Aiming Systems • THE COMPLETE TRUTH

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
you need to rethink how you go about learning things, maybe you need to set goals. For the next 3 months work only on your stroke, give yourself a good amount of time to learn things and do not always look for a over night fix.

I don't really need to rethink anything as pool, as much as I love to play it, is just not all that important to me in the big picture.

As far as goals, the only goal I have in life is to die before any of my children or grandchildren do.

I never look for an "overnight fix" and I don't know why you think I would from what I posted earlier. I practice almost daily. I work at my game. It's just that I have a flaw in my stroke that I cannot seem to correct. It doesn't matter to me all that much. I may never get any better than I am right now, and I don't really care. I still enjoy the hell out of the game.

If being the best at something or the winning vs. losing is all that matters, then I believe that some people are missing out on the blessing of just playing and loving the game for what it is, a truly great but complex recreational pastime.

Champ, I see that you've already made quite a few posts in this thread aleady. Please try to keep cool on this subject and hang around awhile with us. Your posts can be very effectual at times.

Shoot well, my friend!!!

Maniac
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
Well, it's not the one you preached here in 2010 and 2011.

The method you advocated is what we came to call the Mullen Method, because it was presented in a video by a Mr. Mullen. The Mullen Method involves aiming the edge of the ferrule at the intended contact point on the OB -- using the left side of the ferrule for cuts to the left and right side of the ferrule for cuts to the right. I have described the limitations of that method more than once.

Shane's method, so far as we know it from a TAR interview and a teaching video, is to aim the center or an edge of the ferrule at the outside edge of the OB. To allow for more cut angles than that would provide, he adjusts the aiming point on the OB for some shots.

So while both methods are "ferrule aiming" of some sort, they are quite different.

If that's true, then it isn't what I use. I understood Shane to do exactly edge of ferrule to aim point on OB. Where do I learn more about this explanation? Do you have that link?
 

mohrt

Student of the Game
Silver Member
Just for fun I took the aiming billiard calculator and looked at what lined up from 0-60 degrees in 5 degree increments:

0d - tip center to OB center
5d - tip inside quarter to OB center
10d - tip inside edge to OB center
15d - tip center to OB outside quarter OR one tip width in from edge of OB
20d - tip center half tip in from OB edge
25d - tip outside quarter to OB edge
30d - tip center to OB edge (1/2 ball hit)
35d - tip inside edge to OB edge
40d - tip inside edge half tip outside CB
45d - tip inside edge 3/4 tip from outside OB edge
50d - tip inside edge 1 tip from outside OB edge (1/4 ball hit)
55d - tip inside edge 1.5 tip from outside OB edge
60d - tip inside edge 1.75 tip from outside OB edge (1/8 ball hit)

outside 60 degrees the ferrule isn't of much use.

So now it is just up to you to recognize the angle and where to aim the tip/ferrule. Take it at face value, give it a system name if you want :D

[edit] you can also find for yourself what you see: line up two balls frozen to the pocket where one of the balls is the ghost-ball position. Now move the cueball to various places on the table, line up your aim on the ghost-ball and see what lines up. (edges/centers/etc) Take notes.
 
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robsnotes4u

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I lool forward to meeting you at Fargo Billiards or New Town

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
AS EXPERIENCED BY JOEYA:

Aiming systems in my opinion have evolved over the years and I believe this evolution is a great thing. Many aiming systems like “ghost ball” are simple to express in a diagram but far too difficult for most people to make effective on the pool table without huge amounts of investment in time on the table. I’m not saying that learning any aiming system requires little effort. I’m not saying that at all. I think that aiming systems like ghost ball are just too simple and require far more visual imagination than most of us possess.

Other evolving aiming systems like CTE/Pro1 incorporate many other physical and visual pieces of information to help the player obtain the perfect sight picture. I’ve used most of the aiming systems out there and plan on using others as they are brought to the market place. I can talk a little about CTE/Pro1 because I have used it to a very high level.

Some people believe that aiming systems are a bunch of hooey and that if you use an aiming system the sky is going to fall down on you. Lol. But that’s ok too. I am not in this world to convince those who don’t want to be convinced that aiming systems are GREAT for your pool game. For the rest of you, keep in mind that I am speaking from my own personal experience: CTE/Pro1 has given me much, much more than an aiming system. It is a total shooting system, in my opinion. This particular aiming system involves body alignment, head alignment, eye movement, body movement, and complete visual perspective necessary to help you develop the perfect sight picture. It is not the easiest aiming system to learn as it involves lots of “new” terminology that can be easily misconstrued. Also, like anything worthwhile, it takes dedication and time to master.

I’m kind of glutton for punishment, if you have ever seen me practicing or if you were in boot camp with me in the Corps. :D I don’t mind spending countless hours learning to do something perfectly well. In fact, I marvel at those who say if I practiced like you I could be a world champion. (And it’s been said to me on more than one occasion, I might add). But this isn’t really about the dedication it takes to excel at this sport or the dedication that it takes to learn CTE/Pro1.

CTE/Pro1 has helped me grow as a player by not only helping me to recognize what a perfect sight picture looks like but many other things that are probably just as important, and collectively, probably more important. In no particular order, CTE/Pro1 has helped me to:
1. It has helped me to align my body to the shot better.
2. It has helped me to improve my focus. My ability to focus has gone from a traditional one button, one bulb, flashlight to an LED flashlight with zoom lens. I believe it is the finite points on the cue ball and the object ball that does this but I can’t be positive at this time.
3. It has helped me to find the center of the cue ball better. (This should not be under-valued) Just a word to the wise.
4. It has helped me to learn what a perfect sight picture is supposed to look like.
5. It has helped me to improve my confidence in taking the shot.
6. It has helped me to trust my visual intelligence.
7. By using the finite aiming coordinates of CTE/Pro1, I feel like am fine-tuning my aiming while still standing erect, making the transition to bridge hand placement automatic. It didn’t start out automatic and I practiced with the manual CTE/Pro1 pivoting for a very long time before migrating over to the auto pilot of Pro1.
8. It has helped me to work on the rest of my fundamentals without hindrance and with a confidence that I never had before.

In all of this, I have come full circle, I can now aim with superior effectiveness, all automatically, without thinking without manually pivoting and I believe it is CTE/Pro1 that has helped me to do this. This is THE TRUTH.

Another thing that has helped me is Gene Albrecht’s Perfect Aim as I have mentioned in other threads and this too, is THE TRUTH.

The bottom line is that I am seeing the shot better than ever and I am having more fun than ever and I am playing better against better players. I genuinely believe that my journey through ALL aiming systems has helped me to become a better player. I have even recently used Shane Van Boening’s ferrule aiming system much to my amazement with great success. Maybe, it is more about noticing that on some shots different portions of my ferrule line up with the edge of the object ball. The easily seen finite points on an object ball and cue ball make aiming better.

Sometimes, I believe that the mechanical aspects of aiming systems do all of these great things but at the highest level, they train you to do what some do automatically and that is to see the perfect sight picture simply by doing.

I’m not a great player by any stretch of the imagination but I am a better player because of aiming systems. If you already know how to shoot well, you probably don’t need to learn an aiming system. But if you still need improvement in your shooting, don’t listen to those fools who tell you that aiming systems are snake oil and that if you use them, the sky will fall on your head. Just try it out for yourself and you be the judge. Like with most things in life, results will vary from one individual to the next.

Oh yes, one more thing, when I start to miss balls, I will go back to the manual pivoting of CTE/Pro1 in a heartbeat. When my game starts to flounder, I find going through the manual pivoting and the visual coordinates and the body movements satisfying and it helps me to get back on automatic pilot.

For what it’s worth, a post by CJ Wiley in Facebook inspired this thread and I agree with him. When pool is played at its highest played level, the competitors don’t think about aiming systems, they just visualize and execute. That happens when you have developed your visual perspective and your fundamentals to the point where you can operate at that level without thinking. CJ Wiley has a good aiming system in his video and I think he invented it as a way of expressing what he did automatically. The forward thinkers like CJ Wiley, Stan Shuffett and Gene Albrecht have simply described how they aim, nothing more. Putting how you aim into words in no easy task but I have all of them to thank for their contributions to my game.

If at some point, I make different directional changes as far as aiming systems are concerned, I will share them but for now, I am hoping to move on to that next level. The funny thing is that at my advanced age, I still actually believe that can be done.

You can't handle the truth. Johnnyt
 

abie10

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can you describe left is left / right is right?

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

From reading a post earlier in this thread, it's similar (or even exactly the same) as the Mullen Method.

Find the point on the object ball that you need to hit to make it. If your cutting left, use the left side of the ferrule; if you are cutting right, use the right side of the ferrule. Address the cueball with whatever english and/or top bottom that you want to hit. Draw a line from the appropriate side of the ferrule to the point on the object ball you need to hit and and make a straight, smooth stroke through the cue ball.

Best part of this is that the aiming point NEVER changes, despite what english you decide to use.
 

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
I cannot learn anything without an actual instructor/teacher ON HAND to show me exactly what they are talking about. I do not learn well reading things in books, or through video. I need a live person there with me to "walk" me through the lesson and to answer the MANY questions I am going to have.

Knowing my nature of being a tightwad and will not pay large amounts of money for personal instruction, and coupled with the fact that I have a wobbly stroke that I cannot for the life of me fix, it is hereby my lot in life to remain a "C" player (on a good day :eek:) forever.

I do envy you people that have improved your playing abilities through the use of aiming systems. Although I do not believe these systems are right for everyone, I have no doubt that they are working in the lives of those who come on here and tell us of their positive experiences with them.

Keep the passion Joey! Thanks for all you do for the game. We need more like you!!!

Maniac

Thanks Maniac. U2! :)
 

Dudley

english happy
Silver Member
AS EXPERIENCED BY JOEYA:

Aiming systems in my opinion have evolved over the years and I believe this evolution is a great thing. Many aiming systems like “ghost ball” are simple to express in a diagram but far too difficult for most people to make effective on the pool table without huge amounts of investment in time on the table. I’m not saying that learning any aiming system requires little effort. I’m not saying that at all. I think that aiming systems like ghost ball are just too simple and require far more visual imagination than most of us possess.

Other evolving aiming systems like CTE/Pro1 incorporate many other physical and visual pieces of information to help the player obtain the perfect sight picture. I’ve used most of the aiming systems out there and plan on using others as they are brought to the market place. I can talk a little about CTE/Pro1 because I have used it to a very high level.

Some people believe that aiming systems are a bunch of hooey and that if you use an aiming system the sky is going to fall down on you. Lol. But that’s ok too. I am not in this world to convince those who don’t want to be convinced that aiming systems are GREAT for your pool game. For the rest of you, keep in mind that I am speaking from my own personal experience: CTE/Pro1 has given me much, much more than an aiming system. It is a total shooting system, in my opinion. This particular aiming system involves body alignment, head alignment, eye movement, body movement, and complete visual perspective necessary to help you develop the perfect sight picture. It is not the easiest aiming system to learn as it involves lots of “new” terminology that can be easily misconstrued. Also, like anything worthwhile, it takes dedication and time to master.

I’m kind of glutton for punishment, if you have ever seen me practicing or if you were in boot camp with me in the Corps. :D I don’t mind spending countless hours learning to do something perfectly well. In fact, I marvel at those who say if I practiced like you I could be a world champion. (And it’s been said to me on more than one occasion, I might add). But this isn’t really about the dedication it takes to excel at this sport or the dedication that it takes to learn CTE/Pro1.

CTE/Pro1 has helped me grow as a player by not only helping me to recognize what a perfect sight picture looks like but many other things that are probably just as important, and collectively, probably more important. In no particular order, CTE/Pro1 has helped me to:
1. It has helped me to align my body to the shot better.
2. It has helped me to improve my focus. My ability to focus has gone from a traditional one button, one bulb, flashlight to an LED flashlight with zoom lens. I believe it is the finite points on the cue ball and the object ball that does this but I can’t be positive at this time.
3. It has helped me to find the center of the cue ball better. (This should not be under-valued) Just a word to the wise.
4. It has helped me to learn what a perfect sight picture is supposed to look like.
5. It has helped me to improve my confidence in taking the shot.
6. It has helped me to trust my visual intelligence.
7. By using the finite aiming coordinates of CTE/Pro1, I feel like am fine-tuning my aiming while still standing erect, making the transition to bridge hand placement automatic. It didn’t start out automatic and I practiced with the manual CTE/Pro1 pivoting for a very long time before migrating over to the auto pilot of Pro1.
8. It has helped me to work on the rest of my fundamentals without hindrance and with a confidence that I never had before.

In all of this, I have come full circle, I can now aim with superior effectiveness, all automatically, without thinking without manually pivoting and I believe it is CTE/Pro1 that has helped me to do this. This is THE TRUTH.

Another thing that has helped me is Gene Albrecht’s Perfect Aim as I have mentioned in other threads and this too, is THE TRUTH.

The bottom line is that I am seeing the shot better than ever and I am having more fun than ever and I am playing better against better players. I genuinely believe that my journey through ALL aiming systems has helped me to become a better player. I have even recently used Shane Van Boening’s ferrule aiming system much to my amazement with great success. Maybe, it is more about noticing that on some shots different portions of my ferrule line up with the edge of the object ball. The easily seen finite points on an object ball and cue ball make aiming better.

Sometimes, I believe that the mechanical aspects of aiming systems do all of these great things but at the highest level, they train you to do what some do automatically and that is to see the perfect sight picture simply by doing.

I’m not a great player by any stretch of the imagination but I am a better player because of aiming systems. If you already know how to shoot well, you probably don’t need to learn an aiming system. But if you still need improvement in your shooting, don’t listen to those fools who tell you that aiming systems are snake oil and that if you use them, the sky will fall on your head. Just try it out for yourself and you be the judge. Like with most things in life, results will vary from one individual to the next.

Oh yes, one more thing, when I start to miss balls, I will go back to the manual pivoting of CTE/Pro1 in a heartbeat. When my game starts to flounder, I find going through the manual pivoting and the visual coordinates and the body movements satisfying and it helps me to get back on automatic pilot.

For what it’s worth, a post by CJ Wiley in Facebook inspired this thread and I agree with him. When pool is played at its highest played level, the competitors don’t think about aiming systems, they just visualize and execute. That happens when you have developed your visual perspective and your fundamentals to the point where you can operate at that level without thinking. CJ Wiley has a good aiming system in his video and I think he invented it as a way of expressing what he did automatically. The forward thinkers like CJ Wiley, Stan Shuffett and Gene Albrecht have simply described how they aim, nothing more. Putting how you aim into words in no easy task but I have all of them to thank for their contributions to my game.

If at some point, I make different directional changes as far as aiming systems are concerned, I will share them but for now, I am hoping to move on to that next level. The funny thing is that at my advanced age, I still actually believe that can be done.


Hey Joey,

As someone who has been annoyed at times at the aiming discussions here on az I appreciate this post. It is based in reality and experience on the table.

Aiming systems are not the answer to everything in pool or the gospel-> just a tool in getting better at one major aspect of pool.

If all the Cte/aiming system discussions were started in this matter I might have had a more open mind to learning more about these systems.

I just have a hard time not reacting to the tone in which these systems are promoted. Allot of new players don't notice the faults in there mechanics and blame their aiming. This is a bad thing. Everything starts with repeatable mechanics.

If they have worked for you and can benefit your game that is a great thing.

Good post,

Dud
 

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
Hey Joey,

As someone who has been annoyed at times at the aiming discussions here on az I appreciate this post. It is based in reality and experience on the table.

Aiming systems are not the answer to everything in pool or the gospel-> just a tool in getting better at one major aspect of pool.

If all the Cte/aiming system discussions were started in this matter I might have had a more open mind to learning more about these systems.

I just have a hard time not reacting to the tone in which these systems are promoted. Allot of new players don't notice the faults in there mechanics and blame their aiming. This is a bad thing. Everything starts with repeatable mechanics.

If they have worked for you and can benefit your game that is a great thing.

Good post,

Dud

Dud,
There are many, many things that go into pocketing balls. Aiming is just the beginning. Luckily, for many, the newer aiming systems are more (in my opinion) shooting systems and incorporate many things besides a mathematically formula detailing A to B.

Some people don't need an aiming system or they don't want an aiming system and prefer to aim instinctively. I'm glad that I learned how to aim instinctively and then at a much later date learned how to aim with other aiming systems. They all helped to form the way that I shoot today.

Now, maybe I can work on some of my other fundamental problems. :D
 

Rod

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If at some point, I make different directional changes as far as aiming systems are concerned, I will share them but for now, I am hoping to move on to that next level. The funny thing is that at my advanced age, I still actually believe that can be done.

I was told today I have been moved up a level. I think I play a little better but its doubtful it has anything to do with pocketing balls. My aim suffers at times, its a tad bit of stroke and alignment. Having said that, to correct it may take GP lenses for astigmatism and a slight adjustment in alignment. Oh and lets not forget I'll need a cure for my dry eyes.

Well, I'll work on that but the real reason for my post is what you call an advanced age. Just how advanced are you? :grin: Then at what point do you think (for you) that it can't be done?

Just curious, I lost at least two levels over the years and I am trying to get one of them back!

Rod
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
I don't really need to rethink anything as pool, as much as I love to play it, is just not all that important to me in the big picture.

As far as goals, the only goal I have in life is to die before any of my children or grandchildren do.

I never look for an "overnight fix" and I don't know why you think I would from what I posted earlier. I practice almost daily. I work at my game. It's just that I have a flaw in my stroke that I cannot seem to correct. It doesn't matter to me all that much. I may never get any better than I am right now, and I don't really care. I still enjoy the hell out of the game.

If being the best at something or the winning vs. losing is all that matters, then I believe that some people are missing out on the blessing of just playing and loving the game for what it is, a truly great but complex recreational pastime.

Champ, I see that you've already made quite a few posts in this thread aleady. Please try to keep cool on this subject and hang around awhile with us. Your posts can be very effectual at times.

Shoot well, my friend!!!

Maniac

For some of us the exploration is fun. We love to play as well.
 

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
I was told today I have been moved up a level. I think I play a little better but its doubtful it has anything to do with pocketing balls. My aim suffers at times, its a tad bit of stroke and alignment. Having said that, to correct it may take GP lenses for astigmatism and a slight adjustment in alignment. Oh and lets not forget I'll need a cure for my dry eyes.

Well, I'll work on that but the real reason for my post is what you call an advanced age. Just how advanced are you? :grin: Then at what point do you think (for you) that it can't be done?

Just curious, I lost at least two levels over the years and I am trying to get one of them back!

Rod

If your health is good, and you have the desire and determination, I don't see any problem with you getting back AT LEAST one of the two levels you lost over the years.

Depending upon your age, you may have to incorporate an exercise program and a diet designed to get the most out of that old engine.

Aside, from health related issues, I think that most of the limitations are the limitations that are put on by one's self.

This is of course, in addition to working on all of your fundamentals, including aiming.

Listen not to the naysayers of the world. They will tell you the sky is falling. ;-)

People remember me when I first walked into the Sport Palace many years ago at 35 years of age and they remember how poorly I played. Personally, I still think that my level of play could use major improvements and seek help wherever I go.

Maybe when I go to www.4bearsclassic.com next month, I will seek out the champions there and those that have traveled this path, to learn their secrets and try to glean what I can from their success and knowledge.

Saying that it simply hard work is relatively nothing more than resignation and discouragement to most. For me, the journey has many paths and it is fun to explore all that I come across.
 

theUBC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
aiming systems

Hi folks!
Just as Joey says aiming systems can help us to become more consistant, more self confident and better players!

In case you wanna train a little - give this shotmaker test a try.
I did it myself and videotaped it. UNCUT for sure. It is harder than it looks like. When the upload of the clip on youtube will be completed, I will post the link.

You can download the test here::thumbup:

http://issuu.com/ekkes/docs/my_shotmaker_test?mode=window&viewMode=singlePage
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
FYI, illustrations and video demonstrations can be found here:

Regards,
Dave


LOL .... Time out .... time out! I drew that illustration a long time ago and posted it on AZ. This is the edge of the shaft system I believe is a good way to aim. It even says from 3andstop. :)

It isn't however what Shane was talking about in that video link. At least it wasn't what Shane was trying to explain. Personally, I think what he may be doing, and trying to explain are the same as this system.

Also, I just took a bit longer to listen to what Shane was describing. I think he's actually aiming at a point on the OB opposite the the pocket. I don't think he can see the right side of the OB on that first cut. The right side he sees is in fact the contact point.

As he moves to lessen the angle, he changes the part of the shaft and now REALLY is seeing the edge of the OB but would achieve the same result, by simply leaving the shaft aim at the left side and focusing on the point of the OB opposite the pocket.

I think he's doing the SAME THING and just seeing it differently. Just as I have been saying ... everyone sees alignment differently and Shane is smart enough to have employed the sides of the shaft to the way he sees the shots. Same thing only different. :)

I was surprised you quoted me on your website, thanks for letting me know about it. Sorry once again for the poor drawing, I hand scribbled it in MSPaint. :eek:

edit ... btw I'm sure it's like any other system, if you see it a certain way that allows it to work, it works, if not, then it's no better for you than anything else. I haven't found an angle that it didn't work for me with. When I miss it's my poor delivery.
 
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