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MASTER 1
K C A P E H T G SPLITTIN
THE SET UP
Having to re-rack 15 reds every time you want to try splitting the pack can become tiresome and it will make practising the shot a bore. And if you are bored during practice then you are fighting a losing battle. One idea is to leave the triangle over the reds so they do not split, but in a crowded snooker hall this would drive other players crazy with the triangle’s constant clanking noise coming from your table. Pro coach Neil Maxman has a way that is quick to set up and doesn’t disrupt everyone else’s game.
“It’s quite simple. We take away the main body of the reds and take away the sides and we are left with a triangle of three reds. The good thing with this triangle is that we can see straight through it and we can also get the white to pass through it. Just open it up slightly to make things a bit easier.
“Now also what we are able to see is how the cue ball works because when it hits the pack, or especially a wooden triangle, you don’t always get to see that. If you want to ‘split the pack’ without having to set the reds up that’s the best way to do it.”
2
THE SCREW SHOT
With three common ways used to split the pack, the first is the screw shot. To execute this shot you need to get plenty of power so the cue ball is able to use the screw to spin through the reds and break them up in the process. This is more useful when you want to cut a hole through the pack and come out on the other side around the blue or pink.
“The first shot I’m going to play is the screw shot. Once the white hits the black it will now arc back on itself and go into the pack, hopefully not touching our three reds. The most important thing when playing the shot is to concentrate on potting the black –
don’t take your eyes off the black ball and hit 6 o’clock on the white. The cue ball should go through the gap in the reds, and putting the black back probably only takes me ten seconds.”
CLASS 5
REPEATING THE DRILL
Practice makes perfect. One of the most important things is finding a way of practicing which is also fun, so you are more likely to want to improve your game. Remember to practice these shots from both sides of the table, and you can try similar shots when potting the blue or pink.
“If this is the first time you’ve really thought about this shot and are practising it, to start with just have five or ten attempts. So if you screw through the gap twice for example, that’s the best you’ve ever done and you stun through the other twice, that’s the best you’ve ever done too. Then the next time you set up this practice routine you can try and beat your best so it doesn’t become longwinded, you don’t become fed up, and it becomes a pleasure to do.”
4
OFF THE CUSHION
The first two options are fine when you land below the black ball but what about when you end up topside of the black? Here players use the cushion to go into the pack. Depending on the potting angle you might need to add side, screw, stun or topspin, so try them out to see the type of angles you can create. These spins also give the white a faster bounce off the cushion meaning you stand a better chance of freeing more reds and being on something.
3
“There are numerous ways of splitting the pack but the other main way is where we play off the back cushion and smash into the reds. Once again the white goes through the gate and I can quickly set up and be ready to go again.”
THE STUN SHOT
Another method of getting into the reds is the stun shot. This requires less precision than a screw and is normally preferred by most players even if it can leave a little to chance. The cue ball should bounce off the reds and head towards the side cushion, but if you are unlucky it could stick on the reds because of the lack of spin. Every split is a bit of a lottery.
The second shot is a common shot when splitting the pack – the stun shot. This shot should go through the other gap, this time on the side of our triangle where the white was originally headed, and once again you will be able to see how the white actually works. So it is just below centre on the white and make sure you hit through the cue ball – don’t stop on impact.”
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