Seeing the contact point on the object ball.

J

jimstone

Registered
Hello, for those of you who use contact point aiming systems, where you first find the contact point on the object ball
by drawing a line from the pocket through the object ball, here is my question.
Let's say you have a long shot , and the object ball is a solid color. You step away from the object ball, after finding the contact point, and head
back to the cue ball which is say - 4 diamonds away. How do you keep track of that contact point on the object ball with your eyes? Thank you.
 
Like you, I draw a line from the pocket through the object ball, but I do it from behind the cue ball, in shooting position. Unlike sighting directly along the OB<->pocket line, sighting the OB contact point from the CB takes some practice, but if you can learn to do it then you get to sight it and aim at it from the same position.

A possible way to practice this: is to sight the OB contact point along the pocket<->OB line as you do now, but as you return to behind the CB and get into shooting positing, try to keep the pocket<->OB line in sight too (not just the contact point). Eventually it might get easy to sight entirely from behind the CB.

pj
chgo
 
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Adding the ghost ball to your contact point may help you keep the “sight picture” in tact, as you move back to the CB position. It helps me, especially on blind shots.


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Scratch85 said:
Adding the ghost ball to your contact point may help you keep the “sight picture” in tact, as you move back to the CB position. It helps me, especially on blind shots.
Click to expand...
And if you can visualize the pocket<->OB line extended an inch past the OB, it points right at the ghost ball center.

pj
chgo
 
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There are always references you can use - marks on the ball, the numbers, even the silhouette if it's a solid color. The easiest reference to transfer is the cross section.
When checking ball to pocket, bisect the ball. This gives you the pocket line, contact point, and the cross section. This cross section will be more evident when you get back to the cue ball.

This is a depiction of CB and OB shot contact. The circle on the left is the OB. The circle on the right is the CB or GB position.
Constant Intersection.jpg



The black line bisects the OB along the direction it will take. The colored lines are various shot vectors and show how the cross sections are derived and intersect the contact point. Notice they are equal and opposite across the balls.

These equal pieces are easier to see and remember than just the points.
 
straightline said:
There are always references you can use - marks on the ball, the numbers, even the silhouette if it's a solid color. The easiest reference to transfer is the cross section.
When checking ball to pocket, bisect the ball. This gives you the pocket line, contact point, and the cross section. This cross section will be more evident when you get back to the cue ball.

This is a depiction of CB and OB shot contact. The circle on the left is the OB. The circle on the right is the CB or GB position.
View attachment 899222


The black line bisects the OB along the direction it will take. The colored lines are various shot vectors and show how the cross sections are derived and intersect the contact point. Notice they are equal and opposite across the balls.

These equal pieces are easier to see and remember than just the points.
Click to expand...
The "equal pieces" are the equal halves of the CB/OB overlap at contact?

pj
chgo

lens overlap aiming.png
 
Without sights or any way to aim precisely it all comes down to muscle memory and your subconscious recognizing the angles.
All any aiming system can do is get you in the ballpark. Great for beginners. Also helpful for people unable to quiet their conscious mind, as it gives them something to focus on.
In archery, instinctive shooters (no sights) have a saying: "Become the arrow".
The best pool I've ever played is when I've "become the ball" and any "systems" are completely off of my radar.
 
Sheldon said:
Without sights or any way to aim precisely it all comes down to muscle memory and your subconscious recognizing the angles.
All any aiming system can do is get you in the ballpark. Great for beginners. Also helpful for people unable to quiet their conscious mind, as it gives them something to focus on.
In archery, instinctive shooters (no sights) have a saying: "Become the arrow".
The best pool I've ever played is when I've "become the ball" and any "systems" are completely off of my radar.
Click to expand...
This gets an almost in my way of thinking (supported by the ways of the virtuosi of course). Mastery vs possession.
 
jimstone said:
Hello, for those of you who use contact point aiming systems, where you first find the contact point on the object ball
by drawing a line from the pocket through the object ball, here is my question.
Let's say you have a long shot , and the object ball is a solid color. You step away from the object ball, after finding the contact point, and head
back to the cue ball which is say - 4 diamonds away. How do you keep track of that contact point on the object ball with your eyes? Thank you.
Click to expand...
There's a whole forum for aiming topics. Maybe this thread will get moved there, but in the meantime....

Suppose you can keep the contact point in mind, say it happens to be a feature on the object ball. What do you then do with that point once you get over to shoot the cue ball?
 
iusedtoberich said:
I don't understand how anyone can aim at the geometric contact point. It's not reality. The CB squirts and swerves and throws the OB.
Click to expand...
Well, it can be the basis for the ideal aim which is then modified according to the shot details. Beginners have to start somewhere.
 
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