How Do the Pros Aim

SCCues

SCCues

< Searing Twins
Silver Member
I've been wanting to ask these questions for a long time and I thought the forum might be a good place to get some answers.

Do the pro players know a secret about how to aim or do they all do it the way that suits them best?

They have to know something that most of the rest of us do not know. Pro players make the game look so easy. I've had many discussions with a friend of mine about how pro players make the game look so easy and we've yet to come up with an answer. If you know exactly where to aim every shot then it boils down to execution of the fundamentals.

I'd love to hear some thoughts on why the game looks so easy when we watch the pros play. Is it hours and hours of practice, natural ability, or do they really know a secret about aiming?

James
 
There are many different approaches to aiming and different styles of shooting - some people shoot softer and finesse the ball, some people like to power the ball around the table, some use more english than others, etc. I think the success of the top players is somewhat dependent on their ability to zero in on the correct aim point, however they get there, but no matter the method I think it boils down to great eye hand coordination and thousands and thousand of hours of practice and repetition.

More than pure aiming, I think a larger part of their success is derived from pure fundamentals, or at least the ability to execute consistently, and knowledge of the game and patterns, just overall being able to execute shots that are 95%+ each and every time in order to stay consistent and run out as often as they do. And by far the largest piece of the pie responsible for their success - the mental game, and the ability to execute under pressure.

Scott
 
SCCues said:
I'd love to hear some thoughts on why the game looks so easy when we watch the pros play. Is it hours and hours of practice, natural ability, or do they really know a secret about aiming?
Click to expand...
You're kidding, right? A "secret about aiming" that nobody knows but the pros? You're really asking that question?

Their "secret" is that they started with some natural ability and have been playing pool for hours a day since they could stand up.

pj
chgo
 
SCCues said:
I've been wanting to ask these questions for a long time and I thought the forum might be a good place to get some answers.
Click to expand...
A good article on this topic can be found here:
How the Pros Aim (Pool and Billiards, July, 1995)​

I also covered this topic some in a recent Billiards Digest article:

Check them out.

Bottom line: there ain't no "silver bullet" solution; although, certain things help (e.g., a consistent pre-shot routine, centered visual alignment, lots of practice).

Regards,
Dave
 
SCCues said:
I've been wanting to ask these questions for a long time and I thought the forum might be a good place to get some answers.

Do the pro players know a secret about how to aim or do they all do it the way that suits them best?

They have to know something that most of the rest of us do not know. Pro players make the game look so easy. I've had many discussions with a friend of mine about how pro players make the game look so easy and we've yet to come up with an answer. If you know exactly where to aim every shot then it boils down to execution of the fundamentals.

I'd love to hear some thoughts on why the game looks so easy when we watch the pros play. Is it hours and hours of practice, natural ability, or do they really know a secret about aiming?

James
Click to expand...

Here's my opinion on It.Lots and lots of hours.However, It's not just banging and beating balls around.It takes alot of hard,good focused practice and someone real good to learn from will cut the time In half or more..I think the aiming part Is probably the easy part to learn.Example,there Is a video somewhere that I've seen that has like a 3 year old baby on a pool table ( 2 or 3 yeras old) and he knows where and which side of the ball the cueball needs to hit,to make the ball go Into a hole that's on the pool table.Seems to me that to many people worry to much about aiming.It's not rocket science.It's knocking a ball In a hole with a stick and a ball.There is no secret about how to aim,none.
John B.
 
Neil said:
They don't have much that you don't have or can't readily obtain. The big difference is that they tend to utilize those things much more consistently than the rest of us.

Some of them utilize aiming systems, most probably don't. But, what they
DO do, is visualize the shot before they get down. Then they totally trust their subconscious to perform as it has been trained to do. If you watch enough matches, you will see a trend. You can spot when they are not comfortable with a shot, and their success at that point usually isn't much higher than the shortstops. But, due to training, there are a lot less spots they are uncomfortable with.

They fully expect to play great. When we do play great, we tend to be a little surprised. Thereby short-circuiting our subconscious. That, and they have their fundamentals down pat. That alone is a huge difference from most that play the game. It's all about consistency and believing in yourself.
Click to expand...

I agree,very well said,Neil.John B.
 
Most people that aren't capable of executing like the pros are many years behind. It will take lots of work to catch up to their speed. With proper guidance they will be able to do the things necessary to hit wherre they intend on the cue ball. This in itself is only the beginning.

Natural talent is only the ability to see and act on things at a faster rate than those less talented than you. But even if you have talent, you still have to be taught the proper way to do things.

They do aim differently. Its many years of dedication to the right process.
 
Mostly it's repetition with natural ability that's nutured.

SCCues said:
I've been wanting to ask these questions for a long time and I thought the forum might be a good place to get some answers.

Do the pro players know a secret about how to aim or do they all do it the way that suits them best?

They have to know something that most of the rest of us do not know. Pro players make the game look so easy. I've had many discussions with a friend of mine about how pro players make the game look so easy and we've yet to come up with an answer. If you know exactly where to aim every shot then it boils down to execution of the fundamentals.

I'd love to hear some thoughts on why the game looks so easy when we watch the pros play. Is it hours and hours of practice, natural ability, or do they really know a secret about aiming?

James
Click to expand...

Hi there James,

Many of the pros do it just like you. They just do it naturally better. Aiming that is. The other things that go from pool we also do from repetition but you need to know how to do alot of these thing the most correct way first.

One a person learns how to get the eyes in the correct position your practicing getting them there on every shot that you do. Now we really get somewhere with the repetitions.

Some pros but very few know how the eye really work naturally.

To be honest I have never met one that really did know how the eyes work. . But they do things that work for them. Just like chopping wood with an axe the repetitions will get you pretty accurate.

Just like pool though technique is very important.

It's not an accident that many pro men players wives have played on the womens pro tour from time to time.

Some played good before but others learned very quickly.

Knowledge is powerful. Especially aiming knowledge...........

Have a great day geno......................
 
shhh it's a secret!!!

I have known a couple of "Pros" in my time. None of which purported to have some "Mystical" secret of any kind be it aiming or otherwise. I have played with them, talked to them, befriended a few & observed them at length. Here are a couple of things I do know about the "Pros". They understand the game better on all levels than the average player. They are true students of the game. They are able to define their mistakes & they correct them. They are able to read a rack, develope & execute patterns. Define advantages & develope stratigies to employ them, ie: different break shots. Have a thorough understanding & the trained ability to execute safety play. They have spent countless hours perfecting the fundamentals of the game. Practice, drills, competive play. They have devloped the mental fortitude necessary to play at the competive level. The mental aspect cannot be overlooked. They have developed a supreme confidence that is born out of repitative execution. I recently spoke with my sister & I made the comment "That I was born with the God given talent to play pool" She corrected me by stating "You were not born with that talent, you developed it over years of playing, practice and damn hard work". That is the essence of my perspective on this subject. There are no big secrets, it is not a mystery, it's not magic. Merlin is not going to cast a spell and turn you into a pool player. It is a process that requires effort dedication (at times bordering on absolute obsession!) & time. Learn the fundamentals, apply them, practice,practice, practice, play, play, play, compete. Becomea student of the game every aspect of the game. Take qualified instruction where you can find it & apply that to your game. As for the "Pros" making it look easy. I am a professional roofer of over 40 years experience, I make that look easy. That's how it is supposed to be. I leave you with this, it was my living Mantra when I was coming up in the game. "I would find a player 1 ball better than me & I would keep coming at him until I could beat him. Then I would go find a player 1 ball beter than me!" Climb the ladder 1 rung at a time, but keep climbing!! Always challenge yourself never become complacent with your game. Believe in yourself! No one is capable of doing anything that you are not capable of, given the proper knowledge and the will to apply it. Good luck & good pool. Billy Bones:thumbup:
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You're kidding, right? A "secret about aiming" that nobody knows but the pros? You're really asking that question?

Their "secret" is that they started with some natural ability and have been playing pool for hours a day since they could stand up.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

What if there are things beyond most pros grasp?
 
I've been around a few pros. Some utilize some level of an aiming system and most do not. Every table is different so there is no one size fits all system. What I do know. The two players I've spent the most time with are Joey Gray and Chip Compton. And anytime I've asked them a question about a bank or a cut or any shot in general. I ask, "how do you know it goes?" Usually their response is, "because it does". They don't use a system. They use a million hours on the table that tells them what goes and what doesnt. The same way they hit a touch safe than none of us would ever think of. I try to learn systems as a decent frame of reference. So I have something to fall back on when I don't practice 18 hours a day. But for the most part it is simply hitting balls and natural ability. One of which most of us don't have and the other that people don't want to do.



JBKY said:
Here's my opinion on It.Lots and lots of hours.However, It's not just banging and beating balls around.It takes alot of hard,good focused practice and someone real good to learn from will cut the time In half or more..I think the aiming part Is probably the easy part to learn.Example,there Is a video somewhere that I've seen that has like a 3 year old baby on a pool table ( 2 or 3 yeras old) and he knows where and which side of the ball the cueball needs to hit,to make the ball go Into a hole that's on the pool table.Seems to me that to many people worry to much about aiming.It's not rocket science.It's knocking a ball In a hole with a stick and a ball.There is no secret about how to aim,none.
John B.
Click to expand...
 
I'm going to take a wild guess here. Let's say there are 200 pro players in the USA. Huuuuum, 200 different aiming systems?

randyg
 
Me:
[Pros'] "secret" is that they started with some natural ability and have been playing pool for hours a day since they could stand up.
Click to expand...
C.Milian:
What if there are things beyond most pros grasp?
Click to expand...
??

You have to try to be more clear if you want me to understand (and pay attention to) your questions.

pj
chgo
 
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