Guide to Finding your Vision Center

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm going to give you all a detailed guide on how you can easily find your vision center without being near a pool table. It's worked great for me, and so I can only assume it would work for others as well. So please, try it for yourselves if you are struggling in this area and let me know if you have any questions.

Material List:
  1. Strip of Paper - 4-5" (L) x 1/2" (W)
  2. Double Sided Tape (regular tape can be substituted)
  3. Bathroom Mirror


Set Up:
  1. Make an approximate 1/4" fold on either end of the paper, so that it looks like a "J" or "L"
  2. Stick a small piece of tape on the mirror, at around chin level.
  3. Stick the "hook" of the paper on the tape so the paper is sticking towards you.
  4. The paper facing you should be vertical.

All that's left to do is stand directly in line with the paper, and look up slightly at your eyes. Where ever the paper is lined up is your vision center. For me, it lines up around the inside corner of my left eye. I always knew I was left eye dominant, but this test has shown me that I don't need to have the cue directly under my left eye as I previously thought.

Feedback on this guide would be appreciated. I do not consider myself to be a guru on this subject.

Edit: It's probably best to use a thicker stock of paper. Something like a playing card or index card would be ideal.
 
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Keith Jawahir

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I haven't tried this yet, but what about placing your cue on top of a bridge? just put the cue in the bridge/rest and lower your chin to the cue so that you can't see the bridge underneath.
 

KMRUNOUT

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have actually posted something along these lines long ago. For me, here is how you do it:

Get your cue and a mirror. Line up and attempt to stroke your tip straight at the mirror. Aim as if you want your tip to go inside the tip in the mirror, as if the reflection of your shaft was a tube that you are trying to stroke down perfectly straight. If you can line up your real shaft with the reflected shaft so that they appear to be pointing straight at each other, you then look and see where your eyes are in relation to this line. There is your vision center. For me it is also just inside my left eye, sort of the left side of the bottom of my nose. If I place this on the line of the shot, the shot looks straight to me.

Hope this helps,

KMRUNOUT
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have actually posted something along these lines long ago. For me, here is how you do it:

Get your cue and a mirror. Line up and attempt to stroke your tip straight at the mirror. Aim as if you want your tip to go inside the tip in the mirror, as if the reflection of your shaft was a tube that you are trying to stroke down perfectly straight. If you can line up your real shaft with the reflected shaft so that they appear to be pointing straight at each other, you then look and see where your eyes are in relation to this line. There is your vision center. For me it is also just inside my left eye, sort of the left side of the bottom of my nose. If I place this on the line of the shot, the shot looks straight to me.

Hope this helps,

KMRUNOUT

Sounds like we have the same exact vision center :thumbup:

As for your idea, I posted something very similar a couple years ago. http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=344196

That test actually gave me the impression my vision center was under my right eye so it ended up not being as reliable for me.
 

Mirza

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm going to give you all a detailed guide on how you can easily find your vision center without being near a pool table. It's worked great for me, and so I can only assume it would work for others as well. So please, try it for yourselves if you are struggling in this area and let me know if you have any questions.

Material List:
  1. Strip of Paper - 4-5" (L) x 1/2" (W)
  2. Double Sided Tape (regular tape can be substituted)
  3. Bathroom Mirror


Set Up:
  1. Make an approximate 1/4" fold on either end of the paper, so that it looks like a "J" or "L"
  2. Stick a small piece of tape on the mirror, at around chin level.
  3. Stick the "hook" of the paper on the tape so the paper is sticking towards you.
  4. The paper facing you should be vertical.

All that's left to do is stand directly in line with the paper, and look up slightly at your eyes. Where ever the paper is lined up is your vision center. For me, it lines up around the inside corner of my left eye. I always knew I was left eye dominant, but this test has shown me that I don't need to have the cue directly under my left eye as I previously thought.

Feedback on this guide would be appreciated. I do not consider myself to be a guru on this subject.

Could you pls post a picture of this setup?
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Could you pls post a picture of this setup?

Here ya go, buddy.

2GdfYkB6SE2oIGJhlTlL.jpg
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I haven't tried this yet, but what about placing your cue on top of a bridge? just put the cue in the bridge/rest and lower your chin to the cue so that you can't see the bridge underneath.

I'm no expert, but that I suppose that could work.
 

One Pocket John

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Great thread and posts.

All of the posts demonstrating finding you vision center while in the shooting position work great.

No one has talked about finding your vision center while in the standing position trying to establish the shot line to set your stance.

I posted this on my FB page. A good way to find your vision center while in the standing position. The top photo shows you are standing to far to the left of the shot line, the photo on the bottom left shows you are to far to the right of the shot line. The photo on the bottom right shows you are dead on the shot line. If you place a mirror behind the line and look in the mirror you will see the orientation of your eyes with respect to the tape.

The interesting thing about this example, if you want to play around with it, is to close one eye and align you body as the open eye sees it. Do the same thing with the other eye.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...67712894139.1073741855.100005127363552&type=3

John
 
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RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just did it with a sticky note. Oddly enough, mine is dead center. I can force myself to focus on it with either eye while having both eyes open, but for it to look like a straight line in the mirror, dead center.

I always figured I was right eye dominant, but I have pretty much played with my cue between my eyes the last several years. It has helped shots look 'even' meaning, before, I played for years having to shoot cut shots to my right aimed thicker than I would aim the same angle to the left, based on the premise of being right eye dominant and having built my stance around that. I called Geno one time, and his method led me in the direction of moving really far left at the time of the call (might have done something wrong, dunno). It was wrenching my neck, and wasnt looking right. After playing with it, I ended up at dead center as it was easier on my neck, and then it looked oddly right...... :thumbup:
 

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thank you for posting this :smile:

Mine is about 5-10mm to the right from the inside corner of my right eye, a bit more to the right of what I have thought to be center for me.
This is the simplest and fastest way to find your vision center that I have seen so far. Greened you up for posting this, with pics and all :rolleyes:
 

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is really ingenious, beebs. No doubt this will help a lot of players fine tune and get an accurate vision centre. It is without a doubt the most important part of playing at your best. Without knowing your vision centre you can't reach your full potential IMO, so we'll done on sharing what's worked for you buddy :)
 

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is really ingenious, beebs. No doubt this will help a lot of players fine tune and get an accurate vision centre. It is without a doubt the most important part of playing at your best. Without knowing your vision centre you can't reach your full potential IMO, so we'll done on sharing what's worked for you buddy :)

Thanks pal. Means a lot coming from one of the people on this forum that's helped my game the most.
 

Zphix

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hmm... Seems I'm pretty good at naturally finding the optimal variables in pool.

I've always lined up over the inside corner of my right eye, and this has reinforced that. Excellent post!
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
Good idea. I have tried lots of similar and related things over the years with various props. However, in my experience, the most reliable way to find a player's "vision center" is at a pool table with the person in their normal stance with their head in their normal in-stance orientation.

Several useful drills and procedures for finding one's "vision center" can be found (with demonstrations) on the vision center resource page.

Regards,
Dave


I'm going to give you all a detailed guide on how you can easily find your vision center without being near a pool table. It's worked great for me, and so I can only assume it would work for others as well. So please, try it for yourselves if you are struggling in this area and let me know if you have any questions.

Material List:
  1. Strip of Paper - 4-5" (L) x 1/2" (W)
  2. Double Sided Tape (regular tape can be substituted)
  3. Bathroom Mirror


Set Up:
  1. Make an approximate 1/4" fold on either end of the paper, so that it looks like a "J" or "L"
  2. Stick a small piece of tape on the mirror, at around chin level.
  3. Stick the "hook" of the paper on the tape so the paper is sticking towards you.
  4. The paper facing you should be vertical.

All that's left to do is stand directly in line with the paper, and look up slightly at your eyes. Where ever the paper is lined up is your vision center. For me, it lines up around the inside corner of my left eye. I always knew I was left eye dominant, but this test has shown me that I don't need to have the cue directly under my left eye as I previously thought.

Feedback on this guide would be appreciated. I do not consider myself to be a guru on this subject.
 
Last edited:

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good idea. I have tried lots of similar and related things over the years with various props. However, in my experience, the most reliable way to find a player's "vision center" is at a pool table with the person in their normal stance with their head in their normal in-stance orientation.

Several useful drills and procedures for finding one's "vision center" can be found (with demonstrations) on the vision center resource page.

Regards,
Dave

Thanks Dave. I bought Tucker's 3rd Eye Trainer a while ago, and have tried other "at the table" methods.

The same issue would always arise. One day I could play a perfect center axis stop shot and the cue would be under my left eye. The next day I could do it under my right eye or directly under my chin. It was never consistent for me, and I imagine it has something to do with subconscious making the corrections.
 
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