When you are comfortable hitting the cue ball plain-ball, there are many other types of snooker shots you can play by using spin. Spin allows you to manipulate the path of the cue ball after it makes contact with the object ball, for example you could run through, screw back, or bring the white to a dead stop. Add side spin into the equation, and you can change the angle at which the cue ball rebounds off the object ball and the cushions.
In this article we’ll cover three key shots: The stun shot, the screw shot, and the stun run through.
Table of Contents
How to Play The Stun Shot
Have you ever potted a ball over the pocket, only for the cue ball to follow it in? The stun shot will help you out. If the pot is straight, hitting the cue ball just below centre causes it to skid across the surface of the baize, coming to a dead stop when striking the object ball.
Here’s a great video from BartonSnooker describing the stun shot:
To execute the stun shot it’s important to hit low enough on the white ball and also to hit the ball with enough power. It’s the power that you apply that will determine how low you need to hit the cue ball.
Watch out for if you are aiming low on the cue ball but striking high as you push your cue through. If you strike the ball high, the white will run through, following the object ball into the pocket.
Using the correct power is important because if you under-hit the shot, the ball will lose the skidding effect as it moves along the table and it could then be rolling forwards by the time it hits the object ball (and so following through). So we need to keep the spin on the white ball until it hits the object ball.
The longer the shot, the lower you should hit the cue ball, almost like a screw shot, because the ball is going to lose spin as it crosses the table.
As you can tell it’s a delicate balance between where you hit the cue ball and the amount of power you use. If you prefer to hit the white just below centre you need more power, whereas if you hit the white lower down you should use just enough power so that when it reaches the object ball the backspin is running out and the ball is skidding. Of course, the best way to figure this out is practise, and straight shots are the best ones to practise with when trying to master the stun shot.
How to Play The Screw Shot
The screw shot utilises backspin so that after contact with the object ball, the cue ball draws back in the direction it came from. It’s a shot that looks great on TV when the pros play it, especially when it’s done as a deep screw across the length of the table, and it’s one that many want to be able to use. Here’s a video from Barry Stark Snooker Coach on how the shot works:
To apply backspin you hit the ball below the centre and with enough power to generate a backwards spinning motion in the cue ball as it moves along the baize. As we discussed above, with the stun shot you hit below the centre of the white but you want the cue ball to hit the object ball when it is running out of backspin. With the screw shot, however, we need the ball to still be spinning backwards enough when the balls make contact to generate that reverse movement.
So you’ve got to hit the cue ball low. Don’t be worried about hitting the ball too low as you need to generate that backspin to get the ball coming back after contact.
When first practising the screw shot it’s best not to worry about potting the object ball. Just focus on drawing the white back by aiming to hit the object ball anywhere, towards a cushion for example.
Before playing the shot, make sure you’ve chalked your cue. Then when lining up the shot, flatten your bridge and try to keep the cue parallel to the table. As you play it, make sure you strike your cue through the ball.
At first you may want to try the short with a short distance between the cue ball and the object ball, then as you become more confident widen the distance. The shot will become more challenging as you do this, but keep committed to the your technique, making sure to follow through as you strike the ball. You’ll need to apply more power but be careful not to overcompensate.
Now you’re getting confident with screwing the ball back you can start performing the shot while also trying to pot the object ball.
How to Play the Stun Run Through Shot
With a grounding in the stun shot and the screw shot, the run through is quite easy to explain. You simply hit the cue ball above centre and the forward spin generated will ensure that the white follows through after contact with the object ball. If this was a straight shot, then with enough power the cue ball would follow the object straight into the pocket. Of course, potting the white is no good, but when you only have a short distance to run through (the stun run through) or you have an angle on the object ball, the run through is a key shot to have at your disposal for positional play.
Here’s a video from BartonSnooker which takes a comprehensive look at how to play the stun run through:
The stun run through helps when you only want the white to travel a short distance after making contact with the object ball.
If you hit the cue ball just slightly above centre, it will skid along the baize towards the object ball. The cue ball should start to roll just before it hits the object ball, so there won’t be much top spin and therefore there won’t be much follow through.
Make sure you still follow through with your cue when striking the cue ball, but apply enough power so the ball skids along the baize until just before it hits the object ball.
Like the other two shots mentioned in this article, it takes practise to get a good feel for the power you need to strike the ball with. Try it out first without worrying where the object ball is going.
Another shot any player should look to improve is their break-off. Take a look at our guide to this shot to ensure you’re starting your frames in the right way. And for more info about snooker, check out our blog: