What do you look at when getting into your stance.

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
We've had discussions on what you look at before the final stroke, but I don't think I've seen anyone talk about what to look at when getting down on the shot.

I think the general consensus is to flick the eyes back and forth between object ball and cue ball.

But have you ever tried just looking at the cue ball? Like, stand behind the shot as you normally would, then focus your eyes on where you want to hit the cue ball. Then keep your eyes on that point as you get into your stance.

From my personal experience, my stance feels more solid, and I feel much more aligned when I get down on the shot in this manner. Perhaps one of the overlooked benefits of CTE as users are focused on CCB once they've established their visuals.

Except (leaving CTE aside for now), you don't need visuals to make this work. You can just use ghostball or whatever, focus on the cue ball, and get down. I assume experience and your subconscious can take you to the right spot.

Anyone have similar experiences?
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I do the same thing, while also trying to see the stick’s alignment through the CB contact point to the corresponding point on the ghost ball (adjusted for spin effect).

Focusing on tip/CB contact accuracy pays surprising dividends in CB action/control and stance/stroke effectiveness.

Focus on initial alignment, what I call “orienting” or “starting” alignment, is a strength of many systems, particularly the pivot systems.

pj
chgo
 
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BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
As Mark Wilson says....if there's any secret to pool it's striking the cb within 1mm of where we intend to strike it. So it makes sense to get all that worked out before the final stroke. I tried some speed pool, shot 10 balls in a little over a minute I think, but could've been faster if it wasn't for my fine tuning that takes place as I'm coming down on the shot and taking a couple of practice strokes.
 

BilliardsAbout

BondFanEvents.com
Silver Member
We've had discussions on what you look at before the final stroke, but I don't think I've seen anyone talk about what to look at when getting down on the shot.

I think the general consensus is to flick the eyes back and forth between object ball and cue ball.

But have you ever tried just looking at the cue ball? Like, stand behind the shot as you normally would, then focus your eyes on where you want to hit the cue ball. Then keep your eyes on that point as you get into your stance.

From my personal experience, my stance feels more solid, and I feel much more aligned when I get down on the shot in this manner. Perhaps one of the overlooked benefits of CTE as users are focused on CCB once they've established their visuals.

Except (leaving CTE aside for now), you don't need visuals to make this work. You can just use ghostball or whatever, focus on the cue ball, and get down. I assume experience and your subconscious can take you to the right spot.

Anyone have similar experiences?

Our eyes need to refresh, so while some stare down the object ball and some stare down the cue ball as they move from standing erect to the stance, I'm fine with letting my eyes move as I move to bring my body and cue on line.

The big piece there, however, is that I also will move my body so I'm aligned correctly and with a small tip gap. I can next look at the cue tip on the cue ball and get up again and reset, if something's amiss.
 

Sunchaser

Belgian Malinois
Silver Member
For me, I see the line I want from the cb to ob, then step into that line the same way every time. I'm focused in on the correct line. Then I'm watching the object ball as I'm already on line to make the shot. So to be specific, I'm focused on the correct line when stepping in and getting down on the cue ball.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
After I aquire my visuals it's all about center cue ball

Do you acquire the visuals then sweep into a ccb alignment? Or do you use the visuals to get your fixed cb, then, while focusing on where that fixed cb would send the ob if you were to shoot it straight from that perspective, you sweep/pivot in or out to a final ccb to thin or thicken the shot as needed?

Ok....that sounded too confusing. I mean... do you focus on the perception line or on the final aim line following the pivot/sweep?
 

BobN

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After I acquire my visuals, which is only a couple of seconds after I stand behind the cue ball, then I'm focused on the cue ball and where I want to strike the cue ball from that instant until my bridge hand hits the table and I'm in full stance.
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
I look at the line that the cb must travel in order to pocket the ob. I start this line on the ob end of the shot, then straight back through the center of the cb to my grip hand, stepping into this aim line with my back foot and stance so that my cue swings right onto the line, bridge hand falling where it needs to be to align my cue/stroke through ccb to that precise location at the ob end of the shot.

I'll take a few practice strokes while fine-tuning my alignment to make sure it feels/looks right. Then I look at where I intend to strike the cb, making sure my stroke is lined straight through that spot. Being 100% sure my tip will hit the cb where it should, but my final focus is on the ob end of the aim line. I feel like this forces me to follow through more fully.
 
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BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
0-15-30-45 degree perceptions make every shot on the table. Once that is firmly believed and entrenched in the mind, the rest is merely physical.
1. Get the perception
2. Get into shooting position lining up on the perception you've chosen. (easy way is to use CTE aiming procedures)
3. Reaffirm what you're seeing and pull the trigger.
(if you've got stroke or stance issues, this isn't going to work)
4. Ignore those who think they 'know-it-all' and are the big shots in their league.
That's about it. The remainder is just rehearsal.

TROLLING STATEMENT........But no matter how bad you shoot (like me) at least you know you're NOT rehearsing the same old dumb mosconi ideas (which he didn't do himself) that you've already found out do not work like the little books say they will.
........END TROLLING STATEMENT

So you line up and aim along the perception line? Hmmmm.

Also, no need for trolling like you did with the Mosconi statement. It would be nice to keep BS pot stirring out of at least one aiming thread every now and then. I'm not the op for this thread, but you should be contructive or be gone.
 
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Low500

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So you line up and aim along the perception line? Hmmmm.
Also, no need for trolling like you did with the Mosconi statement. It would be nice to keep BS pot stirring out of at least one aiming thread every now and then. I'm not the op for this thread, but you should be contructive or be gone.
---------------------
 
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BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
Listen up you.
The reply was not to you, had nothing to do with you, and is none of your stinking business. It was to the original poster.
YOU take your smart aleck attitude, practice what you preach, and be gone or put me on ignore. Get it?
I will post whatever I wish as long as it is within the forum rules and if you don't like that you can hit the road yourself.
You got a lot of gall, bub.
:kma:

Touchy, touchy. :embarrassed2: I was just asking if you look and take final aim along the perception line you get from the visuals. So do you?

And your Mosconi comment had nothing to do with the op's thread. It seemed like an obvious trolling tactic, considering your history of cheerleading cte at the expense of personally provoking me, for whatever reason. Will it ever stop? :confused: If I'm wrong, I apologize for assuming the worst of you.
 
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cookie man

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I do the same thing, while also trying to see the stick’s alignment through the CB contact point to the corresponding point on the ghost ball (adjusted for spin effect).

Focusing on tip/CB contact accuracy pays surprising dividends in CB action/control and stance/stroke effectiveness.

Focus on initial alignment, what I call “orienting” or “starting” alignment, is a strength of many systems, particularly the pivot systems.

pj
chgo

Can you elaborate on the pivot system comment? Always thought some people's opinion was pivot systems did not provide a good starting point
 

nine_ball6970

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member

Thank you for the link. I had always looked at the cue ball on the way down. I tried looking at the object ball and shot making improved. Typically I tend to not keep head square on the way down. My head would be turned to the right when down shooting if I look at the cue ball. Keeping my focus on the object makes me stay square to the line.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Focus on initial alignment, what I call “orienting” or “starting” alignment, is a strength of many systems, particularly the pivot systems.

pj
chgo

Can you elaborate on the pivot system comment? Always thought some people's opinion was pivot systems did not provide a good starting point
I think starting alignments are generally a good idea, but here I only meant that pivot systems are more likely to prescribe one - not that theirs are better or worse than any others.

And, by the way, I also think that a pivot can be beneficial - as a way to deliberately "scan" from the starting alignment until the actual cut angle "looks right" (the dreaded "subconscious adjustment").

pj
chgo
 
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bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
ok guys critique away to help me ..ie good and bad way i do it
i get behind the shot line
more or less from my vision center ie around the middle of my body
i hold the cue straight up and look thru the 2 cues i see in the middle of the shot line
i move my right foot behind the shot line
move my left foot to the left where my stance feel comfortabble
and try to go straight down to the table
all the while i am doing this i am fixated on my contact point on the object ball
once down
i see if the cue tip is where i want it and if the line up still looks right
thats how i do it...:smile:
 

BC21

https://www.playpoolbetter.com
Gold Member
Silver Member
ok guys critique away to help me ..ie good and bad way i do it
i get behind the shot line
more or less from my vision center ie around the middle of my body
i hold the cue straight up and look thru the 2 cues i see in the middle of the shot line
i move my right foot behind the shot line
move my left foot to the left where my stance feel comfortabble
and try to go straight down to the table
all the while i am doing this i am fixated on my contact point on the object ball
once down
i see if the cue tip is where i want it and if the line up still looks right
thats how i do it...:smile:

Are you into the wine? Lol. If so, let me catch up and I'll read this again and maybe understand it better. :wink:

(Just kidding my friend :thumbup:)
 
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