Aiming B.S.

jjohnson said:
I'm talking about how no one, as far as I know, has truly explained how to aim. Again, they show you the roadmap, so to speak, that you must go down, but they don't teach you how to make the trip. What must be done to know that you will execute the shot perfectly from the moment just before you execute the shot until you release the cue ball. These are all the things that must be done prior to make it happen. What are these things and how can you guarantee to make them happen? Since, as far as I know, no one has done this, I say that all these how-to aim claims are B.S. All of these things combined amount to aiming. If you can't run balls, of course you are not competent to run balls. But if you are perfectly healthy and you have no physical impediment and are of at least average intelligence, yet can't run balls, I'd say it is because you have not learned how to do it. And with all the videos and instructors available, I would have thought the information would be common knowledge. But I find this not to be the case. So where is the bottleneck? I'm saying it is B.S. that all of these resources must be not what they claim to be. Think about it. Why else are most pool players dissatisfied with their games.
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Lol.... funny thread.

It's like saying no one really teaches how to juggle tennis balls or whatever - they just describe how to toss the balls, how to move the hands and arms, and then show how easy it is to do. But it's not easy, not without first spending countless hours practicing the toss and the rhythm of the movements, until you just know it, feel it.

That's like aiming. For us that have played countless hours, or spent some quality time practicing aiming, alignment, stance, stroke, etc... aiming is as simple as just seeing and doing. It requires programming your mind to recognize shots and how to play them.

There is no magical secret any pro can give you to suddenly improve your aiming skills. They can only tell you how they do it, or how they think they do it. But the end result is simply experience and practice, and that's not something any player can give you. Aiming skills are developed, earned, more or less, on the table.
 
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Aiming is like discussing Chalk, or CF Shafts, or Golf Clubs, Fly Rods, everyone has like, dislikes, and last equipment or system that works for them personally in their favorite sport. IMHO there is No Holy Grail anything, just what work for you, and makes you personally happy using.

You don’t need a 20K Black Boar with CF Shaft with aTip made of the ski. Of a Unicorn to play Pool well. Practice, Pool-IQ, and some natural coordination will do. People HATE Practicing.

Because the discussion is happening on the AZ-B Forum the normal BS accompanying these is discussions have turn them from discussions, to some name called because some member do not believe people are allowed to express opinions, they do not agree with. JMHO

Carry On as the Brits Say:
 
dquarasr said:
I just read through this entire thread. I will be honest: I can't understand the gentleness of the responses so I will also try to be easy on the OP while calling "BS" in turn on the OP.

My first gut reaction was "You gotta be kidding me. This is either a troll post or the OP is so out of touch it's not even funny." But incredulously, the OP has never heard of the various aiming methods?

Ghost Ball
Fractional Aiming
Poolology
HAMB (just see it, shoot it)
CTE (more than one dialect as far as I can tell)
Shaft / ferrule aiming
there are numerous others but I can't seem to think of them now, bc I use ghost ball.

Has the OP ever read through the pages and pages and pages of posts regarding aiming?

My second, more helpful reaction is "OK, let's assume the OP is sincere and very inexperienced" (which, BTW, I doubt). From OP's posts, seems OP is looking for a simple recipe to successful pool playing. OMG, there are so, so, so many resources.

Just a few I can think of off the top of my head:
Dr. Dave's billiards.colostate.edu
Sharivari on YouTube
FX Billiards on YT
Niels Feijen on YT
Tor Lowry's videos and book(s)
Lil Chris on YT
Anthony Beeler on YT
Ron The Pool Student on YT
Mark Wilson's Play Great Pool book

OP should separate aiming from cue delivery. Aiming is knowing where to deliver the CB. Yes, there are things that affect aim like parallax, vision center, etc. Cue delivery is how to get the CB to the determined aim spot; it involves fundamentals, body alignment, cue alignment, overcoming or customizing for individual physical characteristics.

Yes, there are things like swerve, squirt, cut induced throw, spin induced throw. And of course, one has to learn not only how to pocket the OB, but get the CB into position for the next ball. It's all part of learning the game.

Pool is an extremely complicated game, requiring both physical and mental acuity and expertise. It seems the OP is looking for a simple recipe for success. There is none.

Perhaps OP needs a good instructor, or if self-motivated and good at independent learning, can mine the numerous resources listed above and indeed all over this site and many other sites.
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Would you wanna teach him?? Rather have a root canal with a butterknife.
 
garczar said:
Would you wanna teach him?? Rather have a root canal with a butterknife.
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That is because you not a professional teacher, those people are unique.

They have ability to teach anyone, because they understand people are different.

If a Student has desire to learn, they are teachable to learn skills, mental game, pool is.

If they are like a guy who spend 1,000’s of dollars taking lesson from Jerry Brieseth, but never changed his old ways.

Never getting better, that was his fault, not Jerry’s. Jerry supplied the tools, but when you refuse to lean new way well your dumb.

Why sped money on instruction if you already know everything?
 
jjohnson said:
Okay. Great. Hit a million balls. If done conscientiously it is claimed you should become pretty good at aiming.
If this is so, will someone who has hit a million balls, tell us right here, how they aim?
Or is this going to be a Gorst explanation: "I just see it."
Come on. Spill the beans. After hitting a million balls you must know a thing or two.
Tell us. How do you aim.
No one has stepped up so far anywhere as far as I know.
Show me where Dr. Dave explains how to use our eyes to aim a shot.
Not just describe what shot alignment looks like on the table top.
How do I aim consistently?
If you can make the cue ball go down this line consistently as described then you know how to aim.
Duh. Ya think?
Let me share some wisdom Cole told me. And the conclusion I arrived at.
I was 16. Cole was probably 19. He said, "I like to beat guys who use a lot of english."
So when you shoot, play tight (efficient) position and always hit the cue ball very close to center.
You shouldn't need to do otherwise. So deflection/squirt really doesn't become a factor.
And the risk of errors is minimized.
But even Cole never told me how to aim.
Anyone ever have an instructor?
Let me guess. They told you what you need to accomplish with your aim.
But they never explain exactly how to do it, how to pull it off, every time, like a professional.
This is why I say B.S.
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Most professionals aim by feel and how they line up the shot, get into a stance etc.with exceptions such as SVB who uses his shaft to aim (I never understood the concept)Note: the aiming is done while standing not down on the shot.Systems, such as the center to edge one, are always demonstrated on easy shots, no english and If there was a system that was useful, everybody would use it and never miss.

But bad aiming rarely is the root cause of missing, faulty stroke mechanics are.Have you ever wondered why you miss a straight in shot with which there is no aiming involved..?Thats why ;)

The shooting a ball up and down the table has nothing to do with aiming but is meant to detect errors in hitting the cueball exactly where you intend to, the biggest culprit in missing a ball as you create unwanted and therefor uncalculated deflection.

You might find this helpful.

 
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hello said:
Most professionals aim by feel and how they line up the shot, get into a stance etc.with exceptions such as SVB who uses his shaft to aim (I never understood the concept)Note: the aiming is done while standing not down on the shot.Systems, such as the center to edge one, are always demonstrated on easy shots, no english and If there was a system that was useful, everybody would use it and never miss.

The shooting a ball up and down the table has nothing to do with aiming but is meant to detect errors in hitting the cueball exactly where you intend to, the biggest culprit in missing a ball.

You might find this helpful.

Click to expand...


Jerry is great instructor, great Pool ambassador, and gentleman.
 
hello said:
Most professionals aim by feel and how they line up the shot, get into a stance etc.with exceptions such as SVB who uses his shaft to aim (I never understood the concept)Note: the aiming is done while standing not down on the shot.Systems, such as the center to edge one, are always demonstrated on easy shots, no english and If there was a system that was useful, everybody would use it and never miss.

But bad aiming rarely is the root cause of missing, faulty stroke mechanics are.Have you ever wondered why you miss a straight in shot with which there is no aiming involved..?Thats why ;)

The shooting a ball up and down the table has nothing to do with aiming but is meant to detect errors in hitting the cueball exactly where you intend to, the biggest culprit in missing a ball as you create unwanted and therefor uncalculated deflection.

You might find this helpful.

Click to expand...
I don't think even Shane does what he says. Sure, it might be part of his pre shot routine but when he gets down on the shot he can see the cb/ob/pocket alignment and he'll just know that it looks on. That's the final check before firing away, not whether his tip is positioned here or there.
 
You might be very correct on that one, the way the stands behind the aiming line then steps in would suggest that.Plus how would the shaft aiming be done using english?

No, there isn't an aiming system that will save anyone from hitting thousands of balls but good mechanics will help...
 
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Mensabum said:
Contact points. Line em up and pull trigger. Adding anything else to the mix is unnecessary.
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Well.....actually.......

I have not used contact points for a very long time.......I pretty much ignore contact points.....I use aim points....and even that is actually more aim lines as I do not have the vision to see a "micro point" on a ball....so actually to me it is the contact point that is unnecessary

I can always see where the center GB would be on the cloth for any shot....I extend a line from center CB through center GB (point on the cloth where the GB would touch) to OB ....I now have a aim point or aim line. That aim point/line is not the contact points between OB/CB.....(unless of course it is a straight in shot)

Interestingly while standing... you can use the aim line from CB through GB to OB aim point/line to square your cue along the line by pointing the tip above the CB through the GB to OB aim point as you get down on your shot........... I never ever really see this done in practice.

I came up with the above idea/concept by watching old school video of Mika Immonen....Interestingly modern day he does not really do it any more....so I don't know if it was a subconcious routine of his that he did not realize he did and shifted away from it or what....If you watch the old school video you will see a distinct practice stroke above the CB but down the shot line (instead of accross his body which is pretty much the norm done by everyone)...It happens very quick so you have to watch close...but it is one of those once you see it...you can't not see it type things.

Using this method of alignment. The CB actually becomes a tool (while standing) to help you square your cue along the shot line....Since the tip is pointing (beyond) the CB....if your cue is not squared up alinged along the shot line...it will be very noticable that your cue is crooked....when the cue is square along the shot line...now just drop down on the shot....(watch the old school Mika videos and you will see what I mean)



I don't have 20/20 vision....seeing a micro dot is impossible....Now that I work at the DMV and do eye tests daily.......I have come to realize that about 80% (or more) of the population does not have 20/20 vision....Some people don't realize how bad thier vision is until I fail them and send them to the eye doctor for a vision exam report so they can get thier license for the first time (or renewed)
 
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