I find that most people can predict the trajectory of the cueball with reasonable accuracy even without many years of practice. I've had opponents unfamiliar with kicking try a few 2- and 3-railers after seeing me do them succesfully, once they realize they have some intuitive understanding of the trajectory.
I ask two questions, where do I want the cueball, and where does it want to go. Chances are I haven't played perfect position on the last shot, and the cueball favors a particular direction of travel.
Once I think about realistic travel paths, I look at which ones can land in good position zones and play from there.
We all plan "pinpoint" position in that even beginners know exactly where they'd like the cueball to be. Evaluating the likely trajectory of the cueball while planning position helps increase chances of success.