Now that I think of it, I first saw it in Mosconi's book - the first pool book I had at the age of 16-17. It's long lost now, and by the time I picked up the game again 30 years later I'd forgotten its contents - although they might still influence me.This is what I've called Parallel Lines Aiming.
The actual author of WPB is rumored to be Harry Grove who seems to have been a Brunswick publicist. My belief is that Mosconi had no real "system" as such. His (or Grove's) advice for playing a ball frozen to the cushion was just plain wrong.My understanding is Willie used a different system but felt this one would be easier to communicate to the masses.
The actual author of WPB is rumored to be Harry Grove who seems to have been a Brunswick publicist. My belief is that Mosconi had no real "system" as such. His (or Grove's) advice for playing a ball frozen to the cushion was just plain wrong.
There are a couple of videos of Willie giving basic instruction. Does anyone recall if he suggested an aiming method? One video was something like, "An evening with Willie Mosconi," and was pretty informal. I'd trust something like that to give Mosconi's actual ideas more than a ghost-written book.Willie was running racks before he was tall enough to see the table bed while standing on the floor. I'm pretty sure his system was "See the ball, pocket the ball."
There are a couple of videos of Willie giving basic instruction. Does anyone recall if he suggested an aiming method? One video was something like, "An evening with Willie Mosconi," and was pretty informal. I'd trust something like that to give Mosconi's actual ideas more than a ghost-written book.
That's from his instructional video on the table with gold cloth. There was another home made video of him at a special event that was called "An Evening with Willie Mosconi" that the Birkbeck twins organized. Google... google... google... here is that video:I think this is about at detailed as I've seen from him:
https://youtu.be/Yym21l9_Z3U?t=702
Old school. Just aim at the spot on the ob farthest from the pocket and practice.
Maybe he just learns to hit the OBCP by practicing, with no (conscious) system for locating the CBCP. Many players work with less.Willie's explanation sounds like he used some form of contact point aiming. He pointed to the place where the line through the pocket exits the OB and stressed this is the place to hit the ball for that location on the table. "It never changes." he expains. Sure sounds like he's aiming at the CP on the OB in some manner.
He set up a CB in the ghost ball position and showed different approach angles to the shot talking about how different 'parts' of the CB must hit the OB point for different angles. He didn't mention any way to find the corresponding CP on the CB. It's hard to believe he didn't know about the parallel line method or 'mirroring' the OB point from center to center line.
Maybe he used a hybrid system like overlap to CP? Or something else.
Maybe he just learns to hit the OBCP by practicing, with no (conscious) system for locating the CBCP. Many players work with less.
pj
chgo
Let us know how that works out for you.I've heard if you have a supple wrist and play by sense of smell you can become a Valley Table King.
It worked OK for Tommy. :thumbup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqXVZM9o6DULet us know how that works out for you ...
Willie's explanation sounds like he used some form of contact point aiming. He pointed to the place where the line through the pocket exits the OB and stressed this is the place to hit the ball for that location on the table. "It never changes." he expains. Sure sounds like he's aiming at the CP on the OB in some manner.
He set up a CB in the ghost ball position and showed different approach angles to the shot talking about how different 'parts' of the CB must hit the OB point for different angles. He didn't mention any way to find the corresponding CP on the CB. It's hard to believe he didn't know about the parallel line method or 'mirroring' the OB point from center to center line.
Maybe he used a hybrid system like overlap to CP? Or something else.
Does this mean aiming the edge of the CB at the OBCP, or does "a point on the edge" mean something else?...aiming a point on the edge of the CB at the CP
Does this mean aiming the edge of the CB at the OBCP, or does "a point on the edge" mean something else?
pj
chgo
OK, so I guess "align it to the contact point" means "align it to a point that's a learned distance from the contact point" (not "align it directly at the contact point")...?...using the point on the outside edge of the cue ball at its maximum girth as a reference ... you learn how to align it to the contact point on the OB and you start to recognize the cut.