I’ve often heard to forget center ball and use slight left or right of where you think center would be. Right now (approaching 80) I’m trying like the devil to stop missing so many shots that I took for granted years ago. I’d rather play than practice and that’s a big part of the problem.
I worked in a pool hall when I was a kid and I heard a lot of things that I later tried out for hours and hours at the table and have utilized some of the ones that I found out actually worked, even though they may go against the grain of what pool scientists and purists believe and teach.
One of them was shown to me by an old guy who had worked in pool halls for years, mostly fixing cues and refurbishing pool tables. I never saw him shoot and by the time I knew him he was beyond the age of most shooters, but he knew a lot about pool.
On straight in shots, he told me to put a TOO (touch of outside) on the cue ball and then aim to a TOI (Touch of inside) on the object ball. That way, you weren't trying to aim at two absolute dead centers. The outside spin on the cue ball would counteract hitting inside on the object ball with throw and send it in a straight line.
It is harder to try to explain it than it is to try it at the table.
Try it to see if it works for you.
It takes a bit of a firm hit and isn't going to work if you are using finesse shots or trying to baby the balls.
