Snooker – An art or a science?
When it comes to performance analysis and development, snooker is light-years behind other sports like tennis and golf.
Racquet or club coaches have benefitted from endless amounts of gadgets and gizmos that help improve technique. They have had access to state-of-the-art technology that can identify problem areas and give their charges specific areas to work on.
Snooker coaching has sadly been left treading water, with only the individual’s ability to communicate instruction.
I am not knocking those that coach snooker, I am just saying that until now, it has been lacking in something that brings the sport into the 21st century.
Well, we think we have found just the thing that will do just that!
If you asked ten people to name a snooker coach, Terry Griffiths’ name would be likely to crop up more than once.
The 1979 world champion has been director of coaching at World Snooker, a position he currently holds with 110sport. The Welshman has worked with the very best, from Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Allister Carter, Marco Fu to youngsters heading to the top like Michael White and Jack Lisowski.
Terry and his son, Wayne, have been on working on a project for over two years that is nearing completion, and will see Terry Griffiths’ Snooker Lab launched later this year.
I went down to ‘The Matchroom’ in Llanelli to test it out.
The Matchroom is one of the best snooker clubs in the country and has special memories for me as a player as the weekly tournaments that were held there in the early 90s were the stuff of legends, but that’s a different matter.
The matchroom itself has been adapted for coaching purposes and now three cameras are installed with a large screen on the wall.
The Snooker Lab ingeniously translates the images from the camera, showing your cue action from all angles.
The footage can be slowed down, drawn on and even overlaid with the techniques of the world’s best to compare and highlight errors in your technique.
I, apparently, have a grip similar to that of Matthew Stevens and the delivery akin to Ronnie O’Sullivan. Which combined helps me to play like Matthew O’Sullivan!
Whether you have ambitions of reaching the top of the game and need to find slight improvements here or there or are just an average club player, the Snooker Lab has something for you.
The technology will help you understand your technique and with pictures saying a thousand words, it would take an awful long time to explain what you will see on screen.
You don’t even have to be in the room. A new website due for launch with the Lab, will enable players to upload footage of their technique. Terry will be able to access this and analyse using the Lab software. You will then receive a file back with a detailed assessment and commentary, so you can have lesson with a world champion from the comfort of your own home.
Griffiths’ plans run deeper though. Wayne explained that the aim is to have two Terry Griffiths Academies set up by the end of the year. “We are in talks with a number of host countries, who are keen to be the first to have these facilities”.
“The Academies will of course offer the Snooker Lab facilities and offer the best training and practise facilities”.
“We have developed an action-plan based on our coaching experience and the development profiles of many of the game’s leading players, that outlines the intended progression from club-player to professional standard. This involves an holistic 8,000 hour programme including solo-play, competitive match practise and a great deal more”.
Personally, I would like to see the Snooker Lab more widely available. I think it would be great if every snooker club had access to it, with players taking their game seriously enough to spend money on a couple of lessons with the club pro, like in golf.
For the time being though, it appears that Snooker Lab will be launched on an exclusive basis with high-end establishments offering this unrivalled facility.
When it is launched though, I recommend that you have a go, and see just how bad your cue action is…or is that just me?
To find out more about Snooker Lab click here...
