Seeing the contact point on the object ball.

[straightline]

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.

Neither is GB. I use BHE and judicious speed no issues.

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?

You learn to visualize this:

Diagram is lopsided but you get it. Once it sinks in, you can just visualize this:

This depicts a different shot but who's counting. Three dots in a tilted line across the face of the ball; the highest one is the OB contact. You can connect the dots while standing to determine the stick line. I find that's usually all you need; some kind of line.



Portrait artists have to imagine a whole universe by comparison.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Well, it can be the basis for the ideal aim which is then modified according to the shot details. Beginners have to start somewhere.

Well besides that, it only lines up with the ghost ball, which is all imaginary and hard for a beginner (or a good player) to "see the center of in order to sent the center of the CB there"

 

[straightline]

Well besides that, it only lines up with the ghost ball, which is all imaginary and hard for a beginner (or a good player) to "see the center of in order to sent the center of the CB there"

Other components of geometric aiming give you the _base_ of the ghost ball...

 

[ShootingArts]

When I have to aim at a point I can't see I walk to where the point I need to hit the object ball is. Then I lock onto that spot with my eyes and walk back to where I am shooting from. Pool tables don't move and if I really feel the need I can slide a hand on the outside of the table. Might take a few tries at first to not lose your attention on the spot but without much practice it works.

Hu

 

[straightline]

When I have to aim at a point I can't see I walk to where the point I need to hit the object ball is. Then I lock onto that spot with my eyes and walk back to where I am shooting from. Pool tables don't move and if I really feel the need I can slide a hand on the outside of the table. Might take a few tries at first to not lose your attention on the spot but without much practice it works.

Hu

Often - at least on pool pockets, you can visualize the whole thing from where you stand. There are many imaging tricks not the least of which is the tangent line. You need to see the perpendicular relationship but that should be built into the way a player observes the table.

 

[straightline]

Here's a clearer depiction of the contact ellipse. Also apologies to @iusedtoberich who has some visual issues. If you need to know anything about the diagrams, please ask. If not it's all good.

The cool thing about this lick is you can take what you see on the OB and "paste" it on the CB. (blue line on the CB.)

 

[bbb]

Here's a clearer depiction of the contact ellipse. Also apologies to @iusedtoberich who has some visual issues. If you need to know anything about the diagrams, please ask. If not it's all good.

View attachment 899425
The cool thing about this lick is you can take what you see on the OB and "paste" it on the CB. (blue line on the CB.)

your ellipse seems to be the circumference which is round and only appears as an ellipse in a 2d image
either way i dont "see" how that is helpful
not sure if your blue line is supposed to be the parallel line shown in the picture below showing the contact point on the cue ball that has to match the contact point on the object ball and is a parrallel line to the object ball to the pocket line

 

[Zerksies]

With the contact point on the OB. I like to make sure i am looking at the center level point on the ball. If you go a little higher or lower it throws off the contact point moving a little left or right

 

[Zerksies]

Here's a clearer depiction of the contact ellipse. Also apologies to @iusedtoberich who has some visual issues. If you need to know anything about the diagrams, please ask. If not it's all good.

View attachment 899425
The cool thing about this lick is you can take what you see on the OB and "paste" it on the CB. (blue line on the CB.)

This is a great example. If you are looking at the ball straight on it looks fine. But the minute you turn the black line made a deeper cut angle.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

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.

You take a rough approximation of the contact point from any position where you’re not fully down in your stance at address. The contact point you identify while standing will naturally “move” as you get down into position.

You also don’t need to stare at the object ball’s contact point the entire time you’re assuming your stance or in your stance—notice how pros regularly look away from the contact point to check their aim point on the cue ball.

 

[straightline]

your ellipse seems to be the circumference which is round and only appears as an ellipse in a 2d image
either way i dont "see" how that is helpful
not sure if your blue line is supposed to be the parallel line shown in the picture below showing the contact point on the cue ball that has to match the contact point on the object ball and is a parrallel line to the object ball to the pocket line

View attachment 899463

The ellipse helps you visualize the hidden contact point. It's just one more way to know the exact alignment.

This is a great example. If you are looking at the ball straight on it looks fine. But the minute you turn the black line made a deeper cut angle.

It's just a Paint sketch. Also the blue line should be parallel to the one on the object ball. BlackBalled mentioned object permanence - in this case once you've plotted the shot you shouldn't be trying to hold and aim all the alignment details. The black line will always be parallel to the red contact line. These tricks help determine the stick line and maybe more important, the stick angle. If you get down on the shot and you're not stroking that angle, reset..

 

[ShootingArts]

You take a rough approximation of the contact point from any position where you’re not fully down in your stance at address. The contact point you identify while standing will naturally “move” as you get down into position.

You also don’t need to stare at the object ball’s contact point the entire time you’re assuming your stance or in your stance—notice how pros regularly look away from the contact point to check their aim point on the cue ball.

Pool is like most things, many ways to skin a cat! I don't know that I look at the contact point when I am getting down in my stance but I definitely watch it going around the table. One of those tricks I have been using over fifty years, it is pretty deeply embedded by now! A lot like building the backside of the cueball and onject ball I can't see. I "see" the missing surface in my mind. Is it really a half circle or have I modified it for other things? I don't know. I imagine it a perfectly round half circle.

I realize I have made my vision very specialized to pocket pool balls. I can miss the pocket a full foot or more trying to use fractional aiming, just not the way my pool vision works! My system is very similar to the "equal opposites" system that I call it that or contact points. At this point I think it is mostly PIITH after putting balls in the holes for so many decades!

Hu

 

[fastone371]

I have not seen anyone mention lights or the light reflection on the object ball. I use that a lot when I can, I know I cant be the only one who does that.