Is "Feel" Essential for Successful Aiming?

[Zerksies]

Do you think the ferrule edge method fully defines all no-English shots for you, without feel? So, for instance when you're aiming a spot shot, is the ferrule edge method capable of objectively defining 25 distinct cut angles with no "guesswork"?

pj
chgo

HELL NO, It kinda of gets me in the range of where I should be, It lines me up on the shot as to where I should be. Then experience and feel finishes the rest of the shot.

You get to many of these A-holes that try to explain how to hit a shot with "English" on the ball is complete BULLSHIT, It's not definite.

Way to many variables going on with how to pocket a ball. How humid the cloth is. How hard you are hitting the ball or how soft. Shoot how much Chalk is on your tip, plus how much moisture is in the tip. If you are using English, How much spin did you put on that ball? I could hit the ball 1mm off of where I wanted, and throw an extra rotation on the ball in a microsecond and throw things off.

Any of these methods can give you an approximate as to how to shoot. But none are definite, We are humans and not perfect. it is impossible for us to give the exact same shot every time.

I'm taking micro level crap here. If we could measure shots based on molecular level crap. You would see huge variances in each shot.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

HELL NO, It kinda of gets me in the range of where I should be, It lines me up on the shot as to where I should be. Then experience and feel finishes the rest of the shot.

Yep.

You get to many of these A-holes that try to explain how to hit a shot with "English" on the ball is complete BULLSHIT, It's not definite.

I think players can be uneasy about relying on their subconscious to aim - confidence in their system substitutes for confidence in their subconscious. Whatever rocks your boat.

pj
chgo

 

[Sheldon]

I've maintained and expressed a very similar opinion for many many years. Especially after reading "The Inner Game of Tennis". Timothy Gallwey explains interaction between conscious and subconscious very nicely.

 

[BC21]

For many shots, aiming usually doesn't have to be super precise, especially when the pocket is twice as wide as the ob. This is why a handful of aim lines or references can be used to pocket most shots.

This spot shot shows what I mean...

 

[BC21]

When the ob is close to the pocket, of course, there is plenty more room for aiming error. In this example, with the cb anywhere in the shaded area, a halfball aim will pocket the ob.

 

[BC21]

With more distance there is still some wiggle room, but not much...

 

[bbb]

Feel is not necessary!!!!!!!
if you use tuckers system/fractions/contact points/cte /ghost ball
you decide where to aim and set up to do that
if it “doesnt look right” and you get up to reset
thats an educated assessment of the alignment you are in that you will not hit your target
if you have to aim “a little thicker or thinner”
that again is an educated assesment of alignment and cue ball object ball collision
Feel is speed control etc
jmho
icbw

 

[bbb]

The next question on my so-called mind is whether feel works best when you're aware* of it or when you're not**. My guess is it doesn't matter, but I wonder whether being unaware of it is actually best.

pj
chgo

* Either consciously aware of it while aiming or just know it happens.
** Either simply unaware while aiming or unconvinced that feel is necessary.

I think letting your subconscious work is always best once you have trained your consciousness

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Feel is… an educated assessment of the alignment you are in

That’s the definition for aiming in pool.

pj
chgo

 

[Zerksies]

Yep.


I think players can be uneasy about relying on their subconscious to aim - confidence in their system substitutes for confidence in their subconscious. Whatever rocks your boat.

pj
chgo

What I've found is that they all pretty much suck for accuracy. I mean it can get you close, but experience has to take over. I usually have to verify my lineup about three times before I pull the trigger

 

[Bob Jewett]

For many shots, aiming usually doesn't have to be super precise, especially when the pocket is twice as wide as the ob. This is why a handful of aim lines or references can be used to pocket most shots.

This spot shot shows what I mean...

In the analysis of allowed error, it's important to remember that there are sources of error other than aiming. Stroke errors, bridge alignment errors, table roll, and if you use side spin you get a whole universe of additional error sources.

I think it's reasonable to give up half of the available margin of error to whatever aiming method/system/procedure you use but no more than that. If a system (viewed in isolation) is not good enough to put the object ball in the center half of the effective pocket that system is suspect.

 

[BC21]

In the analysis of allowed error, it's important to remember that there are sources of error other than aiming. Stroke errors, bridge alignment errors, table roll, and if you use side spin you get a whole universe of additional error sources.

I think it's reasonable to give up half of the available margin of error to whatever aiming method/system/procedure you use but no more than that. If a system (viewed in isolation) is not good enough to put the object ball in the center half of the effective pocket that system is suspect.

I agree there are numerous sources for error. I was simply pointing out how one aiming reference can often be used to pocket many shots within a certain window (the same window of acceptance that the ob has going into the pocket).

In other words, if the ob has a window of 3.6° to land in the pocket, the cb can be anywhere within a 3.6° window also, and the same aiming reference can be used from anywhere within that window to pocket the ball. Naturally, as the cb placement gets farther from the centerline of that window, the ob will be sent left or right of center pocket when using the same aiming reference. For shots where the ob is close to the pocket, you certainly don't have to be super precise to find the hole.

Anyhow, fine tuning any specific aiming reference is just a matter of experience and practice. But having solid known aiming references to begin with (without guessing) definitely helps a player develop fine-tuning skills pretty quickly.

Ironing out all the stroke and alignment errors is a different task all together. I'm only referring to the visual aiming portion of pocketing a ball. Knowing where to aim is only part of it. The player must be able to delivery the cue accurately.

 

[Renegade_56]

Feel is not necessary!!!!!!!
if you use tuckers system/fractions/contact points/cte /ghost ball
you decide where to aim and set up to do that
if it “doesnt look right” and you get up to reset
thats an educated assessment of the alignment you are in that you will not hit your target
if you have to aim “a little thicker or thinner”
that again is an educated assesment of alignment and cue ball object ball collision
Feel is speed control etc
jmho
icbw

exactly Larry, you aim, visually, giving it your best guess, the action of the actual stroke of the shot is the only part I think feel has anything to do with.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

exactly Larry, you aim, visually, giving it your best guess, the action of the actual stroke of the shot is the only part I think feel has anything to do with.

You're both taking "feel" too literally - it's not about physical or even emotional feeling. It's a figure of speech meaning "recognition", like "that feels like the right aim".

pj
chgo

 

[boogieman]

You're both taking "feel" too literally - it's not about physical or even emotional feeling. It's a figure of speech meaning "recognition", like "that feels like the right aim".

pj
chgo

I think it might be a bit of semantics. I might be an oddball but feel to me isn't "I recognize this shot/aim is on." It's more "I already aimed it and the stroke feels right."

You're absolutely right though, no matter what aiming system (or lack thereof) at some point a person says "this aim is correct." Once the aim "feels" correct you have to stroke it correct too (execution phase).

It would be legit to tell someone, feel the shot, but I'd personally understand it better if I was told "see the shot, feel the shot, execute the shot."

Language can be fun.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I think it might be a bit of semantics.

I think you're onto something...

I might be an oddball but feel to me isn't "I recognize this shot/aim is on." It's more "I already aimed it and the stroke feels right."

Both are legitimate uses of the word. I think "visual recognition" is more commonly meant when talking about aiming in pool.

Language can be fun.

Barrel o' monkeys.

pj
chgo

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Played three game of One Pocket today against Fargo 650 yes that it right.

First two games I sucked, finally got my doo doo together.

Last game I won 8/2, got in the zone, and force was in my side, and it was my magic Cue.

 

[Renegade_56]

You're both taking "feel" too literally - it's not about physical or even emotional feeling. It's a figure of speech meaning "recognition", like "that feels like the right aim".

pj
chgo

I guess we stand corrected,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Quesports]

I think feel is more important to pocketing the ball rather than aiming the ball. In certain conditions the cloth definitely feels different and the balls roll differently. Foggy or high humidity are known to have dramatic effects on table cloth and ball pocketing. While dry conditions and low humidity make the pockets accept balls easier...

 

[8pack]

HELL NO, It kinda of gets me in the range of where I should be, It lines me up on the shot as to where I should be. Then experience and feel finishes the rest of the shot.

You get to many of these A-holes that try to explain how to hit a shot with "English" on the ball is complete BULLSHIT, It's not definite.

Way to many variables going on with how to pocket a ball. How humid the cloth is. How hard you are hitting the ball or how soft. Shoot how much Chalk is on your tip, plus how much moisture is in the tip. If you are using English, How much spin did you put on that ball? I could hit the ball 1mm off of where I wanted, and throw an extra rotation on the ball in a microsecond and throw things off.

Any of these methods can give you an approximate as to how to shoot. But none are definite, We are humans and not perfect. it is impossible for us to give the exact same shot every time.

I'm taking micro level crap here. If we could measure shots based on molecular level crap. You would see huge variances in each shot.

Well said.