How much of Dominant Eye to get over the ball?

mindtriplx

mindtriplx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi, I have a interesting question.

I am right handed and left eye dominant. For many years I typically had the cue in the middle of my chin. However, I've been trying to get my left eye over the cue more, because I seem to be sighting and pocketing better that way. The question I have is, is there a good way to determine how much of my left eye should be over the cue? I know this is different for everyone, but I would like to hear your thoughts...

Also I had a tendency to tilt my head to the right, and it happens more on extreme cut shots or spin shots, do you have any suggestions to fix this? I've been looking in the mirror a lot, and it's been helping, but I'd like to hear any suggestions that could possibly help... Thanks!
 
I'd suggest Gene Albrecht's Perfect Aim DVD & make the complimentary phone call to Gene before looking at it. It's not an Aiming System. It's about using our eyes correctly.

I 'knew' that I was right eye dominant my whole life, until Gene showed me beyond dispute, that FOR POOL, I am actually left eye dominant.

Good Luck with finding YOUR solution.

Best Wishes to You & Yours,
Rick
 
Emphasis should not be put on which eye is the dominant eye but where you centre of vision is for pool. I am left eye dominant but I shoot with the cue touching the centre of my chin and my head angled slightly. So you angling your head isn't a problem as long as it gives you the clearest picture of the shot at hand.

Here is a link I created on the importance of finding you're centre of vision and a few little tests on how to find it.

Sighting
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=378397

Enjoy.
 
I don't think it is as simple as that. I've played rather well for more than 4 decades, thinking I was seeing the line properly & as best that I could even after my eye accident.

What Gene does & did for me was to show me the handicap I had been playing under for all of those years.

Our eyes work a certain way along with our mind, our subconscious mind.

Gene has studied these 'operations' & can give one a way to sort of set one's subconscious mind straight, so to speak.

I think it would be good to do both of what Pidge suggests along with what Gene does.

Just my 2 cent opinion.
 
I have learned in my studies that people define the term 'dominant eye' in different ways, which makes it confusing.

A true physical dominant eye can not be disputed. There are nerves that pass from the eyes to the brain that transmit the visual information to the brain. Some nerves are straight back to the brain, other nerves criss-cross each other. When one eye has more nerves that go straight back to the brain than the other, it transmits the information to the brain nanoseconds faster than the other eye. Some eyes are significantly different from each other and others are slightly different, depending on the configuration of the nerves to the brain.

Note: This has nothing to do with your vision regarding your need for glasses. Many people think that because one eye has better vision than the other eye, that that's their dominant eye. Your dominant eye can be the eye with the poorer vision.

There have been studies that show that eye dominance can change over time. Neurogenesis does take place, and new nerves can grow, however, it's not something that happens overnight, or even over months. However, studies have been inconclusive, as the rate of growth of such nerves hasn't been determined.

A simple test for eye dominance will tell you what your dominant eye is at any given time. It will also show you how severely dominant that eye is. If you use the circle test, you can tell by how far from the center of the circle the object you're viewing gets when you view it with your recessive eye.
 
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FranCrimi said:
I have learned in my studies that people define the term 'dominant eye' in different ways, which makes it confusing.

A true physical dominant eye can not be disputed. There are nerves that pass from the eyes to the brain that transmit the visual information to the brain. Some nerves are straight back to the brain, other nerves criss-cross each other. When one eye has more nerves that go straight back to the brain than the other, it transmits the information to the brain nanoseconds faster than the other eye. Some eyes are significantly different from each other and others are slightly different, depending on the configuration of the nerves to the brain.

Note: This has nothing to do with your vision regarding your need for glasses. Many people think that because one eye has better vision than the other eye, that that's their dominant eye. Your dominant eye can be the eye with the poorer vision.

There have been studies that show that eye dominance can change over time. Neurogenesis does take place, and new nerves can grow, however, it's not something that happens overnight, or even over months. However, studies have been inconclusive, as the rate of growth of such nerves hasn't been determined.

A simple test for eye dominance will tell you what your dominant eye is at any given time. It will also show you how severely dominant that eye is. If you use the circle test, you can tell by how far from the center of the circle the object you're viewing gets when you view it with your recessive eye.
Click to expand...

Very good post.

Our eyes operates much like a camera with regards to light in that the image is actually upside down on our retina. Our Brain is what makes our eyes very different from a camera. Our brain 'turns' those images 'up side up'.

I was told in one of my science classes that NASA had done some experiments where the test subjects wore goggles that made them see upside down. Over time...not days or weeks, their brains reversed the images to where they were seeing 'properly' again. Then when the goggles were removed they saw upside down again. Over time, not days or weeks, the brain reversed it again to where they were seeing 'properly' again.

I don't know this for a fact but I was told this by a science teacher & I don't see any reason for them to lie.

Our brains & especially our subconscious minds are amazing 'entities'.

Gene Albrecht showed me beyond dispute from me, that the circle or pointing test does not determine one's eye dominance, FOR POOL.

Those tests still show me to be right eye dominant. But Gene showed me, that FOR POOL, I am left eye dominant.

Like Gene says, many simply do not believe it until they see it for themselves.

I first thought that it would be a waste of time as I had 'known' my whole life that I was right eye dominant.

All I can say is that I am now playing pool in an entirely different manner & I like it.

I think my subconscious was making some remarkable adjustments for many, many years.

Best Wishes to All,
Rick
 
ENGLISH! said:
Very good post.

Our eyes operates much like a camera with regards to light in that the image is actually upside down on our retina. Our Brain is what makes our eyes very different from a camera. Our brain 'turns' those images 'up side up'.

I was told in one of my science classes that NASA had done some experiments where the test subjects wore goggles that made them see upside down. Over time...not days or weeks, their brains reversed the images to where they were seeing 'properly' again. Then when the goggles were removed they saw upside down again. Over time, not days or weeks, the brain reversed it again to where they were seeing 'properly' again.

I don't know this for a fact but I was told this by a science teacher & I don't see any reason for them to lie.

Our brains & especially our subconscious minds are amazing 'entities'.

Gene Albrecht showed me beyond dispute from me, that the circle or pointing test does not determine one's eye dominance, FOR POOL.

Those tests still show me to be right eye dominant. But Gene showed me, that FOR POOL, I am left eye dominant.

Like Gene says, many simply do not believe it until they see it for themselves.

I first thought that it would be a waste of time as I had 'known' my whole life that I was right eye dominant.

All I can say is that I am now playing pool in an entirely different manner & I like it.

I think my subconscious was making some remarkable adjustments for many, many years.

Best Wishes to All,
Rick
Click to expand...
I personally don't think Gene is onto anything new. He may think he has discovered something completely mind blowing but its been known in the snooker world years. A simple test of laying a cue on the table, putting the cue ball central a few mm in front of the tip and an OB several feet away so that it all makes a perfectly straight line. Then simply get down with your head over the cue without touching the cue until the shot looks dead straight and the tip looks dead centre on the cue ball. This is how you need to place the head over the cue. This is how your head needs to be when aiming in the upright position also. Nothing special, but this is how the brain makes your eyes see a straight shot as straight. All shots in pool are straight, except masse shots. You hit the cue ball along a straight path.

The problem people have is keeping the centre of vision on the line of aim the have chosen when getting down. Moving the persons personal sighting position off the line aim just a couple of cm either side of the chosen line of aim means all the aiming they did when stood up has gone to waste and then have to aim when down on the shot. Most will not realize they are aiming when down, but they often get down and the shot doesn't look quite right so make little adjustments until it does. Then they miss because its much harder to find the line of aim with the chin touching the cue than it is stood up. Keeping the vision centre on the line of aim is what sets professional players and amateurs apart the most IMO.
 
The one thing that I find totally interesting is that no one has ever been able to successfully answer this question that I keep asking.

Which players who post here, who do not have an eye pathology, aim with their recessive eye?

I believe one person answered that they found that they shoot better by aiming with their recessive eye, but then switched back to their dominant eye after a few months after diminishing rates of success.

So where are all the long-term recessive eye aimers without a pathology?

I am referring to PHYSICALLY dominant and recessive eyes here.
 
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FranCrimi said:
The one thing that I find totally interesting is that no one has ever been able to successfully answer this question that I keep asking.

Which players who post here, who do not have an eye pathology, aim with their recessive eye?

I believe one person answered that they found that they shoot better by aiming with their recessive eye, but then switched back to their dominant eye after a few months after diminishing rates of success.

So where are all the long-term recessive eye aimers without a pathology?

I am referring to PHYSICALLY dominant and recessive eyes here.
Click to expand...
I have experimented with it. I will put the cue under my right eye and cue very well for a session then by the time the next session comes around I'm applying all kinds of unintentional spin on the cue ball. I quickly revert back to sighting with my normal (correct) vision centre and play much better.

I think its down to making me concentrate. Switching eyes to sight and aim with works for a short period because it forces you to concentrate more because things look different.

A very well respected snooker coach once told me that your cue should be central under the chin equal distances from both eyes. He said my brain would adapt the picture over time that I'm seeing and give me a new picture of what looks right and what doesn't. Utter BS. Why force the brain to learn new pictures when it already has a huge database of pictures that I've gathered over the years.
 
Thank you for the input...

Any suggestions on how I should go about how I should go about getting rid of my slight head tilt?

Also I sometimes have a tendency to turn my head right after shooting a cut shot, and also sometimes blinking before I shoot... What's the best way to remedy this?
 
Pidge said:
I personally don't think Gene is onto anything new. He may think he has discovered something completely mind blowing but its been known in the snooker world years. A simple test of laying a cue on the table, putting the cue ball central a few mm in front of the tip and an OB several feet away so that it all makes a perfectly straight line. Then simply get down with your head over the cue without touching the cue until the shot looks dead straight and the tip looks dead centre on the cue ball. This is how you need to place the head over the cue. This is how your head needs to be when aiming in the upright position also. Nothing special, but this is how the brain makes your eyes see a straight shot as straight. All shots in pool are straight, except masse shots. You hit the cue ball along a straight path.

The problem people have is keeping the centre of vision on the line of aim the have chosen when getting down. Moving the persons personal sighting position off the line aim just a couple of cm either side of the chosen line of aim means all the aiming they did when stood up has gone to waste and then have to aim when down on the shot. Most will not realize they are aiming when down, but they often get down and the shot doesn't look quite right so make little adjustments until it does. Then they miss because its much harder to find the line of aim with the chin touching the cue than it is stood up. Keeping the vision centre on the line of aim is what sets professional players and amateurs apart the most IMO.
Click to expand...

That's fairly well stated BUT there is much more to Gene Albrecht's Perfect Aim than an Eye Test.

Yes seeing the correct line while down is what counts so to speak or perhaps being on the correct line is a more truthful statement but the lack of the first can affect the second.

There is more to just an eye test in Gene's Perfect Aim. In fact, the actual eye test is not even on the DVD & that is the purpose of the complimentary phone call.

I think too many dismiss what Gene has come up with & does. It's not just an eye test.

Like I said in my earlier post I'd recommend doing the tape on the rail & the test just outlined BUT I'd still recommend Gene ALbrecht's Perfect Aim DVD as it's NOT as simple as just an eye test.

Best to All,
Rick
 
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FranCrimi said:
The one thing that I find totally interesting is that no one has ever been able to successfully answer this question that I keep asking.

Which players who post here, who do not have an eye pathology, aim with their recessive eye?

I believe one person answered that they found that they shoot better by aiming with their recessive eye, but then switched back to their dominant eye after a few months after diminishing rates of success.

So where are all the long-term recessive eye aimers without a pathology?

I am referring to PHYSICALLY dominant and recessive eyes here.
Click to expand...

Good Question.

Who really knows which is their physically hard wired eye? I would shoot a gun or a bow & arrow using my right eye & I have been using it to play pool for more than 4 decades.

That is why I was shocked when Gene showed me, beyond any dispute from me, that the FOR POOL, I am left eye 'dominant'. Or, perhaps a better way of saying it is, that for pool, I should be using my left eye.

It's changed how I'm playing after 47 years & I like it.

I think my use of english at such a young age may have been a result of seeing shots a certain way & using english as a form of compensation. I'm not sure of that at all but it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

In any case for the first time in my life I am doing my fine tune aiming while up & going down much more on that exact line.

In the past I would just go down in a very general manner & then 'aim' or get on the specific tight line as Pidge said some do.

I'm shooting quicker now than I ever have since my eye injury, the way I use to before getting the astigmatism in my right eye. I would not think that an astigmatism would affect seeing a straight line & do not think that it does. The astigmatism just kept me from seeing things sharply without any blur.

So I don't even know how the two might be related if they are at all.

I just know that I like the results from what Gene showed me. I may not like having to go through the process as to me it feels like a less natural way.

But, that is part of Gene's explanation. We could do what he teaches naturally... IF we did what it would take to allow ourselves to develope it naturally.

Most of us do not, so Gene has devised, discovered, learned or whatever one wishes to call it, a manual method & it works, IMO.

How we interpret what we see is the problem... & the fix.

At least that is how I 'see' it.

Best Wishes to ALL,
Rick
 
ENGLISH! said:
Good Question.

Who really knows which is their physically hard wired eye? I would shoot a gun or a bow & arrow using my right eye & I have been using it to play pool for more than 4 decades.

That is why I was shocked when Gene showed me, beyond any dispute from me, that the FOR POOL, I am left eye 'dominant'. Or, perhaps a better way of saying it is, that for pool, I should be using my left eye.

It's changed how I'm playing after 47 years & I like it.

I think my use of english at such a young age may have been a result of seeing shots a certain way & using english as a form of compensation. I'm not sure of that at all but it is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility.

In any case for the first time in my life I am doing my fine tune aiming while up & going down much more on that exact line.

In the past I would just go down in a very general manner & then 'aim' or get on the specific tight line as Pidge said some do.

I'm shooting quicker now than I ever have since my eye injury, the way I use to before getting the astigmatism in my right eye. I would not think that an astigmatism would affect seeing a straight line & do not think that it does. The astigmatism just kept me from seeing things sharply without any blur.

So I don't even know how the two might be related if they are at all.

I just know that I like the results from what Gene showed me. I may not like having to go through the process as to me it feels like a less natural way.

But, that is part of Gene's explanation. We could do what he teaches naturally... IF we did what it would take to allow ourselves to develope it naturally.

Most of us do not, so Gene has devised, discovered, learned or whatever one wishes to call it, a manual method & it works, IMO.

How we interpret what we see is the problem... & the fix.

At least that is how I 'see' it.

Best Wishes to ALL,
Rick
Click to expand...

It sounds like you are confused as to which is your physical dominant eye. Your eye pathology may have played a role in that. Most of us aren't confused at all about which eye is physically dominant. So, if you don't know which eye is your physically dominant eye, there's no way to draw any conclusions about the eye you are now aiming with. It might be your dominant eye or it might not be.

Whatever it is, I hope it works for you in the long-term, because switching back is a real pain.
 
FranCrimi said:
It sounds like you are confused as to which is your physical dominant eye. Your eye pathology may have played a role in that. Most of us aren't confused at all about which eye is physically dominant. So, if you don't know which eye is your physically dominant eye, there's no way to draw any conclusions about the eye you are now aiming with. It might be your dominant eye or it might not be.

Whatever it is, I hope it works for you in the long-term, because switching back is a real pain.
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H Fran,

The point & circle eye tests indicate that I am right eye 'dominant' as I have 'known' for most of my 61 years.

Gene's test for pool related 'seeing' a straight line indicates that I should be using my left eye.

Which eye is physically hard wired? I don't know. What test is there that can indicate that?

I would & do recommend Gene's Perfect Aim to anyone serious about their game.

In fact, I would recommend that other instructors learn what Gene knows about how our eyes are used as IMO it could make what they teach even more productive if the student is really seeing the straight line, FOR POOL & not just for pointing or looking through a circle.

I can't believe how well I've played for all these years having to overcome what I now see was a fairly large hurdle. The human mind is an amazing 'entity'.

Best Wishes to You, Fran...& Everyone Else Too,
Rick
 
Pidge said:
I personally don't think Gene is onto anything new. He may think he has discovered something completely mind blowing but its been known in the snooker world years. A simple test of laying a cue on the table, putting the cue ball central a few mm in front of the tip and an OB several feet away so that it all makes a perfectly straight line. Then simply get down with your head over the cue without touching the cue until the shot looks dead straight and the tip looks dead centre on the cue ball. This is how you need to place the head over the cue. This is how your head needs to be when aiming in the upright position also. Nothing special, but this is how the brain makes your eyes see a straight shot as straight. All shots in pool are straight, except masse shots. You hit the cue ball along a straight path.

The problem people have is keeping the centre of vision on the line of aim the have chosen when getting down. Moving the persons personal sighting position off the line aim just a couple of cm either side of the chosen line of aim means all the aiming they did when stood up has gone to waste and then have to aim when down on the shot. Most will not realize they are aiming when down, but they often get down and the shot doesn't look quite right so make little adjustments until it does. Then they miss because its much harder to find the line of aim with the chin touching the cue than it is stood up. Keeping the vision centre on the line of aim is what sets professional players and amateurs apart the most IMO.
Click to expand...



Agreed.

randyg
 
Pidge said:
I have experimented with it. I will put the cue under my right eye and cue very well for a session then by the time the next session comes around I'm applying all kinds of unintentional spin on the cue ball. I quickly revert back to sighting with my normal (correct) vision centre and play much better.

I think its down to making me concentrate. Switching eyes to sight and aim with works for a short period because it forces you to concentrate more because things look different.

A very well respected snooker coach once told me that your cue should be central under the chin equal distances from both eyes. He said my brain would adapt the picture over time that I'm seeing and give me a new picture of what looks right and what doesn't. Utter BS. Why force the brain to learn new pictures when it already has a huge database of pictures that I've gathered over the years.
Click to expand...



Agree.

randyg
 
Pidge said:
A simple test of laying a cue on the table, putting the cue ball central a few mm in front of the tip and an OB several feet away so that it all makes a perfectly straight line.
Click to expand...

Easy to do when your tables are a mile long :)
 
Pidge said:
I have experimented with it. I will put the cue under my right eye and cue very well for a session then by the time the next session comes around I'm applying all kinds of unintentional spin on the cue ball. I quickly revert back to sighting with my normal (correct) vision centre and play much better.

I think its down to making me concentrate. Switching eyes to sight and aim with works for a short period because it forces you to concentrate more because things look different.

A very well respected snooker coach once told me that your cue should be central under the chin equal distances from both eyes. He said my brain would adapt the picture over time that I'm seeing and give me a new picture of what looks right and what doesn't. Utter BS. Why force the brain to learn new pictures when it already has a huge database of pictures that I've gathered over the years.
Click to expand...
Maybe that snooker coach meant that all *new* players should put the cue directly under the chin. Sounds like this would be the most precise reference point for the cue to be in the same position every time.
 
BeiberLvr said:
Easy to do when your tables are a mile long :)
Click to expand...
Lol. Yeah I guess it is. Even on a 9 foot table you can prop the butt on the rail and prop the tip up on a cube of chalk slightly. Even if the distance isn't several feet, straight is still straight.
 
Isaac said:
Maybe that snooker coach meant that all *new* players should put the cue directly under the chin. Sounds like this would be the most precise reference point for the cue to be in the same position every time.
Click to expand...
Maybe he did. The centre of the chin isn't really a precise reference point though. Some people have the head angled with the left eye closer to the cue ball (like me slightly) and others could have it square to the shot both cases the cue will run along the centre of the chin but the shot looks.completely different. I think he says this because the stance can get quite complicated when you are cross dominant like my self. It's easy to say keep the cue central under the chin and your brain will work out what looks right over time just to keep the stance simple.
 
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