Rodeny Morris Beats the 13 ball Ghost usng CTE

[JB Cases]

Race to Ten.

"Just beat the 13 ball ghost ten ahead in two hours flat." - Rodney Morris

Here Rodney is explaining the Ghost Ball in response to a fan's question in the same thread on FB

Rodney Morris speaking to Naldo V Troncoso, "the ghost ball is the imaginary ball I envied to envision for my point of contact. I put a ball directly behind the object ball going straight into the pocket I'm shooting for, then I imagine the cue ball taking the place of that ghost ball, or imaginary ball that I'm envisioning. But I don't use that anymore. I was shown a better way to aim. That's why I'm hitting em a lot better. Stevie Moore showed me a little about CTE Pro1. Center to Edge got me started in the right direction, and I'm practicing that for awhile now. Pretty neat"

 

[AtLarge]

... Rodney Morris speaking to Naldo V Troncoso, "the ghost ball is the imaginary ball I envied to envision for my point of contact. I put a ball directly behind the object ball going straight into the pocket I'm shooting for, then I imagine the cue ball taking the place of that ghost ball, or imaginary ball that I'm envisioning. But I don't use that anymore. ...

1. So he used to use ghost ball, or some facsimile thereof, and did fairly well with it.

2. It'll be interesting to see whether he sticks with CTE/Pro-1 and, if he does, whether he has as much success with it in tournaments as he did with his prior method.

 

[sfleinen]

1. So he used to use ghost ball, or some facsimile thereof, and did fairly well with it.

2. It'll be interesting to see whether he sticks with CTE/Pro-1 and, if he does, whether he has as much success with it in tournaments as he did with his prior method.

Additionally, what would be truly interesting -- and to me, the "acid test" -- would be someone posting a high run in 14.1. The highest run I've seen by a known pivot-based aiming user, is Landon Shuffett's 140-ball run last year (or was it the year before? Can't recall...).

Don't get me wrong -- pocketing balls is pocketing balls regardless of the aiming system used -- but I do think aiming system aficionados spend entirely too much time thinking about this.

Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table. The way I see most aiming system aficionados here, it's like every shot involves the conscious mind -- "thought" is placed into aiming -- rather than let the subconscious take that task and do what it does best: repeat/playback a repetitive task.

While you can get away with that in short-rack rotation -- "think" about aiming on every shot, and then "reset" yourself with the breakshot for each rack -- if you do that in straight pool (i.e. "think" about aiming) you set yourself up for a MISS. If not now, then on the next shot. Or the next. Or, you fubar your patterns because you used the wrong part of your brain to do this repetitive task. Straight pool's long term shot-making longevity will GET YOU if you are not forcing that aiming into the background.

I'm probably going to catch flack for this, but I do think there are certain parts of the game, certain skills, where you need to take the harnesses off and just flap your wings and FLY.

-Sean

 

[JoeyInCali]

Alright, Rodney won the US Open using the ghost ball. :smile:
Let's see if he wins the US Open using his new system.

 

[JB Cases]

Actually Rodney didn't use GB either. He didn't say that he used GB up until now. He was explaining what GB was without saying that he used only that until now.

In 2005 I spent a week with Rodney and picked his brain on a few things. One of them was aiming. I asked him how he aims. At that time he told me that he aimed at portions of the ball as he was taught in Hawaii. He said it was pretty much for a cut to the right he aimed at the left side and for a cut to the left at the right side.

So unless we ask him directly what he has done in any period of his pool playing career we won't know.

The point of the thread however is that a well known professional player is saying in public that he has found a better way to aim and that he personally is seeing the results of that in his own performance against the ghost.

Now, maybe some of you don't understand what the 13 ball ghost is. You rack up 13 balls and run them off in order. In a race to ten you have to do the ten times before you miss ten times. Rodney did it in two hours.

So what we have here is a US Open winner who is saying to the world even with all my success I am willing to try another way and I find it to be better than what I previously used.

If a professional's testimonial and performance report isn't enough to convince people that there is merit then I guess nothing is good enough. However for those of us who already know how powerful CTE is this is just more validation.

I personally don't care if JoeyinCali ever tries it, nor do I care if Duckie ever tries it, or LouF or anyone on here who tries so hard to knock CTE and convince people not to try it. I only care that the readers who want to learn are presented with any and all examples of pros who talk about how they aim and why so that those readers can make informed decisions about what to do with their game. For me the knock only serves as a conversation starter.

Any facebooker can send Rodney a private message on Facebook and simply ask him about CTE. Anyone can talk to Stevie Moore here or on FB or talk to Landon or Phil Burford.

Or you can contact John Schmidt who said all you need to do it hit balls until your fingers bleed. As an amateur shooter looking to improve in the time you have you have the whole spectrum from pure feel hit-a-million-balls to systematic alignment and proof that pros use that whole spectrum as well.

 

[JB Cases]

Alright, Rodney won the US Open using the ghost ball. :smile:
Let's see if he wins the US Open using his new system.

And does winning the US Open prove that whatever system a person uses is valid?

 

[BeiberLvr]

Don't get me wrong -- pocketing balls is pocketing balls regardless of the aiming system used -- but I do think aiming system aficionados spend entirely too much time thinking about this.

Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table. The way I see most aiming system aficionados here, it's like every shot involves the conscious mind -- "thought" is placed into aiming -- rather than let the subconscious take that task and do what it does best: repeat/playback a repetitive task.

I don't know about other Pro One/CTE users, but I agree with this. When I'm doing drills or practicing certain shots, I think about my aim before each shot. However, when playing an actual game, I just let my subconscious do it's thing.

Take it for what it's worth, but ever since I've become fairly proficient with Pro One, my subconscious game has improved. I'm assuming it's because I've practiced so much while thinking about it, that when I'm not thinking, my mind just knows where everything should be.

In a game situation, it's only when I have a tough shot that I'll think about the aim.

 

[JB Cases]

Additionally, what would be truly interesting -- and to me, the "acid test" -- would be someone posting a high run in 14.1. The highest run I've seen by a known pivot-based aiming user, is Landon Shuffett's 140-ball run last year (or was it the year before? Can't recall...).

Don't get me wrong -- pocketing balls is pocketing balls regardless of the aiming system used -- but I do think aiming system aficionados spend entirely too much time thinking about this.

Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table. The way I see most aiming system aficionados here, it's like every shot involves the conscious mind -- "thought" is placed into aiming -- rather than let the subconscious take that task and do what it does best: repeat/playback a repetitive task.

While you can get away with that in short-rack rotation -- "think" about aiming on every shot, and then "reset" yourself with the breakshot for each rack -- if you do that in straight pool (i.e. "think" about aiming) you set yourself up for a MISS. If not now, then on the next shot. Or the next. Or, you fubar your patterns because you used the wrong part of your brain to do this repetitive task. Straight pool's long term shot-making longevity will GET YOU if you are not forcing that aiming into the background.

I'm probably going to catch flack for this, but I do think there are certain parts of the game, certain skills, where you need to take the harnesses off and just flap your wings and FLY.

-Sean

Yes Sean, all high level pool is taking the harness straps off and flying. I don't really understand why you consider straight pool to be an acid test?

Sorry but running ten racks of the 13 ball ghost is way harder than running a hundred balls in straight pool. WAY HARDER.

When your shot is dictated to you then you must execute that shot regardless of how easy or difficult it is. And yes I understand about your "mind gets to rest with each break" concept and that is your psychological take on it but the fact is that the physical requirements are much different because every break in rotation games gives you a layout of balls where the shot choices are severely limited.

To me Rodney or any top pro can beat the ghost in rotation or run a hundred balls when they really set their mind to it regardless of what method of aiming they use.

The fact is that we don't know if Rodney was thinking about his aiming with each and every shot. I kind of doubt it. As you know with CTE once you get comfortable with it then it's pretty much automatic without much in the way of conscious decision making. At the highest level it's acquire target-zero in-shoot.

 

[CJ Wiley]

You've got to be kidding

Additionally, what would be truly interesting -- and to me, the "acid test" -- would be someone posting a high run in 14.1. The highest run I've seen by a known pivot-based aiming user, is Landon Shuffett's 140-ball run last year (or was it the year before? Can't recall...).

Don't get me wrong -- pocketing balls is pocketing balls regardless of the aiming system used -- but I do think aiming system aficionados spend entirely too much time thinking about this.

Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table. The way I see most aiming system aficionados here, it's like every shot involves the conscious mind -- "thought" is placed into aiming -- rather than let the subconscious take that task and do what it does best: repeat/playback a repetitive task.

While you can get away with that in short-rack rotation -- "think" about aiming on every shot, and then "reset" yourself with the breakshot for each rack -- if you do that in straight pool (i.e. "think" about aiming) you set yourself up for a MISS. If not now, then on the next shot. Or the next. Or, you fubar your patterns because you used the wrong part of your brain to do this repetitive task. Straight pool's long term shot-making longevity will GET YOU if you are not forcing that aiming into the background.

I'm probably going to catch flack for this, but I do think there are certain parts of the game, certain skills, where you need to take the harnesses off and just flap your wings and FLY.

-Sean

You've got to be kidding. :groucho:

 

[AtLarge]

... Sorry but running ten racks of the 13 ball ghost is way harder than running a hundred balls in straight pool. WAY HARDER. ...

From post #1, apparently Rodney said: "Just beat the 13 ball ghost ten ahead in two hours flat." - Rodney Morris

That's a bit tougher than winning a race to 10!

 

[JB Cases]

From post #1, apparently Rodney said: "Just beat the 13 ball ghost ten ahead in two hours flat." - Rodney Morris

That's a bit tougher than winning a race to 10!

I misspoke about it being a race to 10. But I disagree about it being tougher. In a race you have a finite amount of games to accomplish the task. In an ahead set you have a nearly infinite amount of games to finish the task. In other words you could play 500 games and still be even with the ghost on wins and losses. With a a race to 10 you will have a definite winner after a maximum of 19 games.

 

[HollyWood]

I've just reread Steve Mizeraks bk from 1971

He tells it the way it is- on everything. I have spoken many times with hal - CTE. I recommend looking into steve's bk. Have people forgot the child Prodigy!! He played with the best and beat them all. For 25. dollars it is the best bk on all of Pool. mark His grip features and stance are for real. mark

 

[AtLarge]

I misspoke about it being a race to 10. But I disagree about it being tougher. In a race you have a finite amount of games to accomplish the task. In an ahead set you have a nearly infinite amount of games to finish the task. In other words you could play 500 games and still be even with the ghost on wins and losses. With a a race to 10 you will have a definite winner after a maximum of 19 games.

Guess I wasn't clear enough. The Rodney quote related to his accomplishing something in two hours. I think getting 10 ahead of the ghost in two hours is a higher accomplishment (i.e., tougher) than just beating the ghost to 10 in two hours.

 

[AtLarge]

He tells it the way it is- on everything. I have spoken many times with hal - CTE. I recommend looking into steve's bk. Have people forgot the child Prodigy!! He played with the best and beat them all. For 25. dollars it is the best bk on all of Pool. mark His grip features and stance are for real. mark

Sorry; I'm not understanding the relevance of your post to this thread. Please say more.

 

[Hairy-Redneck]

Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table.
-Sean

Can't you pick out patterns and then focus on aiming? I don't get where you come up with this stuff.

 

[JB Cases]

Guess I wasn't clear enough. The Rodney quote related to his accomplishing something in two hours. I think getting 10 ahead of the ghost in two hours is a higher accomplishment (i.e., tougher) than just beating the ghost to 10 in two hours.

That makes sense.

 

[vapoolplayer]

Additionally, what would be truly interesting -- and to me, the "acid test" -- would be someone posting a high run in 14.1. The highest run I've seen by a known pivot-based aiming user, is Landon Shuffett's 140-ball run last year (or was it the year before? Can't recall...).

Don't get me wrong -- pocketing balls is pocketing balls regardless of the aiming system used -- but I do think aiming system aficionados spend entirely too much time thinking about this.

Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table. The way I see most aiming system aficionados here, it's like every shot involves the conscious mind -- "thought" is placed into aiming -- rather than let the subconscious take that task and do what it does best: repeat/playback a repetitive task.

While you can get away with that in short-rack rotation -- "think" about aiming on every shot, and then "reset" yourself with the breakshot for each rack -- if you do that in straight pool (i.e. "think" about aiming) you set yourself up for a MISS. If not now, then on the next shot. Or the next. Or, you fubar your patterns because you used the wrong part of your brain to do this repetitive task. Straight pool's long term shot-making longevity will GET YOU if you are not forcing that aiming into the background.

I'm probably going to catch flack for this, but I do think there are certain parts of the game, certain skills, where you need to take the harnesses off and just flap your wings and FLY.

-Sean

...............wut?

 

[sfleinen]

Can't you pick out patterns and then focus on aiming? I don't get where you come up with this stuff.

Ok, for *this* one, I'll bite. I'll stick my neck out, and say you have it backwards. Shooting a shot in pool, fundamentals and aiming included, is a repeatable task. Do you think about aiming when throwing a baseball? I would venture to say you don't. You just throw the ball -- your subconscious takes care of the aim part.

Put it another way. For *how long* can you think about everything? For how long can you have your conscious mind engaged in the minutiae of shooting pool? A couple/three racks, or maybe even a set of 9-ball? Sure. But 50/60/70...100 balls in straight pool? I Don't Think So(TM). At some point, you are going to HAVE to relegate all those repeatable things into your subconscious. Do you really think the very best players that compete in the World 14.1 championships are "thinking" about the aim on every single ball, during the course of a 100-ball run? Do you think Oliver Ortmann "thought" his way through aiming every ball in his two 100-and-out and another 150-and-out in the World Championships a couple years ago?

Like I said, you can probably get away with "thinking your aim" through every single shot in a couple/three racks or even a set of 9-ball. Your mind gets to "reset" and rest during every breakshot, and I can see why you'd adopt the stance of "but what's so hard about that?". But try that during, say, a 50-ball run in straight pool. Try keeping your conscious mind engaged in all that minutiae of aiming on every single shot.

If you can do that, you're a better man than I.

-Sean <-- ignoring the cartoonish responses in other posts

 

[JB Cases]

Ok, for *this* one, I'll bite. I'll stick my neck out, and say you have it backwards. Shooting a shot in pool, fundamentals and aiming included, is a repeatable task. Do you think about aiming when throwing a baseball? I would venture to say you don't. You just throw the ball -- your subconscious takes care of the aim part.

Put it another way. For *how long* can you think about everything? For how long can you have your conscious mind engaged in the minutiae of shooting pool? A couple/three racks, or maybe even a set of 9-ball? Sure. But 50/60/70...100 balls in straight pool? I Don't Think So(TM). At some point, you are going to HAVE to relegate all those repeatable things into your subconscious. Do you really think the very best players that compete in the World 14.1 championships are "thinking" about the aim on every single ball, during the course of a 100-ball run? Do you think Oliver Ortmann "thought" his way through aiming every ball in his two 100-and-out and another 150-and-out in the World Championships a couple years ago?

Like I said, you can probably get away with "thinking your aim" through every single shot in a couple/three racks or even a set of 9-ball. Your mind gets to "reset" and rest during every breakshot, and I can see why you'd adopt the stance of "but what's so hard about that?". But try that during, say, a 50-ball run in straight pool. Try keeping your conscious mind engaged in all that minutiae of aiming on every single shot.

If you can do that, you're a better man than I.

-Sean <-- ignoring the cartoonish responses in other posts

Well I will say that you can deliberate your way into the zone. I have often started sets with full focus on my aiming and mechanics to the point of whispering mantras to myself. The result being that after a game or two I find myself relaxed and just shooting without the deliberate attention to the steps.

I think that the brain is certainly capable of maintaining a running checklist for every shot all the way through a set of any length. That could simply be a person's routine and what works for them.

I have also found that sometimes it's very helpful to have a conversation with myself as to what the best move is. An out-loud audible conversation where I work out the consequences and risk-assessment. Sometimes this goes on for many shots until such time as I feel I can see what to do without the dialog.

But yes the ultimate goal would be autopilot set to the highest gear.

 

[Gerry Williams]

When you are learning something new it is very conscious - as it becomes more natural it becomes less conscious.

Pro One for example was very conscious for me for 2 months - now I see the shot visuals and just shoot with very little thought. It was a step back initially but once you clear the hurdles it is amazing.

I will post a video tonight of some Pro One shots and how simple my approach is to them. I have been playing for 25 years since I was 15 and there is no denying that it works and it works well.

Of course like anything one needs to put in the time.