Hi CJ,
You asked me to keep you updated on my progress with toi and it's only been a couple days, but I'm excited to share my findings, so here are a couple of short videos I took from practice today.
Here's a common shot that has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time.
After fooling around with toi, I've found that it a lot easier to make the ball AND get shape consistently than using the usual low outside spin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj02_N8HSzY
Using draw with toi, I feel like I can hit the ball firm no matter the angle, pocket the ball more cleanly on tight pockets (still working on that part) and have the cue ball float down for perfect position. I've gone from fearing the shot to wanting to shoot it for hours on end.
The second video is a runout playing 12-ball. I made a point to shoot every shot with toi, (except the 5 and the 12 where I added a little spin).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwNJ2Id3hNU
I can't explain it but using the same spin everytime, helps me get into my rhythym.
Right now, I tend to come up short for shape (maybe not used to being able to shoot so firm) and am still not confident enough to use it on very long shots and shooting from the rail. I would to hear your thoughts and any advice you have on how to address these issues.
Many thanks,
Vic