Cueing Technique in Billiards, Pool & Snooker

So you think that playing pool or snooker is easy? You just pick up the stick, lean over a bit and fire it at the white ball right?

WRONG.

Just like a golf swing, cueing in pool, snooker and all table billiard games is a finely tuned art, and one that it takes endless hours of practice to perfect.



What’s This Cueing Lark All About Guv’nor?

The primary aim of cueing is to control exactly where the cueball goes once struck. When you have mastered this, you can start to build you game, and see the path to victory.

While this may sound easy there are a surprising number of things that can go wrong during your shot, so (being the kind soul I am) I have compiled a list of the key things to remember and practice to become a pro:

1. Stance: The most basic and important one of all. While there is no strict stance for pool, there are some fundamental elements to get right.

You should hold the cue with your ‘shooting’ arm lightly, just behind its balance point. You should place your other hand on the table, forming the ‘bridge’. The shaft of the cue then rests between your thumb and first finger. Lastly, your head should be held over the top of the cue, so you are looking straight down it to the tip.

- Balance Point
The point on the cue at which you can balance it on one of two fingers. All cues are weighted (standardly to 18oz) which will become more important as you get better.

- Bridge
The bridge is the shape made with your none cueing hand to rest the shaft of the cue on


Cueing in pool or snooker does not require much body movement; it’s all from the elbow/shoulder. As such the most important part if feeling comfortable with the points mentioned above.

2. Shooting: When you play a shot, it’s tempting to stop the cue at the point it impacts upon the ball. This will only result in a weak dribbler, or an unholy mess. The correct way to play any shot is to play ‘through’ the ball, to ensure you hit the cueball with maximum speed and accuracy. Imagine you’re Bruce Lee punching through a brick wall. Just remember not to tear the cloth…

- Keep Your Elbow Straight!
An obvious one you might think, but when cueing you must pay attention to this. A tiny wobble in your elbow travels down the cue and translates you a mighty waver at the cue tip. This results in a miscue and looking like a fool in front of EVERYONE.

- Use The Elbow
All the power in your shot comes from your elbow, and using the weight of the cue itself. A smooth, straight cueing action will result in more powerful, accurate shots than trying to hammer it out without thinking.

- Control Your Power
Not every shot has to be a white bullet; in fact very few do on a 6ft or 7ft pool table. Snooker calls for a different approach and cue weight here but in pool less it more. Too much power can result in you destroying the lay of the balls, and therefore your path to victory.

So there you have it, the basics of cueing in pool, snooker and billiards. Check back for future posts on technique and how to become a world class billiards player!