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Using "Center Ball" - is it good advice or a hidden disadvantage?
- Thread starter CJ Wiley
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Go there now and change your life.
To create zones you must favor a side of the cueball so the cue ball can be forced off the straight line. If you cue the ball to the left of center you know 100% it will go straight or slightly to the right, which cuts the object ball more.
It's the same principle with zones concerning position play, you want to see an area that has the largest margin of error. Then, I usually cue the ball so it will land in the center of the zone which gives me 7-12 inches short or long of my desired position. Sometimes it's best to come up short so you would cue the ball to land in the front of the zone and make sure to accelerate, this will encourage the cue ball to hit the front part of the zone and if it goes long it still lands in the middle of the zone.
What we are all striving to do is "get down on each shot as if it's already been performed" - to truly do this the cue ball Must do what you are thinking with a built in margin of error because none us are perfect. The way I go about playing shape makes it look, to the observer, the cue ball is going exactly where I intend, however, it's a result of my understanding of the zones and margin or error directly at the. moment of cue ball contact.
The Game is the Teacher
It was just one, don't get all giddy on us.
No good deed goes unscrutinized in this reverse engineered paradigm.
The Game is the Teacher
In New Orleans I trained one of the best snipers in the state and he told me something similar when I was cross referencing what I did in pool with what he did to become a successful marksman.
It's fun to draw a bridge between pool and what someone already does best. We all have certain talents and skills which makes life much more interesting and a warehouse of knowledge waiting to be opened.
My partners and I used to play for hours and hours without missing a single shot or making a position error. This would be impossible playing the "conventional way" trying to hit contact points and applying different spins and speeds on every shot. What was really interesting to me was that I could do that without being aware of anything other than the centers and edges of the object balls. It took me a number of years to figure out what I was doing subconsciously to make this happen.
When I first started talking about The Touch of Inside technique many people jumped to the conclusion that I was using Inside English, however, that's not true. Another misconception was that I used deflection (veer/squirt) to create the angles, that's not true either. When you target the cueball slightly to the inside it creates a perception that establishes the basis to create the angle. In other words, if I get down on the cueball and target slightly to the right of center on a straight in shot it will give me the visual perception that I'm cutting the object ball slightly to the right.
The more I target to the right, the more my visual perception verifies I'm creating more and more of an angle.
There are only 8 total angle themes we have to create to make any shot on the pool table because the pocket is twice as big as the balls (ideally). (there are also variations created by the TOI) When I either use a Center/Center or Center/Edge alignment it cuts the angles down to 4, I just have to be able to tell if the proper alignment is Center/Center or Center/Edge which isn't difficult with some dedicated practice.
I'd recommend you approach every shot like it's Center/Center (like a straight in shot) and even before you go down on the shot your mind should alert you if it's the incorrect alignment.
This all may seem backwards from what you are currently doing and it probably is. Prior programming is the biggest roadblock players encounter when shifting their game towards how the champion level players perceive and play the game. I played at some of the highest levels possible and couldn't explain, demonstrate and teach these things like I can now so I can relate to my students personally and have several ways to explain the same technique until they can understand it at a level deep enough to perform it on their own.
Shooting pistols, and a bow/arrow are very similar to shooting pool, I suggest using your experiences as a bridge to connect one skill set to another......this works in developing your pool game or/and any other part of your life.
The Game is the Teacher
It's fun to draw a bridge between pool and what someone already does best. We all have certain talents and skills which makes life much more interesting and a warehouse of knowledge waiting to be opened.
My partners and I used to play for hours and hours without missing a single shot or making a position error. This would be impossible playing the "conventional way" trying to hit contact points and applying different spins and speeds on every shot. What was really interesting to me was that I could do that without being aware of anything other than the centers and edges of the object balls. It took me a number of years to figure out what I was doing subconsciously to make this happen.
When I first started talking about The Touch of Inside technique many people jumped to the conclusion that I was using Inside English, however, that's not true. Another misconception was that I used deflection (veer/squirt) to create the angles, that's not true either. When you target the cueball slightly to the inside it creates a perception that establishes the basis to create the angle. In other words, if I get down on the cueball and target slightly to the right of center on a straight in shot it will give me the visual perception that I'm cutting the object ball slightly to the right.
The more I target to the right, the more my visual perception verifies I'm creating more and more of an angle.
There are only 8 total angle themes we have to create to make any shot on the pool table because the pocket is twice as big as the balls (ideally). (there are also variations created by the TOI) When I either use a Center/Center or Center/Edge alignment it cuts the angles down to 4, I just have to be able to tell if the proper alignment is Center/Center or Center/Edge which isn't difficult with some dedicated practice.
I'd recommend you approach every shot like it's Center/Center (like a straight in shot) and even before you go down on the shot your mind should alert you if it's the incorrect alignment.
This all may seem backwards from what you are currently doing and it probably is. Prior programming is the biggest roadblock players encounter when shifting their game towards how the champion level players perceive and play the game. I played at some of the highest levels possible and couldn't explain, demonstrate and teach these things like I can now so I can relate to my students personally and have several ways to explain the same technique until they can understand it at a level deep enough to perform it on their own.
Shooting pistols, and a bow/arrow are very similar to shooting pool, I suggest using your experiences as a bridge to connect one skill set to another......this works in developing your pool game or/and any other part of your life.
The Game is the Teacher
First off I like LD shafts. I can’t imagine not using them after changing 15 years ago. But I’m surprised you haven’t ever intentionally caused the cue ball to squirt before PJ. Surely you’ve had the situation come up where you can’t quite hit the object ball properly because there is a minuscule amount of a blocker ball in the way—just the sliver of the edge—so you intentionally cue it with a parallel method using maximum English to deflect the cue ball around this obstacle. It’s usually an extremely soft stroke and you time the swerve to cause the cue ball to contact the object ball properly. Obviously this is best to do on shots close to the pocket but in one pocket games I’ve done it numerous times from the foot spot area, especially when making balls from the clusters in the stack. So while I doubt this is what the other guy meant, surely this would indeed be a shot where deflection is necessary. It’s basically like a slight masse in a sense. But you get the idea. I bet someone who’s played as long as you, PJ, has done this quite a few times.
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A shot that needs swerve doesn't "need" squirt too - it only needs the side spin and the swerve that creates. If you could create swerve without side spin (therefore without squirt), you could simply aim the CB in the direction that squirt would otherwise take it.
But side spin comes with squirt, so a swerve shot might seem like it "needs" it.
pj
chgo
I’m glad you say this about grip CJ. It reinforces my own discoveries. When I started playing as a kid I followed the “light grip” religiously. And I really never gave it much thought until a few years ago I was just playing around with a friend and went unconscious. In thirteen games he got two shots, both of which were due to safeties that no one would get out of consistently. He ended up racking for me and then shooting on another table because he knew he’d never shoot as soon as a ball fell on the break. Anyway on the last rack I noticed that I was gripping the cue VERY tightly. It was almost as if I was stressed out or something and extremely tense. Since that time I’ve just gripped the cue in a way that feels comfortable and allowed my subconscious mind determine the pressure based on how I adapt to the speed of the table etc. When I’m in dead stroke it looks like a death grip most often. But the stroke is smooth and straight. Another strange thing is I’m less accurate if I allow my index finger pad to touch the cue. So I keep it off the cue by using my thumb to “push it away” (that’s the best I can explain it). I say all this to make this point: while there are indeed basic fundamentals, a lot of technique is subjective based on the different bodies, sight, and other elements of each player.
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So what is happening? How have I misunderstood what I’m doing? The cue ball squirts around the edge of the blocker. Then it swerves back into line with the contact point I’m aiming at and pockets the ball. How is that NOT using deflection? Surely you’ve done this! Again it’s similar to a slight masse, just not with an elevated cue. And again I am not saying this is a reason to use a standard shaft. Far from it. I think the LD shaft makes it easier since you only want a minuscule amount of squirt to get around the edge of the blocker and you want the English to spin back to the opposite direction (ie the direction of the side spin itself) very quickly. I cannot understand how this is not using deflection intentionally. Is my perception off somehow? Sincere question PJ. I’m not baiting you I really am curious how I’ve misunderstood something I’ve done successfully for almost 30 years.
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It's just semantics. The shot doesn't "need" squirt to work - it could work without squirt if you aimed it slightly differently. But it squirts whether we "need" it or not, so we use it instead of (or in addition to) adjusting our aim.
What do I mean by "in addition to "? Some shots like this need to go even more "sideways" before swerving back to the target - for those we add a little aiming adjustment to the unavoidable squirt. Again, the squirt isn't "needed" - we could do it all with an aiming adjustment - but the squirt's unavoidable.
pj
chgo
I reread my post PJ and I never said the shot “needed” swerve. You put that in quotes. You’re combining my comments with the other guy but I’m only discussing the intentional use of deflection to make a particular type of shot. Maybe you don’t like how I used the word swerve. I know you’re anal about technicalities and definitions sometimes. But I’m only using the term in a loose sense to describe how the shot happens. The main issue is deflection. In this scenario you are shooting straight at a ball that you cannot hit due to a blocker ball being very close to the cue ball. I failed to mention that, my mistake. The cue ball is very close to the blocker. So you aim pretty much straight at the edge of the blocker using the parallel method for applying English. The squirt causes you to miss this sliver of an edge on the blocker. Hopefully that is a better description.
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Ok I’m willing to say that’s possible. But how can you get around the sliver of the edge of a very close blocker without using the deflection method I’m describing? I know you can elevate a bit and slightly masse the shot but that is much more erratic and less accurate. The shot I’m describing is easy. It doesn’t even change your aim. You actually aim at the ball as you would if the blocker isn’t there (accounting for spin induced throw of course, that obviously has to be factored in) and you miss the blocker because the squirt causes it to “go around” the edge. So I guess if you’re saying it’s not needed ABSOLUTELY in the sense there is no other way, yes you’re correct. But effectively and consistently making such shots requires one to learn this method in my opinion. I’d be willing to bet my way is more accurate. Also it is a particular TYPE of shot and thus for this type, deflection is needed. I’m just surprised you haven’t done this before if indeed you haven’t.
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Let's review:
See why it looks like you think your shot "requires" deflection?
Sometimes it's needed.
pj
chgo
By aiming the CB in the direction that deflection would take it (as I said above).
pj
chgo
Agreed, with a caveat. Use an LD shaft and a regular shaft on the same shot and see where you need to aim, logical thinking says it would be different. I have to be honest, I haven't only shot a dozen or so balls with an LD shaft but what I do remember is there was less affect on slow speeds, soft shots, in the case about getting around a blocking ball, if you're hitting it soft enough I don't think the deflection would even come into play, but I could be wrong.
Of course. That's why I said "aim the CB in the direction that deflection would take it" - i.e., angled a little from straight.
pj
chgo
You obviously don’t understand the shot I’m apparently failing to describe. If you did that you’d miss. I give up. The genius is just to brilliant to understand. Maybe somebody will chime in who understands what I’m describing and can explain it to you.
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That's exactly what's happening with the shot you describe making with deflection/swerve. You can't avoid the deflection, but if you could a different aim would also work (in place of the deflection).
As I said, it's just semantics - but understanding it can help with understanding the shot's dynamics.
pj
chgo
100% agree with you.
Grab two sticks - 1 LD and 1 high deflection/maple. Now take the LD shaft/stick and line up a shot that will produce a lot of deflection in a maple shaft and shoot it. Now, take the high deflection stick and shoot the EXACT shot with the stick in the EXACT position (i.e. aiming at the same spot on the CB and the same spot on the OB) it was in when shooting with the LD stick and you'll miss every time.
Now translate that into the shot you're thinking, soft masse around a ball. Given the parameters above, if you shoot it one way with an LD it would have to be shot a different way with a HD shaft. That's Patrick's thinking and I agree; however, I don't believe shooting soft with both an LD and HD shaft are much different so in YOUR particular scenario I don't believe you would need to move the cue to adjust between LD and HD. If you were shooting that masse shot hard then yes, the stroke and angle of attack would be different for LD and HD.