Visual targets for the pocket center (with pics)

[iusedtoberich]

--------This thread has nothing to do with any 3 letter aiming acronyms! Keep them out of this thread. Thank you.---------

***Edit 2/19, I updated the pictures to remove an error brought to my attention later in the thread***

My intent of this thread is:

1. "Aim small, miss small". This means directing the OB to a specific place in the pocket that you can "see", instead of a big black hole.

2. Picking the appropriate place to direct the center of the OB based on its approach angle. Note, this is for "clean entry" into the pocket.

I put together the following pictures. I know the "center" of the pocket has been discussed throughout the years, but I have not seen pictures of ways to visualize it before. I've never aimed at a specific part of the pocket before, I just visualized the entire opening as a "black hole". Just a few days ago, I made a conscious effort to stand behind the OB, in-line with its path to the pocket, and pick out the center of the pocket. Then, pick a referece point of the pocket that is in line with this center.

The pictures below are for a GC4 table. I'm sure other tables will have similar features that can be picked out. Depending on the lighting on your table, will make the screw hole hard to see, but its there. I also found that depending on where the CB is, you sometimes can't see the inside of the pocket, so you have to look at features outside of the pocket. That's what the second picture is for.

I've been fooling around with this for a couple days now. I won't say its helped, because its too soon to rule out a placebo affect for me. However, I like that my eyes have a finite target for the center of the OB now. In fact, my eyes watch the center of the OB hit the target I selected. Its like this finer target is providing my subconscious fine tuning ability, and I simply watch the OB hit the target and let my subconscious take over. For you "Inner Game of Tennis" fans, you can use this concept to your advantage.

A few discussion points mentioned later in the thread:

Cheating the pocket:
To cheat the pocket, just pick a visual target that is close to where you want the OB center to hit, instead of the target that is in line with the center of the pocket from the particular approach angle.

Hitting the rail:
The effective center will move if you allow hittng the rail on the way into the pocket. I marked my examples for "clean" shots, as that is the way I want to practice. But you can obviously pick whatever visual target you want if you want to allow for hitting the rails on the way in.

Sorry some of the pics didn't turn out very sharp due to the file size limitations. If you want higher resolutions, PM me, and I'll send you the original files as a PDF.

 

[Ratta]

And this without rocket-science :thumbup:

 

[Hector3cushion]

--------This thread has nothing to do with any 3 letter aiming acronyms! Keep them out of this thread. Thank you.---------

Nice and informative pictures. looks like the Center Of Pocket (COP) system:grin-square:

 

[RRfireblade]

All you need to see are the points of each rail. Basically the center of those two spots is the effective center of the pocket from the angle.

That's not going to change from table to table and it's easy to see.

 

[henho]

Toi cte see std usa nba arp nfl cnn abc mlb nfl nbc bbc cvt nra etc

 

[pdcue]

I don't get it. Why do you look at the pocket?

As to aiming for different parts of the pocket, I doubt you could play position
with much precision if you don't aim at various parts of the pocket.

Dale(maybe it's just me)

 

[EL'nino]

You can still aim at various parts of the pocket with this info. This is actually excellent info for a lot of people. How many times have you seen weaker players miss the same shot to the same side of a pocket hundreds of times simply because they don't understand that the center of the pocket is relitive to the OB position. Great post... I wish I read it ten years ago. I missed to the same side of the pocket 40,000 times before I figured this out.... but then I'm a lil slow too

 

[Gerry]

I don't get it. Why do you look at the pocket?

As to aiming for different parts of the pocket, I doubt you could play position
with much precision if you don't aim at various parts of the pocket.

Dale(maybe it's just me)

no, its not you, its me too.

I never take the pocket into consideration when aiming, just the edge of the CB, and a section of the OB........to put it simply! and yes, I am simple.

G.

 

[dr_dave]

In all cases, the reference point is in line with the donut on the bed of the cloth. The donut is the true center from any angle. The donut is at the intersection of the rail gulley lines.

FYI, the pocket "center" for aiming, and the effective "size" of the pocket, vary with the shot angle and speed to the pocket. Also, for a given angle, both the "center" and "size" vary with different tables, based on the pocket geometry and cloth conditions. In other words, the donut isn't always the best place to aim on every shot and every table. For more info, see the instructional articles here:

pocket "size" and "center" resource page​

Also, sometimes it is desirable to "cheat" the pocket by aiming off "center."

Regards,
Dave

 

[bbb]

All you need to see are the points of each rail. Basically the center of those two spots is the effective center of the pocket from the angle.That's not going to change from table to table and it's easy to see.

i agree with this

 

[JB Cases]

Excellent images and references. It's always helpful to have any extra guidance to fine tune when needed. Thank you.

 

[Chi2dxa]

--------This thread has nothing to do with any 3 letter aiming acronyms! Keep them out of this thread. Thank you.---------

I put together the following pictures. I know the "center" of the pocket has been discussed throughout the years, but I have not seen pictures of ways to visualize it before. I've never aimed at a specific part of the pocket before, I just visualized the entire opening. Just a few days ago, I made a conscious effort to stand behind the OB, and pick out the center of the pocket from its path to the pocket. Then, pick a referece point of the pocket that is in line with this center.

In all cases, the reference point is in line with the donut on the bed of the cloth. The donut is the true center from any angle. The donut is at the intersection of the rail gulley lines. However, I found it can be hard to visualize where the donut is on an unmarked table. Especially when your eyes are at an angle to the pocket, and you can only see part of the opening. In other words, you can't estimate where the donut would go, because you can't see the entire slate edge to put the donut at its center.

The pictures below are for a GC4 table. I'm sure other tables will have similar features that can be picked out. Depending on the lighting on your table, will make the screw hole hard to see, but its there. I also found that depending on where the CB is, you sometimes can't see the inside of the pocket, so you have to look at features outside of the pocket. That's what the second picture is for.

I've been fooling around with this for a couple days now. I won't say its helped, because its too soon to rule out a placebo affect for me. However, I like that my eyes have a finite target for the center of the OB now. In fact, my eyes watch the center of the OB hit the target I selected. Its like this finer target is providing my subconscious fine tuning ability, and I simply watch the OB hit the target and let my subconscious take over.

View attachment 260273

View attachment 260274

View attachment 260275

View attachment 260276

View attachment 260277

Funny that you should open up a thread on this for I have just discovered it myself a few months ago and have been enjoying pool even more. Now on my Gandy table I aim at the actual points of the cushion either the left or the right point depending on where I am shooting from but on a Gold Crown table I have to change that to the "Plastic Point" on either the left or right side which is deeper in the pocket. Now to have even more fun CJ Wiley's TOI (Touch of Inside) has helped me become even more accurate in just the few days that I have been using it aiming at the same point. Now I have added my own "TOO" (Touch of Outside) when I need to aim at the left or inside cushion point. Just a side note I have looked at Tor Lowery's Zero-x video on youtube the part on staying on the correct side of the OB and reviewed some fundamentals and all I have to say is if I have anymore fun at the table they are going to call the police and have me arrested. Great post!!!

 

[seven_7days]

Toi cte see std usa nba arp nfl cnn abc mlb nfl nbc bbc cvt nra etc

lol




.

 

[iusedtoberich]

FYI, the pocket "center" for aiming, and the effective "size" of the pocket, vary with the shot angle and speed to the pocket. Also, for a given angle, both the "center" and "size" vary with different tables, based on the pocket geometry and cloth conditions. In other words, the donut isn't always the best place to aim on every shot and every table. For more info, see the instructional articles here:

pocket "size" and "center" resource page​

Also, sometimes it is desirable to "cheat" the pocket by aiming off "center."

Regards,
Dave

The donut is the true "geometrical" center coming from any angle. This was also in a BD article by Bob Jewett I read a while ago. This does not account for bouncing off the rails on the way to the pocket, which, as you stated, will move the effective center. The donut is only the center for "clean" entry into the pocket.

 

[iusedtoberich]

All you need to see are the points of each rail. Basically the center of those two spots is the effective center of the pocket from the angle.

That's not going to change from table to table and it's easy to see.

The difference is you have to in your head estimate where that point is, and go for it. With what I photographed, you have a discrete target to aim for. Its just another method good shooting.

 

[pdcue]

FYI, the pocket "center" for aiming, and the effective "size" of the pocket, vary with the shot angle and speed to the pocket. Also, for a given angle, both the "center" and "size" vary with different tables, based on the pocket geometry and cloth conditions. In other words, the donut isn't always the best place to aim on every shot and every table. For more info, see the instructional articles here:

pocket "size" and "center" resource page​

Also, sometimes it is desirable to "cheat" the pocket by aiming off "center."

Regards,
Dave

Since we've opened the scope of the discussion a bit, I'll mention a point
I thought even more important. Any time a ball is close to a rail, often for position play, you need to slide it in along the rail. So you aren't 'aimming'
at the pocket at all. Tho this may be just another form of cheating the pocket.

All that said - in general, anything that helps... helps.

Dale

 

[Bob Jewett]

The donut is the true "geometrical" center coming from any angle. This was also in a BD article by Bob Jewett I read a while ago. This does not account for bouncing off the rails on the way to the pocket, which, as you stated, will move the effective center. The donut is only the center for "clean" entry into the pocket.

My article about that is here: http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/1997-04.pdf

It assumes that the rail is a perfect reflector and a couple of other things that are simplifications, so Dr. Dave is correct in saying that the center of the pocket moves around some as the shot changes. I think for most or maybe all shots it remains within the diameter of the donut. This depends on the table. Most of us have had the experience of running a ball nearly straight down the rail at fast speed and the ball just touches the near point and rattles and hangs. The same shot at low speed goes in. So, the aiming point should move out a little for that shot if you crank up the speed on that kind of table.

I find the center of the pocket visualization particularly useful for side pocket shots.

 

[iusedtoberich]

You can still cheat the pocket. You just pick another of the discreet points, instead of the "effective center" point for whatever angle the OB is approaching the pocket from.

I'm probably way late to the game on this. I've read for years people say not to aim to the "back of the pocket", because you will hit the point on the way in from certain angles. But I never payed attention to this. I never actually "saw" the pocket. I would just see the rails, and could "form" the pocket in my head by looking at the straightness of the rails, and knew where the pocket was. But this did not take into account the approach angle differences.

So I set up the OB at various places on the table, and learned which "feature" of the pocket was closest to the effective center from that OB approach angle. For the first couple of days, I had to walk directly behind the OB path to pick out a discreet target. After that, I for the most part could tell from where the OB was on the table, where the target in the pocket was, from memory, from the CB position, without walking behind the OB path to the pocket. (man, that's a run on sentence, lol)

Now, in my pre shot routine, I focus my eyes on that discreet feature of the pocket for the shot at hand. (not during the whole stroking process, but during some of it). And then, after the shot is struck, my eyes go back to that point I picked out, and I'm actually watching the center of the OB hit it. This is actually brand new for me, so I haven't been consistent in when I look at this point with my eye patterns. I'll probably work out a new eye pattern with this new to me visual pocket target.

Its like when a teeball coach tells you to watch the ball land in your glove. With this, I can watch the OB hit that actual spot. It gives my mind something to "observe" (for you Inner Game of Tennis fans).

Anyway, I thought I'd share. It really made me focus on "exactly" where I wanted to send the OB. Not sure it will make me or anyone else a better player, just another point of view

BTW, I don't use aiming systems, I'm a feel player. But I think this information would work with any aiming system. (I DON'T want to turn this into a 3 letter acronym thread, please)

Good stroking everyone.

 

[iusedtoberich]

My article about that is here: http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/1997-04.pdf

It assumes that the rail is a perfect reflector and a couple of other things that are simplifications, so Dr. Dave is correct in saying that the center of the pocket moves around some as the shot changes. I think for most or maybe all shots it remains within the diameter of the donut. This depends on the table. Most of us have had the experience of running a ball nearly straight down the rail at fast speed and the ball just touches the near point and rattles and hangs. The same shot at low speed goes in. So, the aiming point should move out a little for that shot if you crank up the speed on that kind of table.

I find the center of the pocket visualization particularly useful for side pocket shots.

Yes, that is the article I read. You actually had a post here a couple months ago, where you did not give the answer to where the center was, but gave hints on how to find it. I figured it out with your hints, and put the donut on two of my table pockets to see if it made a difference. Then I did a google search and found your article.

Its funny, I had the donuts on my table for at least 2 months, but they just didn't do much for me. I think for whatever reason, I just did not pay attention to them after the first day or so of fooling around with them. In contrast, I'm really paying attention so far to the features inside the pocket.

Just more ways to play this great game :grin:

 

[Bob Jewett]

... Its funny, I had the donuts on my table for at least 2 months, but they just didn't do much for me. I think for whatever reason, I just did not pay attention to them after the first day or so of fooling around with them. In contrast, I'm really paying attention so far to the features inside the pocket. ...

Yes, I think you have to visualize driving the object ball directly over the center of the donut for there to be any good effect.

On tables with worn cloth you can see the rail groove as it enters the corner pocket and bends. This gives a visible target -- drive the object ball down the middle of that pattern if it's coming from straight out from the pocket.

The "donut" spot is a little inside the point right between the corners of the rail groove.