••• Straight-in Shots •••

JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
Try this sometime:

Place object ball, one ball off of the left side rail, on the foot string.

Place the cue ball, one ball off of the left side rail, on the head string.

Shoot each of the following 5 times in a row (and record the number of times that you pocket the object ball making a stop shot):

REGARDLESS OF HOW THE SHOT LOOKS JUST DO THE FOLLOWING.
Left eye over the shaft (Just do it)
Inside of left eye over the shaft (Just do it)

Center both eyes over the shaft (Just do it)

Right eye over the shaft. (Just do it)
Inside of right eye over the shaft. (Just do it)
Right eye over the shaft. (Just do it).

Sometimes, I notice that when I am practicing or playing really well and pocketing the same straight-in shots every time, the object ball looks like it is slightly to the left of the shot line. It could be entirely different for you. I think that everyone should try different things to see what helps you to pocket balls the best. For the record, I am right eye-dominant if that makes any difference to you and shoot right-handed.

Maybe you will discover something to help your own pool game.

It is apparent to me (and most everyone else) that each of us are unique and while some people may believe that centering their eyes over the shaft is best for all shots, it is most likely that the positioning of your eyes will vary from one person to another. (some extremes-Shannon Daulton, Niels Feijen, John Morra etc).

I'm sure many of you will fit the standard but some of you might find that your "vision center" may be a mystery to you and may or may not work for you.

Note: If you pocket the ball more consistently one way or another, you might want to do some more investigation and practice that way more often.

JoeyA
 
Just to clarify, you are shooting these up the rail into the respective corner? The OB being 1 ball-width off the rail?

Do you shoot these along the rail to provide an illusion to really test the eyes? I say that because I seem to fare better on a straight-in when it's in the middle of the table vs. along the rail. Something about straight up the rail seems tricky.

I need to try this, because I think I could clear up a lot of problems I have if I could nail down my vision center.
 
Dr Dave has a vid of something similar where you shoot a shop shot to make sure that the cue ball doesn't verve off or spin after making the object ball.

When doing this drill, I found out that I needed to move my head more to the right over the cue to be able to aim properly to be able to make good stop shots.

It's a good drill.


Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
 
I do a "drill" like this but moving the OB a 1/2 diamond at a time down the rail(both balls about a 1/2 ball off the rail) until OB is in the pocket, CB stays on first diamond. But I draw the CB back to the end rail every time. When this gets dialed in, look out lol.

I'll give it a try.
Thanks
Jason
 
Joey, here's a potential problem with your setup- if both the ob and the cb are one ball width off the rail, you do not have a straight in shot to the corner unless your pockets are very large.
 
Neil said:
Joey, here's a potential problem with your setup- if both the ob and the cb are one ball width off the rail, you do not have a straight in shot to the corner unless your pockets are very large.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know what you are suggesting.

Just make sure it is a straight-in shot but the pocket size is limited, so that you can see any minor accuracy issues.

Just keep the object ball close enough to the rail that you have to pay attention to pocketing the ball. The cue ball and the object ball can be moved away from the rail as necessary, the CB may be moved a slight further distance from the side rail than the OB.


JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
Yes, I know what you are suggesting.

Just make sure it is a straight-in shot but the pocket size is limited, so that you can see any minor accuracy issues.

Just keep the object ball close enough to the rail that you have to pay attention to pocketing the ball. The cue ball and the object ball can be moved away from the rail as necessary, the CB may be moved a slight further distance from the side rail than the OB.


JoeyA
Click to expand...

The easy way to get it dead straight in, is to place the ob near the rail. Then just put the tip of your cue at the base of the ob pointed straight to the center between the points of the pocket. Slightly raise the butt of the cue off the table, and just place the cb right under the butt. You are now dead straight into the pocket.
 
Or maybe we could just say -- that if a player is incapable of figuring out how to line up a straight-in shot along the rail, then maybe they should just take up bowling.
 
Neil said:
The easy way to get it dead straight in, is to place the ob near the rail. Then just put the tip of your cue at the base of the ob pointed straight to the center between the points of the pocket. Slightly raise the butt of the cue off the table, and just place the cb right under the butt. You are now dead straight into the pocket.
Click to expand...
Another way... If the OB is on the foot string (even with the foot spot) and a ball off the cushion, and the CB is on the head string, the cue ball needs to be very close to three balls off the cushion for the shot to be straight in.
 
BasementDweller said:
Or maybe we could just say -- that if a player is incapable of figuring out how to line up a straight-in shot along the rail, then maybe they should just take up bowling.
Click to expand...

One problem is that most players don't know where the center of the pocket is. That is the point where you have equal margin for error to either side. It is also the point that you should usually be aiming for.
 
Here's another tidbit for your consideration:

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JoeyA
 
Neil said:
The easy way to get it dead straight in, is to place the ob near the rail. Then just put the tip of your cue at the base of the ob pointed straight to the center between the points of the pocket. Slightly raise the butt of the cue off the table, and just place the cb right under the butt. You are now dead straight into the pocket.
Click to expand...

Here you go, Joey. After 500 years of playing pool you finally know how to set up a straight in shot.:thumbup:
 
WOW! that was illuminating.
right eye over shaft 0/5
center between eyes over shaft 2/5
left eye over shaft 4/5
shot all hard.

thank you very much, I thought myself to be "right eye" dominate, so right my eye should be over the shaft. enough of that silliness :-)
 
Last edited:
Get_A_Grip said:
... And I believe that Bob Jewett is the person demonstrating the shot as well. ...
Click to expand...
And unfortunately demonstrating what happens when you learn pool with your tip way to the left of center at the start of the shot because your head is in the wrong place. I wish there had been decent instruction available when I was first learning.
 
I've been reading a lot about something called convergence in books on vision training. Anyway I find it interesting that people don't realize that looking at the cue ball , then the object ball, then the cue ball, then the object ball is basically a Brock String exercise. Convergence is the ability of the eyes to move inward with some control. Your dominant eye is more likely to have stronger converge than your non dominate eye. This is all related to binocular vision or the ability of both eyes to work together well giving better skills at depth perception, speed etc..
 
lakeman77 said:
WOW! that was illuminating.
right eye over shaft 0/5
center between eyes over shaft 2/5
left eye over shaft 4/5
shot all hard.

thank you very much, I thought myself to be "right eye" dominate, so right my eye should be over the shaft. enough of that silliness :-)
Click to expand...

Glad you checked this out. Now just one more question. What order did you use? If as you wrote them, then when you are fresh and not warmed up, go to the table and do them in reverse order.

I am very curious as to your results.

Thanks,
JoeyA

(Just believe that some people, may have different issues with their eyes.)
 
JoeyA said:
Try this sometime:

Place object ball, one ball off of the left side rail, on the foot string.

Place the cue ball, one ball off of the left side rail, on the head string.

Shoot each of the following 5 times in a row (and record the number of times that you pocket the object ball making a stop shot):

REGARDLESS OF HOW THE SHOT LOOKS JUST DO THE FOLLOWING.
Left eye over the shaft (Just do it)
Inside of left eye over the shaft (Just do it)

Center both eyes over the shaft (Just do it)

Right eye over the shaft. (Just do it)
Inside of right eye over the shaft. (Just do it)
Right eye over the shaft. (Just do it).

Sometimes, I notice that when I am practicing or playing really well and pocketing the same straight-in shots every time, the object ball looks like it is slightly to the left of the shot line. It could be entirely different for you. I think that everyone should try different things to see what helps you to pocket balls the best. For the record, I am right eye-dominant if that makes any difference to you and shoot right-handed.

Maybe you will discover something to help your own pool game.

It is apparent to me (and most everyone else) that each of us are unique and while some people may believe that centering their eyes over the shaft is best for all shots, it is most likely that the positioning of your eyes will vary from one person to another. (some extremes-Shannon Daulton, Niels Feijen, John Morra etc).

I'm sure many of you will fit the standard but some of you might find that your "vision center" may be a mystery to you and may or may not work for you.

Note: If you pocket the ball more consistently one way or another, you might want to do some more investigation and practice that way more often.

JoeyA
Click to expand...

Respectfully, if your "vision center" is in between or outside the key places you mentioned, the shots would look a bit off. Many players, for an example, have a VC halfway between one eye and their nose.
 
Joey
I did left eye first, then center, then right. So opposite of what I wrote. Tried it a second time, very similar results. I was not warmed up. Just did it. Will try reverse order and let you know.
 
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