The History & Origin of Snooker Balls

By: LoydMartin

The History & Origin of Snooker Balls

The origin of snooker balls as well as billiards are a fascinating tale that is full of fascination and mystery. We may have lost the largest land mammal in the world were it not for an innovative inventor. But before we get to that, let’s examine the history of the snooker balls which make the snooker table a needed implement.

Wood was initially used to make the balls used on snooker tables. These wooden balls were popular throughout the sixteenth century. However, though they were exquisitely made, these wooden balls were prone to warping and no matter how fine the snooker table you had, the warped ball wasn’t a good choice for establishing your expertise. In essence, what you had was excellent snooker tables with horrible balls. It was a terrible combination, for sure.

When the seventeenth century rolled around, the people who built fine snooker tables knew they had to find a better ball. The solution, unfortunately for the elephant was ivory snooker balls.

Although only the wealthy could afford them and those with a love for snooker could afford them play, the ivory snooker ball started to appear on snooker tables across the world. To supply top-quality balls for our tables of snooker, elephants were hunted to the point of extinction in the middle to late 18th century.

A certain person known as John Wesley Hyatt came to the rescue of the elephant, and developed the nitrocellulose compound to replace ivory billiard and snooker balls in 1869.

The new material was gorgeous, but there was one problem. It was prone to explode if you hit it too hard. The ball’s explosion wasn’t good for any snooker table So it was put back to the drawing board.

Every good snooker table is aware that the end result is always happy. New balls made from Bakelite and phenolic resin were created and were able to be manufactured with the highest quality finishes and were almost perfectly round. The main thing to note was that they didn’t explode upon impact, which was a great relief to snooker table owners around the world!

Snooker lessons: How you can benefit

Snooker is a very popular sport in the UK and across the globe. Many players enjoy playing Snooker at leisure as well as in competitions and tournaments. Snooker is also played professionally by some of the most prominent names in snooker like Steve Davis, Alex Higgins and Steven Hendry.

Snooker is great for those who enjoy socializing and don’t mind spending time in bars or pubs. You will find snooker facilities in all sorts of places, from bars and pubs to specialist snooker halls and community centres, to name just some. Snooker rules can be grasped once you have a good understanding of the rules. You must be aware about the rules to be competent to play the game.

Snooker is a game that requires specific skills to succeed. You must master the basics of snooker, including how to control your cues , and also be precise.

Snooker lessons are a fantastic method to master how to play snooker. The best part is that it is possible to find online snooker instruction and tutorials and learn more about the rules and strategies of playing this game properly at the at the comfort of your home.

The lessons will help you learn various important elements that will help you build your snooker skills or improve on existing ones. This covers areas like your aim, cut control, making basic shots, the basic play posture and stance, as well as the basics of the game.

Snooker lessons can be a great alternative for those who already play the game and want to increase their skill. There are advanced snooker lessons online and will also provide a wide range of abilities however on a higher level. This includes advanced shots, playing in more advanced positions, safety and defense as well as many more. These online lessons will aid you in improving your snooker game in case you already play at a high level.

5 Basic Tips to Improve in Snooker

Snooker is a well-known game across the globe and if you’re in the United States, chances are that it’s not new to you. Snooker is a game that is a challenge even if you are from another region of the world.

You can enhance your snooker game and have more fun. This guide will help you master five crucial skills for snooker.

1 Take Practice Shots

A majority of players who line up a shot in a friendly game of snooker do so very quickly. This is probably due to the fact that you don’t want to wait too long before shooting the next player. It’s not the best way to get better though. Instead, take two or three quick shots to practice without hitting the ball.

2 Loosen Your Grip

When you’re lining up for a shot, it could be tempting to hold your cue too hard that you could break it. This is the natural reaction when you are working on the perfect shot. Take a break from the cue, however! For more accuracy release your grip to allow the cue’s movement through a variety of directions.

3 Where’s Your Chalk?

These chalk cubes are there to serve a purpose — they protect your cue tip from falling off the ball after you hit it. Every time you hit the ball, make sure to chalk up. Make a habit of this by keeping a chalkboard in your spare hand so that you don’t forget.

Four ways to keep your feet fit

Before taking a shot be sure that your feet are firmly on the ground and that you aren’t leaning. Your feet can be moved depending on the need, but keep your feet planted. If your feet are not placed in the correct position then you’ll miss a lot of shots.

5 Make Your Chin Smart

Instead of aligning your shot with your cue line you can do it using the angle your chin. This places your body in the right place.

Additional Resource:

https://www.flashscore.com/snooker/
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/snooker
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/snooker