That's what I thought "vision center" means. But is it supposed to hurt so much?
Thanks.
pj
chgo
Aiming Metrics
- Thread starter Patrick Johnson
- Start date
- Status
pj
chgo
When those pesky balls keep dropping in the holes I figure I'm pretty close. Sounds like 'feel' means completeness to you. To me it just seems unneeded in the aiming process.
The stoke is when feel enters the ball game. Once you have consciously identified the striking point you must gather your body in alignment with the balls in order to contact that point. Of course you don't consciously direct each muscle to obtain that line. You do consciously direct the aiming process though.
But how do you know when you're on before shooting?
Oh, now I see what you meant about feel and the stroke. I agree you consciously "direct" the aiming process - I just don't agree it's all consciously performed. In fact, I think the crucial final judgment of when to pull the trigger is mostly made subconsciously - even though it might not "feel" that way to our conscious Director.
pj
chgo
That's what I thought "vision center" means. But is it supposed to hurt so much?
That would be a good definition in an ideal world. I think it means different things to different people here on AZ. Most seem to use it to mean "wherever you feel comfortable" which in my experience is totally wrong. Vorpal said if the ball goes in the pocket he's pretty close. Well, yeah, but pretty close doesn't cut it after awhile. It limits your progress. Like our friend Mark Wilson likes to say, just because the ball went in doesn't mean you did it right.
I believe feel in the aiming process is similar to driving a car on a road trip and losing track of time and not remembering consciously thinking about every steering wheel adjustment. It’s about how our brains learn. Certain synaptic circuits are formed as we try things. Successful synaptic circuits are strengthened through repetition. If you’ve built a given circuit up enough, the conscious mind isn’t needed to execute. It just feels right when you’ve lined it all up. Perhaps there was an aiming metric in place when you built that synaptic circuit but you don’t need to think about it when you leverage it later. You hear professional bank pool players say they bank by feel (not system). It’s like a guitar player no longer thinking about each finger when making a chord, they can just do it all at once without thought. In pool it’s often called “automatic aiming”
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Exactly. :thumbup: You look at the shot and your brain connects that image to the corresponding circuit/learned program.
Sure, and on the other hand conscious metrics can be helpful ongoing supplements to keep the aiming autopilot precisely calibrated - or to quickly recalibrate when the need arises. I think the two can coexist beneficially.
pj
chgo
for me i visualize the contact point on the object ball ie if i hit the ball there it goes in the pocket....
then i line up so the cue ball will hit that spot (ie contact to contact point )
for back cuts which i struggle with i find this is helping me increase my % make
i visualize a a half ball hit and where the object ball would go ( i can visualize the 30 degree tract close enough)
i then visualize where the 1/4 hit would take the object ball (again i can visualize the 49 degree tract close enough )
in the situation where the cut is somewhere between those two hits
my brain calculates how thick or thin and i am learning to trust it and fire away....:thumbup:
i dont overcut the shots as much as i used to and am pocketing the balls more
one other change is i visualize the object ball line to the facing not the center or back of the pocket
patrick
i hope i answered your original question
if not
just ignore my post,,,,,
then i line up so the cue ball will hit that spot (ie contact to contact point )
for back cuts which i struggle with i find this is helping me increase my % make
i visualize a a half ball hit and where the object ball would go ( i can visualize the 30 degree tract close enough)
i then visualize where the 1/4 hit would take the object ball (again i can visualize the 49 degree tract close enough )
in the situation where the cut is somewhere between those two hits
my brain calculates how thick or thin and i am learning to trust it and fire away....:thumbup:
i dont overcut the shots as much as i used to and am pocketing the balls more
one other change is i visualize the object ball line to the facing not the center or back of the pocket
patrick
i hope i answered your original question
if not
just ignore my post,,,,,
Absolutely. To elaborate on what you’re already saying. If a synaptic circuit is strong, we need to resist the urge to rely on making adjustments when down on the shot based off conscious metrics. But if the the synaptic circuit is weak, you can rely on conscious metrics to bail you out. Also you can use those conscious metrics when practicing and firing that same problem shot in 20+ times to rebuild that strong synaptic circuit. That’s a big part of pool, knowing when to trust your gut and when not to.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Thanks for your version of how to “measure” cut angles, Larry. It sounds like you use fractions to get close and fine tune by visualizing contact points. I think lots of players use a two-step method like that and, like you, their subconscious takes a major role in the fine tuning (often without them realizing it).for me i visualize the contact point on the object ball ie if i hit the ball there it goes in the pocket....
then i line up so the cue ball will hit that spot (ie contact to contact point )
for back cuts which i struggle with i find this is helping me increase my % make
i visualize a a half ball hit and where the object ball would go ( i can visualize the 30 degree tract close enough)
i then visualize where the 1/4 hit would take the object ball (again i can visualize the 49 degree tract close enough )
in the situation where the cut is somewhere between those two hits
my brain calculates how thick or thin and i am learning to trust it and fire away....:thumbup:
i dont overcut the shots as much as i used to and am pocketing the balls more
one other change is i visualize the object ball line to the facing not the center or back of the pocket
patrick
i hope i answered your original question
if not
just ignore my post,,,,,
I do something similar: my initial alignment (I think of it as getting oriented to the shot) is to the ghost ball and I fine tune using contact points, letting my “know it when I see it” subconscious tell me when it’s right.
pj
chgo
Yep, even guessing will land the ball in the pocket a certain percentage of the time. Knowing the ball will go where you intend it to go because you'll strike it exactly where you know to strike it, and using a stroke that can deliver the cue precisely to the CB with consistency, is a multifaceted process that requires user attention. It's a tag team format, where visual data is consciencly collected and fed into the subconscious program. When you're really on fire, in dead stroke, your conscious thoughts and data collection are working in perfect harmony with the power of subconscious feedback. You aren't thinking of anything that doesn't involve what you are presently doing.
Synaptic (neural) circuits being physically optimized through repetition of the tasks that use them is supported by research. We even know basically how it physically happens: by increasing the "myelin sheath" around the nerves and synapses, increasing the speed and efficiency of signal transmission. This is what we mean by developing "muscle memory".
pj
chgo
Nicely put. Most players don't think of the stroke as a conscious/subconscious task like aiming, but of course it is.
pj
chgo
Last edited:
IIRC, when Einstein's brain was examined it was found to be normal except it had a thicker than usual myelin layer. I'm sure google has the exact story, but I'm pretty sure this was the case.
Yup. This is covered very well in Daniel Coyle's book (or DVD set) The Little Book of Talent (the best book on the planet for learning how to learn). I have the book and DVD set. I listen to the DVD's while driving. Pandora can wait.
Welcome back Pat. Your insight into the cuing sports is always welcome.
John
Last edited:
Can I get a note from you for my ex wife?patrick
you are a really smart guy
His brain was born with 10,000 hours of practice built in... cool.
Thanks, John. I gotta take a look at that.Yup. This is covered very well in Daniel Coyle's book (or DVD set) The Little Book of Talent (the best book on the planet for learning how to learn). I have the book and DVD set. I listen to the DVD's while driving. Pandora can wait.
Welcome back Pat. Your insight into the cuing sports is always welcome.
John
I'm pleasantly surprised at the familiarity and interest in this stuff here. I've always been fascinated by the interplay of mind and body (psychophysiology) that produces such control and precision - learning something about is recreational for me, and the fact that it's also helpful to my game is a bonus.
pj
chgo
Yup. This is covered very well in Daniel Coyle's book (or DVD set) The Little Book of Talent (the best book on the planet for learning how to learn). I have the book and DVD set. I listen to the DVD's while driving. Pandora can wait.
Welcome back Pat. Your insight into the cuing sports is always welcome.
John
Excellent book!
- Status