It’s a shot that visually looks so simple on screen, yet when you approach the table with a cue in hand and attempt to bring the cue ball back following a strike, an amateur can become humbled quite quickly and appreciate the technical challenges the game of snooker poses. If you struggle with the screw shot, hopefully this Short will give some useful pointers to take into the next practice!
• Keep a level cue
When first practicing a screw-back shot, the instinct may be to raise the butt of the cue in order to generate more spin however, you should keep the cue as flat as possible in order to avoid any inadvertent swerve imparted on the cue ball. Having a low bridge hand will help with flat cueing.
A method of practicing flat and level cueing would be to place the rest/spider on the table and practice striking underneath it without making contact with the extension (credit to snookergames.co.uk for this tip).
• Focus on timing and follow-through, not power
Arguably the most important factor in playing a shot that isn’t plain ball is to ensure a smooth and consistent follow-through. In the case of a screw-back, less is more and when you take power out of the equation (particularly as an amateur learning to strike the ball), you’ll find that you’ll get a better action than if you focused on power.
• Practice soft screw shots
Try potting the blue off its spot from a close distance (preferably off straight), focusing on the point of the cue ball where you’re going to strike. Don’t worry too much about potting the blue, rather practice getting the desired backspin. You can gradually increase the distance between cue and object ball or practice screwing back further as you start getting the feel of how you should be delivering the cue.
• Confidence and cue acceleration
Easier said than done, but if you approached a screw shot in the same manner as you would a plain ball shot, you’d probably play the shot more confidently. Chances are if you’re not getting enough screw-back on the shot, there is a chance you’re decelerating (click here to read about how that works).
• Hitting the cue ball low enough
A lot of the time when the cue ball isn’t having the desired effect when screwing back, players just aren’t hitting low enough – almost to the point that it unintentionally turns into a stun shot. Practicing shots close to the object ball will help identify errors in your striking and delivery which will make for more effective practice going forward.
What are some of your best tips for generating backspin? Let me know in the comments!
Like this Short? Click here to read: Snooker Table Maintenance - What You Need To Know
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