Spidey,
Thank you for reminding me about the info you posted in the past, which I have quoted on my
aiming FAQ page under
CTE. I think this is the best information that has ever been provided concerning CTE. Thank you again for sharing that. I have read it several times, and I have spent time with it at the table (as I have with all CTE info and advice I have received over the years). I think we actually agree with how the system works ... we just use different language, and we have different ideas about what level of detail is required to explain what a system is and how it is used, IMO. See my detailed observations below.
Thanks again for sharing and for being open to civil and respectful discussion and debate. For the first time in years, I think this thread has actually helped improve my understanding of CTE ... I think that's a first for a CTE thread, IMO.
I'm sorry if you think I "still don't get it." I have tried, and I have put in lots of time and effort over the years. I personally think I understand it fairly well, even if I can't use it as effectively as you can. CTE is not a totally "mechanical" system with a strict procedure that can be followed rigidly. You need to use some judgment and intuition to use it effectively for a wide range of shots. What's wrong with that? Apparently, quite a few people find the CTE approach very useful in their games (you included). Maybe the CTE framework somehow helps some people develop the judgment and intuition more easily. Also, as Colin has so eloquently summarized, aiming systems like CTE have many other potential benefits (see the full list
here).
Regards,
Dave
Quotes from Spidey's description of CTE (which can be found
here under "from SpiderWebComm (Dave Segal)"), along with
my understanding or interpretations:
The bridge position is ... never on the CTEL (center-to-edge-line)
... except with a 1/2-ball hit, where the cue must be aligned on the CTEL to make the shot (especially when the OB is far from the pocket and the pockets are tight), assuming a center-ball hit. But as you have pointed out, it can be difficult to know when a shot is an exact 1/2-ball hit or not (within human judgment).
... rotate the cue in the bridge as a true pivot ...only on a short shot
... in which case the bridge length will affect the shot (per Diagram 4 in my December '08 BD article). Also, it seems like as the shot gets shorter, you need to shorten your bridge length; and as the shot gets longer, you need to lengthen your bridge length, until you reach the point where you no longer use the "true pivot." This makes sense to me, but this does require some judgment and lots of practice, IMO.
For the "mechanical pivoters" out there, you always place your bridge first. Once you're set in your bridge, the cue is turned along the shot circle arc, in relation to the OB - not "rotated/pivoted" from the bridge (bridge circle arc) ... the longer the shot is, the bigger the circle.This is what I mean when I write: the "magic" is in the "pivot." The effective length of the "pivot" (whether it is "mechanical" or not) does need to change with shot distance (per Diagram 2 in my November '08 article). This requires judgment and practice, IMO.
many people say this is a visual system is because they "pivot to the OB" and make the shot and don't know why
I think this is a major difference between you and me ... I need to understand why something works (and/or why it doesn't work in some cases) before I can totally accept it (and know how to use it effectively). I don't expect others to be this way, but this is the way I am.
the "correct" center of the CB is determined by the position of the OB, always.... not by the bridge position/bridge length
... but with a final bridge-hand position, there is only one "center" of the CB. Now if you shift or deform the bridge hand (e.g., during a mechanical pivot), then the aiming line through the CB center does change. You either must place the bridge hand in the required place to create the necessary aiming line without a pivot, or you must place the bridge hand along some other line (e.g., in the initial alignment step) and then shift or deform the bridge during the pivot (creating a larger "bridge circle arc") so the final bridge configuration positions the cue along the necessary aiming line. I think some of this stuff also requires judgment and practice.
