Snooker Screw Shot (Draw Shot): How to Bring the Cue Ball Back
The screw shot — also called the draw shot in American pool — is when the cue ball reverses direction after hitting the object ball. Pot the red, watch the cue ball spin back toward you. Done well, it's the single most useful positional shot in snooker. Done badly, it's a frustrating "nothing happened" miss.
This guide explains exactly what's happening physically, the three difficulty levels of screw (stun-back, medium screw, deep screw), the five amateur mistakes that kill it, and a drill progression to make screw shots reliable.
What's Actually Happening
When you strike the cue ball below its centre, you put backspin on it (the ball spins backward relative to its direction of travel). On contact with the object ball, the cue ball's forward velocity transfers to the OB — but the backspin stays. Friction with the cloth then converts that backspin into reverse motion, and the cue ball travels backwards.
The amount of reverse motion depends on three things:
- How low you struck — further below centre = more backspin.
- How hard you struck — more power = backspin survives further before friction wins.
- How far the cue ball travelled before impact — friction slowly kills backspin during travel.
Translation: you can get more screw by hitting lower, harder, or by having the cue ball close to the OB when you hit.
The Three Levels of Screw
Tip about 8-10 mm below centre, soft to medium pace
The cue ball stops at impact, hesitates, then drifts backward a short distance (6-18 inches). The mildest form of screw and the easiest to control. This is what you'll use most often — for small positional adjustments after potting a red.
Feel: the cue ball "hesitates and trickles back". You're not trying to drag it across the table; you're just preventing it from following through.
Tip about 12-15 mm below centre, medium-firm pace
The cue ball reverses 2-4 feet after impact. Useful for crossing back to the opposite side of the table or returning to the black after potting a red on the side cushion. The workhorse of positional snooker.
Feel: a more pronounced "spin and roll back". The cue ball briefly looks like it's hovering before reversing.
Tip about 16-20 mm below centre (just above the cloth), firm pace
The cue ball reverses 4+ feet, sometimes the length of the table. The "audience gasps" shot. Reserved for specific positional needs — bringing the cue ball from baulk back to the spots area, or escaping a snooker by drawing the cue ball off a cushion at speed.
Feel: a sharp recoil, the cue ball almost bounces back. Easy to over- or under-power.
The 5 Mistakes That Kill Screw Shots
1. Hitting Too Low → Miscue
Symptom: the cue tip slides off the bottom of the cue ball; it skids forward weakly or jumps in the air; minimal screw.
Cause: aiming too far below centre, beyond the safe contact zone. Below about 20 mm from centre on a 52.5 mm snooker ball, the tip can't grip properly.
Fix: aim about 1.5 tip-widths below centre at maximum. If you want more screw, don't go lower — go faster.
2. Decelerating Through the Ball
Symptom: cue tip strikes correctly but cue ball stuns or drifts forward instead of screwing back.
Cause: anxiety about the shot causes you to slow the through-stroke at the last instant. Without a clean accelerating stroke, the backspin never gets imparted.
Fix: accelerate through the cue ball with full follow-through. Imagine you're stroking through a target 6 inches past where the cue ball started. Don't "punch and stop".
3. Tip Not Properly Chalked
Symptom: occasional miscue with no obvious cause; cue ball reaction inconsistent.
Cause: low cue ball contact requires maximum tip grip. A worn or under-chalked tip slides off. Chalk before every screw shot, not just every few. The pros do this.
Fix: re-chalk before every below-centre shot. Replace the tip if it's worn flat — the curve matters.
4. Cue Not Level
Symptom: cue ball jumps when struck, drastically less screw than expected.
Cause: cueing at a downward angle (butt held higher than tip) sends some of your striking energy downward rather than into spin. On a screw shot you want the cue as horizontal as possible.
Fix: drop the grip hand so the cue runs as level to the cloth as your bridge will allow. Adjust your bridge height down (use a flatter bridge hand) to give yourself more room.
5. Hitting Too Soft
Symptom: cue ball stops or drifts back a few inches when you wanted a full screw.
Cause: backspin needs to survive the contact and the post-contact friction. Soft strokes lose spin before reaching the OB.
Fix: for medium and deep screw, hit firm. Beginners reflexively soften because "soft = controlled" — wrong on screw shots. Soft is the enemy of screw.
Drill Progression: 4 Weeks to Reliable Screw
| Week | Drill | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stun-back: pot OB into corner from 1 ft, screw cue ball 6 in back. 30 reps. | Feel the basic motion. No miscues. |
| 2 | Medium screw: pot OB into corner from 2 ft, screw cue ball 3 ft back. 30 reps. | Apply more power without losing line. |
| 3 | Deep screw: pot blue into middle, screw cue ball back to baulk. 20 reps. | Maximum draw without miscue. |
| 4 | Variable screw: random OB position, target specific cue-ball landing zones (you choose). | Calibrate screw amount to positional needs. |
Screw is a positional tool, not a trick shot
Once your screw is reliable, integrate it with your break-building thinking — see how to string your first 30+. Or check the 30° rule to understand how screw vs stun changes the cue ball's path after contact.
Open Lesson 4.1 · Follow + Draw →Power Calibration: How Far Do You Need It Back?
A rough mental model for medium-firm strokes:
| Tip strike position | Cue ball travel back (after potting OB 2-3 ft away) |
|---|---|
| 2 mm below centre | ~6 inches (stun) |
| 5 mm below | ~1 foot |
| 10 mm below (1 tip width) | ~3 feet |
| 15 mm below | ~5-6 feet |
| 18 mm below + firm pace | Full table length |
These are estimates — every cloth, ball set, and humidity changes the numbers slightly. Calibrate on your own table with the 4-week drill plan above.
When NOT to Use Screw
- When stun would do. If you only need the cue ball to stop dead, a stun (centre cue ball, controlled pace) is more reliable than a stun-back.
- When the cue ball is very close to the OB. Less than 6 inches separation: friction hasn't yet established the cue ball's rolling state, so screw behaves unpredictably.
- When using the rest. Rest shots don't deliver clean screw — the cue motion is restricted. Plan rest positions to use stun or stun-follow instead.
- When the cue ball needs to travel forward through other balls. Backspin will slow down the cue ball before it gets there — use follow instead.
One-Sentence Summary
Strike low, accelerate through, keep the cue level, and re-chalk every shot — the screw shot is mostly disciplined fundamentals, with power as the variable to dial in how far back the cue ball travels.
Related reading: Snooker Cue Action — The Pendulum Stroke · Snooker Break Building · The 30° Rule