Aiming at the wear lines

Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
Do you ever think about aiming at the ball wear lines that run inside the pockets?
If you place a ball on the foot spot and aim at either wear line, the ball will pocket.

Place the ball between the foot spot and the end rail. The ball only pockets if you
aim at the far pocket wear line. Shallow angled shots from short rails aren't easy.

Shots from foot spot angles, or down the rails won't clip the near tit and rattle out.
You can to do the same just aiming at the far pocket side, but it's not as accurate.

.
 
S

scottjen26

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good idea, although more accurately you should really be aiming at a spot between the points of the pockets. Check it out on the table - place a hole reinforcement or some other marker right between the points of the pocket. You'll see if you roll the ball over that spot, either from center pocket or down the rail, it goes in clean and to the true center of the pocket.

Balls rattle typically when shot at speed and hitting the inside rail, sometimes too far on the outside facing as well. Depending on pocket size, shelf design, etc. you can have more or less wiggle room to pocket the ball. Speed also minimizes the margin for error. Many people subconsciously line up to the middle of the hole of the pocket, and on anything but straighter shots the inside point gets in the way. Aiming for the spot between the points will allow the ball to go in cleanly.

Scott
 
Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
scottjen26 said:
Good idea, although more accurately you should really be aiming at a spot between the points of the pockets. Check it out on the table - place a hole reinforcement or some other marker right between the points of the pocket. You'll see if you roll the ball over that spot, either from center pocket or down the rail, it goes in clean and to the true center of the pocket.

Balls rattle typically when shot at speed and hitting the inside rail, sometimes too far on the outside facing as well. Depending on pocket size, shelf design, etc. you can have more or less wiggle room to pocket the ball. Speed also minimizes the margin for error. Many people subconsciously line up to the middle of the hole of the pocket, and on anything but straighter shots the inside point gets in the way. Aiming for the spot between the points will allow the ball to go in cleanly.

Scott
Click to expand...

I agree totally, that pocket center is always between both points. The reason I think the wear line is more
accurate is when playing on tight table pockets. Touch the near point only slightly and the ball rattles out.
The opening from each point to center pocket becomes much tighter as the angle from the rail decreases.
If the hole reinforcement is placed between the points, the edge of the ball could still touch the near point.

.
 
M

mohrt

Student of the Game
Silver Member
Take note, those wear lines are slightly inside the gutter. The gutter is where the ball rests when touching the rail. Those wear lines are not from the ball rolling down the rail, but rather when the ball compresses into the rail and forced down into the cloth. Set a ball frozen to the rail, you will observe it does not sit directly in the wear line, but slightly outside it. I'm not sure if that affects your aiming idea, but something to think about.
 
Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
mohrt said:
Take note, those wear lines are slightly inside the gutter. The gutter is where the ball rests when touching the rail. Those wear lines are not from the ball rolling down the rail, but rather when the ball compresses into the rail and forced down into the cloth. Set a ball frozen to the rail, you will observe it does not sit directly in the wear line, but slightly outside it. I'm not sure if that affects your aiming idea, but something to think about.
Click to expand...

mohrt.. The wear lines I was talking about are inside the pockets, and run toward the shelf drop. This is somewhat different than the cushion nose.
The rail or cushion nose is higher than the ball equator. The ball is trapped as the cushion compresses and forms slight burn or compression lines.

The down angles inside the pocket are about 13 degrees. The pocket facings are stiffer than a cushion nose, and also forces the ball into the cloth.
The spot where the pocket wear line touches the shelf drop on the FAR side of the pocket is the aim point that I was suggesting as an aiming point.

BTW.. I like your website... www.billiardsthegame.com
 
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M

mohrt

Student of the Game
Silver Member
Ralph Kramden said:
mohrt.. The wear lines I was talking about are inside the pockets, and run toward the shelf drop. This is somewhat different than the cushion nose.
The rail or cushion nose is higher than the ball equator. The ball is trapped as the cushion compresses and forms slight burn or compression lines.

The down angles inside the pocket are about 13 degrees. The pocket facings are stiffer than a cushion nose, and also forces the ball into the cloth.
The spot where the pocket wear line touches the shelf drop on the FAR side of the pocket is the aim point that I was suggesting as an aiming point.

BTW.. I like your website... www.billiardsthegame.com
Click to expand...

Got it, I wasn't sure what specific wear lines you were referring to. My table has no wear lines to aim at ;)
 
jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Why does everything have to be so hard on this site?
What is so difficult about aiming at the pocket?
Do you stand straight up when shooting? How else would you see wear lines?
If I'm down on a shot i wouldn't even be able to see the lines and WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?

With all the crazy $#!+ on here I can't believe I can even make a ball without all this bs. How do I get by
 
jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Btw, how do you ever miss a shot with the accuracy all of you claim to have? I mean, it seems like if you guys aim at a cut thread 8 feet away you will hit it with pin point accuracy.

Jason<-------selling all his cues and giving up the game
 
M

mohrt

Student of the Game
Silver Member
Jason,

This is a site for discussing all things pool. The aiming aiming forum is specifically for talking about aiming. A lot of esoteric topics come and go. There is nothing wrong with discussion on the topics, that is why we come here. Maybe the aiming forum is not for you?

As for seeing the wear lines, this would be done while standing. If you are doing your aiming alignment when down on the shot, there is probably a better way ;)

As for never missing, I think we all understand pool is a very physical and mental game too. Even if you are given a perfect aim line, you have to back it up with solid fundamentals.
 
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jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
mohrt said:
Jason,

This is a site for discussing all things pool. The aiming aiming forum is specifically for talking about aiming. A lot of esoteric topics come and go. There is nothing wrong with discussion on the topics, that is why we come here. Maybe the aiming forum is not for you?

As for seeing the wear lines, this would be done while standing. If you are doing your aiming alignment when down on the shot, there is probably a better way ;)

As for never missing, I think we all understand pool is a very physical and mental game too. Even if you are given a perfect aim line, you have to back it up with solid fundamentals.
Click to expand...

I usually aim at a spot on the ceiling, problem is there are no wear lines on the ceiling that i can see, maybe I should lay down while aiming:rolleyes:

Bet I could still beat 80% of the posters here :)
 
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Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
jasonlaus said:
Why does everything have to be so hard on this site?
What is so difficult about aiming at the pocket?
Do you stand straight up when shooting? How else would you see wear lines?
If I'm down on a shot i wouldn't even be able to see the lines and WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO?

With all the crazy $#!+ on here I can't believe I can even make a ball without all this bs. How do I get by
Click to expand...

Unless you are playing exclusively on new cloth you'll see some wear lines.
If players break from the same spot there will be wear lines to the head ball.
If the table has a lot of banking players, there are wear lines along each rail.
Wear lines will show up in corners and you don't need to stand to see them.

I'm not talking about just aiming at pockets, but aiming to pocket more balls.
If you think aiming this way is bs, keep playing in your bucket sized pockets.

.
 
jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Ralph Kramden said:
Unless you are playing exclusively on new cloth you'll see some wear lines.
If players break from the same spot there will be wear lines to the head ball.
If the table has a lot of banking players, there are wear lines along each rail.
Wear lines will show up in corners and you don't need to stand to see them.

I'm not talking about just aiming at pockets, but aiming to pocket more balls.
If you think aiming this way is bs, keep playing in your bucket sized pockets.

.
Click to expand...

Lol. I have 4 1/8" pockets on a 10 foot table, care to take another swing?

I do understand what you're saying though.....I think. Aiming at the wear lines would give you a "tighter" aiming area.
Aim small, miss small.

I do need to stand to see them though - from distance
 
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JB Cases

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
Ralph Kramden said:
Do you ever think about aiming at the ball wear lines that run inside the pockets?
If you place a ball on the foot spot and aim at either wear line, the ball will pocket.

Place the ball between the foot spot and the end rail. The ball only pockets if you
aim at the far pocket wear line. Shallow angled shots from short rails aren't easy.

Shots from foot spot angles, or down the rails won't clip the near tit and rattle out.
You can to do the same just aiming at the far pocket side, but it's not as accurate.

.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's called the track. Well known to one pocket players to be able to bank a ball towards the track and have it suck the object ball into the hole.
 
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