Zerksies
Well-known member
Most aiming errors are flawed strokes. Most players cannot consistantly hit the cue ball the same spot everytime.
Is the Aiming Forum a Relic?
- Thread starter Dan White
- Start date
I know this is the common belief, but I haven't seen any proof of it. What I have seen is proof that players rarely know with 100% certainty where to aim. Guesswork and estimated aiming leads to missed shots.
Of course, faulty cue delivery can lead to missed shots also, especially for newbies. But I don't believe a pro player (or any player that's been using the same stroke for 10+ years, hitting thousands upon thousands of shots) misses a shot due to anything other than simply being wrong on how to aim it.
Anytime you're estimating where to aim, and your not 100% sure about it, there's a chance you'll miss the shot, even with a perfectly accurate cue delivery.
The body and stroke can be developed into a fine-tuned machine, and all we have to do is place that machine in the correct position to perform the shot. Being off by a couple of millimeters on exactly where that position should be is enough to miss. That's aiming error.
I'm not saying a fine-tuned stroke always functions perfectly. Our state of mind and how we deal with it (emotional intelligence) affects the quality of our performance. I'm just saying that I believe we miss more shots due to inaccurate aiming estimations, rather than faulty cue delivery. And that certainly doesn't mean that a faulty delivery never causes missed shots. It just means that I don't believe it's the most common cause, especially without any data to back up that belief/opinion.
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So,, if you hit a million balls and still can't play for chit, and kinda gettin worried about the ole body clock and finishing that 2nd million balls,,,,,,,,,,, why not give CTE a go mate, you can get the basics in an hour if you truly want them, and I doubt you ever miss a million balls from there on.
Hysterical Idiot,
U say it better than me. My English skill is not good enough to write my thoughts how i want.
Maybe so, but you still get your points across.
HAMB is a bit of a myth IMHO, in terms of a player with excellent fundamentals need not HAMB to acquire great instinctual aim. A new hotshot who runs racks right away is taught or lucks into outstanding stroke and stance fundamentals.
An aim system can help some players, however, because some players are slightly off with aim and them swerve their cue stick to pocket balls. An old discipline is to commit to a straight (relaxed, smooth) stroke regardless of whether you feel aim is off or on, then judge the shot as to accurate, too thick or thin, then set the same shot again for practice, again committing to that straight stroke.
An aim system can help some players, however, because some players are slightly off with aim and them swerve their cue stick to pocket balls. An old discipline is to commit to a straight (relaxed, smooth) stroke regardless of whether you feel aim is off or on, then judge the shot as to accurate, too thick or thin, then set the same shot again for practice, again committing to that straight stroke.
What happens quite a bit is that a player will get down into a shot and then realize they need to cut the ball a little thicker or thinner than they thought. Instead of getting back up and making the correction, they try to fix it with their stroke, keeping their body positioned for the initial aim line. Sometimes the "fix" works, and this just reinforces the bad habit.
When the body and mind are not performing in unison with stroke delivery, the quality of performance will be inconsistent.
ACL
Well-known member
RIP to your plumber.When I was renovating a store 19 years ago the plumber doing a lot of work suggested I consider replacing the water heater as it had already been there awhile and looked like it might go. That was 19 years ago.Sadly, the water heater outlasted the plumber, RIP.
He was not wrong. You are definitely rolling the dice with that water heater. 19 years is a LONG time and it is bound to let go at some point, it's only a question of when, not if.
If you still want to delay replacing it, I would suggest having an automatic shut off installed on it to protect your store when it does let go.
I work in the plumbing and heating wholesale business and have heard a ton of stories of end users delaying a planned replacement of a water heater and the ensuing nightmare of the damage that is caused when it lets go.
Not trying to be snarky or anything. Just providing some knowledge based on experience.
Yep....nothing worse than the bottom dropping out and flooding the place.
I installed an electric tankless in-line water heater in my girlfriend's house last year after her old tank started leaking.
The leak ruined her hardwood floors. I suggested going with a tankless heater, and that thing is awesome.
Cost to replace water heater: $$$ to $,$$$, depending on what type and who installs it.
Damage to home (unless heater conveniently located in basement): $$$ to $$,$$$
My girlfriend's estimate on floor damage was over $20,000!
(Sorry to sidetrack the thread)
I agree 100%. People often shoot straight when shot is straight or near straight in. Put them then on precise half ball cut and make them mirror both sides and I guarantee that 99% of people have a ton of problems to do so. That´s from habit to swerve cue to make ball. Unconsious thing that people do to make balls. They need to swerve a little to make those shots and "aim" wrong in the process.
Most of the time their line up to aiming line is little off and feel says they gonna miss it and they will if they are not making little adjustment on stroke. It is very hard to unlearn.
When i now teach newbies cutting i just put them as many half ball hits i can and make them try shoot them mirrored. That way you build up proper way to get into line. Of course straight in shots too but that not reveal mistakes so easily than half ball hits.
I realize you are right. 19 years is just the time I've had it, not counting the ? years before that. I've thought about replacing it but then other things come up, of course. Maybe I'll take this opportunity to do something about it.
Thanks.
This one is in a business with tile floor and a crawlspace. Not much to damage. I have a tankless heater at home and I agree... they're great!
What do you mean by "mirrored"? Do have your students hit cut shots into both corner pockets?
Yes. It is best way to find flaws from aiming and cueing. Though straight in shots also work very well on cueing part.
Almost all players at any level have stronger and weaker side. Also we tend to (almost)always miss shots same side.
I normally(when missing) undercut when cut left side of ball and overcut when cutting to right.
One should practice more that side of cut which feel unnatural or more difficult.
That´s why i fell learning a lot of different half ball cuts come to help.
If one is 100% sure that cut is half ball aiming should be easy and they can focus more to keeping stroke mechanics together.
If they have tendency to line up/or and aim wrong that get revealed very fast.
Many players have practiced a lot of straight stroke when they are straight in ball but they steer when they get cut shot where they are uncertain of cut. Or they need to steer to compensate bad aiming learned beginning of pool career..
Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
test it your self.
Here is rail shot that is half ball. You can see cueball middle line is from Diamond to diamond when crossing edge of ball. Shoot it cutting it left and right. Cueball can be any distance on that approach line and it is still half ball cut. I prefer have object ball 1mm off from rail in practice so there is no confusing effects on rail first hit etc..
A spot shot when shooting from a corner pocket is also a half-ball shot and is a little easier to remember.
That’s another good one. I still think this is easy to remember and put up correctly because it is exactly line from Diamond to Diamond.
poolmanis
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