Basic Aiming Methods Illustrated

[(((Satori)))]

Did the part I quoted above from my original post not explain it? Stick aiming gets you close(ish) - you finish the job by feel.

I don't have a stick aiming system of choice - I don't use a system.

pj
chgo

SVB claims to use stick aiming yet I have never seen him adjust his stance once he was down on a shot if the stick did not line up correctly. I have seem him get up from a shot though and start over if the shot didn't feel right (or perhaps line up right).

The point is, I believe his real aiming is done while he is standing and then he drops in on the shot.

 

[CJ Wiley]

you must make a choice or......you'll be inconsistent to say the least.

SVB claims to use stick aiming yet I have never seen him adjust his stance once he was down on a shot if the stick did not line up correctly. I have seem him get up from a shot though and start over if the shot didn't feel right (or perhaps line up right).

The point is, I believe his real aiming is done while he is standing and then he drops in on the shot.

This is correct. Once you get down you don't have the right perspective to "aim." Above the shot you can connect the cue ball to the object ball in however you choose, and you must make a choice or......you'll be inconsistent to say the least.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Stick aiming gets you close(ish) - you finish the job by feel.

pj
chgo

satori:
SVB claims to use stick aiming yet I have never seen him adjust his stance once he was down on a shot if the stick did not line up correctly. I have seem him get up from a shot though and start over if the shot didn't feel right (or perhaps line up right).

The point is, I believe his real aiming is done while he is standing and then he drops in on the shot.

I can't tell if you think aiming by feel and doing your "real" aiming while standing are incompatible - they aren't. In fact, since I believe "by feel" is how everybody ultimately aims, I think it's compatible with every aiming method and system.

pj
chgo

 

[(((Satori)))]

I can't tell if you think aiming by feel and doing your "real" aiming while standing are incompatible - they aren't. In fact, since I believe "by feel" is how everybody ultimately aims, I think it's compatible with every aiming method and system.

pj
chgo

Yeah we think the same. I made a couple of posts in your thread knowing what we don't know that explains my belief.

 

[(((Satori)))]

This is correct. Once you get down you don't have the right perspective to "aim." Above the shot you can connect the cue ball to the object ball in however you choose, and you must make a choice or......you'll be inconsistent to say the least.

I know your way to connect and I like it but in your conversations with Earl and Johnny and SVB did you find out how they connect?

How do they?

 

[(((Satori)))]

I know your way to connect and I like it but in your conversations with Earl and Johnny and SVB did you find out how they connect?

How do they?

If you prefer not to comment on what someone else does could you give your opinion on what the most commen method the high caliber players use to connect the shot?

 

[rhatten]

STICK Aiming

This is not an "exact" system, so I'll add a little introduction:

Because of its fixed width, the edge of a centered shaft points directly at the OB contact point for only one cut angle. For a 12.7mm shaft like the one in the pictures below this "Stick Aiming cut angle" is 13 degrees. The "Stick Aiming cut angle" for smaller shafts is a smaller angle and for larger shafts it's a larger angle.

Stick Aiming is done by learning how the edge of your stick lines up compared to the OB contact point for different cut angles and recreating the correct alignment from memory for each shot that comes up. The edge of the stick almost never (except for the shaft's one Stick Aiming cut angle) lines up exactly with the OB contact point, but using it as a fixed comparison for any cut angle can be a helpful memory aid.

Like other "reference" systems, Stick Aiming can be used with varying degrees of awareness of how it functions:

- "consciously", with real time awareness of estimations being made

- "subconsciously", with abstract understanding that estimations are made

- "unconsciously", with no awareness that estimations are made (believing the method is "exact" for all shots)

pj
chgo

View attachment 256067
NOTE: Another version of Stick Aiming compares the stick's edges and center with the OB's edges and fractions.

___________
Hey PJ,

This is my rendition of your comment above... Works awsome!!

Notice the relationship of CCB to Center Shaft in the images on the left (OP) and those on the right - The O-M-I Shaft Aiming system never addresses the CB in the absolute CCB... Obviously you can for a dead straight in shot but its not neccessary if you simply create a small angle (cheating the pocket 2-7 degrees while throwing the CB @ center pocket) when using the O-M-I Shaft Aiming system.

 

[Mikjary]

Did the part I quoted above from my original post not explain it? Stick aiming gets you close(ish) - you finish the job by feel.

I don't have a stick aiming system of choice - I don't use a system.

pj
chgo

If you robotically aim with your stick, yes, this explains how to do it. You'll be limited in the amount of angles you can use. Using the side of the stick to the contact point without as much estimating is much easier to visualize.

Best,
Mike

 

[(((Satori)))]

C.J.,


I know your way to connect and I like it but in your conversations with Earl and Johnny and SVB did you find out how they connect?

How do they?


If you prefer not to comment on what someone else does could you give your opinion on what the most commen method the high caliber players use to connect the shot?


______________________

ttt In case CJ missed this.

 

[CJ Wiley]

the object ball is always changing distances - The cue ball is not

If you prefer not to comment on what someone else does could you give your opinion on what the most commen method the high caliber players use to connect the shot?

Shane uses his tip, and Johnny and Earl "connect the dots," so to speak. I haven't went into depth with them so I won't elaborate on that.

When I say "connect the dots," I'm referring to making a connection between the balls BEFORE we get down. We have to have a consistent way to connect the two together, then allow our unconscious (which still works off information generated by our {senses}) to create a "Line of the Shot". My TOI Technique allows you to see ever shot like it's straight in through my connection and they do something that allows them to do the same (in their own way).

As far as "aiming" when down on the ball, Shane uses the center of his tip (is what he told me), as a reference point and probably changes the point (dot) on his tip to create different angles. I may make it a project to mind out exactly what they're doing as some point, however, that's the basics as I see them.

Just remember, where many people get confused is you aim at the cue ball so your "aiming points" are there, not on the object ball. You can aim at the object ball, it's just much more difficult because the object ball is always changing distances - The cue ball (for the most part) is not. 'The Game is the Teacher'

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Using the side of the stick to the contact point without as much estimating is much easier to visualize.

Yes, and you can make shots that way, but it's not a real visualization. The diagrams show that only one cut angle can be made by aiming directly at the contact point, and every other cut angle must be aimed differently. Estimating is the core of it. If you believe you're making shots by actually aiming the side of the shaft at the contact point, then you're doing the estimations unconsciously.

pj
chgo

 

[CJ Wiley]

My system is just more organized and I've reduce that extra calculations

C.J.,


I know your way to connect and I like it but in your conversations with Earl and Johnny and SVB did you find out how they connect?

How do they?


If you prefer not to comment on what someone else does could you give your opinion on what the most commen method the high caliber players use to connect the shot?


______________________

ttt In case CJ missed this.

I talked briefly with Shane about a certain long, tough shot off the rail and he doesn't even connect to the actual object ball (on that particular shot), instead connects to the ball, then aims at the shadow cast by the object ball and bisects it with the center of his tip.

I don't want to try to explain what he does, I only know what I do, however, with my solid "referential index" I can understand immediately{know} how others are making their connection. It's just best for me to stick to what I'm doing and explain that because I've reduced variables and "blended" my system, while other players are just as effective, but are using their systems separately.

It's like two people that are equally effective in multi-tasking, just one does it more systematically. This is a good comparison between what I do compared to other champion players. My system is just more organized and I've reduce that extra calculation they're still having to make. That's why I don't need to practice as much to maintain a high level of play.

What my personal game is missing, that I can't do alone is the competitive element. I used to gamble quite a bit and now it's few and far between. Either I have to give up too big a handicap or play other more seasoned (currently) for amounts of money that gives them a clear advantage. It's brutal for me to turn down games when at one time no one would even think of matching up, especially in a long "ahead" set. Efren and Bustemante would play me races, but NEVER play ahead - there IS a difference mentally.

No matter how much a person has gambled in their lives they still feel exaggerated pressure if they stop doing it for awhile. It's not that tough to "get back," it just takes a couple of weeks of playing under pressure. That's easier said than done these days with lack of a pro tour and gambling being at an all time low.

 

[(((Satori)))]

Shane uses his tip, and Johnny and Earl "connect the dots," so to speak. I haven't went into depth with them so I won't elaborate on that.

When I say "connect the dots," I'm referring to making a connection between the balls BEFORE we get down. We have to have a consistent way to connect the two together, then allow our unconscious (which still works off information generated by our {senses}) to create a "Line of the Shot". My TOI Technique allows you to see ever shot like it's straight in through my connection and they do something that allows them to do the same (in their own way).

As far as "aiming" when down on the ball, Shane uses the center of his tip (is what he told me), as a reference point and probably changes the point (dot) on his tip to create different angles. I may make it a project to mind out exactly what they're doing as some point, however, that's the basics as I see them.

Just remember, where many people get confused is you aim at the cue ball so your "aiming points" are there, not on the object ball. You can aim at the object ball, it's just much more difficult because the object ball is always changing distances - The cue ball (for the most part) is not. 'The Game is the Teacher'

Thanks C.J.,

First I want to tell you I can't express how much I appreciate the ability to recieve your knowledge on a public forum. It is awesome that you take the time to answer questions like this.


Now, I am totally with you on everything you said in paragraph two. As I said, I like exploring the way you connect the dots and was curious if, in your conversations with the others mentioned you could inform me of some other methods I might not have discovvered yet. You 4 guys have a lot of things I could model that I'm sure would raise my level of play and since you were so adamant about the ghost ball being inferior, which is what I use, I wanted to experiment with what you guys do. Ghost ball works pretty good for me but I certainly don't have your consistancy.


I am going to spend some time aiming points of the cue ball to the center or edge like you do and see how I like it for times when it is hard for me to make the connection.

 

[CJ Wiley]

a healthy way (I believe) to practice visualization and expand areas of our minds

Thanks C.J.,

First I want to tell you I can't express how much I appreciate the ability to recieve your knowledge on a public forum. It is awesome that you take the time to answer questions like this.


Now, I am totally with you on everything you said in paragraph two. As I said, I like exploring the way you connect the dots and was curious if, in your conversations with the others mentioned you could inform me of some other methods I might not have discovvered yet. You 4 guys have a lot of things I could model that I'm sure would raise my level of play and since you were so adamant about the ghost ball being inferior, which is what I use, I wanted to experiment with what you guys do. Ghost ball works pretty good for me but I certainly don't have your consistancy.


I am going to spend some time aiming points of the cue ball to the center or edge like you do and see how I like it for times when it is hard for me to make the connection.

I've always made fun of the ghost ball, but that's from hanging out with the group I was with (seasoned road players) years ago. We were of the opinion that if someone didn't know how to explain something they would use the "ghost reference".

Like is someone would be afraid of the dark, they would blame it on "ghosts", or if they heard a creepy noise coming from the attic. :yikes: On closer examination these things are not scary at all. "The only thing to fear is fear it's self" - knowledge triumphs over fear.

Our ability to visualize is basically an illusion, it's our illusion so we are attached to it and even prone to defend it, however, it's an illusion none the less. I've been around many people through my life that make claims to be able to have some {ESP} abilities that no one else had and, for the most part it's their own hallucination.

I'm not knocking this, I believe it's a healthy way to expand your mind and figure things out that we may not be able to any other way. I just never really visualize things consciously WHILE I'm playing (even though I believe my unconscious does), although I do when I'm NOT playing. I used to drive and use the steering wheel as my "cue ball" and shoot signs, stars, etc into other "targets" and create angles.

This is as close as I'll ever come to using a "ghost ball" method, although after lining up and "connecting the dots" I will see the path the cue ball will take in my "mind's eye". I say "mind's eye" because I "allow" it to process and know (from many years of experience) that I don't have to do it consciously.

This may sound funny, but we all experience this daily, when driving, talking and even walking. We don't have to be aware of all the information we are processing to do these things and are fine with it.

For some reason players think they have to be aware of everything that's happening in their pool games and this is simply not true {after learning the correct technique}. This attitude leads to frustation and gets in the way of ever reaching maximum performance. We literally get in our own way. :sorry:

Again, this a healthy way (I believe) to practice visualization and expand areas of our minds that we may only be able do in a way such as this. I don't waste time trying to figure it out, it just is as it is, and I accept it's outside my normal "recognition" abilities.

 

[(((Satori)))]

I've always made fun of the ghost ball, but that's from hanging out with the group I was with (seasoned road players) years ago. We were of the opinion that if someone didn't know how to explain something they would use the "ghost reference".

Like is someone would be afraid of the dark, they would blame it on "ghosts", or if they heard a creepy noise coming from the attic. :yikes: On closer examination these things are not scary at all. "The only thing to fear is fear it's self" - knowledge triumphs over fear.

Our ability to visualize is basically an illusion, it's our illusion so we are attached to it and even prone to defend it, however, it's an illusion none the less. I've been around many people through my life that make claims to be able to have some {ESP} abilities that no one else had and, for the most part it's their own hallucination.

I'm not knocking this, I believe it's a healthy way to expand your mind and figure things out that we may not be able to any other way. I just never really visualize things consciously WHILE I'm playing (even though I believe my unconscious does), although I do when I'm NOT playing. I used to drive and use the steering wheel as my "cue ball" and shoot signs, stars, etc into other "targets" and create angles.

This is as close as I'll ever come to using a "ghost ball" method, although after lining up and "connecting the dots" I will see the path the cue ball will take in my "mind's eye". I say "mind's eye" because I "allow" it to process and know (from many years of experience) that I don't have to do it consciously.

This may sound funny, but we all experience this daily, when driving, talking and even walking. We don't have to be aware of all the information we are processing to do these things and are fine with it.

For some reason players think they have to be aware of everything that's happening in their pool games and this is simply not true {after learning the correct technique}. This attitude leads to frustation and gets in the way of ever reaching maximum performance. We literally get in our own way. :sorry:

Again, this a healthy way (I believe) to practice visualization and expand areas of our minds that we may only be able do in a way such as this. I don't waste time trying to figure it out, it just is as it is, and I accept it's outside my normal "recognition" abilities.

This makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks!

I'm also not going to be able to quit shooting signs with my stereo g wheel now. thanks for that too.

 

[Mikjary]

Yes, and you can make shots that way, but it's not a real visualization. The diagrams show that only one cut angle can be made by aiming directly at the contact point, and every other cut angle must be aimed differently. Estimating is the core of it. If you believe you're making shots by actually aiming the side of the shaft at the contact point, then you're doing the estimations unconsciously.

pj
chgo

This is not how I "see" the shots. And this is probably why some players have an issue with stick aiming, CTE, and Perfect Aim. Everybody has a different visual approach to a correct alignment.

Putting feel or estimation on the back burner, I do not compensate. I do when I use contact point aiming, but stick aiming is different. I actually have to change my thought process like turning a switch off and another one on in my mind. The same is true for CTE. They both use a visual approach that combines images from both eyes. Knowing how to get the eyes in the right place takes the guess work out of the set up.

Visual aiming systems are different than geometric aiming systems and get a bad rap. I use them and they work. But how do you diagram what you see?

Best,
Mike

 

[Ratta]

This is not how I "see" the shots. And this is probably why some players have an issue with stick aiming, CTE, and Perfect Aim. Everybody has a different visual approach to a correct alignment.

Putting feel or estimation on the back burner, I do not compensate. I do when I use contact point aiming, but stick aiming is different. I actually have to change my thought process like turning a switch off and another one on in my mind. The same is true for CTE. They both use a visual approach that combines images from both eyes. Knowing how to get the eyes in the right place takes the guess work out of the set up.

Visual aiming systems are different than geometric aiming systems and get a bad rap. I use them and they work. But how do you diagram what you see?

Best,
Mike

Great posting sir,
kudos

 

[prelude_paul]

I rather like the ghost ball method in one particular scenario.

If the OB is close up on the CB (like say 6" or less), the pocket is relatively far out, and the cut angle is less than 30-degrees, then I find the ghost ball to be extremely helpful. Tweak it a bit for CIT and go with it.