Splitting The Difference Aiming System

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Ok, I asked some of the questions in the video comments and read all the comments on every training video, I have all the answers now.

He actually uses only three categories - center CB to outside quarter of the OB, center CB to outside edge of the OB and inside edge of the CB to outside edge of the OB.

In first 2 cats he aligns first quarter thicker and says to pivot to those 2 aimpoints on the OB, but he isn't actually pivoting because he realigns his whole cue, body and bridge to be aiming center of the CB to outside quarter and edge of the OB, so he could aim directly at those points but recommends it this way as a part of some preshot routine.

Last cat, edge to edge, he uses for thin cuts where he puts his visual center on that line while in the same time aiming at CCB.

Thats it, this isn't really something similar to shishkebob, its actually more like a quarters system, his pivot isn't really a pivot, its realigninig of the cue, body and bridge hand while in the set position, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone.

But he does have some other good tips, for safeties - last video, and some videos before - for straight ins where he aligns top of CB and top of OB instead of bottom, worked great for me.

That's what I thought as well. I believe I called it watered down fractional system.
 

nobcitypool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Despite what you want to think, everything doesn't originate from fractional aiming. Although it's obvious you don't understand or believe it, but CTE had nothing to do with or has zero foundation in fractional aiming. Not sure why you don't simply stick with our start your own threads related to fractional aiming aside from the fact there would be minimal interest.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Despite what you want to think, everything doesn't originate from fractional aiming. Although it's obvious you don't understand or believe it, but CTE had nothing to do with or has zero foundation in fractional aiming. Not sure why you don't simply stick with our start your own threads related to fractional aiming aside from the fact there would be minimal interest.

You must not have watched any of the split the difference videos. As Mirza also noted, the guy simply aims through ccb to points on the OB. That's fractional aiming. And since you are so convinced that CTE didn't originate from the quarters fractional system, how come the references in CTE are 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4? The basic fractional references provide the perceptions, then you thicken or thin the shot a few degrees by pivoting from an offset. It's cool, like an advanced fractional aiming method where instead of aiming straight at a certain fractional aim line, you align offset to one side or another of that line and then pivot to CCB, which puts you on a thinner or thicker aim line than the original line.
 

nobcitypool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You must not have watched any of the split the difference videos. As Mirza also noted, the guy simply aims through ccb to points on the OB. That's fractional aiming. And since you are so convinced that CTE didn't originate from the quarters fractional system, how come the references in CTE are 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4? The basic fractional references provide the perceptions, then you thicken or thin the shot a few degrees by pivoting from an offset. It's cool, like an advanced fractional aiming method where instead of aiming straight at a certain fractional aim line, you align offset to one side or another of that line and then pivot to CCB, which puts you on a thinner or thicker aim line than the original line.

Actually, Stan primarily uses 15, 30, 45 and 60 as the references. If you understood CTE in the least, you know how those have nothing to do with an 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 ball fractional aiming. The fact that you responded as you did proves your complete lack of understanding of CTE.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Actually, Stan primarily uses 15, 30, 45 and 60 as the references. If you understood CTE in the least, you know how those have nothing to do with an 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 ball fractional aiming. The fact that you responded as you did proves your complete lack of understanding of CTE.

Oh I understand that the fraction is not the perception. What I said was that the basic quarters provide the references used to obtain the perceptions. By visualizing the ETA and CTE lines, you are referencing a 1/2 ball fractional perspective. From there you get your perception line, your fixed CCB, which may or may not be aimed toward any exact quarter fractional aim point. Sometimes it is, as Stan shows in a 1/2 ball shot video. But usually the perception line is either a little thinner or a little thicker than a nearby fractional quarter line. The offset pivot then thins or thickens that perception by a few degrees as needed.

What's cool about drawing things out on paper is that it can be proven on the table to work exactly as shown on paper. Instead of hours of trial and error, experimenting on the table, I prefer to sketch it on paper, calculate what should happen, then go to the table and prove the work. I've done with banks, kicks, fractions, pivots, etc... I can't carry my table around with me, but when ideas come I always have a pen and paper handy.
 
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SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
You must not have watched any of the split the difference videos. As Mirza also noted, the guy simply aims through ccb to points on the OB. That's fractional aiming. And since you are so convinced that CTE didn't originate from the quarters fractional system, how come the references in CTE are 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4? The basic fractional references provide the perceptions, then you thicken or thin the shot a few degrees by pivoting from an offset. It's cool, like an advanced fractional aiming method where instead of aiming straight at a certain fractional aim line, you align offset to one side or another of that line and then pivot to CCB, which puts you on a thinner or thicker aim line than the original line.

The claim of being "outta here" didn't last very long. I see it's going to continue.

OOOOOOKKKKKKK.
 

sacman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I tried StD system today and it didn't work for me at all, I tried hip/body and BHE pivot to the aim spot on the OB, category 1 and 2, the OB just went straight where I was aiming in the prepivot position.

Maybe its because I use an LD shaft, 314-2? Or maybe it happens that my bridge distance is just about my shafts BHE pivot point, I have no idea.

I tried it on several long shots on a 9 foot table. Specifically several variations of 35-42 degree backcuts to the far corner pocket with object ball about 5-6 diamonds from the target pocket and cue ball about 1-2 diamonds from the object ball. Many times it did not work, regardless of trying #2 (horizon) or #3 edge to edge. I even used a lazor to ensure I was shooting center to edge (#2). I use a McDermott cue with a regular shaft.

Another thing is how all of the training is on bar boxes.
 

sacman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I can only get split the difference to work from close range, within a couple of feet from the pockets. Could be that I'm not on a bar box, and I also have a LD shaft so I'm probably not getting enough deflection to get the angle needed.

I completely agree. I couldn't get it to work on a larger table with longer shots.
 

usmcss

Registered
Hey guys, I’ve been playing pool since I was a kid, now 51. The playing I did however was just learning on my own and never having any training or looking into aiming techniques etc. and time between playing has been many years off and on.

I just purchased a table and have been playing for a couple weeks. I just watched the Dirty Mike Video on Splitting the Difference and it actually improved my game tremendously!

That being said, I’m not sure completely on how this is suppose to be done. What I am doing is on almost straight shots and with just a little angle, I line up my cue shaft to the center of the QB aiming at the center of the OB, then I pivot the angle of the cue tip to ether 25 or 75 (splitting the difference) on the QB. I’m not splitting anything on the OB, and really just shooting with the pivot on the QB. And it’s working!

Am I suppose to be aiming at the 25 or 75 Mark on the OB or just on the QB? Or am I suppose to be using the center of the CB when shooting?

Is there any diagrams out there for this technique?

Thanks Guys!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
I just watched the Dirty Mike Video on Splitting the Difference and it actually improved my game tremendously!

That being said, I’m not sure completely on how this is suppose to be done. What I am doing is on almost straight shots and with just a little angle, I line up my cue shaft to the center of the QB aiming at the center of the OB, then I pivot the angle of the cue tip to ether 25 or 75 (splitting the difference) on the QB. I’m not splitting anything on the OB, and really just shooting with the pivot on the QB. And it’s working!

On these shallow cuts see how great of an angle you can go out to by aiming center CB to center OB and then pivoting to the OUTSIDE.
I do it by tip widths for starters. On a very shallow cut (almost straight in) Center CB to Center OB and center of tip and then pivot 1/4 to 1/2 TIP to the outside on the CB and shoot.

Increase the angle and you will eventually come to a full tip of outside.

At some point it might not be enough. Then aim center CB to 1/2 of the way between center and edge on the OB. That could do it alone. If you're coming up short then start pivoting 1/4 to 1/2 tip until full tip on that aim point.

When it isn't enough for more severe angles aim center of the CB and tip of your cue to the EDGE of the OB. It could be enough or it might not be. Then start pivoting your tip from 1/4 to a full tip outside of the OB.



Am I suppose to be aiming at the 25 or 75 Mark on the OB or just on the QB? Or am I suppose to be using the center of the CB when shooting?

Is there any diagrams out there for this technique?

Thanks Guys!!!

I'm not an expert on Dirty Mike's system but it's somewhat similar to Shiskebob developed by Hal Houle. The setup and pivots are different

Mike has more than one video so you should check all of them out.

Try what I posted above and practice, practice, practice. This should keep you busy for awhile and definitely hold your interest as you discover more and how to do it..
 
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usmcss

Registered
On these shallow cuts see how great of an angle you can go out to by aiming center CB to center OB and then pivoting to the OUTSIDE.
I do it by tip widths for starters. On a very shallow cut (almost straight in) Center CB to Center OB and center of tip and then pivot 1/4 to 1/2 TIP to the outside on the CB and shoot.

Increase the angle and you will eventually come to a full tip of outside.
Thanks a lot for the detailed reply Spider!!! So on this part I would be concentrating my aim on the QB and and following through to the OB wherever the cue angle lies?


At some point it might not be enough. Then aim center CB to 1/2 of the way between center and edge on the OB. That could do it alone. If you're coming up short then start pivoting 1/4 to 1/2 tip until full tip on that aim point.
Now here I would be concentrating my aim more on the OB ball making aiming adjustments on the OB ball while aiming center of QB? When you say “if you’re coming up short then start pivoting........ are you referring to continuing to change my aim point on the OB or are you saying I should now be pivoting my aim point on the QB?

Thanks Spider!
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
Thanks a lot for the detailed reply Spider!!! So on this part I would be concentrating my aim on the QB and and following through to the OB wherever the cue angle lies?

You would be setting up and aiming center CB to COB with the center of the tip of the cue. Pivot the tip to the outside anywhere from 1/4 to 1 full tip (or slightly more) depending on the angle to the pocket. Yes, you'll follow through to the OB on the cue angle after pivot. You'll be more apt to do it correctly with a slight HIP pivot as opposed to a backhand pivot.

Now here I would be concentrating my aim more on the OB ball making aiming adjustments on the OB ball while aiming center of QB?

Yes

When you say “if you’re coming up short then start pivoting........ are you referring to continuing to change my aim point on the OB or are you saying I should now be pivoting my aim point on the QB?

Thanks Spider!

It could be both. Your aim point on the OB will change from center to 1/2 between center and edge on OB and then to edge of OB

The initial alignment on the CB always starts out at CCB and then your varying degrees of pivot to the max. If you come up short on the angle THEN you change your aim point on the OB and go from there just like you did aiming center to center then pivoting from 1/4 to full tip or more.
 
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Mirza

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What SpiderWebComm is describing is a bit different then Mike's system.

Mike is pivoting to outer quarter/outer edge ON THE OB from center/outer quarter of the OB.

And he also says that he isn't using outside english, so he must move the cue at the bridge hand also...
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
What SpiderWebComm is describing is a bit different then Mike's system.

..

Correct. That's why I suggested that he look for more of Mike's videos.

It also isn't true Shiskebob since Shiskebob starts with the cue tip position on the INSIDE of the CB aiming to various sections of the OB starting at center and moving outward to edge for increasing angles and then pivoting to CCB before stroking.

What I'm posting to him is a hybrid of both.
 

usmcss

Registered
What SpiderWebComm is describing is a bit different then Mike's system.

Mike is pivoting to outer quarter/outer edge ON THE OB from center/outer quarter of the OB.

And he also says that he isn't using outside english, so he must move the cue at the bridge hand also...

It's a little confusing to me what Mike is doing. So Mike's method is Aiming on the OB only? Or is he splitting the difference on the OB aim point and the QB strike point? What confuses me is when he shows his method on the OB in the video, he shows the 50% mark on the OB and then he splits the difference ether right 75% or left 25% on the OB.

Then he goes back to the QB and lines up to 50% and pivots to ether 75% or 25%. But when he's doing this is he just changing his Aiming point on the OB again from 50% to 75% or 25%, or is he changing the strike point on the QB from 50% to ether 75% or 25%?

I was just changing my strike point on the QB from 50% which is lined up with the OB center to center, to 75% or 25% without even considering the aiming point on the OB and I am making the shot consistently. The only problem with the way I am doing it is I would have no control over the QB placement. That is why I think Mike has to be mainly focused on splitting the difference on the aiming point of the OB.

Hope I am making some type of sense!!!
 

skipbales

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pivot or not

I have been playing with this a little and applaud Mike and Ken for bringing a new approach to it aiming to the table.

I too have a problem with a pivot that does not move off center. It is a pivot or it isn't and it is a shift or it isn't. I think the problem is in a pro explaining things he does by instinct in mechanical terms. Since the pivots are small the idea that you are still hitting through the center is a relative term. Maybe still vertical center but a backhand pivot moves the cue tip off center on the horizontal plane. But Mike may not be doing a backhand pivot. He may also be slightly adjusting the front hand so it is more of a shift.

He says there is no English on the ball but any way I try to do as described I get a little Back hand English. I have no idea how you can move only the back hand and yet stay horizontally centered on the cue ball.

I am having fun experimenting with it. The slight adjustments don't add a lot of spin and I can live with the tiny bit they do. Of course your head does not move with the pivot so you are still looking at the center of the cue ball. Maybe that is what others mention. He shifts the cue with back hand then leans a little with the pivot to look down the new line and hits straight. That sounds most like he describes but he doesn't mention the upper body shift in the direction of the pivot.
 
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