Bjorn Haneveer.

In the spotlight this month is Belgium's most successful ever player, Bjorn Haneveer.

 

Part one - starting out

I started playing snooker when I was 14 years old. My father was a self-employed carpenter, and on Saturdays I would help him out. In the mornings we would work, then in the afternoon we would go to a pub and play snooker. The first time I ever played I cleared up the colours – I still remember that. read more

 

Ronnie O'Sullivan will not defend Shanghai title

Ronnie O'Sullivan says he will not be defending his Shanghai Masters title because he wants to spend more time with his family.

The three-time world champion has ruled out flying to China for the tournament, which starts on 6 September. read more

Your Chance To Qualify For The World Open!

Wimbledon beating Liverpool to win the FA Cup…Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson…YE Yang flooring Tiger Woods…could you be the talented snooker player ready to join this list of great sporting upsets by beating one of the world’s top snooker players in the new World Open?

This fantastic and innovative tournament will see 32 amateurs join the 96 professional players in an FA Cup-style event with a random draw and matches played over just five frames.

Rileys and other snooker clubs will be staging competitions by the end of July, with the winners to go through to the qualifying phase which will run from August 21 to 24 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO ENTER THESE COMPETITIONS, KEEP AN EYE ON WORLDSNOOKER.COM AND RILEYS.CO.UK IN THE COMING DAYS.

The televised stage will then take place at the SECC in Glasgow from September 18 to 26, when the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Neil Robertson will be competing for the trophy.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn encourages anyone who fancies their chances to have a go in the club competitions and see how far they can go. “It will be fascinating to see how the best amateurs fare against the professionals,” he said. “We could get a rags-to-riches story of an unknown player getting to the business end or giving one of the top stars a shock.”

You can already buy tickets for the final stages in Glasgow. Secure your seats now by calling 0844 395 4000 or visiting www.ticketsoup.com. Or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets
THIS EVENT CANNOT BE MISSED!!!

The World Open receives equal funding and support from EventScotland and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. 

Improve Your Pool Shot with These Three Tips

By Paul Richardson

Looking for ways to improve your pool game quickly? Look no further. Here are three tips you can start using today to dramatically improve your pool game.Works for snooker too!

All of these tips will focus on using proper hand and pool cue technique since this is the area most beginners struggle with the most. Improving your hand and cue technique will dramatically improve your game.

Tip #1: Sight the Shot

First things first, before you hit your shot you will want to line up behind the cue ball, visually sight your shot, and then take a few practice swings. Look at where you want to hit the cue ball down the table, and also where you want your pool cue to contact the cue ball. Now, take a couple practice swings doing everything you will when you hit the shot for real, while concentrating on a smooth swing both backwards and forwards. Do not accidentally hit the cue ball when you do this, pull up just short of actually hitting it until you are ready to shoot for real. When you do hit the ball, use the same fluid swing motion you just practiced, hitting the ball where you were looking.

Tip #2: Follow Through

Many beginners make the mistake of pulling their pool cue away immediately after hitting the shot. Try not to do this by again focusing on your swing, keeping it smooth, and concentrate on following through after you hit the shot.

Tip #3: Keeping it Straight

Since follow through is so important, if you want to hit a straight shot that is, here is a tip to help you follow through. Picture yourself not just hitting the cue ball, but a place that is 2-3 inches behind it. Hitting through the cue ball is an easy way to keep your shot straight.

Practice these tips and you will be well on your way to a better pool game quickly!

About the Author:

Paul is a pool enthusiast who likes helping others get better at pool. His latest website helps you find the right pool cue racks for your pool room. Protect your cue stick investment, and look into using pool cue racks today!

History of Pool Tables

Okay, slightly off subject today, but still of interest I think. To play pool, you need a quality billiards table. This is an elevated table with a flat surface, often made of quarried slate that is always covered with cloth. The cloth is usually green, but can come in various colors. It's surrounded by rubber cushions, and was at one time called a billiard board.

Like the game of pool, no one is exactly quite sure when the first pool table was made. As early as 1470, however, King Louis XI of France had one. It had no pockets but only a hole in the middle of the table. That's not surprising since in the early days pool was played by kings and noblemen. Owning a pool table was a luxury in those days since it was often imported and expensive to make.

The working classes had their own homemade versions of pool tables to enjoy the game. But since these were made of wood, they didn't last long and often warped in no time at all. Early pool tables had no uniform size or shape, however most were square in shape. Quickly though by the 15th century, pool tables were a common sight in taverns and public places all over France.

The modern pool table was the brainchild of table maker John Thurston of England. He invented the slate bed in 1826 and gave the table a smoother surface. Marble was utilized by some but it was costly. Billiard slate was heavier than wood and made pool tables more durable.

In 1845, Thurston began to make the billiard cushions from vulcanized rubber, leather and cork. Interestingly enough, this came after he experimented with hair, shredded fabrics and feathers to stuff these cushions. The discovery of vulcanization in 1843 changed everything. Eventually, the green pool table cover was also improved with different fabrics, and became the basis of modern pool tables.

By Tabitha Oscorp

Steve Davis insists he is not thinking about winning the World Championship for a seventh time

Steve Davis insists he is not thinking about winning the World Championship for a seventh time despite stunning defending champion John Higgins 13-11.

"I am not looking there," he told BBC Sport. "It is one round at a time, one frame at a time, one ball at a time."
The 52-year-old, the oldest player to reach the last eight since the late Eddie Charlton, then 53, in 1983, plays Australian Neil Robertson on Tuesday.
"It's just another match, that is the only way I can look at it," he added.
"Neil smashed me up here last year [10-2 in the first round]. I don't want to look any further.
"I have got a couple of days off then I am back again, and it is business as usual."
Nevertheless, Davis admitted he had a "great feeling of pride" after holding himself together in the crucial final moments, after Higgins had drawn level at 11-11.
"In one respect it is fantastic," he said. "But on the other hand, it is only the second round and there is a long way to go in the tournament. But for the time being, I will savour it."
The Davis-Robertson quarter-final will start at 1000 BST on Tuesday, 27 April, and conclude on Wednesday afternoon.
"Steve is a legend in sport in general, he is almost like those Olympians who go to four Olympics," said Robertson after sealing a remarkable comeback from 11-5 down to beat qualifier Martin Gould 13-12.
"What more can Steve do on and off the table? He is a great ambassador to our sport."

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Robertson insisted Davis's victory was "not that much of a surprise to me" and that he would not take victory for granted, despite hammering Davis 10-2 in the first round last year.
"He has come close to beating John [Higgins] before when he was the best player in the world [Higgins beat Davis 13-11 in the second round of the 2000 World Championship]," Robertson told BBC Sport.
"It is a pleasure to be competing with him and and great to see someone like Steve, who has achieved so much in the game, continue to put in the practice.
"It is fantastic to see him beat John. Some people say it is a young man's game but most of the top players are in their 30s and Steve is in his 50s. He is an inspiration to people in a lot of sports, not just snooker."
Davis revealed that an email suggestion to a website he runs giving advice to players had provided the focus for his technical tune-up leading into the tournament.
"A gentleman emailed me and said I was moving my head on the shot, and he was right," he explained.
"Sometimes you miss the obvious things and in the build-up all I've been doing is concentrating on keeping my head still.
"Under enough pressure other parts of your body move and perhaps your cue, and it's worked. It's made me a better player in practice and bit more solid in matches.
"Keeping my head still was my one thought in the closing stages."

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