Finding the middle of the Cue Ball
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- In this video, I show you a few practice routines to help you pin point the middle of the cue ball (yes... it does exist!)
With the use of a spotted cue ball and Chris Henry's aid "The Balls", these routines will help you practice accuracy when aiming for the middle of the cue ball. They do get progressively harder do enjoy them, and good luck!!!
if u never made it as a player you could have been a teacher. really good at expaining. superb.
As a former educator myself, I have to agree. He actually imparts his knowledge as well as any teacher I have ever seen. Firstly and foremostly one has to have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter. He clearly does.
this is truly becoming the best snooker channel out there. Hope he keeps up these videos.
Hendry wont be happy to hear that 8)
I have no idea how to play snooker, but the way Shaun is telling these snooker tips its somehow so very mesmerising. Incredible ASMR 😂
Your recent video's are stellar. You were born for this!
Loving his teaching. Great drills
Excellent stuff, Shaun. Thanks very much for putting it all together.
I have been an above average snooker player and excellent pool ball player my whole life I am 62 years old and I play what you explained was a check side check etcn player on every shot I play how ever I also play or try to stun the cue ball as you just explained I have never played in a club but did have a one size smaller snooker table than full size at home (thanks dad) and played every day and learned by trial and error to become a decent shot,Shaun your show and tell will make me a better player because I now know what the hell I'm doing!! Thank you!and practice makes perfect!
You're an excellent teacher/coach/instructor. One of the best on UA-cam. Thanks for the videos.
Just a tech thing, I was listening on headphones and the right audio channel dropped out about 1 minute in and stayed out for the whole video. Loved the video!
Yeah, I noticed it on my speakers. Maybe my ears are better than I think! 🙂
Great lesson from the great player of the game
Thanks for another great video. Loved the little mantra at 16:12
Middle of the pocket
Middle of the red
Middle of the cue ball
Stop dead! 😁
loving your channel sean. keep doing them please. cant wait to get to snooker hall after watching this. really good for us normal humans.
Interesting video Shaun. I ran some scenarios through Chat GPT's more advanced AI and, after many pages of calculations, explanations and theories here are the takeaways.
Under typical conditions-a cue ball of 52.5 mm diameter struck by a snooker cue tip with a curvature around 9 mm, using a typical impact force-the estimated contact area is approximately 2 mm².
Even a mis-hit as small as 1 mm (which is only about 4% of the cue ball’s radius) can alter the cue ball’s travel direction by a few degrees. In high-level snooker, where players are trying to control position to within a few millimetres , such a deviation is significant.
A mishit of 1mm in the "over the dots" drill is estimated to cause the ball to deviate off the top cushion and mishit the cue tip by 80mm.
In practical terms, there is a margin of error of about 0.5 to 1.0 mm off dead centre when striking the cue ball and playing the average snooker shot.
Actual pots are less impacted by a minor mishit but of course controlling position off the cushion is much more critical when accidental side is applied.
So, in summary. There is a dead centre of the cue ball, and in practical terms, that is a spot about 2mm²
Miss that dead centre by 1mm or more and it is likely that you will not be potting well, particularly your long shots and your positional play off the cushions will be impacted.
Great explanation!
Very good presentation and demonstrations Shaun - no clickbait, sensationalism, or woolly logic here :-)
Articulately done, rather than relying on the brute force of opinions to ram a point home.
Great explanation and demonstration Shaun.👏👏
Another brilliant video. This reminds me of my first coaching sessions. I think I only hit the cue ball for about 6 weeks! Great to see that you don't feel like you are above these routines simply because you are a professional.
This is a great video, really explains it well. I think though Michael is very tongue in cheek re finding the middle of the cue ball. He knows it exists but because of how difficult it is, which this video proves, emphasises it’s not often necessary.
Packet of sweets and a big cheeky smile always springs to mind when I see/hear Shaun Murphy!!!
Another Brilliant Video Shaun, very articulate as usual, great knowledge, could you please make a video about cueing off the side rail, especially for high blacks, keep up the good work, 😉👍👍
I just bought a snooker table and you started uploading this golden material. Perfect timing, thank you Shaun!
It's wonderful to have these tips/lessons for free. So insightful straight to the point and explained perfectly.
Good on you Shaun, another great motivational video, much appreciated thanks.
Ahhhhh the middle of the ball? Some say it does not exist 👀 🤔 eh hum Michael.
All you pros are great giving back to everyone, we are loving it.
seen this video 😂
Another great video :)
Really rooting for plenty of match wins this remaining season. Go on Shaun
That was brilliant. I've tried the last routine a few times when I used to practice a bit and yes it's very difficult. Not sure I could do it now. I'll give it a go the next time I'm in the club.
One good way of checking you are on the centre, even in a match is to lower your cue address position so that your tip is touching the baize. The cueball centre is the contact point with the baize. If you are on centre it will look symmetrical on both sides.
You can then slowly raise your cue to the strike position.
Only personally found this one out a few years back!
Shaun, your timing and delivery of these sessions are perfect..and I dont mean your cue.
you are a absolute legend shaun, someone who i have always found articulates and explains snooker techniques and complexities very well just like the GOAT hendry.
This video was good timing for me. I was trying to do the first exercise hitting the ball up and down the spots and found that I could do it easily when trying to hit centre, but when I tried to play it with top or bottom spin (but still hit the bottom or top centre) I was always imparting accidental right hand side.
I thought there was something fundamentally wrong with my stroke that I'd have to fix, but wasn't sure what or how to go about it. So interesting to see when Shaun was accidentally hitting the ball with right hand side his first thought was I'll just aim a bit to the left then. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones 😂
Very very good I enjoy the clarity of your voice while you video.
This just reminds basic players just how difficult this game is.
Great video Shaun. Thanks. Hugh
Great tips pardon the expression 😂😂 next time i go to the club ill try this
You may as well say the Earth is flat nonsense and then say there’s no middle on the cue ball , great Video Shaun it’s time for to get your own back on Hendry and grill him on show , keep up the good work mate
Great videos Shaun. The last drill is so hard! I think my aiming is off as well as not finding the centre 😂
i literally realized, a couple of days ago, that finding the center of the cue ball is the key to snooker or pool or whatever. A lot of instructions dont really seem to articulate this very well. A lot of frustration and confusion i had was solved, at least mentally, when i had the realization that i wasn't aiming improperly, but i wasn't actually hitting the cue ball in a specific enough spot and thus not hitting the poting point very consistent. Now i feel so excited to practice when, before, i was considering giving my expensive cue away or even throwing it away. I wasn't terrible, but was not as consistent as i wanted to be and not entirely sure how to aim. But now im running out more often and even did a break and run more easily now. I mostly play pool on a 9ft table. I do play on a snooker here and there as a side quest, but now im able to get a break of 54 or something like that on the lineup drill. I also ran out the colors on their spot a couple times, after many tries.
Another great video. Thanks, Shaun.
We all know the middle exists as we also know if we don't hit it right we don't pot them long pots especially, good video big fella
Shaun is of course correct, that there is a centre 😄
If a photo was taken of this cue ball, or sphere, we can determine two far opposite edges. The far left and the far right, known as the diameter.
All diameters have a centre. (The vertical axis from this can be worked out from here if needed for certain shots). +
The centre exits, BUT isn’t the B all and end all in playing the game.
As Michael says… “Learn how to play the game and just crack on”
Great youtube Channel Shaun, and Micheal 👏 👏 👏
Great video Shaun. Even harder is the blue, pink and black on their spots. Cue ball on brown spot and try to achieve a pink and black contact after hitting the blue.
Like Holt says on his channel, you're aswell put a fraction of helping side on every shot because the absolute middle is so difficult to hit consistantly
Great video Shaun, those Chris Henry balls and a spotted cue ball have definitely helped me.
Great video and explanations. I have a spotted cue ball but never thought of using it like that. I think I might even invest in a set of Chris Henry’s balls!
Love the ending ediction, that's definately a sphere 😂
Fantastic to watch this, well done
Pure gold shaun 👌
Basic but paramount. Excellent!
[Side note: The 'broom' plant in the corner of the room works me every time I see it. 😁]
Who else thinks we van get 100k subs in 90 days nice video shaun very clear and very helpful 👍👍
Third routine is one i have done with fergal in celbridge.. looks simple but very hard.. great stuff shaun
Muchas gracias, Shaun.
Cheers, Shaun. I'll have a go and see what happens 👍
Great stuff! I believe it's best to always play with side. That way, you don't have to worry about this, and it helps you master the side-which is far more important!
But if you don't know where the middle is, how do you what's side?
@@stevemawer848 In my case, it's easy-I can tell when I'm using the side because it's visible, but I can't see where the middle is. I suspect that the cue tip-its shape and deformations-plays a role in that. For instance, I might make a shot today, but tomorrow, with a new tip, I could inadvertently apply unwanted side and miss. It's tough. But don't take my word for it; I'm no expert. These are just my thoughts on Shaun's great explanation.
Very well explained!
Please make a video on screw shots, covering how professionals approach them and including some practice routines.
Thank you Shaun Murphy!
Brilliant 👏
The middle of the cueball is obviously a thing. But the point that Michael Holt is making is to not obsess over finding the middle of the cueball. You can be a very good player minus the ability to strike the cueball dead centre every time.
But you'll be a better player if you can. Or get closer. It's definitely a core ability of the game.
@adamf1347 You just watched Shaun Murphy fail to do it more often than not. And you'll never be as good as him. Holt is 100% correct!
That white up and down the spots is great for straight cueing practice but you’ve got to keep an eye on crafty Hendry. When he did it on his channel he moved the cue slightly to make it hit the centre on the way back lol.
Shaun, vertically, there is a middle line through which you can strike without imparting side spin but to strike the centre of the ball without imparting any spin is near impossible because the cue would have to be perfectly level striking centre and travelling on a vector that would take through the centre on the other side of the ball.
But as we both know, i was never able to do that anyway😂😂😂
It was left, going left with a touch left and added left ⛳️🙈🤪
Forgot the late left💩
Michael Halt is going to have a field day here hahahahahaha. Waiting for his response video :) When is the UA-cam snooker boxing fight? :D
😮😮😮
It’s like drake vs Kendrick all over again 😂
Holt's just desperate to sound like he knows things nobody else does. Of course there IS a (relative) middle to the cue ball. What Holt actually means is it's just supremely difficult to hit the middle, especially consistently. Therefore, instead of just saying that he feels the need to come up with some outlandish clickbait statement to get more views and interactions on his channel. He seems to have calmed down a bit lately on this but he is just an attention-seeker and clickbaiter.
Fight, fight, fight!
Hardly, holty has is opinion just as shaun has his. Technically, the middle of a sphere is not hittable as its in its core. You can argue about hitting a sphere along a plane, but middle it is not@DM-kv9kj
Hi Shaun, I really enjoy listening to the 147 podcast. But please consider using a compressor or limiter to minimize the volume differences. That would definitely improve the listening experience. 🙂
Excellent
Shaun, in your previous video discussing aiming with side, with one of the reds you potted to get on the blue, you claimed to be hitting one of them in the middle & just with screw on - yet you clearly had a trace of right side on. Which means that even a top pro like you isn't aware of if they're hitting the middle or not when trying to.
Hence why you should try to use a trace, so the white doesn't trap. Seems pretty logical to me...
Telling amateurs to focus on hitting the cue ball up & down the spots is good for a complete novice who has never picked a cue up. Whereas, watching Michael & listening to him acrually develops your game. He explains that aiming for the middle will mean accidentally putting negative spin on the cue ball by accident, making your positional play poor.
Love it
Shaun Murphy discusses existence and Heidegger's "fundamental question of metaphysics" 🤣
Snooker is too complicated! You need a degree in angles and balls!! Just put it in the pocket! Great video here by the new Masters' Champion! You men and your balls!!
For the white to stun without side you also have to hit the object ball dead centre… you could cue perfectly, but if you hit the object ball a bit off you’ll get that spin too…
I bet even Barton-Snooker is watching this :)))
Hi Shaun huge fan from China. Could I please request an episode on dominant eye, cue alignment, vision parallax and etc? This part of the game really bothers me. Would love to see your insight!!
Really interesting vid again. If i may indulge myself into your mind. You said something that i picked up on whilst using the "the balls" you said my technique today was a slight center right strike. I would ask that would you typically look at this on match day? and try and adjust accordingly? do you think it would likely improve your prep and maybe your chances in a match if you identify a slight variance and try and counter for it OR is that a no no and just try and keep everything the same hoping for perfect striking? I ask this as we all appreciate how hard this game is from one day to the next so just wondered if that was a thought process?
I know golfers have swing bais and some fade and some draw naturally so they play for it
Nice lesson
Every player has a routine they do before they bend down to shoot. Can you bring us through that. I think a lot of people miss shots because they aren't set up right looking down the cue properly. I would like to see a video on this. Thanks Sean 😊 💚
Hi Jim white here from hornchurch Essex. That's how I have sited shot. The only thing I have changed over the year's but my bridge hand closer to the white...
the last one is a monster, if you manage to get it 2-3 times in your lifetime. I think mere common people like me would never be able to get it. I'll try though. haha
There is something to say for the way Jimmy White lines up, from the bottom up
Hi Shaun the magician great videos.
Would make a video for sighting, approaching and alignment pls
thank you
I use the Measles ball,but specifically set it up with the dots vertical, And the dots on sides level , and with the dot facing the cue at "center". Then by playing over the dots, the " vertical dots" should return upright, and the side dots should " spin", not wobble..
Love the channel mate. Couple of questions.
1) should I be practising with side in all my games or should I try to perfect playing plain ball before I attempt side? I find it difficult to know why I’ve missed sometimes and I fear that when I introduce side, it’s another variable for me to be confused by when I miss.
2) is it wrong to look at the cue ball when I do my final checks as opposed to the object ball. I’d prefer to look at the object ball but I’m far less consistent when I try this.
Cheers mate
Nice channel, you could earn a living with it.
outstanding Shaun how can you accurately hit the cue ball with any side if you have nothing to mesure from ,THE CENTER
i believe if you head was in the wrong position on the cue it would be difficult to find the centre of the cueball, so is there a way of finding this out? and finding the right alignment
There's actually lots of middles , what you're really looking for is hitting YOUR middle ..... "what's he going in about" I hear you say , because it's a sphere there's not only the middle you see on your side, but there's also the middle on the opposite side, of course you can't hit that one though, unless you moved to the other side
If it’s so difficult to find that center of a cb, so much that it took 22 minutes explaining the science and practice behind it, the question I would love to have answered is if it’s even worth trying to go for center? Players like Jack or Michael think it’s not worth it but would love to hear Shaun’s take
Hi Shaun loving the content any chance you could do cue ball or object ball when striking would love to hear your take on this thanks.
A decent microphone - does it even exist? Why yes, yes it does.
helpful channel W
2:20 Hello! We’re over here on your left! (Not sure how it came to be fashionable for people on TV to not look at the audience.)
Interesting that you pushed the cue ball to the left on the long red shot also 🙂
Great informative video. Letting you know there is an audio issue with your post. No sound coming from R/H
I was a snooker fan before a Dad, but i now cant help see Shaun as Mr Tumble 😂
Found it very interesting when you said ' I am hitting slightly on the right a bit.. (TODAY) ! So then you hit slightly on the left (as it looked to you) to correct it.
My question is do you do this regularly by finding where you are hitting on any particular day, and allowing for it? Bit like a golfer finding on the range that today he is hitting a draw and not a fade so play with it.
Change it from finding the middle of the cue ball to finding the g spot and this becomes very interesting
Great video especially the last exercise. Shaun in your case you are slightly to the right of middle of the white. Now imagine that deviation is bigger say twice as much. When does it become a problem? It is very difficult because even you after correcting yourself playing with the light white later on when you potted the red in the middle pocket you had that little righthand side again on it. So how can you eliminate this without losing your 'game'? Can you reduce it slightly? When you watch videos of Davis and Hendry they really struck the middle of the white better than other players.
Can you please do a video on soft stun/screw shots please, Shaun
Nice video - started out in stereo but moved to left ear only after about 1 minute
How about video on low deflection cues or titanium ferrule 🎱
Shaun, thank you for this video. At 20:04 you make a back swing. Your cue makes a looping action. In such, that on the back swing the cue leaves the chin and then touches it again at the final point. Could you please explain this type of cue action? Thank you
Of course the center exists but I'd say the issue is it becomes an obsession and distraction as you have well demonstrated.
Much easier to learn to play one side or the other on every shot and build from that.
Hey Sean, Great video 😄 there is only one you tube snooker channel that talks about the geometry of a snooker table and how snooker players use this to escape from snookers! Can you help with this as your angle work is pretty good? Hopeful…… Gary
I think the delivery of the cue in a straight line will have more of an effect on unwanted side, than factions off the central point on white surely. Like golf swing path dictating the flight i.e. draw/fade.
That being said, is there any accurate way to measure straight delivery of a cue please, as this would be the best place to start for me if i was to coach someone or improve?
Also does hitting the center bottom of the cue ball and playing a full table drag to hit the center of the black on its spot be a good variation of the final practice routine?