Shaky1:
That's the reason why there are different aiming systems -- because different people have different abilities. Some have great 3D spacial visualization/perception, others don't. But where a person doesn't have this ability, they make up for it in another ability that the other [spacial-visualization-gifted] person does not have. However, I believe spacial-visualization ability can be built, with repetition and memorization.
This is where, believe it or not, an advanced method of using ghostball concepts comes in -- back-of-ball aiming. But there's a snag with this method -- you have to memorize some ball-to-ball relationships! That is to say, you have some homework to do.
What I'm talking about here is, can you recognize, say, a half-ball hit and the angle it produces upon collision? ("Recognizing" a half-ball hit is easy -- that's a core relationship used in other aiming systems like pivot-based aiming. But do you know the angle it produces upon collision?). Can you recognize a 1/4-ball hit, and the angle it produces? 2/3rd-ball? 3/4-ball?
If you don't, do this:
- Set that ball relationship up on your table
- Forget about the pockets on your table -- stuff them with towels so that you can't pocket balls in them and so they won't be a distraction for you. (Or better yet, do this on a 3-cushion/billiards table.)
- Shoot that shot -- shoot a half-ball hit, or 1/4-ball hit, or 2/3rd-ball hit, or what-have-you.
- Stay down on the shot -- stay in your "Finish" position.
- Observe where the object ball goes -- what angle it takes.
- Memorize it -- shoot this over and over and over again. Reposition the cue ball and object ball differently on the table each time, and shoot this same ball-to-ball relationship over and over again.
The idea is that you don't want to be concerned about the "pockets" on your table -- you only are concerned about the
angles produced by different ball-to-ball relationships, and you're trying to memorize them.
You need to do this for the following CRUCIAL (i.e. fundamental) ball-to-ball relationships:
- 1/4-ball hit
- 1/3rd-ball hit
- half-ball hit
- 2/3rd-ball hit
- 3/4-ball hit
- 7/8-ball hit
Shoot those over and over, and MEMORIZE them! This is your "kit" -- you need to recognize these ball-to-ball relationships anywhere on the table. And when you do, you'll obviate the need to have to "see" or "visualize" a ghost ball -- a ball that isn't there and which will introduce considerable error if you don't have the ability to automatically "see" it. Memorize these ball-to-ball relationships, recognize them when you see them on the table, and YOU WON'T HAVE TO VISUALIZE A GHOSTBALL! Commit these to your "kit" and you'll bring back consistency into your game.
Believe it or not, those half-dozen ball-to-ball relationships I've bulleted above for you will give you an incredible amount of mileage. Those six ball-to-ball relationships occur in the lion's share of most shots you'll see on the table. I'm not kidding. When I view a table layout and pick out my shot, I go, "ah, that's a 1/3rd-ball hit, I know that one!" -- and then go fire it in.
The beauty of this style of aiming is that:
- You will remove having to "visualize" a ghost ball in the shot.
- You are adding a *tangible relationship* in its place.
- You are giving yourself something to shoot at that removes the pocket from your line of aim. This is key, because you are now concentrating on only aiming at a 1/3rd, or 1/2, or 3/4, etc. ball relationship -- you are not focusing on the pocket. What this will do, is lessen the tendency to "steer" your cue, because you're not focused on the pocket.
- You will greatly increase your ability at carom and combination shots.
Trust me on this one -- find yourself a quiet place to play, and just focus on hitting ball-to-ball relationships. Notice I said "hitting" and not "pocketing." The reason should be clear, because pocketing the ball is not the value here -- memorizing the angles produced *is*. Afterwards -- after you feel comfortable with recognizing a certain ball-to-ball relationship on the table (i.e. it's committed to your memory), set that shot up where the angle produced leads the object ball to a pocket, and shoot it. You'll notice that you "see" shots differently now, and you're not focused on the pocket any longer. Rather, you just "see" the ball-to-ball relationship, and you know that if you deliver your cue correctly to put that cue ball onto that object ball (i.e. "eclipsing" the object ball by that ball-to-ball relationship amount), you just *know* the object ball is heading for the pocket.
Thoughts?
-Sean
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