Aim With What?

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
Walking up to the shot, placing your bridge hand on the play surface. Do you use any particular upper body part to help aiming when your down on your shot?
 
I think this question jives well with the no practice stroke drill. You have to aim when standing up (right foot for RH shooters on shot line), and get down and fire. Of course, there could be more variations to this drill and aiming but I use my right foot. Kind like the shot line going through the middle of my foot.
 
As MajorMiscue and Couldnthinkof01 stated::
a) you aim by positioning yourself well from the table and on the line of sight,
b) you do all your aiming, planning, and creativity while standing up.
c) you continue to think about the shot while standing up until you know exactly what your next shot will be, where the CB will go, ...
d) only after you have committed your plan into concrete to you position your cue on the table.
e) and only after that; do you position yourself to commit the shot in reality.

All shot planning is performed while standing straight up.
All shot mechanics are performed without any more thought about the shot itself.
 
Instead, step back a step and insert your cue on the shot line, now step into the shot and put your bridge hand in place. The aiming comes before you insert the cue.
How do you know if your bridge hand is a little too much left or right?
 
I see the shot line as I stand behind CB and place my back foot on it, lock my chin on shot line and step into shot at a comfortable approx 45 degree angle and keeping my chin locked on line I slide in behind CB with cue. Cue is under chin so I know bridge, cue, and back arm are aligned
 
Walking up to the shot, placing your bridge hand on the play surface. Do you use any particular upper body part to help aiming when your down on your shot?
Yes my chin touches the cue when I am down on the shot. Trying to be just like Ronnie.🤷
 
I was at Cue & Cushion early/mid-day on a Saturday. Rare for me, ‘cause I’m not a morning person.

Erv, an M.D., was there with his 10 year old son. He played in my monthly poker games and I knew him well.

I was leaving, and they were at a table right by the door. We recognized each other immediately. I stopped, and he wanted me to show his son something. I can’t remember the beginning, but the last thing was aligning your shot.

I put a ball about 18” from the side pocket and about 1/2 a Diamond off. I placed the cue ball on a perpendicular line with the object ball. I then showed him the line with my cue to see where the object ball needed to be hit to pocket the ball. Then, I showed him the line from the cue ball to the object ball to make correct contact.

Finally, I laid my cue on the table/rail, positioned my body to simply pick up the cue, picked it up and slightly bent over, looked at him. I was stroking and said, “If you line up correctly, you don’t even have to look at the ball.” Then, maintaining eye contact, I stroked through and made the ball. The kid’s eyes got wide and there was this exaggerated surprised look. I unscrewed my cue, shook Erv and his son’s hands and left.

I hope the kid is still playing!
 
Once you are standing on the line of the shot. Take the bend down action real slow, snails pace. See what you feel? Get it on camera. I feel like the brain puts the hand in it's spot automatically.
I also don't play great so take with with a grain of salt.
 
How do you know if your bridge hand is a little too much left or right?
I used to raise the elbow of my bridging arm into my field of vision. The intent and effect was to insure my face and bridge were always in the same orientation. In and of itself, it works pretty well. Another benefit is it makes you look like those bar posers with the snaky bridge arm :D.
Cut to now, I use the stick to locate itself to the shot. Double vision (another cue from the drunks) is the key. With your chin and nose aligned to the stick, instead of struggling to focus on everything, just stare blankly and the twin sticks will show you the true line. (place laughter here) This actually works on everything you need your best alignment. It's effective as anything I've ever tried and no sweat to learn.
 
Chin on the cue, cue touching the chest, so 4 points of contact with the cue (snooker player stance). I was surprised how big a difference that chest point of contact made for me. I know most pool players (including the old me) are a lot more upright though.
 
I used to raise the elbow of my bridging arm into my field of vision. The intent and effect was to insure my face and bridge were always in the same orientation. In and of itself, it works pretty well. Another benefit is it makes you look like those bar posers with the snaky bridge arm :D.
Cut to now, I use the stick to locate itself to the shot. Double vision (another cue from the drunks) is the key. With your chin and nose aligned to the stick, instead of struggling to focus on everything, just stare blankly and the twin sticks will show you the true line. (place laughter here) This actually works on everything you need your best alignment. It's effective as anything I've ever tried and no sweat to learn.
I too have fiddled with my elbow, not raising it, but creating a 90 degree angle/elbow/bridge hand and liked the results but. I then took the thought process in another direction. Have been watching my grandson shoot (rifles) allot in competition, it made me think this. When aiming your rifle, you look at two sights on your barrel. One close, the other at the end of the barrel. What I've transposed that into is this. When I set my bridge hand down, I now use my bridge hand index finger upper knuckle to confirm my shot line. It's my sight on the end of my barrel.
 
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