Ten Blues
Spot the blue and position the cue-ball behind it to form a straight pot.
With the cue-ball played from where it finishes each time, pot ten blues in a row into the middles pockets.
Here is a video of Cuestars Snooker Academy player Ian Mashford finishing off the Ten Blues routine.
Anything Goes
As shown, place a red on the lip of each pocket, spot the colours.
With the cue-ball positioned for the first shot only clear the table, potting any ball in any order or sequence. Planting one ball onto another is OK. Potting two or more balls at once is OK.
Six Reds Clearance
Line six reds two balls’ widths apart with the blue spot splitting them in half.
With the cue-ball positioned for the first shot only, clear the reds.
Colours in Order
Line the six colours two balls’ widths apart with the blue spot splitting them in half.
Starting with the yellow clear the colours in order, playing the cue-ball from where it finishes each time.
Here is a video of Cuestars Bronze Under-21 Thomas McEvoy completing the Colours in Order routine.
Blacks 100
Spot the black.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only and the black re-spotted each time, see how many blacks can be potted out of 100.
Remember the cue-ball can be placed again after a missed black!
Clear from the Blue
Spot the blue, pink and black.
With the cue-ball placed by hand for the first shot only, clear the blue, pink and black.
Colours in Order – Same Pocket
Line the six colours two balls’ widths apart with the blue spot splitting them in half.
Starting with the yellow clear the colours in order, potting them into the same middle pocket.
‘Pyramid’ Red-Black
Position the colours from red to black as shown.
Starting with the red clear the colours in order.
Colours in Sequence
Line the colours between the pink and black spots.
Starting with the yellow clear the colours in sequence, playing the cue-ball from where it finishes each time.
Pink-Blacks 100
Spot the pink and black.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only play fifty pink-blacks to see how many pots out of 100 can be achieved.
Remember the pink and black can be re-spotted and the cue-ball placed after a missed shot.
Colours in Sequence – Same Pocket
Line the colours between the pink and black spots.
Starting with the yellow clear the colours in sequence, potting each colour into the same top corner pocket.
Clearing the Colours
Spot the colours.
Starting with the yellow into the yellow pocket, clear the colours in sequence.
Mini-Step Ladder
Spot the black then position six reds as shown.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, pot the six reds with blacks playing no cannons or plants.
Colours in Sequence – High Blacks
Line the colours between the pink and black spots.
Starting with the yellow clear the colours in sequence, taking each colour with a high black.
Here is a video of John Hunter completing this routine.
Colours 100
Spot the colours.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only and making sure to not pot the same colour in a row, make a 100 break.
Right Side of Blue
Spot the blue and line six reds, three either side of the pink spot as shown.
Clear the six reds with blues, making sure to get the right side of the blue each time.
105 Challenge
Spot the pink and black.
With ball in hand for the first shot only. clear pink-black, then blue-pink-black, brown-blue-pink-black, green-brown-blue-pink-black and yellow-green-brown-blue-pink-black to achieve 105 points without a miss!
Here a video of John Hunter explaining the challenge and one of England U16 International Dylan Beer achieving it.
Red Black 120
Spot the black and position a red half way between the pink and black spots and another half way between the black and top cushion.
Placing the cue-ball behind a red to start and replacing both the reds and black when potted, pot 15 reds, 15 blacks in sequence.
Here is a video of Cuestars Silver Under-21 player William Thomson (aged 8) scoring 48 on the Red Black 120 routine.
The John Higgins
With the colours spotted, spread six reds around the blue, pink and black.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, clear the table.
Here is a video of top Cuestars Gold player Bradley Cowdroy completing the John Higgins routine.
Six Reds-Six Blues Clearance
With the colours spotted, position six reds, three either side of the blue as shown.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, clear the table taking a blue with each red.
‘No Cannons’ Red-Black
Put a red on the black spot then position the colours as shown.
Potting a red from the black spot each time to get position, clear the colours in order without playing any cannons.
High on Black
Spot the black and position two reds a ball’s width from the top cushion as shown.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, pot six reds and six blacks.
The reds and the black are replaced after being potted.
Blue-Pinks
Spot the blue and pink.
With the cue-ball positioned for the first shot only, keep potting blue-pink, blue-pink.
Cushion Blacks 100
Spot the black.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only and the cushion contacted after each potted black, see how many blacks can be potted out of 100.
Remember the cue-ball can be placed again after a missed black.
Six Reds-Six Blues
Spot the blue and then position six reds as shown.
Clear the six reds with blues.
Red-Blacks Side Cushion
Spot the black and then position two reds between the pink and black spots and a ball’s width from each top side cushion as shown.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, pot six reds and six blacks.
The reds and the black are replaced after being potted.
Six Reds, Six Colours
Spot the colours and position six reds around the blue as shown.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, clear the six reds with the six colours.
Do NOT re-spot the colours after they are potted!
Here is a video of John Hunter completing this routine.
Blacks-Baulk Colours
Spot the black and baulk colours.
Placing the cue-ball behind the black to start, keep potting black-baulk colour, black-baulk colour.
The baulk colours and black are re-spotted after being potted.
Pink-Blacks Mix
Spot the pink and black.
With the cue-ball positioned for the first shot only, pot pink-black, pink-black (alternate the pink between the corner and middle pockets).
Six Reds-Six Pinks Clearance
With the colours spotted, position six reds, three either side of the pink as shown.
With the cue-ball placed for the first shot only, clear the table taking a pink with each red.
Mini Xmas Tree
Spot the colours and position six reds as shown.
With the cue ball placed for the first shot only, clear the table.
Middle Red-Blacks
Spot the black and position two reds either side of the pink spot as shown.
With the cue ball placed for the first shot only, keep potting reds into a middle pocket with blacks to follow.
The reds and the black are replaced after being potted.
Open Table
Spot the yellow, green, brown, blue and black then form a triangle of ten reds just below the pink spot as shown.
With the cue-ball played from the D break open the reds. Now spot the pink to complete the open table.
With the cue ball placed for the first shot only, clear the table.
Six Reds-Six Baulk Colours
Spot the baulk colours and then position six reds as shown.
Clear the six reds with baulk colours.
Scattergun Blue
Spot the blue and scatter the fifteen reds, eight in baulk and seven in the top half of the table.
Clear the fifteen reds with blues.
Here is a video of top Cuestars Gold player Bradley Cowdroy completing the Scattergun Blue routine.
Training Frame
Set the table up for a frame of snooker.
Break-off as normal and then use ball-in-hand to start each break. Continue making breaks until the first pot is missed or the frame’s best break score cannot be beat.
As it’s important not to take shots on that wouldn’t be taken on in a match, award a free shot instead of the safety shot. The free shot can be used to bring balls into play before ball-in-hand for the next break is taken.
Safe Red Cannons
Spot the colours and position ten reds tight against the cushions as shown.
With the cue ball placed for the first shot only, pot a colour and move a red from a cushion. For the break to continue a red or colour must be potted every shot. The routine ends when either a pot is missed or all ten reds have been potted.
The colours are re-spotted after being potted.
Here is a video of top Cuestars player Ryan Mears completing this routine.