If you notice unwanted side spin in your game, you need to take a look at your aiming.
Many club snooker players use side spin unconsciously in their snooker practice even when they think they don't know how to play with side spin at all.
Take a video of yourself and look at your aiming. That is the big question when we are talking about unwanted side spin. It is important, because unwanted side spin can make you miss the ball.
Some of the players, whom I coach usually reckon the problem with unwanted side spin comes from their cue action and they do not pay attention to their aiming. In lots of cases, the issues is actually bad aiming. It can provoke players to put more side spin in their shot.
I see how most players aim a little thick, when the angle is to the left. They apply unwanted side spin without realising it. This is not big problem when the player makes soft shots. In such cases side spin would even work fine. But when the player has to play a power shot, power stun or a power screw back, that little side move can make you miss the ball. Aiming when the angle is to the right leads to the same thing - players aim a little thick. Then they add a touch of right side to pot the ball. Shots with side spin do not work on every shot though.
It is much better to strike the white ball perfectly in the middle.
Unwanted side spin and aiming:
When you are aiming a little thick, your brain tells you - "you need to twitch, apply side spin to pot the ball. If you strike in the middle of the white, the red ball is not going into the pocket!" And that is why you apply unwanted side spin.
The more inexperienced a player is, the more side spin they apply.
In my coaching, I use a white ball with red dots to help players recognize that they are putting side spin in most of the shots.
So what is the problem with side spin?
The cue ball draws a different curve, depending on how much power you use and how high you strike the white ball. If you put more side spin when playing a power shot, the white ball will be pushed further to one side, and that is why you will miss.
Maybe you are very good at it and do not even know!
As a snooker coach with 10+ years of experience, I know that wrong aiming technique could be a problem for both beginners and experienced players that have developed the wrong habits over time. They often tend to blame their cue action for missing certain shots while their real problem is not aiming correctly.
Are you making the mistakes I mention in the video? Let me know in the comments down below.
I am Brando - the EBSA Assistant Head Coach and WPBSA World Snooker Coach. A full-time snooker coach. I am also a Eurosport commentator and a snooker player myself.
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