he basics of snooker are well known, as this popular game is played all over the world by both professionals and hobby players like James Crickmore. The game involves the use of 22 different balls on a baize-covered table. A white cue ball is used to hit the other balls into the pockets on the table. The other balls consist of 15 red balls and six balls that are all different colors. Each color corresponds with a points value; in descending order, those values are 7 points for black, 6 for pink, 5 for blue, 4 for brown, 3 for green, and 2 for yellow.
Players usually find a way to determine who is to go first; this is done traditionally with a coin toss. On the first move, the player has to cause the cue ball to connect with a red ball. If he succeeds, he continues playing and must next cause the cue ball to come into contact with one of the colored balls. He must alternate this way until the balls are all gone. If he should fail, it is the next player’s turn. When there are still red balls on the table, then players should return any potted colored balls to their original position on the table.
When the red balls are all gone from the table, then things become even more interesting for players like James Crickmore; they must then pot the lowest to highest value colored balls, in sequence, until the table is cleared. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
The game may sound complex, but there are a few simple things players can do in order to improve their game exponentially. These tips usually involve adjustments to the physical stance and grip. The goal is to get to the point where the cue is always on a straight level plane with the line of the desired shot. This can only be done if a grip is relaxed but not too loose, in order to maintain control of the cue more effectively. Another thing James Crickmore tries is keeping a good stance – balance is important in order to control the shot more effectively. These and other things are all simple tips that can be used to improve a beginning player’s game.
A plateau is the skill you are now limited with and it can be very strenuous to try and exceed this limit. It takes determination, tenacity and lots of practice to reach a new level of skill. The reason is quite straight forward. When your game is as good as other players’, you will believe that this level is your absolute best. To the contrary, when you decide to up your game and surround yourself with players who achieve centuries all the time, you are subconsciously adopting the necessary skills you need to up your snooker capabilities.
