Fractional Cuts Visualization Practice

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
To use Fractions for aiming you need to get familiar with (learn to visualize at the table) the cut angles formed by the three common fractional overlaps: 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 ball.

To help with that, here's a practice setup diagram of the fractional cut angles (left and right) for shots parallel with the short and long rails. I hope it's self explanatory.

pj
chgo

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336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
To use Fractions for aiming you need to get familiar with (learn to visualize at the table) the cut angles formed by the three common fractional overlaps: 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 ball.

To help with that, here's a practice setup diagram of the fractional cut angles (left and right) for shots parallel with the short and long rails. I hope it's self explanatory.

pj
chgo

Those diagrams are awesome.How did you do them?
 

SmoothStroke

Swim for the win.
Silver Member
That is perfect.
It is exactly what I asked if you could do a while back on another illustration you did, running the line back out to the opposite rail.

Line in line out, good work, very smple.

Sincerely:SS
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
thanks patrick
i appreciate your posts
and learn alot from them
:thumbup:
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
That is perfect.
It is exactly what I asked if you could do a while back on another illustration you did, running the line back out to the opposite rail.

Line in line out, good work, very smple.

Sincerely:SS
I remember - maybe that gave me the idea.

pj
chgo
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
thanks patrick
i appreciate your posts
and learn alot from them
:thumbup:
Thanks Larry.

I've never tried using fractional reference alignments, but I thought something like this might be helpful for those who do or want to try. Might even give it a go myself...

pj
chgo
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thanks Larry.

I've never tried using fractional reference alignments, but I thought something like this might be helpful for those who do or want to try. Might even give it a go myself...

pj
chgo

patrick
the other value to me of your diagram
is it gives someone a reference
to use in practicing
they may not be aware
for example
" its the FILL IN THE BLANK cut i keep missing"
but once they do
now they have that type of ball cut from various places to practice
 
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SmoothStroke

Swim for the win.
Silver Member
I teach this using lasers. I made a tool to adjust the height of the laser. I adjust the tool for a complete line in and out and over the object ball, its laser straight, you can hit a hair on a mosquito's ass with it.

I have another for the cue ball and adjust it accordingly. It doesn’t matter where the cue ball or object balls are, it is always the same, it never changes, it's constant and simple.

I keep a pointer in my hand for explanation.

The laser travels over the balls also as one complete line, which is the crease. When you know how to use the crease your life can change, fireworks go off, I have seen players smile, haha.

It is so easy Ray Charles and Helen Keller use this. It's taught in 30 minutes or less.

Without getting into great detail, which is really unnecessary, it's so simple and doesn't tax the brain as other methods can.

As humans we are visual creatures, this is as easy as easy gets. It may be not everyone's cup of tea, that's why we have different tea cups.

Once you figure it out bring your straight stroke and feel.
Sincerely: SS
 

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
Spot Shot

Just a simple drawing program called SmartDraw. I probably copied the table from somewhere - don't remember.

pj
chgo

Another useful diagram that was very useful to me is the Spot Shot half ball hit. Its very important in One Pocket where balls are on the spot. The minute someone scratches they can set the ball up anywhere behind the line and the Spot Shot comes into play and if the position of the cue ball is right its easier to pot the shot by knowing the half ball hit location.
 

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
I'd like your opinion on this:

Another good way to familiarize yourself with OB-CB fractions is to line up a straight-in OB-CB line (OB ball anywhere and the CB in the Ghost Ball position), and then -- with your eyes as close to table-level as possible -- move your head around the "arc" to determine where you see the correct fractional line. Start with your eyes on the straight-in line, then move your head to the right (or left) and you'll see the OB-CB change like the phases of the moon.

The 1/2-ball hit is the most obvious since it's when you see the CB covering up exactly half the OB (a half-moon).

The short-coming of this method is that your perceptions might be wrong; maybe you're just not very good at perceiving overlap percentages. I had an arrows "template" of 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 overlap angles but I can't find it at the moment. Maybe someone else has one.
 
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Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I'd like your opinion on this:

Another good way to familiarize yourself with OB-CB fractions is to line up a straight-in OB-CB line (OB ball anywhere and the CB in the Ghost Ball position), and then -- with your eyes as close to table-level as possible -- move your head around the "arc" to determine where you see the correct fractional line. Start with you eyes on the straight-in line, then move your head to the right (or left) and you'll see the OB-CB change like the phases of the moon.

The 1/2-ball hit is the most obvious since it's when you see the CB covering up exactly half the OB (a half-moon).

The short-coming of this method is that your perceptions might be wrong; maybe you're just not very good at perceiving overlap percentages. I had an arrows "template" of 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 overlap angles but I can't find it at the moment. Maybe someone else has one.
I assume you mean move the CB around too...

It's an interesting approach - especially because you can do it with any shot. You could confirm your perceptions by shooting the shots.

pj
chgo
 

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
I assume you mean move the CB around too...

It's an interesting approach - especially because you can do it with any shot. You could confirm your perceptions by shooting the shots.

pj
chgo

No, sorry if I wasn't clear. You don't move the CB since it's in the Ghost Ball position which doesn't change regardless of the angle of the shot.

Does anyone know if the "color line" of a striped ball is at the 1/4 and 3/4 positions? Is that a regulation or can each manufacturer make the stripe as wide/narrow as it wants?
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
No, sorry if I wasn't clear. You don't move the CB since it's in the Ghost Ball position which doesn't change regardless of the angle of the shot.

Does anyone know if the "color line" of a striped ball is at the 1/4 and 3/4 positions? Is that a regulation or can each manufacturer make the stripe as wide/narrow as it wants?

im not an expert but i believe the answer is yes
also with the stripe horizontal the edge of the stripe is close to the miscue limit
icbw
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
No, sorry if I wasn't clear. You don't move the CB since it's in the Ghost Ball position which doesn't change regardless of the angle of the shot.
You were clear (now that I read it more carefully). I still like it.

Does anyone know if the "color line" of a striped ball is at the 1/4 and 3/4 positions? Is that a regulation or can each manufacturer make the stripe as wide/narrow as it wants?
I believe the width of stripes on Centennials (and I suppose other Aramith balls too) is slightly less than 1/2 the diameter of the ball. If that's a regulation I've never heard of it.

pj
chgo
 
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