John Schmidt's and Corey Deuel's comments on aiming systems

[PoolSharkAllen]

And perhaps you are right that you don't have the power to influence anyone's buying decision. But that didn't stop you from trying and is not stopping you from trying now. However the positive reviews far outweigh the negatives

Since you've apparently been tracking this statistic, can you provide us with the number of positive reviews vs. negative reviews?

 

[Roadie]

Since you've apparently been tracking this statistic, can you provide us with the number of positive reviews vs. negative reviews?

I cannot. But I am sure that as diligent as you appear to be on this topic you can go and prove me wrong. Make you a deal. You post all the negative reviews you can find and when you are done I will post links to all the positive ones and everyone can not only count them they will also have an easy list of links to go and read them.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

I cannot. But I am sure that as diligent as you appear to be on this topic you can go and prove me wrong. Make you a deal. You post all the negative reviews you can find and when you are done I will post links to all the positive ones and everyone can not only count them they will also have an easy list of links to go and read them.

Your proposal is probably one of the sillier postings you've made of late. :grin:

You're the one who claimed that "the positive reviews far outweigh the negatives" so I think it's your responsibility (not mine) to dig through the thousands upon thousands of postings to back up your unsubstantiated claims.

 

[Roadie]

Your proposal is probably one of the sillier postings you've made of late. :grin:

You're the one who claimed that "the positive reviews far outweigh the negatives" so I think it's your responsibility (not mine) to dig through the thousands upon thousands of postings to back up your unsubstantiated claims.

It's a true statement. So for the purpose of this thread unsubstantiated but true nonetheless. However if you don't think it's true you are free to attempt to prove otherwise.

Or would you like to make a counterclaim and say that the negative reviews outweigh the positive ones?

Or are there the same amount of positive and negatives?

It's up to you what you would like to do. I stated what I have observed and I am very confident that a thorough research of the posts about Mr. Shuffet's DVD will show that I am correct. You don't have to take my word for it though as you are free to do the legwork.

Let's do a simple thought exercise however. Mr. Figueroa stated that Mr. Shuffet has claimed to have sold 1000 DVDs, which should be more by now. Assuming Mr. Shuffet is not fabricating this amount we can also assume that the majority of these sales occured through the promotion on this forum. Thus it's fair to assume I think that if there are 1000 people who paid $40 for a DVD about a non-standard aiming method that if said method were "bogus" then we would have heard from a significant number of these folks by now.

I am not sure of the time but has it not been more than a year since this DVD debuted? Given that Mr. Shuffet does not offer refunds one would think that there would be a lot of hopping mad folks if they had received a DVD of no value. Furthermore hardly anyone is selling their ProOne DVD where you would think that unsatisfied customers would be dumping them. This is just empirical conjecture. I am more than willing to listen to your theory as to why 1000 people paid $40 for this DVD and only a few people posted a negative review of it. And one of those people has been highly critical and prejudiced of the method and it's teachers for more than a decade.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

It's a true statement. So for the purpose of this thread unsubstantiated but true nonetheless. However if you don't think it's true you are free to attempt to prove otherwise.

Or would you like to make a counterclaim and say that the negative reviews outweigh the positive ones?

Or are there the same amount of positive and negatives?

It's up to you what you would like to do. I stated what I have observed and I am very confident that a thorough research of the posts about Mr. Shuffet's DVD will show that I am correct. You don't have to take my word for it though as you are free to do the legwork.

Let's do a simple thought exercise however. Mr. Figueroa stated that Mr. Shuffet has claimed to have sold 1000 DVDs, which should be more by now. Assuming Mr. Shuffet is not fabricating this amount we can also assume that the majority of these sales occured through the promotion on this forum. Thus it's fair to assume I think that if there are 1000 people who paid $40 for a DVD about a non-standard aiming method that if said method were "bogus" then we would have heard from a significant number of these folks by now.

I am not sure of the time but has it not been more than a year since this DVD debuted? Given that Mr. Shuffet does not offer refunds one would think that there would be a lot of hopping mad folks if they had received a DVD of no value. Furthermore hardly anyone is selling their ProOne DVD where you would think that unsatisfied customers would be dumping them. This is just empirical conjecture. I am more than willing to listen to your theory as to why 1000 people paid $40 for this DVD and only a few people posted a negative review of it. And one of those people has been highly critical and prejudiced of the method and it's teachers for more than a decade.

Roadie:

If what you say is true from a numbers perspective measured against negative comments my lessons and DVD totally ROCK.

ROTFL.

Couldn't resist, sorry. (I could resist, didn't wanna.)

CTE works. Well. For a growing number of players. Is it geometrically pristine? Do you care when you run out for $100?

Ooh, this Forum IS fun. I get to say trite but true things like CTE helps people run tables and then watch as naysayers ignore facts.

 

[stan shuffett]

John Schmidt

It has been suggested that I work with John Schmidt on CTE PRO ONE.

Well, that'd be great with me. John is a straight pool coach of Landon's plus I have actually worked with John concerning instruction of fundamentals. In fact, John used some of my material on his tour with Earl and such. John has stayed in my home on 2 occasions so he is a family friend.

I admire john for speaking his mind concerning aiming on his recent podcast but John has not been trained in CTE PRO ONE. Why didn't I share CTE PRO ONE with John when he was here. Well, John was here just before a U. S. Open and the other visit was just before a DCC. I was not about to share any type of aiming system with John before an important event of his.

With that being said, I would enjoy the opportunity to teach John CTE PRO ONE and he could report to the pool world his thoughts. Certainly, he will pull no punches. I have already seen that with his podcast comments. I am sure we are still friends and he will always speak his mind.

I am very busy and I can arrange a time for John in 2013. I can't schedule a visit any sooner.

Congrats to John on his 14.1 Championship win!!

Stan Shuffett

 

[Roadie]

Roadie:

If what you say is true from a numbers perspective measured against negative comments my lessons and DVD totally ROCK.

ROTFL.

Couldn't resist, sorry. (I could resist, didn't wanna.)

CTE works. Well. For a growing number of players. Is it geometrically pristine? Do you care when you run out for $100?

Ooh, this Forum IS fun. I get to say trite but true things like CTE helps people run tables and then watch as naysayers ignore facts.

Correct. I am sure you have a lot of satisfied customers. In this case though we are speaking about a highly specialized method of aiming that was created amidst a contentious and hateful debate that has lasted more than a decade.

The stakes were somewhat higher for Mr. Shuffett to produce a DVD with this material than they were for you to produce a work with general and basic instruction. By putting it out there Mr. Shuffet ran the very real risk of people simply not being willing to apply themselves and writing off the material as bogus and posting negative reviews to that effect. But that didn't happen.

 

[Roadie]

Mr. Shuffet, I believe Mr. Schmidt just blew up because he was tired of hearing about it. John made his views on aiming systems know previously and those views were known to the people producing the podcast. Thus it was no surprise to hear Mr. Schmidt go off on the topic. I took it as more like, 'really, this is what we are going to talk about?' and showing his annoyance at that more than anything.

 

[stan shuffett]

Mr. Shuffet, I believe Mr. Schmidt just blew up because he was tired of hearing about it. John made his views on aiming systems know previously and those views were known to the people producing the podcast. Thus it was no surprise to hear Mr. Schmidt go off on the topic. I took it as more like, 'really, this is what we are going to talk about?' and showing his annoyance at that more than anything.

I like that perspective and it's totally understandable should that be the case.

 

[lfigueroa]

Actually I was referring to Landon's shot, not Mr. Stricklands.

Mr. Duell made no such comment deriding aiming systems so you might want to take him off your list of pros who you think support your point of view. Mr. Schmidt knows nothing of the CTE system and was generally ranting. I forsee a time when Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Shuffett get together and then we will see if Mr. Schmidt contines to hold the same opinion.

I did read your review. It read like a biased review full of prejudice. I would bet that an hour with Stan Shuffett would change your mind but I am fairly certain that you wouldn't take that hour even if offered free of charge. In any event you are entitled to your opinion certainly.

And perhaps you are right that you don't have the power to influence anyone's buying decision. But that didn't stop you from trying and is not stopping you from trying now. However the positive reviews far outweigh the negatives and ultimately that is what has led to Mr. Shuffett selling more than 1000 DVDs.

If I remember correctly you said something to the effect that if Willie Mosconi himself told you that CTE was a good method you would tell Mr. Mosconi that he is wrong. So if true then what we have is the proverbial irresistible force meeting the unmovable object when it comes to your opinion of CTE. That's fine because every time you elect to spend your time deriding the system and the teachers and the students of it you only provide a stage for the other side to testify again with more proof, more positive testimony, more videos and more professionals results. You can hold the opinion that players are all so different that there is not any method that can be generically adopted and science will prove you wrong.

There is a finite space in which to view and address the shot. No matter who you are the cue must ultimately lay down on the shot line. And no matter who you are your body can only be holding that cue in a finite number of ways in order to stroke it properly. Thus form follows function here for any player who can consistently pocket balls whether you choose to believe that or not.

Corey wasn’t giving a deposition and this isn’t a court of law, though you’re trying to parse what happened on the video as if it were.

Clearly, almost anyone watching the video can tell Corey agrees with John’s comments, when John says, “”Forget all the aiming systems... aiming systems are the most ridiculous, overrated thing...The pros scoff at that stuff, ‘aiming system, really?!’... There’s no short cut to it.” Corey said, “The one that he’s talking about, I haven’t been able to comprehend it yet. It’s something about pivoting the back foot and I don’t know.” He also sets up a shot to demonstrate how an aiming system cannot work. Corey also does not disagreed when John says, "We’ve hit a million balls -- that’s our system.”

As to positive vs negative post counts: like I said, there will always be more believers running around chanting, “Harikhrisna,” than atheists or agnostics muttering “Bull shee-to.”

And so, a pro disagrees with the CTE believers and he is “generally ranting.” I write a negative review of the system and it is “full of prejudice.” You know, I wasn’t sure at first, but with this last post of yours I can see you’ll fit right in with the rest of the CTE cheerleading squad ;-)

BTW, here’s a partial transcript of what John and Corey said, leaving out the occasional comments on LD shafts and Corey’s describing how he teaches.

#####
John Schmidt: Well, don’t get me started on aiming systems. I’ll tell you if...

Maybe they work... but nobody’s telling me the one’s that work. Because if they work, first of all you’re not factoring in swerve and deflection. OK, now what if a guy comes up with a delivery system, that’s different. But, aiming’s adorable -- but you still have to deliver -- so you could aim perfect. If those aiming systems worked, well there would just be like four million people who played like Corey. But it’s year after year and it’s still Corey.

So these aiming systems are overrated, they’re a way to sell videos and books and make people pontificate about their own greatness and believe me if it worked, then they’d be out there winning tournaments, but they’re not.

What Stevie Moore doesn’t get is -- Stevie Moore -- you could put a bag over his head and he’d run out. He’s a great player. So he’s playing great in spite of his aiming system, not because of it. I mean, think about it: he’s already a great player. He could aim at the wall and he’s still going to make the ball. And it’s a way to give him comfort and confidence. He’s kind of like tricked himself into thinking ‘this aiming system works.’

(John sets up to demonstrate a shot.) I just can’t see how I’m going to use english here and I’m going to aim bottom right english. So I’m aiming out here -- it’s going to squirt. Well, what aiming system is going to work for that?! It’s only going to work with center ball. And you know, all these guys with their aiming systems can get like weight from me. And I don’t use an aiming system.

Corey Duel: Yeah the one that he’s talking about I haven’t been able to comprehend it yet. It’s something about pivoting the back foot and... I don’t know.

John Schmidt: My piece of advice, if anybody cares to the viewers at home: forget all the aiming systems. Just like when you throw a baseball to first, you just do it. Right? There’s no aiming, you do it, you feel it. It’s same with pool. You get a mental picture and you do it. Aiming systems are the most ridiculous, overrated thing...The pros scoff at that stuff, they’re like, ‘aiming systems, really?!’...

If they would quit spending so much time on line and learning about aiming systems and go hit more balls they’d become better players. There’s no short cut to it. Sitting on AZ Billiards looking for aiming systems isn’t going to get it. It’s like the golf swing guys. They got a thousand videos. But the guy that goes to the driving range till his hands bleed, that’s the good golfer. You can’t watch it online and go, ‘oh, there’s got to be a system for hitting a four iron two hundred yards on the green.’ It’s the same with pool. We’ve hit a million pool balls -- that’s our system. I mean, you’re not going to get good at anything using a system.

I could be wrong, I don’t know if I’m right. I just think aiming systems are crazy. Deflection and swerve is what makes this game so tough. If there was no such thing as that, you know you just hit whatever english, but this thing goes sideways off of your stick. That’s why the game’s so impossible.
#####

Lou Figueroa

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

To make Schmidt's and Deuel's comments easier to find, I've appended Lou's partial transcript to my original posting.

 

[lfigueroa]

To make Schmidt's and Deuel's comments easier to find, I've appended Lou's partial transcript to my original posting.

Might want to update. I had a couple of repeated words in one of the last paragraphs.

Lou Figueroa
no JAM

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

Might want to update. I had a couple of repeated words in one of the last paragraphs.

Lou Figueroa
no JAM

I've appended the revision to the OP. Thanks.

Which aiming system is Corey talking about where he says the following:
"Yeah the one that he’s talking about I haven’t been able to comprehend it yet. It’s something about pivoting the back foot and... I don’t know."

 

[lfigueroa]

I've appended the revision to the OP. Thanks.

Which aiming system is Corey talking about where he says the following:
"Yeah the one that he’s talking about I haven’t been able to comprehend it yet. It’s something about pivoting the back foot and... I don’t know."

It's somewhat unclear.

However, right before that, John was talking about Stevie Moore's aiming system. And then Corey mentions a system with a pivot, though he seems uncertain of the particulars of the system. Sooooooo, which aiming system does Stevie use and does it have a pivot... You be the judge ;-)

Lou Figueroa

 

[Roadie]

Corey wasn’t giving a deposition and this isn’t a court of law, though you’re trying to parse what happened on the video as if it were.QUOTE]

Not really. I am simply interpreting what watched the way I see it.

Clearly, almost anyone watching the video can tell Corey agrees with John’s comments, when John says, “”Forget all the aiming systems... aiming systems are the most ridiculous, overrated thing...The pros scoff at that stuff, ‘aiming system, really?!’... There’s no short cut to it.”

So then let's just talk about Mr. Schmidt's comments. If the pros scoff at aiming systems then why do some pros use them? Why do some pros endorse them? I could understand the endorsing if they are getting paid but not the use since using an aiming system directly affects their job performance. So clearly John Schmidt doesn't speak for ALL the pros.

Corey said, “The one that he’s talking about, I haven’t been able to comprehend it yet. It’s something about pivoting the back foot and I don’t know.” He also sets up a shot to demonstrate how an aiming system cannot work. Corey also does not disagreed when John says, "We’ve hit a million balls -- that’s our system.”

Silence is not agreement. Mr. Duell BARELY got a chance to speak during the whole segment. When he DID attempt to show his method he was shut down by Mr. Schmidt.

I have spoken with Mr. Duell and this young man has an extremely creative mind and is always tinkering with how to play the game. I don't believe for a second that he scoffs at aiming systems. What I think Mr. Schmidt is upset about is the idea that using an aiming system is a magic pill. On that I fully agree with him.

As to positive vs negative post counts: like I said, there will always be more believers running around chanting, “Harikhrisna,” than atheists or agnostics muttering “Bull shee-to.”

With the exception that an atheist is railing against having faith in a deity that is invisible and otherwise not detectable. A person who has something positive to say about Mr. Shuffett's dvd has something concrete to review. They have instructions to follow, they have extra support over the phone, they have extra support from the community to learn the physical steps to approaching the physical balls on the very real table. Then the measure becomes whether they get better or not. There is no faith needed. It is simply a template that is very real and reviewable.

And so, a pro disagrees with the CTE believers and he is “generally ranting.” I write a negative review of the system and it is “full of prejudice.” You know, I wasn’t sure at first, but with this last post of yours I can see you’ll fit right in with the rest of the CTE cheerleading squad ;-)

Well I think that this pro was generally ranting. He made a lot of comments that were non-sequiturs, meaning that the conclusion did not follow the premises.

BTW, here’s a partial transcript of what John and Corey said, leaving out the occasional comments on LD shafts and Corey’s describing how he teaches.

Excellent. Now we can talk about them.

#####
John Schmidt: Well, don’t get me started on aiming systems. I’ll tell you if...

This sounds like the classic intro to a rant.

Maybe they work... but nobody’s telling me the one’s that work.

So he is saying here that he has either tried them all or hasn't tried many or any?

Because if they work, first of all you’re not factoring in swerve and deflection. OK, now what if a guy comes up with a delivery system, that’s different. But, aiming’s adorable -- but you still have to deliver -- so you could aim perfect. If those aiming systems worked, well there would just be like four million people who played like Corey. But it’s year after year and it’s still Corey.

Well here Mr. Schmidt is wrong because swerve and deflection are factored in. And then Mr. Schmidt goes on to speak about delivery which is separate from aiming. We all agree that delivery is another very important part of the game. But first you aim then you deliver. Never the other way around.

So Mr. Schmidt is saying it's all about delivery but then he goes on to say that IF the aiming systems work that everyone would play like pros. The line about 4 million people playing like Corey is a classic rant line with little logic because Mr. Schmidt JUST SAID that even if you aim perfect it's still about delivery - which is what we all say.

So these aiming systems are overrated, they’re a way to sell videos and books and make people pontificate about their own greatness and believe me if it worked, then they’d be out there winning tournaments, but they’re not.

Has Mr. Shuffett ever pontificated about his own greatness? No. Has Mr. Shuffet been out there winning tournaments and posting great results? Yes. How about Mr. Shuffett's students? The answer to that is clear.

With the revelation that Mr. Schmidt has been a guest in Mr. Shuffett's house TWICE and is a coach to Landon Shuffett in 14.1 I would not be surprised if Mr. Schmidt didn't want to amend the comments above.

What Stevie Moore doesn’t get is -- Stevie Moore -- you could put a bag over his head and he’d run out. He’s a great player. So he’s playing great in spite of his aiming system, not because of it. I mean, think about it: he’s already a great player. He could aim at the wall and he’s still going to make the ball. And it’s a way to give him comfort and confidence. He’s kind of like tricked himself into thinking ‘this aiming system works.’

I have spoken to Mr. Moore through facebook and he has clearly not tricked himself. Again John Schmidt is out of line speaking about his colleagues as if he knows more about them than they personally know about themselves. How about we get TAR to let Stevie Moore have some airtime on a podcast and let him address the comments?

(John sets up to demonstrate a shot.) I just can’t see how I’m going to use english here and I’m going to aim bottom right english. So I’m aiming out here -- it’s going to squirt. Well, what aiming system is going to work for that?! It’s only going to work with center ball. And you know, all these guys with their aiming systems can get like weight from me. And I don’t use an aiming system.

Ok. I am sure TAR can line that up. Darren Appleton, Shane Van Boeing, Stevie Moore are all standing by to accept weight. Oh, you mean the amateurs who are not able to spend the time hitting a milliion balls?? Those are the guys who can get weight? Now Mr. Schmidt asked the question, probably meant rhetorically, what system will account for the shot he set up? CTE works for that shot and any other shot that Mr. Schmidt cares to ask about. That is easy to demonstrate.

Corey Duel: Yeah the one that he’s talking about I haven’t been able to comprehend it yet. It’s something about pivoting the back foot and... I don’t know.

So this would indicate that Mr. Duell has been thinking about some systems. Not exactly a "scoff" as Mr. Schmidt claims the pros do about aimign systems.

John Schmidt: My piece of advice, if anybody cares to the viewers at home: forget all the aiming systems. Just like when you throw a baseball to first, you just do it. Right? There’s no aiming, you do it, you feel it. It’s same with pool. You get a mental picture and you do it. Aiming systems are the most ridiculous, overrated thing...The pros scoff at that stuff, they’re like, ‘aiming systems, really?!’...

And as already proven not all pros scoff at them.

If they would quit spending so much time on line and learning about aiming systems and go hit more balls they’d become better players. There’s no short cut to it. Sitting on AZ Billiards looking for aiming systems isn’t going to get it. It’s like the golf swing guys. They got a thousand videos. But the guy that goes to the driving range till his hands bleed, that’s the good golfer. You can’t watch it online and go, ‘oh, there’s got to be a system for hitting a four iron two hundred yards on the green.’ It’s the same with pool. We’ve hit a million pool balls -- that’s our system. I mean, you’re not going to get good at anything using a system.

Of course you won't get good if ALL you have is a system. An aiming system is simply a way to look at the shot. Once you learn it you have to practice with it until it becomes a natural part of your game. That's where the bleeding hands come in. I would bet a million dollars that if I were on the range next to Mr. Schmidt and absolutely flailing out there for hours that Mr. Schmidt would step over and offer me some instruction on how to improve my stance in order to improve my consistency. If he truly beleives that all that's required is to hit balls then he would never attempt to help anyone else ever.

I could be wrong, I don’t know if I’m right. I just think aiming systems are crazy. Deflection and swerve is what makes this game so tough. If there was no such thing as that, you know you just hit whatever english, but this thing goes sideways off of your stick. That’s why the game’s so impossible.
#####

And this is what it comes down to. He was ranting, not speaking technically, not showing the inner workings of any particular system, just ranting about the general idea that a system can replace hard work. Which is something that none of the proponents of CTE in the last four years have said on AZB to my knowledge. However it's quite easy to understand Mr. Schmidt's frustration when he sees super long threads about this with people threatening to kill each other over how to approach a shot.

I will bet that if Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Stan Shuffett get together and Mr. Shuffett has time to show Mr. Schmidt how it works in detail that Mr. Schmidt will change his mind. If that happens will you you treat him like you said you would treat Mr. Mosconi and tell John Schmidt that he is wrong as well?

 

[LAMas]

lou,
Thanks for post #190.:smile:

 

[Roadie]

lou,
Thanks for post #190.:smile:

I concur. It's much better to have some sort of transcript to work with in a thread like this. Thank you Mr. Figueroa for taking the time to do it.

 

[Roadie]

It's somewhat unclear.

However, right before that, John was talking about Stevie Moore's aiming system. And then Corey mentions a system with a pivot, though he seems uncertain of the particulars of the system. Sooooooo, which aiming system does Stevie use and does it have a pivot... You be the judge ;-)

Lou Figueroa

I would tend to assume that Mr. Duell is speaking of the system that Stevie Moore uses. And Mr. Duell clearly states his lack of understanding of that system. He does not say that he finds it to be worthless or overrated.

At this point in the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8KsVm9ePlk&feature=player_detailpage#t=1543s Mr. Duell attempts to explain what he does and he is not allowed to really develop his point. But he clearly says that it is his opinion that a person should "aim the cue ball" not the cue stick. He says "like this" in preparation to show what he means and Mr. Schmidt immediately jumps in to interrupt him.

Where Mr. Schmidt is not correct is the assumption that a player thinks that he can simply learn a method and then instantly be good. The fact is that a player should learn something and THEN put in the time. This video is simply Mr. Schmidt showing his frustration at the idea that an aiming system makes a player. We all know that there is no single aspect of the game that makes a player. It's mastery of all aspects plus a giant portion of heart and nerves that make a player.

Imagine if Mr. Schmidt is wrong and the aiming systems ARE a better way to LOOK at the shot and they take a few weeks to really master. THEN after that initial time spent getting VERY comfortable with the aiming method the player can spend the next 999,000 balls perfecting the delivery, leanring the cue, understanding how much adjsutment is needed off the basline, figuring out speed and touch, along the journey to becoming a great player. Imagine if players were fully grounded in the art of aiming before they spent a lot of time on the other aspects. What sort of players could they become?

The anaolgy of throwing a baseball to first base is not right. In baseball they don't simply set you up and tell you to throw until you get it. Instead you are taught the proper form, you are taught HOW to throw according to the best practice for accuracy. You are taught to do all these things in practice so that when it's game time you can do it instantly.

How to Throw A Baseball

 

[Roadie]

Mr. Schmidt starts speaking about his views at this point http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8KsVm9ePlk&feature=player_detailpage#t=1448s

He starts out with "don't get me stated about aiming systems" and sighs. Then launches into a rant about them. Now it is surely refreshing to hear a top professional player going full bore against aiming systems if you are a die-hard opponent of aiming systems.

However the point remains that if supporters of aiming systems are NOT allowed to cite the professionals who use and endorse aiming systems then it's only fair that the opponents of aiming systems, such as Mr. Figueroa, are not allowed to cite the professionals who are against them. Or both sides ARE allowed to cite the pros who support their positions.

And if so then we have multiple pros who do use and support aiming systems. Darren Appleton, Shane Van Boeing, Landon Shuffet, Stevie Moore and Phil Burford for example.

Darren Appleton's accomplishments are well known as are Shane Van Boeing's. Landon recently demolished Earl Strickland and was a tough contender against all the other professionals in the Tunica 10 ball challenge. In fact Darren Appleton said that Landon was playing the best out of all the pros there. Phil Burford beat Bustamante in an exhibition match and recent won a smaller event full of pros in New York. Of course the aiming systems these professionals use is not all that makes them world class. But when we watch them play we marvel at their form and their consistentcy. So maybe it is simply worth trying what they do to aim. After all you can always go back to pure feel and simply hitting balls until your hands bleed. Or you can try what they do and still hit balls until your hands bleed. One of those two methods will resonate with you.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

I cannot. But I am sure that as diligent as you appear to be on this topic you can go and prove me wrong. Make you a deal. You post all the negative reviews you can find and when you are done I will post links to all the positive ones and everyone can not only count them they will also have an easy list of links to go and read them.

Since Dr. Dave is a well-known authority on many pool topics, one can read the following link for a general overview of CTE aiming systems, with comments by other people too:
http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/aiming.html#CTE

According to Dr. Dave, the BOTTOM LINE OF THE ANALYSIS :

Any align-and-pivot system like CTE requires changes in alignment and/or effective pivot length as the cut angle and shot distance change.
Personally, I think DAM is still a much simpler approach to basic center-ball aiming than any pivot-based system; although, like anything, it does requires practice. Regardless of which "aiming system" you use (even if you just "see the angle"), you still need to practice to develop and improve your "visual intelligence" and consistency, and you need to actually focus on aiming the shot. It also helps to have an effective and consistent pre-shot routine. Many aiming systems can help some people do this (for more info, see benefits of "aiming systems"). Also, when you use English, you need to compensate your aim to account for squirt, swerve, and throw.​

For Roger Long's comments about CTE, you can read the following articles:

CTE has had a long sordid history involving years and years of online pool forum debates. For more background, see Roger Longs series of articles on the topic: "CTE: Miracle Fix, or Mystical Tricks?" (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3).
http://www.azbilliards.com/rogerlong/roger4.php
http://www.azbilliards.com/rogerlong/roger5.php
http://www.azbilliards.com/rogerlong/roger6.php​

Lou Figueroa wrote a detailed review which can be found at the following link: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=2871644&postcount=77
The entire thread can be found here and makes for interesting reading: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=221106