Here is my latest article for my az column, Mike and the JP etc..are busy updating other stuff, so my column will be a while. So he kindly let me post it here.
Aiming with the feet.....
I was hitting balls recently at the derby city classic in Indiana, when one of the players Charles Morra came up to me and asked me what my secret was for shooting so fast and how I was so accurate.
“Playing snooker 8-10 hours a day for 15-20 years was the reason I told him”, his reply to me “that's not it” he says, “it's something to do with your feet, i've been watching you”. I then proceed to tell Charlie, that I use my feet to aim.
So after the conversation with him, it got me thinking about my new article and all of the aiming systems out there, CTE, CTE Pro1, Ghost ball, SEE System, 90/90, etc etc... So Charlie this one is for you, and how I aim with my feet.
CTE (center-to-edge):
An offset and pivot system developed by Hal Houle based on the center-to-edge line (CTEL). The player offsets his/her eyes and cue from the CTEL in order to see the outermost-edge while pivoting the tip to the center of the CB. Shots within core CTE is generally separated into two categories: Thick and Thin.
90/90:
An offset and pivot system developed by Ron Vitello based on three visual cue alignments (starting from the pocket-side, going from thick to thin): Edge-to-Edge (90/90), Edge-to-Center (90/half) and Edge-to-Reverse-Edge (90/Reverse90). The player offsets his/her cue to 1 tip within the inside edge of the CB (called the 90-position) aligned to either the identical position on the OB (90/90), the OB center (90/half) or the opposite position on the OB (90/Reverse90) and then hip-pivots to the center of the CB. The hip-pivot is a core component to the 90/90 system.
CTE-Pro1:
An offset and pivot system, developed by Stan Shuffett, which is based on Hal Houle's CTE and 3-angle aiming system. This system involves sighting the center-to-edge line (CTEL) along with a secondary aim line (primarily the left quarter, center, right quarter as well as the outside 1/8th). The shooter can either mechanically pivot (pivot while addressing the CB) with a 1/2 tip offset or air pivot (coming into center ball from the side) after offsetting their eyes.
Ghost Ball Aiming:
Aiming for the base of an imaginary ball that, when making contact with the OB, results in their "line of centers" pointing to the target pocket. At thinner cut angles, the ghost ball position must be adjusted to a thinner position to compensate for collision-induced throw. The ghost ball position must also be adjusted to compensate for spin-induced throw.
Aiming With Your Feet:
When I started playing snooker many many years ago, I would just get down and shoot, not taking any thought on how I was aligned to the shot, or where my feet should be in relation to shooting the shot.
Then from watching hours and hours of live snooker of the greatest snooker players of all time, I started to take great interest in their stance and where there feet where, from here I started to experiment.
This all started after Christmas one year when I was bought a 6 ft snooker table, I was 9 at the time. I would play for hours on end trying to do it like the pros on TV.
At times I would get very frustrated at not being able to make the balls like they did, I would go back and watch them over and over, noticing they had very different styles. Some players where fast and exciting to watch, others extremely slow and very boring to watch for a 9 year old. But one thing they all had in common was there stance and how they aligned their feet.
I quickly realized if I wanted to be any good at the game I would at least have to stand very similar to the pro's.
The only place to put my new table was in our kitchen, which was very cold in the winter and hard to play for more than 30 minutes. So I asked my Mum and Dad if I could put the table in the back room, so I could see the TV while I played, this way I could try and copy the way they played while I practiced. They agreed to let me put it there, but only until it got warmer.
After watching the live snooker and my favorite player Jimmy White, I then took on his fast style and started to work on my stance. I quickly found that this was the key to being a better player and I improved my high runs each week.
So you are probably wondering how do I aim with my feet. I will now explain how simple this is to do, but also how effective it is, if you place your feet in the correct position for each shot.
If you look at the diagram above, you will see the conact point on the 7 ball is marked with a line directly from the centre of the cue ball, and the path the cue ball will take to get on the 8 ball.
Every time I walk to the table I look at the shot from outside the box, roughly 2-3 feet from the table.
Outside the box the brain is switched on, here I find the line of the shot, decide how much speed, spin and position for my next shot.
Inside the box the brain is switched off and the sub-concious takes over. Here we just execute the shot, as we have decided everything we want to do outside the box.
By standing behind the line of the shot, slightly back away from the table (outside the box) we get a much clearer picture of the shot. We can now see the aiming line and where are feet should be in relation to the shot.
Now here is how we aim this shot with our feet.
We stand behind the line of the shot with our body facing the object ball, we do this by walking into the shot, from outside the box. NOT by sliding our feet backwards and coming from inside the box.
A lot of players who have a major flaw in their game, will place the chalk down on the table, and slide back into the shot from inside the box, this is a big no no to aligning correctly. Start the pre shot routine by coming in on the cue ball from outside the box.
1- Stand behind the line of the shot, outside the box. This is where we find the contact point on the object ball, and find the line of the shot.
2- Once you are the correct distance from the cue ball, we now place our right foot on the aiming line of the shot, left foot if you are left handed.
You will notice that when you stand behind the line of the shot, you are slightly more to the side of your body that you shoot with, and not exactly aligned to the center of your body. (So right handed players should be aligned more to their right foot, and left hand players to their left foot.)
3- We now open our feet, this will open the hips up and get them out of the way, just like a golfer does when he is facing the golf ball, and place the opposite foot we shoot with (left foot for a right handed player, right foot for a left handed player) over to the side for balance, ideally shoulder width apart.
If you look down at your shooting foot, you should see that you have part of this foot on the line of the shot. Once you find which part of your foot is on the aiming line that feels the most comfortable, you can now use this as a reference to where your foot should be in relation to the shot.
Everytime I approach the table I stand behind the shot and find the line, I now step into each and every shot by using my feet as my aiming guide, as long as my feet are planted in the correct position I will now make the shot. If I don't plant my feet in the correct position and take care in doing this very important step of my pre shot routine, I greatly increase my percentage of missing the shot.
By using this method of aiming, my body is aligned correctly to the shot and I have a strong and stable base to shoot from.
So Charlie when I shoot each shot, I stand behind the cue ball visualizing the line of the shot, I now start with my right foot on this line and open my stance up and I shoot, its as simple as that.
This will become more and more natural the more you do it, and you can now place your feet where they should be without having to think about it. You will also get great feedback doing this, as once you are not standing in the correct position you will know, as it won't feel right. If this happens you need to get back up and start again.
Finally if we go back to the diagram above. I am a right handed player, so my right foot should roughly be in a line with where the 8 ball is, as the 8 ball is on the aiming line (contact point line).
Stand behind the shot, eyes on the object ball seeing the line of the shot. Now just open up your feet and shoot. It's that simple.
A very simple system to use, but also very very effective!!
Lee Brett – www.leebrettpool.com The secret art of pool
A big thanks to Dave Segal for the foreword on the other aiming systems.
Aiming with the feet.....
I was hitting balls recently at the derby city classic in Indiana, when one of the players Charles Morra came up to me and asked me what my secret was for shooting so fast and how I was so accurate.
“Playing snooker 8-10 hours a day for 15-20 years was the reason I told him”, his reply to me “that's not it” he says, “it's something to do with your feet, i've been watching you”. I then proceed to tell Charlie, that I use my feet to aim.
So after the conversation with him, it got me thinking about my new article and all of the aiming systems out there, CTE, CTE Pro1, Ghost ball, SEE System, 90/90, etc etc... So Charlie this one is for you, and how I aim with my feet.
CTE (center-to-edge):
An offset and pivot system developed by Hal Houle based on the center-to-edge line (CTEL). The player offsets his/her eyes and cue from the CTEL in order to see the outermost-edge while pivoting the tip to the center of the CB. Shots within core CTE is generally separated into two categories: Thick and Thin.
90/90:
An offset and pivot system developed by Ron Vitello based on three visual cue alignments (starting from the pocket-side, going from thick to thin): Edge-to-Edge (90/90), Edge-to-Center (90/half) and Edge-to-Reverse-Edge (90/Reverse90). The player offsets his/her cue to 1 tip within the inside edge of the CB (called the 90-position) aligned to either the identical position on the OB (90/90), the OB center (90/half) or the opposite position on the OB (90/Reverse90) and then hip-pivots to the center of the CB. The hip-pivot is a core component to the 90/90 system.
CTE-Pro1:
An offset and pivot system, developed by Stan Shuffett, which is based on Hal Houle's CTE and 3-angle aiming system. This system involves sighting the center-to-edge line (CTEL) along with a secondary aim line (primarily the left quarter, center, right quarter as well as the outside 1/8th). The shooter can either mechanically pivot (pivot while addressing the CB) with a 1/2 tip offset or air pivot (coming into center ball from the side) after offsetting their eyes.
Ghost Ball Aiming:
Aiming for the base of an imaginary ball that, when making contact with the OB, results in their "line of centers" pointing to the target pocket. At thinner cut angles, the ghost ball position must be adjusted to a thinner position to compensate for collision-induced throw. The ghost ball position must also be adjusted to compensate for spin-induced throw.
Aiming With Your Feet:
When I started playing snooker many many years ago, I would just get down and shoot, not taking any thought on how I was aligned to the shot, or where my feet should be in relation to shooting the shot.
Then from watching hours and hours of live snooker of the greatest snooker players of all time, I started to take great interest in their stance and where there feet where, from here I started to experiment.
This all started after Christmas one year when I was bought a 6 ft snooker table, I was 9 at the time. I would play for hours on end trying to do it like the pros on TV.
At times I would get very frustrated at not being able to make the balls like they did, I would go back and watch them over and over, noticing they had very different styles. Some players where fast and exciting to watch, others extremely slow and very boring to watch for a 9 year old. But one thing they all had in common was there stance and how they aligned their feet.
I quickly realized if I wanted to be any good at the game I would at least have to stand very similar to the pro's.
The only place to put my new table was in our kitchen, which was very cold in the winter and hard to play for more than 30 minutes. So I asked my Mum and Dad if I could put the table in the back room, so I could see the TV while I played, this way I could try and copy the way they played while I practiced. They agreed to let me put it there, but only until it got warmer.
After watching the live snooker and my favorite player Jimmy White, I then took on his fast style and started to work on my stance. I quickly found that this was the key to being a better player and I improved my high runs each week.
So you are probably wondering how do I aim with my feet. I will now explain how simple this is to do, but also how effective it is, if you place your feet in the correct position for each shot.
If you look at the diagram above, you will see the conact point on the 7 ball is marked with a line directly from the centre of the cue ball, and the path the cue ball will take to get on the 8 ball.
Every time I walk to the table I look at the shot from outside the box, roughly 2-3 feet from the table.
Outside the box the brain is switched on, here I find the line of the shot, decide how much speed, spin and position for my next shot.
Inside the box the brain is switched off and the sub-concious takes over. Here we just execute the shot, as we have decided everything we want to do outside the box.
By standing behind the line of the shot, slightly back away from the table (outside the box) we get a much clearer picture of the shot. We can now see the aiming line and where are feet should be in relation to the shot.
Outside the box
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Inside the box
Inside the box
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Outside the box
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Inside the box
Inside the box
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Outside the box
Now here is how we aim this shot with our feet.
We stand behind the line of the shot with our body facing the object ball, we do this by walking into the shot, from outside the box. NOT by sliding our feet backwards and coming from inside the box.
A lot of players who have a major flaw in their game, will place the chalk down on the table, and slide back into the shot from inside the box, this is a big no no to aligning correctly. Start the pre shot routine by coming in on the cue ball from outside the box.
1- Stand behind the line of the shot, outside the box. This is where we find the contact point on the object ball, and find the line of the shot.
2- Once you are the correct distance from the cue ball, we now place our right foot on the aiming line of the shot, left foot if you are left handed.
You will notice that when you stand behind the line of the shot, you are slightly more to the side of your body that you shoot with, and not exactly aligned to the center of your body. (So right handed players should be aligned more to their right foot, and left hand players to their left foot.)
3- We now open our feet, this will open the hips up and get them out of the way, just like a golfer does when he is facing the golf ball, and place the opposite foot we shoot with (left foot for a right handed player, right foot for a left handed player) over to the side for balance, ideally shoulder width apart.
If you look down at your shooting foot, you should see that you have part of this foot on the line of the shot. Once you find which part of your foot is on the aiming line that feels the most comfortable, you can now use this as a reference to where your foot should be in relation to the shot.
Everytime I approach the table I stand behind the shot and find the line, I now step into each and every shot by using my feet as my aiming guide, as long as my feet are planted in the correct position I will now make the shot. If I don't plant my feet in the correct position and take care in doing this very important step of my pre shot routine, I greatly increase my percentage of missing the shot.
By using this method of aiming, my body is aligned correctly to the shot and I have a strong and stable base to shoot from.
So Charlie when I shoot each shot, I stand behind the cue ball visualizing the line of the shot, I now start with my right foot on this line and open my stance up and I shoot, its as simple as that.
This will become more and more natural the more you do it, and you can now place your feet where they should be without having to think about it. You will also get great feedback doing this, as once you are not standing in the correct position you will know, as it won't feel right. If this happens you need to get back up and start again.
Finally if we go back to the diagram above. I am a right handed player, so my right foot should roughly be in a line with where the 8 ball is, as the 8 ball is on the aiming line (contact point line).
Stand behind the shot, eyes on the object ball seeing the line of the shot. Now just open up your feet and shoot. It's that simple.
A very simple system to use, but also very very effective!!
Lee Brett – www.leebrettpool.com The secret art of pool
A big thanks to Dave Segal for the foreword on the other aiming systems.
