oscargrouch
Active member
Ah. That is indeed an interesting tidbit.
Simple aiming system cont...
- Thread starter Mensabum
- Start date
Here is how it is shown in Willie Mosconi's book.
Considering when this was published -- 1965 -- the clarity of the illustration is amazing. Clearly parallel lines, Color coded lines. ex-ghost ball marked. This is the book I learned how to play from, mostly.
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Possibly not but I don't see how one can picture this shot in their mind without picturing where the ghost ball will be. If you picture in your mind where the ghost will be, even accidentally, simply skip all the other steps and put the QB there with your cue. When using only ghost ball (or probably any other aiming system) we know that the object ball must be hit at a point farthest from the pocket, then its a matter of figuring out where we must shoot the QB to achieve that hit.
All these different aiming systems or concepts must come down to how each individuals mind works, kinda like how 2 people can see 2 different objects looking at the same painting.
I aim the center of the CB a learned distance from the OB contact point (= ghost ball center) without actually visualizing a ghost ball.
pj
chgo
I think this image...
Isn't demonstrating a parallel-lines player picturing a ghost ball. I think it's just demonstrating when you use the parallel lines approach that it will all line up properly upon contact after the cueball has been struck and aiming was long over with.
I think a parallel-lines player when aiming is still picturing (1) an object ball with a contact point derived from the pocket line, (2) the cueball with a contact point derived from a line parallel to the pocket line, and most importantly (3) the cueball and object ball contact points lined up to present a shooting line upon which to build a stance from.
The big thing about #3 is that they don't visualize that by projecting a ghost version of the cueball down table at the object ball. They stand behind the shot perhaps with a minor hunch and visualize that alignment from the cueball's initial resting position. And if their vision center is correct, they continue to see that alignment when down on the shot. And if they're familiar with the shot and system they can achieve that alignment very quickly in a fluid motion that doesn't look like they took time to aim at all. And if they HAMB it up, they probably aren't aiming at all and the parallel-lines approach is just what they used while building up that HAMB. Or the parallel-lines approach is what they fall back to when their HAMB fails them and they need to buckle down because they've lost that flow-state trust in their game.
Take a look at the diagram above.
Get rid of the parallel lines & the line between the cueball and object ball.
For demonstration purposes keep the stripe on the object ball.
Now line up the middle of the cueball with the right hand outside edge of that stripe.
Ball will go in the hole, no need for ghost ball.
for you that may be true
It's true for everyone.
If I understand this correctly, you are saying the cue stick should point exactly at the point on the object ball that needs to be contacted. Is that correct?
The OB will hit the rail to the right of the pocket.
Either you think that's how to line up a "parallel lines" shot (it isn't) or you think the difference is small enough to not matter (it does in this case, and the greater the cut angle, the more it matters).
pj
chgo
Bob,
Use a vertical plane going up from the right side of that object ball.
Bisect the cueball right down the middle.
Now aim the tip right through those two points.
No it won't hit the rail to the right of the pockdet, the OB will go right in the hole.
We're not talking about a greater cut angle either. We are talking about the cut angle that Bob posted out of Willie Mosconi's book.
When the cut angle gets greater, then the contact point changes on the CB.
As I have said before this relationship between the CB & OB works every time if the shot can't be treated as straight.
The "parallel lines" method being shown by Mosconi (yellow line) works every time, but your version of it (red line) doesn't. Your version doesn't contact the OB on its "true" contact point; in this case it hits an inch or more to the left of it (parallel red dashed line).
pj
chgo
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Do you mean the right side of the object ball or the right side of the tape on the ball? I think the right side of the ball is to the right of the tape a little.