Potting

Pink off the Spot Routine

The pink off its spot is the natural partner to the black off the spot. The pink sits further from the pockets, so every pot is a little longer and you have to use more of the table to stay in position. It is an excellent drill for medium-range potting and controlled cue-ball movement.

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 Pink off the spot drill

Setup

  1. Place the pink on its spot.
  2. Place the cue ball below and slightly behind the pink, giving an angle into a top corner pocket (see the diagram).

Rules

  1. Pot the pink into any pocket.
  2. Re-spot the pink after every pot and play the next one from wherever the cue ball stopped.
  3. The attempt ends when you miss, go in-off, or leave yourself no realistic pot on the pink.
  4. Your score is the number of pinks potted in a row.

Targets by level

Beginner
3–5 in a row
Club player
10–15 in a row
Advanced
25+ in a row

Tips

  • Keep an angle on the pink. A straight pink leaves you nowhere to go.
  • The middle pockets are your friend: an angle into the middle often leaves an easy pink into a corner next.
  • Plan where the cue ball stops before every shot, not just whether the pink goes in.

Common mistakes

  • Running the cue ball too far and losing the angle.
  • Forcing the pink into the same pocket every time instead of using all six.
  • Rushing after a good run instead of keeping the same pre-shot routine.

More drills

All drills