Straight In Shots

All shots are straight in shots. If you aim the CB on the right line and stroke it straight on that line, the OB goes into the pocket. I believe we're all more comfortable missing a cut shot because it just seems like we shouldn't miss a straight in shot. Most straight shots are missed due to stroke flaws which many people don't want to admit.
 
nobcitypool said:
All shots are straight in shots. If you aim the CB on the right line and stroke it straight on that line, the OB goes into the pocket. I believe we're all more comfortable missing a cut shot because it just seems like we shouldn't miss a straight in shot. Most straight shots are missed due to stroke flaws which many people don't want to admit.
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Deflection ?
Very often, where the cueball points to directly, is not where it's going to be .
 
Straight is straight. No need for added variables, like adding TOI and aiming off to throw/deflect back toward center pocket. That's just crazy. :confused: We miss straight in shots because of stroke error. That's why any good warm up should include long straight in shots (and maybe even a couple of close ones). You'll know your stroke is off immediately, and when you drill them, you'll know it's back.
 
West Point 1987 said:
Straight is straight. No need for added variables, like adding TOI and aiming off to throw/deflect back toward center pocket. That's just crazy. :confused: We miss straight in shots because of stroke error. That's why any good warm up should include long straight in shots (and maybe even a couple of close ones). You'll know your stroke is off immediately, and when you drill them, you'll know it's back.
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I was wondering how long it would take for someone to write the truth here. 43 replies and here it is. Good players love straight-in shots because they are simple.

ONB
 
WardS said:
It may seem odd but I grip the butt of the cue very tight. It seems to keep my stroke straight, I saw a video on line, tried it, works for me
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The Hillbilly would agree with you...combined with holding the cue farther back.
These shots work best by hitting efficiently, not sweet like a finesse stroke.
Snooker players do it well....so does Buddy Hall.
 
macguy said:
The last thing you want, is seeing yourself missing in your mind. ....
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This is closely related to another pool problem: Target Acquisition Syndrome.

In pool, that's when you say "Don't land behind the 8-ball, don't land behind the 8-ball" and you focus on the spot behind the 8-ball. Well, sure enough, you end up putting the CB behind the 8-ball...because you focused on it so much. Even though your focus was negative -- don't do it, don't do it, don't do it -- the focus was intense enough to make it a positive.

The "motorcycle equivilent" is automobile drivers at an intersection who see a motorcycle coming and say "don't hit the motorcycle". They focus their eyes intently on the motorcycle while thinking "don't hit the motorcycle". And then they step on the gas and steer the car directly into the motorcycle. It's very common to hear motorcyclists report that the driver who hit them was "looking right at me the whole time!"
 
Be sure that some portion of your straight-in practice sessions include plenty of hitting-the-CB-with-topspin strokes (with power adequate enough for the CB to theoretically follow the OB into the pocket).

You'll learns tons about the quality of your stroke in the process. And your arm, grip, aiming and muscle memory *will* cooperate to gradually to idealize these elements..

We're kind of automatic info-acquisition robots at the practice table, with all the gradual performance enhancement and repeatability which that implies.

They don't call Mosconi (or our admirable present-day John Schmidt) "ball-pocketing machines" for nothing. Confident, rhythmic, repeatable pocketing over long match durations, virtually free of conscious deliberation. Much like the intense, structured solo practice of whatever duration -- short or long -- is most personally productive for your temperament. (Temperament being a factor not usually (or not yet, this early in the 21st Century) associated with robotic info-acquisition.)

Arnaldo
 
Tennesseejoe said:
Why do straight in shots seem to be harder than cut shots? Is it just me? I like to practice a long straight in shot but in a game it seems like my percentage is low.

Is it shot line perception? Any ideas? What's your take?
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I believe the error lies in between two things - fundamentals and thought process.

If you have solid fundamentals then you know you can shoot the ball straight to any spot you want, and then you have confidence in these shots. These fundamentals are not only the straight stroke, but also head position, alignment, addressing the ball, staying on the line when you step into the shot, staying relaxed all the way through the stroke, eye pattern, follow through and staying perfectly still throughout the shot.



Thought process - what is actually going on through your mind? What are you focused on? You cannot make the Object Ball go in, you have no control over that. What you have control over is what you should be focused on. So what do you have control over? How you line up and step into the shot, then what you look at during different parts of your stroke, then the smooth stroke with a good follow through.

My thought process - while I'm standing I decide what shot I will shoot, what position I need and how I will get that position. So lets say stop shot bc i'm straight in, how do I get the stop shot? well i'm 3 diamonds away from the ball so i'll hit mediums speed and 3/4 tip below center on the cue ball. So I've planned the entire shot, now I line up behind the cue ball and get my right foot on the line of the shot. From here I visualize the shot actually happening. Once I can see it, I no longer think about it, I carefully step into the shot, double check aim, then my whole focus is relaxed practice swing until I've got the right speed. Once this is set I do the final stroke nice and smooth and crisp. On the final stroke i'm not thinking about where the cue ball is going, where the object ball is going, i'm just thinking about a good pure stroke.
 
Any shot is tough.........

Tennesseejoe said:
Why do straight in shots seem to be harder than cut shots? Is it just me? I like to practice a long straight in shot but in a game it seems like my percentage is low.

Is it shot line perception? Any ideas? What's your take?
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If the dominant eye is in the most dominant position. But until a player learns how this can be done manually they don't have a clue what the problem is or how to fix it.
it's jut the way it is.
 
Tennesseejoe said:
Why do straight in shots seem to be harder than cut shots? Is it just me? I like to practice a long straight in shot but in a game it seems like my percentage is low.



Is it shot line perception? Any ideas? What's your take?
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Straight in shots caused me headache long time. But it is soooo easy to do! Just aim the cueball into the middle of the pocket. You'll succeed 100 % without problem.
 
riedmich said:
Straight in shots caused me headache long time. But it is soooo easy to do! Just aim the cueball into the middle of the pocket. You'll succeed 100 % without problem.
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I have had very high success with TOI for long straight shots.
 
I shoot the ball straight at the point of the cushion with a touch of inside and cover just a little bit more of the object ball (props to cj) I make it almost every time. A good thing to remember is that height on the cue stick on the ball doesn't change the line so I can follow it, punch it, draw it, doesn't matter. Play the tightest shape that you can and don't be satisfied with half-ass shape. I haven't shot a ball straight in with a straight in hit on the cueball since I've learned this. This is a true game changer. good luck!:smile:
 
pokeandhope said:
I shoot the ball straight at the point of the cushion with a touch of inside and cover just a little bit more of the object ball (props to cj) I make it almost every time. A good thing to remember is that height on the cue stick on the ball doesn't change the line so I can follow it, punch it, draw it, doesn't matter. Play the tightest shape that you can and don't be satisfied with half-ass shape. I haven't shot a ball straight in with a straight in hit on the cueball since I've learned this. This is a true game changer. good luck!:smile:
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Props to CJ? hmmm, he has stated on here numerous times that he doesn't use toi on straight in shots, and no one else should either.
 
Neil said:
Props to CJ? hmmm, he has stated on here numerous times that he doesn't use toi on straight in shots, and no one else should either.
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If you cannot for the life of you consistently pick out the 3mm patch you need to hit on the object ball hedging using TOI may yield better results than continually attempting to learn something you may not be able to get proficient at... I would say it is a last resort or situational... But when all else fails sometimes you have to look to the last resorts....


Chris
 
Neil said:
Props to CJ? hmmm, he has stated on here numerous times that he doesn't use toi on straight in shots, and no one else should either.
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Neil, even though every pro, and good instructors say no substitute for good straight stroke, it took me almost 30 years to realize that, I wish I listend. It is hard to convince casual players who want to be of the importance of stroke. CJ has great system, and being a pro he can make a straight shot many ways, but for a player that inadvertinley apply inside English on all shots as a result of skewed stroke, will greatly benefit using TOI until they reach very high advance level, and understand the importance of good straight stroke.
 
naji said:
Neil, even though every pro, and good instructors say no substitute for good straight stroke, it took me almost 30 years to realize that, I wish I listend. It is hard to convince casual players who want to be of the importance of stroke. CJ has great system, and being a pro he can make a straight shot many ways, but for a player that inadvertinley apply inside English on all shots as a result of skewed stroke, will greatly benefit using TOI until they reach very high advance level, and understand the importance of good straight stroke.
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So, instead of teaching them the right way to shoot, that will benefit them a lifetime, you advocate using some band-aid that has long-lasting bad ramifications to their game. Trouble is, you fail to understand the difference between inside english and toi, and why that difference is so important.

The entire game centers about precisely hitting the cb. Yet, you and others want to toss that very, very, important fact and advocate just hitting the cb anywhere on one side of the cb and equate that to high level of playing, or even an acceptable way of playing. You couldn't be further from the truth. All it will do is hold people back from what they could have achieved if they learned to play properly.
 
If you are straight in on a ball. Your options become stop, follow cautiously with great speed control, draw, or cheat the pocket with a little spin. I choose the latter because I have found that it creates a lot of options that i've never considered. Try it if you like. If not that's ok too. I tend to do this most often with inside english (the cj reference). I've never really studied his methods like it's a religion, but I do incorporate his style into how I play. I've learned a little from everyone I've ever watched. The most talented player that I've ever had the chance to watch first hand was Ginky. I watched him run 9 ball racks until he told this guy " I'm done! you come here tuesday night and I'll give you a lesson for 250 bucks. In the long run this will cost you less." Ginky played lights out that night. He made some crazy shots and never changed his pace at the table. He took the same time at the table for a straight in shot as he did a two rail kick shot. He was in "the zone". Confidence was the game changer. It's tough to gain it, but it's also hard to lose it once we've achieved it. I've seen a lot of players who run out like water in practice and run two racks in a pressure situation (myself included). Any little tip or drill that increases your confidence can greatly change your game.
 
Neil said:
So, instead of teaching them the right way to shoot, that will benefit them a lifetime, you advocate using some band-aid that has long-lasting bad ramifications to their game. Trouble is, you fail to understand the difference between inside english and toi, and why that difference is so important.

The entire game centers about precisely hitting the cb. Yet, you and others want to toss that very, very, important fact and advocate just hitting the cb anywhere on one side of the cb and equate that to high level of playing, or even an acceptable way of playing. You couldn't be further from the truth. All it will do is hold people back from what they could have achieved if they learned to play properly.
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There are few steps in pool that are static, bridge, stance, aim, knowing where to aim easy to learn and usually are not effected by pressure situations, and there is the dynamic steps, that are done while hands are in motion. Stright backswing and forward for beginners and many players are hard to archive especially under pressure, CJ's is the pain relivers for those players until they can find the cure for their symptoms, and who knows, they might never find it, why suffer take that pill, and learn.
 
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