Potting

Long Straight Blue Drill

A dead-straight long pot is the purest test of a cue action. There is no angle to judge, so if the blue misses, the cause is in your delivery. Distance magnifies every small error, which makes this drill a great check on whether you are cueing straight.

Snooker table top viewTop-down view of a full-size snooker table at 1mm = 1px scale.100 mmFull-size snooker table · 3569 × 1778 mm · 1 px = 1 mm
Table layout for the Long straight blue drill

Setup

  1. Place the blue on its spot.
  2. Place the cue ball on the line from the bottom-left corner pocket through the blue, about 70 cm beyond the blue (see the diagram).

Rules

  1. Pot the blue into the bottom-left corner pocket.
  2. Reset the blue and the cue ball to the same positions after every shot, potted or missed.
  3. Play 10 attempts. Your score is the number of blues potted.
  4. Repeat from the other side of the table into the bottom-right pocket to balance your practice.

Targets by level

Beginner
3–5 out of 10
Club player
6–8 out of 10
Advanced
9–10 out of 10

Tips

  • Use a stun or stop shot so the cue ball does not follow the blue towards the pocket.
  • Check your stance and bridge before every shot. Small set-up errors cause most misses here.
  • Watch which side of the pocket you miss on. Missing consistently on one side points to a fault in your cue action.

Common mistakes

  • Over-hitting. A firm, smooth stroke is enough.
  • Moving on the shot to watch the blue travel.
  • Adjusting your aim after a miss instead of fixing your cue action.

More drills

All drills