I must admit, after my 8 years of intensely studying the game, I've come to the conclusion that I've been underestimating the effects of cut-induced throw (CIT) all along. I've researched it to death and know how it changes with speed, spin, and cut angle but I just haven't been accounting for it enough. Based on how often I see people undercut shots, I don't think I'm the only one doing this so hopefully this revelation can help someone else out there too.
When I miss, it's mostly because I undercut the shot. My stroke is pretty good but I have an aiming problem. I've been aware of this for many years now but I never correctly diagnosed the problem until now. For a long time, I primarily played on bar boxes and their forgiving nature allowed me to make shots that were aimed bad. This didn't help. However, playing on 9 footers was a disaster and I would attribute my misses to the extra distance which couldn't have been further from the truth.
With straight in shots I was money...even from long distances. I was also good at shots with a cut angle up to about 30 degrees. I knew CIT was a major factor on these shots and I would properly account for it. However, when I would get beyond 30 degree cuts, I would often miss and not understand why.
I initially came to the conclusion that my mind was playing tricks on me and I wasn't seeing the shots correctly. I figured this was due to either a vision center issue or an incorrect "shot picture" that I've engrained in my head. Regardless, I knew I had to focus on overcutting shots in order to play my best. This is easier said than done and doesn't always work. Eventually, after playing well for a few sessions I would slowly fall back into my old habits and start undercutting easy shots again. Very frustrating...
It wasn't until recently, after coming back from a few month break from pool, that I realized my problem. I needed to focus way more on CIT. Friction affects medium to thin cut shots much more than I previously thought. I've always been aware of it, especially on fuller hits but I wasn't accounting for it nearly enough on most shots. Now that I'm adjusting properly my shot making percentage has significantly risen.
I can't describe how excited I am to finally overcome this roadblock. Aiming adjustments are much easier once you fully understand why you need to adjust rather than just telling yourself to "overcut it more" without any reason.
Not only has my game improved, but I'm no longer needing to stay down on the shot as long to fine tune my aiming beyond what my eyes are telling me. This extra mental effort would becoming draining after a few matches. The game is much more relaxing and enjoyable now.
I love revisiting old information and looking at it in a new light. No matter how long you've been playing, there's always more to learn! Play well my friends :smile:
When I miss, it's mostly because I undercut the shot. My stroke is pretty good but I have an aiming problem. I've been aware of this for many years now but I never correctly diagnosed the problem until now. For a long time, I primarily played on bar boxes and their forgiving nature allowed me to make shots that were aimed bad. This didn't help. However, playing on 9 footers was a disaster and I would attribute my misses to the extra distance which couldn't have been further from the truth.
With straight in shots I was money...even from long distances. I was also good at shots with a cut angle up to about 30 degrees. I knew CIT was a major factor on these shots and I would properly account for it. However, when I would get beyond 30 degree cuts, I would often miss and not understand why.
I initially came to the conclusion that my mind was playing tricks on me and I wasn't seeing the shots correctly. I figured this was due to either a vision center issue or an incorrect "shot picture" that I've engrained in my head. Regardless, I knew I had to focus on overcutting shots in order to play my best. This is easier said than done and doesn't always work. Eventually, after playing well for a few sessions I would slowly fall back into my old habits and start undercutting easy shots again. Very frustrating...
It wasn't until recently, after coming back from a few month break from pool, that I realized my problem. I needed to focus way more on CIT. Friction affects medium to thin cut shots much more than I previously thought. I've always been aware of it, especially on fuller hits but I wasn't accounting for it nearly enough on most shots. Now that I'm adjusting properly my shot making percentage has significantly risen.
I can't describe how excited I am to finally overcome this roadblock. Aiming adjustments are much easier once you fully understand why you need to adjust rather than just telling yourself to "overcut it more" without any reason.
Not only has my game improved, but I'm no longer needing to stay down on the shot as long to fine tune my aiming beyond what my eyes are telling me. This extra mental effort would becoming draining after a few matches. The game is much more relaxing and enjoyable now.
I love revisiting old information and looking at it in a new light. No matter how long you've been playing, there's always more to learn! Play well my friends :smile:
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