Here is my analysis. I am definitely impressed by how much detail he gives. He confirmed what I already knew being my biggest problem, which is my stroking arm is not straight. Honestly, how far my shaft goes to the left after contact, it is amazing I can make a ball. Laugh. I have tried to change this, but my arm just wants to go that way. I think it is conditioned to do so. I video taped myself and I could see how I would start straight, and my arm just would go out to the right.
Anyway, here is the analysis:
So I've been through the video and it was fascinating. You did send it me in 25fps though instead of 60fps so I had to do a bit more tweaking to get it working but that's ok.
So have a look through the attached files and you'll get a rough feel for some things.
The way i'm doing the report is my own personal analysis based off the data I've captured (and visually looking at the video / shots in detail) and then I also run the data into AI (with some handholding and context from myself) in order to get another set of eyes on it to see if there's any other trends.
Here is my own summary -
You have a pretty slick cue action and a super smooth pre-strike pull back of the cue. I tried to count the waggles (pull backs you do before the final pull back strike) and you are pretty solid at 1 waggle before going into the full on pull back before striking the cue ball. Please note, you may do some micro waggles but I couldn't see that from the camera angle, I was only counting the big ones. There was only one shot where it looked like you did 2, and that was the downfall of that shot as you were probably overthinking it.
The shot you missed I would put down to just a twitch really and I'm not too concerned about it.
You're accuracy is pretty damn good on this shot. You hit the ball quite soft so you must be striking these very sweet with draw to balance the speed against the power. This also shows great control too as some players will hit it harder on this shot whereas you don't have to in order to achieve the same results. I could also see you were disappointed in missing that shot too as you were probably striving for perfection.
Now here's the main interesting thing I noticed. On some of the shots you weren't setting up the balls in exactly the same position as before. I'm talking millimeters here but I could see it on my on screen annotations. This wasn't a problem but here's the interesting part. You were sacrificing position in favour of aiming for the centre of the pocket. This is pretty smart play and subconsciously increases you're chances of making the pot. In any game (almost) a pot over perfect position is always going to win. I mean on this particular shot we're talking like a couple of degrees but that's why the cue ball was drifting off to your right a touch after hitting the object ball. You were hunting the centre of that pocket which is great. Don't forget though sometimes you will have to cheat the pocket of course naturally during some games and shots which is also fine too.
In essence from an aiming and striking point of view I can't see any major issues. You're speed was consistent along with your shot execution times and smoothness.
However, here's some food for thought!
Have a look at the annotated images I've attached. Apologies for the freehand text (I'll add in a proper text tool soon) but for each shot when you strike your cue is coming way off line.
I'm 99% sure this is down to your back cueing arm being off centre at an angle. Look at the annotation lines and you'll see what I mean.
I'm not knocking this but it could be something to try and adjust more by trying to get straighter through the cueball as it will help in the long run.
Also, look at your left arm. It's locked right out straight and pretty rigid. Again, i'm not knocking this but from a stability point of view it can definitely affect balance. Out of interest have you ever tried to play with a bit more of a bend in the arm. I've attached an image of my own arm position to show you what I mean.
Anyway, great result overall.
Next step really I would say would be for you to try this shot again but draw the cueball back to dead centre of the table. As I'd love to see if you're smoothness continues when you have to ramp up the mph of the shot!
Here is the report that I ran through AI, with some handholding of course from myself.
DARKSIDE FORENSIC AUDIT Player: Brian
Coach: Matt AKA The Emperor
Status: COMPLETE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I have completed a detailed forensic breakdown of your "Perfect Stop Shot" drill. The goal was to pot the object ball and stop the cue ball exactly behind it (Roughly around Target: X 35.2, Y 27.7).
The data reveals a player with
Elite Instincts but a specific vulnerability to
Over-Thinking. You are a "Feel Player" of the highest caliber, capable of subconsciously adjusting for imperfect conditions, but you lose mechanical integrity the moment you doubt your first instinct.
Here is the breakdown of your DNA.
1. THE "ONE-WAGGLE" PHENOMENON
The most striking pattern in your data is your rhythm. You are a metronome.
- Routine: On 9 out of 10 shots, you took exactly 1 Waggle.
- Timing: Your shots consistently fall in the 7.0s - 7.6s window.
- Consistency: Your speed variation was only ±0.6 mph.
My Diagnosis: You play your best pool when you don't think. You get down, feather once, and fire. This "One-Hit" rhythm is your superpower.
The Evidence (The "Thinking Tax"):
- Shot 42: This was the only shot where you took 2 Waggles.
- The Result: Your time spiked to 7.85s, and your Straightness Score collapsed to 29% (your worst of the session). Even though you potted it, your mechanics fell apart because you broke your rhythm.
Verdict: Trust your first instinct. If you stay down for a second waggle, you are likely to miss or steer the ball.
2. THE "ACTION" FACTOR (Physics)
I compared your speed data to other players on this same drill.
- Your Speed: Average 7.5 mph.
- Result: The cue ball stopped almost dead on the line.
My Diagnosis: Most players need 9.0+ mph to get a stop shot reaction. You are achieving it at 7.5 mph. This proves you generate massive
Action (Spin). You have a very high-quality stroke that imparts heavy backspin without needing brute force. This allows you to play "soft stops" that hold the line better than a power shot. This also proves you have a great stroke to do that.
3. THE "POCKET CHEAT" (Forensic Aiming)
I analyzed the exact geometry of your pots to see why the cue ball was drifting slightly to the right (Average Drift: 1.6 inches).
- The Setup: The balls were set with a tiny 1.8° offset (not perfectly straight).
- Your Adjustment: A lesser player would have aimed straight and missed. You subconsciously adjusted your aim to hit the center of the pocket.
- The Data: Your Cut Angle averaged 1.81°.
My Verdict: This confirms you could be around a
650+ Fargo caliber player. You aren't aiming at the contact point; you are aiming at the
pocket. You accepted the tiny drift (1.6 inches) as the price for hitting the heart of the pocket. That is elite "pool IQ." and a pretty smart subconscious thing to be doing. You were making sure of the pot at the slight expensive of position!
FINAL VERDICT & PRESCRIPTION
You are a "Natural." Your hands are smarter than your conscious brain.
- Rhythm: LOCKED. Stick to the 1 Waggle routine. If you feel the urge to waggle twice, stand up and reset. Do not shoot on the second waggle.
- Speed: LOCKED. 7.5 mph is your sweet spot. Do not try to hit it harder for this shot; your spin is doing the work.
- Mindset: You are an instinct player. Analysis paralysis is your enemy. See it, one feather, stroke it.
) There's enough example on youtube. What ideals would you use on those guys?