What is your eye pattern when down on a shot before striking cue ball?
- By Garo 7
- Aiming Conversation
- 21 Replies
Thanks Bob - I really appreciate the reply and further insights. Yes, I was thinking about it after I made this statement, and realized that you can certainly become consistent with where you are striking the cue ball once your stroke and mechanics are consistent, without actually watching the tip when it hits. I think Ron probably used this in the early stages of my training as a method to get me to hit it where I was trying to for a given shot. Although, it still helps me a lot with the most difficult shots, like the long straight shot, probably because I am NOT that consistent (or correct) yet with my overall mechanics at this point.
But, then there is the exercise that I saw Corey Deuel doing that takes it one step further where, when down on the shot after initial aiming and alignment, he closes his eyes before the final practice stroke and shot, and still makes the shots and intended shape perfectly. Further proving what you are saying.
Basically for me now, my stroke is not that straight or strong, or consistent. I think probably neither is my aim, which can make it difficult to tell what is going on. Even when I make shots I may not really know why exactly. I am trying to derive this though from feel. I only really get to practice once or twice a week usually, so I am surprised I am making any progress at all - it's not a lot of table time. But, I at least consistently do certain exercises every session before starting to play racks. And I notice when I focus on hitting the cueball in the correct spot, and also feel my stroke ending tight against my chest - meaning the stroke was in fact tight and straight, that surprisingly the ball does tend to drop and cueball stops where it should. Talking about the straight shot exercise. Another thing I do is spot shots. A lot of them throughout the session.
When I play random racks (without breaks) I take ten balls, but usually I put up the ten ball as a shootout spot shot to start the rack. Always there are varying shapes required to get back around for the one ball. Sometimes I will try it several times until I hit it. Once get it in then I play the rest as a 9-ball rack. If I have to give up, or often if I miss it the first time even, then it goes back in order and it's a ten-ball rack and the last ball.
Sometimes I will just start with the one ball as the long spot shot too. The point of the ten-ball shoot out shot is simple: Get used to seeing it. Get comfotable. And learn to hit it more than not. This way, if you wind-up in a shootout, you'll be on familair ground at least. Make the most difiicult situatations, your friend.
I am trying to understand/learn how to recognize how everything looks and feels when I do hit this long shootout spot-shot perfectly. Sometimes I can repeat it, even several times. Other times... eh, yeah not so much. lol But, usually I am just trying to use a dead center ball hit at slow to medium speed, and there is a certain feeling when I hit it dead-right, for sure. Doing it the first ime, and then 2, 3, 4 times in a row - this is a pretty high bar for me right now. But sometimes I can do it.
I also try to always end a practice session with a great shot. A successful run out tha tends with very tough shot. A super difficult long shot off the rail. A 9-foot straight shot. A shot so difficult that it seems not in the realm of someone like me. I try to make a strong finish in my final rack before ending the session and on the last shot. Easy for me since I blow my shape on the money ball so much of the time. lol
The other day I noticed something very odd - a long spot shot felt so dead on that it was as if I could see and feel how it was all aligned, I mean within the scope of the entire universe or something. Like it was a static diagram on a page or something. As I shot it and saw the object ball head straight for the center of the pocket, it all felt and seemed perfect and connected. Like there was no chance of missing. I wasnt hitting it fast, or hard. Very smooth and almost slow, but not rolling it. Center ball. It is hard to describe what I felt. Like everything about that one shot was perfect. So simple. Like the ball was already pocketed before I hit it, and just as I stroked it. Like I had finally managed to get enough of myself out of the way. And aim right and then hit it right. Simple. Perfect.
Having had so many years training in classical music, which I still practice diligently all the time as if I was training for a major symphony audition (because that is how I learned to prctice, and how I like it to feel), I try to find ways to challenge myself, and even trick myself into learning and improving when I practice. I am hard on myself during practice. I do the same an anything I am training in. There are typically several very basic and key things to learn to do consitently, and become good at, that make eveything else, all the high level fancy stuff possible. I tihnk it is no different in pool.
Well, easy to say and describe - takes hundreds and thousands of hours over months and years to do.
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Indeed of course you are correct, what the cue ball does after the hit is exactly how to tell how accurate the hit is, especially with a straight stop-shot, it is very clear. But, then there is the whole speed factor, right?
lol It's never easy. If it was we probably wouldn't be so addicted to it.There is an old saying in Martial arts (yeah, I have done this training too) that the difference between a super high level dangerously endowed and skilled Brown Belt, and a first degree Black Belt, is not always apparent observing them. The difference really is that if the black belt gets out of shape for a period of time, and rusty in his skills, he has the abillity to step-back within himself, and train himself properly back into top form. From feel. Brown belts usually cannot do this effectively on their own. They need someone on the outside to see and guide them in what they are doing.
Anyway, back to the point...
I will certainly give your advice some serious thought and incorporate it into my practice and technique. I think I already do it actually. I go back and forth a bit between both balls while down for the shot before hitting. I will pay attention more to that final focus now.
Thanks again.
