People are only just realising why snooker players tap their middle finger on the table

People are only just realising why snooker players tap their middle finger on the table Newspoint | 03/05/2025 21:39:08

Snooker fans are finally realising why the game's top players decide to tap their middle finger on the green baize before taking a shot. It's a habit that fans of the sport have long become accustomed to over the years, though plenty don't actually realise the reason behind it.

In the midst of the 2025 World Snooker Championship, it has become a topic of conversation on social media. What is accepted as the main reason behind the routine mostly surrounds the player's bridge hand, otherwise known as the non-cue holding hand, when they line up a shot.

Tapping the finger on the table is said to provide stabilisation for the bridge hand, allowing the player to have a more stable cue when pulling the trigger on a shot.

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There have been other reasons put forward, including the tapping of the middle finger being a movement that a player does without any conscious awareness or control. Some have also said that it allows for the player's hand possessing the cue to loosen up.

One player who has been known to make cue adjustments when planning a shot is 2019 champion Judd Trump. The 35-year-old - who is currently the world number one - has been spotted aiming his cue in a different direction before straightening it when making initial contact with the ball.

The theories don't stop there, with another portion of people believing the tapping helps prevent 'snatching' - a mistake that players make by striking the cue ball too quickly. The taps on the table help players introduce a brief pause before hitting the ball with one expert explaining the approach in the video 'Snooker Technique Secret Tips 2023'.

"If I get used to tapping the table a few times at the end of my backswing, that guarantees that I can't strike the ball before I finish doing this, so there's going to be a pause," they said.

Snooker icon Terry Griffiths was said to have described the tapping as a bad habit, as one commentator on The Snooker Forum explained. They wrote: "Terry Griffiths has said it's a bad habit and no one should try to do it deliberately just to look good as it's a fault in your game (albeit a small one) that shouldn't be there."

Ultimately there are many possible reasons why players choose to tap their finger on the baize as they line up a shot. And two more will most likely be adopting the slightly puzzling technique as the World Championship final takes place across the weekend.