a couple of simple things

[ShootingArts]

I wanted to try a new stance a few days ago. Being a lousy left handed player, I just shot behind my back fifty pounds ago, I decided working on the stance from the left side would give me a beginner's viewpoint. I did get the stance and stroke working pretty good but had to give it up for other reasons. However I noticed something of interest that might help others. If your stroke is crooked because of your stance or too long of a stroke it is crooked on the back stroke too. A long slow backstroke watching the tip tells the story. I also seem to see the aim line and stroke line better as the tip is receding, no idea why.

The other thing I noticed is that a CD or DVD is just a hair over 4.5" inches in diameter. Making a small mark on the outside edge of a CD or DVD or drawing a line straight across the middle gives you an instant training tool since the radius is the same as the width of one pool ball or more importantly half of the object ball and half of the cue ball. Simply place the object ball on the disk center hole or the disk on the object ball with the line pointing to the pocket and you have an instant ghost ball center reference point or a contact point to contact point reference point for true aim. If you struggle with fractional aiming as I do you can also see the real amount of ball overlap for a quarter ball, third ball, half ball hit, and so on. Line up the center of the cue ball on the reference line at the edge of the disk and then look at the overlap. I was going to sell my aiming DVD's for $19.95 but AOL has sent us all dozens of these training DVD's for free. Ten seconds with a Sharpie and you are good to go.

Hu

 

[CreeDo]

that's neat about the width of the CD/DVD. I am trying to envision a cool training device whereby if a beginner hits the drill perfectly, the CD shatters dramatically, but if he's off a little it just spins or flips up or something. Probably not something you'd do on the Nice Cloth.

So too long of a stroke can result in a little swoop? I have caught myself on my backswing hooking inward sometimes.

 

[ShootingArts]

the disk

that's neat about the width of the CD/DVD. I am trying to envision a cool training device whereby if a beginner hits the drill perfectly, the CD shatters dramatically, but if he's off a little it just spins or flips up or something. Probably not something you'd do on the Nice Cloth.

So too long of a stroke can result in a little swoop? I have caught myself on my backswing hooking inward sometimes.

I really did find the DVD to be a handy visual aid. Considered printing a similar deal on Mylar that people could shoot over without moving it but figured somebody already had. It actually answered a question I have always had about fractional aiming so I got some good out of it. Too, just think of all the DVD's and CD's that you could pick up in the bargain bin and would love to shatter!

Too long of a stroke definitely tends to make for a crooked stroke. The long backstroke usually cause more problems than a long follow through since the cue ball has usually already left the tip before the start of a curving follow through but the shorter and more compact of a stroke that a person can make work effectively the better off they are in my opinion. I could probably do over 90% of the shots I do on a pool table with a four to eight inch stroke, I need to work on that more. After spending a lot of time overeducating myself I am back in the simplify things cycle. I seem to be on an endless cycle, I add baggage and add baggage trying to make my game better and soon realize that most of what I have added didn't really improve my game if any of it did. Then I strip my game down to the essentials and start over. Soon I add a little here, a little there . . . .

I should have K.I.S.S. tattooed on the inside of my eyelids!

Hu

 

[sfleinen]

CTE = "[C]D [T]raining [E]xercise"

I wanted to try a new stance a few days ago. Being a lousy left handed player, I just shot behind my back fifty pounds ago, I decided working on the stance from the left side would give me a beginner's viewpoint. I did get the stance and stroke working pretty good but had to give it up for other reasons. However I noticed something of interest that might help others. If your stroke is crooked because of your stance or too long of a stroke it is crooked on the back stroke too. A long slow backstroke watching the tip tells the story. I also seem to see the aim line and stroke line better as the tip is receding, no idea why.

The other thing I noticed is that a CD or DVD is just a hair over 4.5" inches in diameter. Making a small mark on the outside edge of a CD or DVD or drawing a line straight across the middle gives you an instant training tool since the radius is the same as the width of one pool ball or more importantly half of the object ball and half of the cue ball. Simply place the object ball on the disk center hole or the disk on the object ball with the line pointing to the pocket and you have an instant ghost ball center reference point or a contact point to contact point reference point for true aim. If you struggle with fractional aiming as I do you can also see the real amount of ball overlap for a quarter ball, third ball, half ball hit, and so on. Line up the center of the cue ball on the reference line at the edge of the disk and then look at the overlap. I was going to sell my aiming DVD's for $19.95 but AOL has sent us all dozens of these training DVD's for free. Ten seconds with a Sharpie and you are good to go.

Hu

Hey Hu:

That's a great idea with the CD! Very observant of you to notice that a CD's radius is equal to the diameter of a cue ball / object ball.

Say, I was thinking -- if you go commercial with this idea, what would you name it? How about CTE, since you're doing a form of center-to-edge thingie with the Sharpie marker? In this case, the acronym "CTE" could stand for "[C]D [T]raining [E]xercise."

Seriously, a great idea for those stacks of CDs that AOL hammered the populace with in their [failed] endeavor to "take over the Internet." Now that's environmentally green thinking! :thumbup2:

-Sean

 

[ShootingArts]

Hey Hu:

Seriously, a great idea for those stacks of CDs that AOL hammered the populace with in their [failed] endeavor to "take over the Internet." Now that's environmentally green thinking! :thumbup2:

-Sean

Sean,

I started to make a two minute DVD explaining how to use it and draw a line across it to send to people as an aim training CD for twenty bucks. I was indeed thinking "green" but I suspect folks would have been seeing red when they found out what they paid twenty dollars for! I have to admit that I have paid thousands of dollars for instructional material over the years that I got less use out of.

Hu

 

[pt109]

Some problems with this

I used this method with a Bob Dylan cd.
It had 'Like a Rolling Stone' on it.

Now i can't stop my rock.

 

[NewStroke]

Hey Hu,

Where do I send your $1.00 royalty? I just sold an aiming DVD for $19.95.

Thanks

Dan

 

[Maniac]

I was going to sell my aiming DVD's for $19.95 but AOL has sent us all dozens of these training DVD's for free.
Hu

It's been years since AOL sent me a CD :frown:. I guess they heard that I was computer illiterate and just gave up on me. I guess I'll have to use one of my wife's C&W CD's to make my aiming tool :thumbup:!!!

Maniac

 

[searcyD]

I have caught myself on my backswing hooking inward sometimes.

cradle......duuuhh

 

[CreeDo]

Cradle = ?

 

[ShootingArts]

hold on to it and let it draw interest!

Hey Hu,

Where do I send your $1.00 royalty? I just sold an aiming DVD for $19.95.

Thanks

Dan

Dan,

I see you are in Dallas and I'm past due a trip that way. No idea when I'm coming but I need to check on some friends in Dallas and Ennis.

Hu

 

[JimS]

What a horrible waste of a perfectly good CD/DVD.

Working on the off handed stroke eh? Getting ready for Galveston! .... assuming there is to be another "Galveston".

 

[ShootingArts]

not at all

What a horrible waste of a perfectly good CD/DVD.

Working on the off handed stroke eh? Getting ready for Galveston! .... assuming there is to be another "Galveston".

Jim,

I have dozens of garbage CD's and DVD's around. I throw away stacks of them at a time just to reuse the cases. Of course buying the data ones bulk they cost almost nothing. Old back-ups, old software versions, the list goes on and on. I have dozens I need to stick in the computer and confirm are garbage right now. Destroying some was only said in fun, I'd cobble up my stroke shooting at an early Michael Jackson or Donnie Osmond CD at warp speed!

I had high hopes for Galveston but so far not a whisper. Seems like one promotion was enough for Taylor Road to learn just how green that grass isn't.

Hu

 

[Maniac]

I had high hopes for Galveston but so far not a whisper. Seems like one promotion was enough for Taylor Road to learn just how green that grass isn't.
Hu

I'm really glad now that I went to the first and possibly the ONLY one. Great event. Poor attendance. It was worth the price of admission watching Earl tote that Kentucky Fried Chicken sack around with him all day (he was using it for his gear)!!!

Maniac