Hi Joey!
As promised, here's my participation in this thread. I do hope that you didn't target that sentence in blue at me. Yes, I did post this morning in another thread, but it was one of those "flurry of the fingers" things that didn't require much thought, and it was something I could do on a 5-minute break.
Back on topic, I think the following apply when discussing aiming systems:
- The topic of aiming systems themselves is controversial. It sounds obvious by virtue of the heat that naturally ensues anytime the phrase "aiming system" is brought up on these boards, but think about this for a second. Why? Why are aiming systems -- a way of systemizing "aim" so it's repeatable and more accurately reproducible -- controversial? (You'd think that everyone would be jumping onboard aiming systems. Heck, just "do" these steps, and the ball goes in the hole! Don'tcha just love this cheat-code?) I thought long and hard about this one, and the conclusion I came to, is this: because it offends our sense of creativity, that's why. The very idea that a maestro of our sport -- say, Efren, or Mosconi -- could be using an "assembly line" aiming "system" that if you follow these steps, it pockets the ball -- offends the respect we have for these maestros. They are no longer the high-level talents we put on a pedestal, but rather "practitioners" of a Wal-Mart stick-figure assembly diagram. The creativity, perception, magic, mystique, and "wow factor" just went out the window -- or, at least got severely diminished.
- Unjustified / unsubstantiated sales pitches. You know my thoughts on this one. This is the only thing that will get my active involvement in an aiming system thread. And somehow, I think some aiming system advocates know this. ("Psst! If you want to drag Sean out of the woodwork, just say that if you switch to CTE, you'll go up 'x' number of balls to Bustamante level."
) All kidding aside, there's no shortage of exuberance when it comes to aiming systems. For the beginner or the average Joe/Jane, to be able to take this most complex aspect of playing pool, and systemize / package it, is very powerful to them. "Oh my gosh, before, I was just Joe-banger, barely able to run 3 balls, and after I learned CTE, I can now run-out. Thank you SO much CTE!" We've seen it before. And you know, I personally find this heart-warming, when I hear of a player that's discovered newfound excitement for our beloved sport. I love to read about a player that feels on top of the world, because he/she ran-out and won the team championship for his/her team.
What gets me, though, is the active trolling and used-car-salesmanship that goes on. The literal *promise* that CTE is much better than all other aiming "systems" or techniques that came before it, and it will be the "new standard" by which all pros will elevate to. And I've actually had CTE advocates PM me and tell me that if I'm a 100-ball runner now, "look out" if I learn CTE -- I'll be Bustamante speed! Or, that CTE is much better than the system I use -- which is basically a "catalog" method of aiming based on the Back-of-Ball technique -- shooting from my subconscious, from rote, or from "feel," if you will. In other words, rather than effortlessly sink into the "zone" as I do (which is largely responsible for some of my high runs), I should instead "always stay" with my conscious mind involved, following the steps of CTE, because this way, the conscious/analytical mind is "always in control." (This guy has obviously never experienced being in the zone, and therefore needs a system to follow.) The active trolling and used-car-salesmanship is what gets a lot of the CTE advocates in trouble, because: 1.) folks are already sensitized to it, and 2.) they don't see how "clan-ish" it looks.
- We have a bunch of troublemakers on this site. Yep, I dare say it, but we do. Now I'm not talking about Dr. Dave, or Lou, or PJ, although they have, at times, contributed to the stress. No, I'm talking about the ones that have nothing to add to the discussion to help calm it down, so they instead incite flames by pouring gas on it. Those that swoop down like a kamikaze, let loose with a nice pile of diarrhea, pull up and out of the dive, and then resume back on a high perch, ready for another go. The problem is that the folks targeted by these piles of diarrhea react to this, and react very negatively. The conflagration feeds itself.
- We have some folks that don't know when to quit. There's a point at which each side of the debate has said their piece (and peace, for that matter), but for some unknown reason, the debate rages on, and on, and on, and on... I think there is a point in these "aiming system" debates where a stalemate, or impasse, is reached. You can go no farther. This is common in debating circles -- it's *going* to happen to even the finest debaters, especially when they're evenly matched. The correct thing to do is to acknowledge what each side has said, maybe summarize them, and move on. If there is no moving on -- nothing else to talk about -- that's where the thread should end, with a summary of both sides. This way, when someone new wants to look for this information, it's easily readable and retrievable. Have you tried looking on AZB for CTE information? The CTE advocates will say (in an "OB-1"
Kenobe voice), "use the Search, Luke!" Have you ever tried looking for CTE information? It's a friggin' mess! The state these threads are left in -- if they'd not been removed by Mr. Wilson because someone got out of hand, which is often the case -- the thread is otherwise just a mess and hard to follow. You have to wade through a haystack to retrieve that needle of information you're looking for.
However, things are looking up. The first start to addressing a problem, is the acknowledgment that the problem exists, and taking the first step to work around it. I think this thread is that first step.
Now, I may've offended some people with the things I write above, as many will recognize the particular situations I talk about, even though I don't give specifics. The truth is, I'm not here to offend, but merely to participate and point-out those very things that cause the ruckus we experience with aiming system threads. If "you" (the royal you, not you personally, Joey) recognize one of the situations/scenarios I wrote above, it's not that I'm calling you out. I'm just cataloging those events that I feel are "exhibit A" of why aiming system threads go south.
Thoughts?
-Sean
