Aiming Perception Error

Bigkahuna

Bigkahuna

It's Good For Your Game!
Silver Member
I met Tom Simpson last August in Vegas when I was there for the APA Nationals as a Ref. He is an instructor that writes for Inside Pool magazine. He wrote an article some time ago about an aiming perception error. When I met him in Vegas we had some time alone together and he demonstrated this to me using a laser gadget that had a remote control on it to turn it on and off. He put a cue ball on the foot string and had me point my stick with the laser devise on it at the center of the ball from the head string. Then he turned the laser on and I was off to the right a substantial amount. I have since noticed that often shots cut to the right I am under cutting and shots to the left I am over cutting. These stots seem to be a problem at distances that are head string to foot string or beyond distances. He suggested to me that I have probably developed the ability to compensated for this with out being aware of it.
I do play well and am rated at the highest level in any of the leagues so really this thing is nagging at me. Has anyone had any experience with this? Is there a fix or just keep shooting the million balls?
 
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D

Dead Crab

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am not an instructor, but I do have cross dominant, and sometimes shifting eye dominance that can really screw things up.

I tried everything.

I finally ended up closing my dominant right eye (I shoot left handed) when shooting. If I am going to use a lot of spin, I aim and get "set" using just my left eye, then open my right. This gives me a cock-eyed perception of the cue direction, but provides depth perception to avoid foul or miscue. I just trust in a pendulum stroke and the aim I did with the one eye.

Now that I am used to it, it works pretty well.

Closing one eye is pretty drastic, and it should probably be the last thing you try. But, there are some pretty good riflemen who do it, and it was the only way I could get a consistent image.
 
T

TheBook

Ret Professional Goof Off
Silver Member
Buy one of these. I bought one and it showed a couple of flaws in my stroke. One was that I was rolling my hand. The other is that it helps when lining up shots that you are practicing. I have found it to be very useful.

http://www.laserstroke.com/
 
3kushn

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My 2cents. Not an instructor.

Scott Lee threw one of these up in a lesson he gave me and to both our amazement I rarely missed on the pro setting. He just bought the device and I think he was wondering if there was any merit to it. It was probably just one of those days we all have that things are working well.

If you don't want to buy one of these devices just set up an extreme cut. Practice at close range then move to longer shots.

The main thing with this drill is concentrate on doing everything exactly the same particularly how you address the ball. Then start to make simple changes but only one change at a time.

Also developing good Eye Pattern (quiet eye) has drastically improved my hits. Thanks again to Scott on this one.

I'm left handed and right eye dominate. Instructors have tried time and again to correct my stance squaring me off putting my chin over the cue. This is one area I think I'll have to ignore the advice unless some of you guys can really prove me wrong. This is something I found just practicing paper thin cuts. Getting my right eye over the cue. Instrutors can't stand it and I'm not advising it. But it was this little shift in my stance plus Quiet Eye Technique that allowed me to see and execute much better.
 
D

Dead Crab

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
*****************
I'm left handed and right eye dominate. Instructors have tried time and again to correct my stance squaring me off putting my chin over the cue. This is one area I think I'll have to ignore the advice unless some of you guys can really prove me wrong. This is something I found just practicing paper thin cuts. Getting my right eye over the cue. Instrutors can't stand it and I'm not advising it.
******************************

If you shoot left and have a strongly dominant right eye then the correct thing for you probably is to have your right eye over the cue. Provided that you can get in this position without screwing up your stroke or getting a lot of body pain.

There are some very good players that actually hook their chin across the stick to acheive this, or cock their head. But these would be bad practices for the 97% of players who don't need to do it, and that is why you won't see instructors promoting it.

Sometimes, though, you figure out what works for you.
 
S

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the kind words Tom! For the record, I'm not the instructor Tom was talking about, trying to change his stance. Our philosophy has always been, to allow the student to stand basically however they want...as long as they are balanced, comfortable, stable, and have free movement of the cue. Eye dominance doesn't matter...all that matters is where you "see/perceive" a straight line...and then have the ability to deliver the cue into that perceived straight line!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

3kushn said:
My 2cents. Not an instructor.

Scott Lee threw one of these up in a lesson he gave me and to both our amazement I rarely missed on the pro setting. He just bought the device and I think he was wondering if there was any merit to it. It was probably just one of those days we all have that things are working well.

If you don't want to buy one of these devices just set up an extreme cut. Practice at close range then move to longer shots.

The main thing with this drill is concentrate on doing everything exactly the same particularly how you address the ball. Then start to make simple changes but only one change at a time.

Also developing good Eye Pattern (quiet eye) has drastically improved my hits. Thanks again to Scott on this one.

I'm left handed and right eye dominate. Instructors have tried time and again to correct my stance squaring me off putting my chin over the cue. This is one area I think I'll have to ignore the advice unless some of you guys can really prove me wrong. This is something I found just practicing paper thin cuts. Getting my right eye over the cue. Instrutors can't stand it and I'm not advising it. But it was this little shift in my stance plus Quiet Eye Technique that allowed me to see and execute much better.
Click to expand...
 
D

-devil-

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
i have a problem like this as well ... but mine is from my glasses ... the way the lenses are made it throws the angles i see off, unless i am looking at the shot from right in line with it on the table ... if i am above it just a little or looking at any kind of angle ... everything looks off .. (and i normally miss the pocket by only 1/2" an inch as well) ...

i am left handed .. and left eye dominate ... but often times catch myself trying to look with my right eye.
 
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