I read somewhere a lot of players aim low on the cueball on most of the shots because it is easier to find the center of the cueball. I remember something like you see a reflection on the cueball and you can see clearly if you are aiming at the center. Can somebody give more details about this?
Aiming low on the cueball
- Thread starter Slh
- Start date
Bustamante does it in pool and Jimmy White does it in snooker. Jimmy white says that it is easier to find the center of the cue ball that way, because where the cue ball touches the table is the midpoint. Some people argue that it is easier to see the shot if they aim low.
But I wouldn't recommend doing that as your aiming point and striking point on the cue ball are now different. So it will be hard to consistently hit the exact spot on the cue ball that you intend to. Its always better to aim exactly where you want to on the cue ball. The less moving parts in your stroke the better it is for accuracy and consistency.
People like Bustamante and White do that because that's how they grew up playing. It would be vey unnatural for them to change now just like it would be unnatural for you to change it to aim low.
My understanding of back-hand English is that you line up the shot as if for a center ball hit on the CB, then pivot your back hand to apply the English only when you're actually striking the CB. For a BHE practitioner, then, you'd be in the habit of lining up your shots with a consistent cue tip placement regardless of where you intend to strike the CB. That could be one explanation.
For every player that realizes they do this there are 1,000 players that do this and DO NOT REALIZE it. That is because to most people/players LOS (line of sight) = TCP (tip contact point). This is false and most suffer from a lack of follow action as a result. Your LOS is directly center of the CB (cue ball) when you TCP is slightly below center.
As you move up the vertical axis (more follow) your TCP and LOS move apart. That’s why when most players are looking to put mounds of follow on a ball they never miscue but they only put a little action on it. They don’t realize that it has to look like you are going to miscue by a long way to put a whole lot of follow on the CB. When one of my students fails to put the amount of follow they wanted to on a ball I say “how much tip is there under your LOS?”
As you move down the vertical axis (draw) the TCP and your LOS come closer together so the miscue limit of draw is much easier to see. The level of player that does not realize this simple fact would astound you.
Slh...It's called "grounding your cue" and most pro players do it. It is impossible to "see" a vertical line on a CB. Therefore, you start with your tip aimed at the CB where the CB touches the cloth...as this will be the vertical axis. Most of these players then move the tip up to wherever they are going to strike it. Old time hustlers used to aim in the middle on the bottom, and on the last stroke move their tip to wherever they were going to hit it. The idea was not to show where you were actually striking the ball.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
It's to determine the vertical axis and helps determine your cue's angle of attack into the cb.
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I aim low to keep..........
I aim low to keep the cue out of the way so I can aim.
I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone.
I aim low to keep the cue out of the way so I can aim.
I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone.
I do the same thing and find that higher percentage of my shots involve draw or stun and draw than anything else especially whe you take into account drag shots so i am more comforatable aiming with my tip low.
This makes perfect sense, Gene...it's why I do it, too. Plus, it lines my whole stance up, zeroed out for the shot.
It does to me Geno.I do it all the time,not on all shots but on some.
Not always. Some people have perception problems due to either dominant eyes or techniques. For example, if I don't force myself to use my left eye to determine center, I perceive the CB center to be 1/4 (or so) tip to the right of true center.
Knowing where it is and perceiving it correctly are two separate things.
I understand what your saying Dave but the big truth(at least for me) about the cue being low and i might add having a longer bridge is all part of aiming.It makes things more clearer for me to see the shot.I do it a lot on long shots.
I typically lock in my aim (and the two edges of the CB) while standing and try hard to maintain my edge lock until I slide my bridge into place. Once my bridge is down, very little aiming is done - my main concern is locking into center CB (so I can pivot to my english position).
I think you'll have different answers to this question by different people. If people aim on the table -- it's prob for aiming. If they don't, it's prob to lock-in center ball.
Just curious--- do you mean "get a good view of the shot" versus aiming? Do you really do major aiming after addressing the CB?
Here's a post about it from a few years ago:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=1418570&highlight=stick+reflection#post1418570
You place your tip on the cloth in front of the CB and adjust its position until it forms a straight line with its own reflection on the CB.
pj
chgo
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