushion. When the object ball is near the cushion the cue ball doesn't have time to pick up speed before hitting the cushion, the spin's influence appears a lot greater. It's also called a 'banana shot'.
Dhiraj. Thanks for adding your input.
Sugar. Your final sentence sums it up. The ball has a lot of top spin on it and when it rebounds off the cushion some of that spin is still on the ball. When the ball rebounds off the cushion some of the top spin is retained on the ball. Therefore the ball is travelling in one direction but the retained spin is trying to take the ball in the opposite direction.
Thanks guys.
Hi Barry love your videos can you please help I have played snooker for some time but stopped about 12 years ago when my local club closed I got to a reasonable standard with a high break of 107 and a 140 in the line up I have recently gone to a club miles from me where I could hardly make a 30 break I suppose my question really is how can I get back to a reasonable level where I can make frame winning breaks is there anything I can do to speed things up
Alan. Snooker for me is all about a repeating cue action, if you can do the same thing all the time you have a better chance of improvement and of maintaining that improvement. Where and how you hold the cue is paramount to these two aspects of the game. If you can get them right the game starts to become a little easier, get them wrong and the game is very difficult.
Nobody is saying that every player holds the cue in the same manner but there will certainly be characteristics that are similar.
May I suggest that you study my videos on the grip and bridge hand, please pay attention to where the bridge hand is placed and how it can affect the follow through. Then where the grip is placed and how that can affect the follow through, then whether the bridge arm is straight or bent and how that can affect the follow through. Lastly and the most important is the formation of the grip, get these right and I am confident that your form will return. Good luck.
I’m 12 years old and I have a highest break of 65 and I’m always runner up in the u14 all ireland snooker tournaments but I have this problem, I can’t stop getting angry and showing emotion I can’t control. Do you have any advice on how to control it?
IGC. Lets start with a question, "What signs or signals do you think that this is sending to your opponent.?" When my opponent gets visibly upset it tells me that he is not happy with his game or that I am getting to him., straight away I have an advantage. Nobody is asking you to be pleased when you make a mistake, that would be silly but getting angry will only increase the chances of repeating the mistakes. Try this, place an elastic band around you wrist, when you feel your emotions starting to rise just gently twang the band. Use it as a reminder to relax, breath deeply using the diaphragm and stay calm. Good luck.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach it’s making him more and more confident the more I get angry, but I will try this thank you, and I have a tournament tommorrow and the day after. So thanks for your help I will definitely try this
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach I actually just won the tournament 3-2 thanks for the advice
Good day to you, Barry. Hundreds and hundreds of pints in, I've often wondered: how come one (well at least some of us amateurs) often plays better when mildly drunk? Guessing it's a matter of relaxation, helping to focus, and to ignore surrounding disturbances. But how can an amateur better get in that zone of focus without having a pint or two? In all seriousness!
Gandalf. That is one hell of a question but certainly one that deserves an answer of some description. I certainly believe that you have hit on part of the answer with alcohol playing a part in the relaxation process. Two notable proponents of this were Alex Higgins and Bill Werberniuk, both seemed to play their best after a pint or two. Away from the alcohol breathing plays such a big part in the relaxation process, yes we all breath but very few of us do it correctly. Take a look at a baby breathing and notice how the stomach rather than the chest expands, this is evidence that the diaphragm is being used correctly and that the lower parts of the lungs are doing their work. As we get older for some reason we get lazy and ignore the value of diaphragmatic breathing, we tend not to exhale all the carbon dioxide before we start the inhalation process and gain maximum benefit from the oxygen we inhale. May I suggest you practise this type of breathing, don't wait until you start the match though, practise it away from the table and note how it can calm you down. Breath in to the count of five, slight pause, then breath out to the count of seven. This count may not suit you so experiment to find one that does, trying to remember that the exhale should be longer than the inhale. Good luck.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach Thank you so much for the thoughtful and lengthy reply! I will definitely focus more on my breathing from now on. All the best
Barry i have a dream to meet you at crucible
Alap. I will be there, not as a player but I will be there, hopefully see you there.
Tell us about the rythem how can gain it in a match how it work differently for different players
Ihsan. I assume you mean rhythm. All players have their own rhythm built over the years, one that they are comfortable with and one that gives them the greater chance of being in the zone. Some players like to play quickly others at a more leisurely pace, but in each case that rhythm has been established in practice. It can be quite off putting for a player to try to match his opponents pace of play, they should stick to their own. Some players will use pace as a tactic to put their opponent off deliberately playing slowly when they know their opponent likes to get on with it, legal but a little naughty.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thanks much appreciated
0:29 "dreary pro-ams" why dreary? - if you enjoy competing then you enjoy competing
adrian. Maybe the word dreary was a little strong but it was the hanging around between games that tested the patience a little.
with them 80's shoulder cant help but think of a line of coke
Hello Barry. I have two questions if you can help me please
Victor. Please send your questions and I will do my best to answer them.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach i have two questions, 1) if player "A" play a red ball and red ball go inside the pocket but red ball touch black ball before in, its a 7 points foul? Or red ball point its for the player "A"?
Hello Barry, do you read it my question?
@@victorcortes6488 In that situation, when the red goes in off the black, it is legal shot, and player A scores 1 point.
@@BadgerBotherer1 thanks
Hi Barry would like to get your opinion on cybernetics and the power off the mind .
Paul. I have always believed that the physical skills and the mental skills associated with playing snooker cannot be separated. If a player has a physical weakness in his game and he views it as such then he will never be mentally strong. Likewise if he gets nervous or anxious then the physical side of his game can easily be affected.
@@BarryStarkSnookerCoach thanks Barry for your reply best of health to you cheers Paul beggs.
Barry keeps on going on dates with this young chick barry gave her the good old barry hammer and now she is in love with his snooker wisdom well done barry