How I knew
Why I decided I needed an aiming system:
After a lifetime of "estimating" shot angles using the outdated fraction aiming ideas from the little red Willie Mosconi book of the fifties, I came to the conclusion that there just had to be a better way out there somewhere. A way which would give CONSISTENCY and replace those days of "I can't make a ball today". Playing the game was like a roller coaster...some days running out and then other days of just pooching everything in sight. Except for straight-ins and the old reliable basic half-ball hit, the other shots kept me in a state of confusion.
I longed for a way to get a repeatable, high percentage method to pot balls...over and over and over....without a whole lot of brainwork. I wanted to be SURE that if I missed a shot it was not because I misjudged the angle...thereby eliminating a variable.
A method that would stand up under the crummy conditions of most pool action in the USA...fatigue, eye strain, cigarette smoke, the stench of germ ridden bathrooms, too much to drink, distractions from the railbirds, loud music, scantily attired females, and all the rest that goes along with the sorry state of this wonderful game we have chosen.
A method that would shut out the siren calls of the soothsayers living in the past with their tales of guns, "bank shots and other great robberies", and so on.
To my way of thinking, after acquiring a consistent aiming process to pot balls, then it would be a matter of really enjoying the game by concentrating on higher levels of position play, patterns, combinations, caroms, safeties and all the other beautiful aspects of pool. Enjoying the feel of a perfect contact and hearing that sound of the object ball splattering into the back of a pocket.
By total accident, I stumbled across the Stan Shuffett YouTube videos and I was flabbergasted. I never saw anything like them. And...it made perfect sense, all the shots reduced to only four perceptions. What a find! Only four angles to be concerned with and not a bunch of complex 'this-and-thats'....mathematic guesses not worth a hill of beans. (I don't think Mosconi even did it himself) Or even worse, depending and hoping on the ideas of "that looks pretty good, I feel good about making this shot".
I am now having the time of my life with the game...loving it as never before.
That's the tale.:smile: