After eight months with CTE
- Thread starter mohrt
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I think most of the arguments fall into the semantics of how CTE works, not whether it works or not. Some proclaim that CTE is an exact center pocket system (... enter interpretations and arguments.) Some say it gets you within a certain tolerance and from there feel/recall kicks in. I'm not really sure, but I don't really care. As Spidey said, pool is outcome based. The outcome of CTE (in my own experience) is that it works well as an aiming system. Far better than what I used to use, which was just aim everything by experience/recall. Now I have a system that repeatedly lines up my head/body/eyes to the shot, and they go in. How much of this system is mechanics and how much is recall/experience kicking in, I don't know. All I know is whatever is happening, I'm zeroing in on shots far better than any of the last 15 years of pool playing. I can only relay my own experiences with it, I cannot speak for anyone else.
If I were to guess at it: The mechanics of CTE probably get you 95% of the way there. The last 5% is dialed in with shot recall. If you combine those two elements with ample experience, it is probably safe to suffice that CTE is getting you very near center pocket, close enough in regards to pool balls and pocket widths. This is a recipe for a very high shot making success rate in a relatively short time.
Tap Tap Tap, excellent information. Gotta give you some green for your time and effort.
I've been using it for awhile, seen the dvd numerous times and it's definitely helped my aiming. But being a little forgetful I don't remember does it say at what degree angle you would use B, instead of A or C. Your way for figuring the angles is very good so if you know what angle you go to B at, it should make it even easier.
The other problem it's not always obvious to me whether it's a left or right pivot. Anybody come up with a way to determine that.
I've went back to manual, because with Pro 1, I can use it pretty well,it but it seems like I make more mistakes.
I've been using it for awhile, seen the dvd numerous times and it's definitely helped my aiming. But being a little forgetful I don't remember does it say at what degree angle you would use B, instead of A or C. Your way for figuring the angles is very good so if you know what angle you go to B at, it should make it even easier.
The other problem it's not always obvious to me whether it's a left or right pivot. Anybody come up with a way to determine that.
I've went back to manual, because with Pro 1, I can use it pretty well,it but it seems like I make more mistakes.
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I haven't riveted every shot to memory and don't try. It's either and A or B.....................or B or C.
On the left and right pivot, it is one or the other. If when you pivot the shot doesn't look right, get up and do it all over with the opposite pivot. I find that the thick cut shots normally use the "effective" smaller pivot.
If Stan wasn't treated so poorly on this forum I'm sure he would be answering a lot of these type questions. That's the best that I can do with my limited knowledge. Someone else might have a difference of opinion.
Your questions are good. Hope I was of some help.
BTW, there's nothing wrong with using the manual CTE that Stan teaches. For people who haven't completely mastered the visualization, I strongly recommend using the manual CTE system.
Just the other day, a friend of mine who had purchased the CTE/Pro One video told me he had been using it with good success. He has always been an instinct shooter and a good one. Now he seems to be potting the balls better than ever. The funny thing is that he hasn't got past the basic beginning of CTE and simply lines up center of cue ball to the edge of the object ball, drops and shoots.
That's it. That's all he does and he can beat most everyone on this forum. Hal Houle would have loved this guy. After I showed him some of the precision with CTE/ProOne with the AB&C aiming coordinates and the pivots, he promised to go back and watch the video some more. 
God help me if he gets any better. 
an anology
I like the 95% observation. It reminds me of when autofocus cameras became popular. Most pros would use it to get close and then switch to manual focus to fine tune as they would never fully rely on the system.
Ironically, autofocus works well enough now that we can rely on it. I delete about 1% of my shots at a rodeo, and it's no small sample size. I've been know to shoot 15k images in 4 days. If only I could get enough table time to shoot that much pool.........
Thanks for the thread and the blog!
Karl
I like the 95% observation. It reminds me of when autofocus cameras became popular. Most pros would use it to get close and then switch to manual focus to fine tune as they would never fully rely on the system.
Ironically, autofocus works well enough now that we can rely on it. I delete about 1% of my shots at a rodeo, and it's no small sample size. I've been know to shoot 15k images in 4 days. If only I could get enough table time to shoot that much pool.........
Thanks for the thread and the blog!
Karl
I've been working with CTE a little (when time permits) from Stan's video. The other day, I made 14 shots in a row from various cut angles before I missed, and I'm not even sure how it happened. That's very close to the 95% you mentioned. Better yet, I didn't really have to "aim." I just followed the steps Stan prescribed in the video.
I hope this same success rate continues as I work into Pro One, and as I continue to practice and try to make it all automatic. I have never had any dream of being a pro player, but I have always been interested in learning new ways to help my students, and Pro One might just be the ticket for certain ones. Even if I never become qualified to teach it, I would like nothing better than to turn students onto Stan's video and act only as their guide.
Roger
The shot selection is always linear, thick to thin: A/C outside -> A/C inside -> B outside -> B inside -> 1/8 outside -> 1/8 inside.
Exactly where the switch happens might be relative to how you line up your shots. Right handers, left handers, right eye dominance, left eye dominance, strong/weak dominance, eye over cue, nose over cue, etc. All play in a part in how each of us see our shots. For me, I use A/C outside up to about 8-10 degrees. Then switch pivots up to about 25 degrees. then B outside until about 30, then B inside up to maybe 50, then 1/8 outside, and switch to inside on the thinnest of cuts. I do think inside pivots are the main stay, and outside pivots occupy a very small range of shots. I also think the distance between the CB and OB play a part when to switch.
The way to figure this stuff out is to shoot the shots from the DVD. It also helped me to pick a specific shot: place the OB somewhere on the table. Then shoot this ball in from every angle thick to thin: mark out an arc with chalk and move the cue ball along this arc. Learn where the pivots and shots change.
I did not try to make the jump from manual cte to pro1, it just slowly happened on its own. It started off on strait in shots, i would pick up the lines and just went strait to center cb without even thinking about it, i did not purposely try and skip the manual pivot step part of it, it just started happening naturally. I still use manual on the tougher shots and i honestly dont care if i shoot manual cte or pro1, im comfortable shooting either way but use manual cte when i cant afford to miss a shot.
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Great thread. I'll throw in my 2 cents. I've only been working with CTE (manual) for a couple of weeks, so I still need a lot of practice. Funny part with me is... I get all of the aim points, and the pivots. All of that makes sense to me, and I can look at a shot and pretty quickly determine which I should use.
I think my problem either lies at approaching the cue ball, or my stroke after pivoting. The reason I think this is because when I shoot... even on the frist or second day... I'll get on huge hot streaks, making everything on the tabe, even the shots that I normally have trouble with. Within the first hour, I couldn't stop smiling, and thinking "why isn't everyone doing this".... then BOOM, huge cold streak, can't make a thing... I then start trying to figure out what's happening.
It's not like I make 2, miss 1, make 4, miss 2...etc. I'll make everything I shoot at for an extended amount of time, and then just hit a wall, and the complete opposite occurs. That process will repeat throughout practice (hot, cold, hot, cold), it comes and goes.
I can definitely tell there's something to it, I just need to figure out what causes me to hit those cold streaks.
I think my problem either lies at approaching the cue ball, or my stroke after pivoting. The reason I think this is because when I shoot... even on the frist or second day... I'll get on huge hot streaks, making everything on the tabe, even the shots that I normally have trouble with. Within the first hour, I couldn't stop smiling, and thinking "why isn't everyone doing this".... then BOOM, huge cold streak, can't make a thing... I then start trying to figure out what's happening.
It's not like I make 2, miss 1, make 4, miss 2...etc. I'll make everything I shoot at for an extended amount of time, and then just hit a wall, and the complete opposite occurs. That process will repeat throughout practice (hot, cold, hot, cold), it comes and goes.
I can definitely tell there's something to it, I just need to figure out what causes me to hit those cold streaks.
If you do one fundamental wrong, it won't be accurate. Make sure your line-up is EXACT, and chose the correct shot/pivot. Concentrate on lining up EXACT until it becomes natural.
It took me nearly 6 months to be EXACT. I used to think I was lined up right, but in actuality... it was sloppy. The initial alignment is so crucial -- you must be perfect.
Use the outcome of your shot to test your alignment. If you're short, you aligned too thick. Conversely, if you're long -- you're too thin. Even if it appears to "not be right" -- go by the outcome of the shot because you're probably dealing with a visual illusion. Once the shot goes, use that particular alignment at all times.... and be perfect about it.
Dave
OK, so I couldnt stand it any longer. I ordered the Pro One DVD today. One question while I am waiting for it to arrive. I use a LD shaft. Does this effect the system at all with the pivoting and then the BH english issues? I have read a little and understand that BH english is not real accurate with LD shafts. Im interested in how LD shaft users apply english with Pro One/CTE. Thanks
Doesn't apply. All CTE/Pro1 shots are center-ball shots. Once you lock-in center-ball (shot solution), then apply english the way you normally would and adjust your aim from there as required.
Since an LD shaft only affects deflection, it should not affect anything about Pro One, but only how BHE might work for you. In other words, apply english like you would any other aiming system.