Aiming Systems - The End Justifies the Means

[peteypooldude]

There have been many opinions on the subject of grip pressure and whether you should hold the cue lightly or firmly for the best results. I have seen many players in my time and have asked them, somewhat indirectly what gets them the best results. Some of the older players still hold firm to the idea that you should hold the cue very gently and allow it to do the “work” for you. This seems to work very well when there is very little pressure and you have absolute control over your coordination. The problem is apparent when the heat is turned up and you get a little bit nervous.
When you are playing with allot at stake it is human nature to tighten up a bit mentally and physically. If you are trying to stay loose you are fighting against what is naturally going to happen and not setting yourself up for success. If you don’t like, or have trouble playing under pressure then you probably know what I’m talking about.
I have something you might try if you feel your game going down when the pressure is turned up. It is called consistent grip pressure and it is used to control the cue through the entire stroke, beginning to end. The way that I check to feel how much pressure is appropriate is to get down beside the cue ball and do a practice stroke like in golf. I will notice the degree of firmness that I reach in the follow through and then raise up and feel what it would be like to use that exact pressure throughout the whole stroke. When you start with the finish in mind, and stay consistent then there is nothing that can break down under pressure because if you feel like you are going to tighten up you can do it from the very beginning and you won’t even notice that you’re nervous.
I have played in a great many pressure situations and this has held up for me and pulled me through in situations on ESPN where I turned a potential loss into a win and I think it will work for you as well.

I usually perform my best under the gun, but after working all day with my hands my forearms become tight and and then my hand and wrist seem to curve inward( as if your flexing your forearm muscles) I also know some high level players lift weights, seems they would b combating something similar. I am a pretty high level player but this plagues me and I can't quit work lol

 

[ENGLISH!]

Has any one got any ideas on how to correct the above problem, maybe something I can work on
Thanks

I am NOT an instructor. But I have been playing for 46 yrs. & I have played football, softball, & done manual labor all while playing some very good pool.

I have three(3) thoughts that might help.

1. Athletes stretch their muscles before playing for two(2) reasons
a) in an attempt to prevent injury
b) to increase their range of motion more than they would have when the muscles are tight
So I would suggest that you stretch your upper body, arms, lats, shoulders

2. I think that you may actually have a stroke or grip problem that is made worse when your muscles are tight. If I were you I would check your stroke when you have had some time off of work & have stretched out & are quite relaxed.

Do this by placing an object ball on the foot spot & then place the cue ball about your normal follow thru distance away, lining the shot up directly into a long head end corner pocket. Shoot the shot into the pocket & hold your follow thru & look, the tip should be directly in line with the foot spot.

Another way is to stand two(2) long golf tees up on each side of the cue ball & stroke the shot, the cue should be in the center of the golf tees. If you can not do this I would think that your hold of the cue may be the cause. Or... your boddy alignment is not on line.

3. I would sugggest that you watch the instruction videos done by Grey Ghost on You Tube.

I hope this helps or at least gets you started down the right path.

Rick

 

[CJ Wiley]

I say perception because he's using his "judgement" to match what part of the shaft

CJ -- That's not the essence of Shane's aiming method. For cut shots that are not real thick or thin, his reference alignments are to aim the left edge of the stick, or the center of the stick, or the right edge of the stick at the outside edge of the object ball -- with the choice depending on how thin the cut is.

Here's Shane talking about it for about 6 minutes. It starts at 36:38: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xljm_Aox66Y

And here's a long thread discussing it: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=260109

Yes, left edge of shaft to right edge of object ball and right side of shaft to the left edge of object ball...this is his perception. I say perception because he's using his "judgement" to match what part of the shaft to what part of the object ball....he's using the shaft, I use the cue ball to do the same thing in my ultimate aiming system....I use the edge OR the center on cuts UNDER 30* though....I'm not sure what he does on straight in and 2*-30*...maybe he uses the center of his shaft, I'd have to ask him....it's still a judgement/perception thing though and difficult to teach. imho ...and he doesn't have to go back 30 years, Bustemante can break good too.

 

[AtLarge]

Yes, left edge of shaft to right edge of object ball and right side of shaft to the left edge of object ball..

No -- left edge of shaft, or center of shaft, or right edge of shaft to the same outside edge of the object ball depending on the angle of cut needed.

 

[CJ Wiley]

No -- left edge of shaft, or center of shaft, or right edge of shaft to the same outside edge of the object ball depending on the angle of cut needed.

So it's the right edge of the shaft to the right edge of the object ball? I just listened again 38:50 and 39 --- he uses both...I didn't listen to the whole thing

 

[AtLarge]

So it's the right edge of the shaft to the right edge of the object ball?

For cuts to the left, he aims either the right edge, the center, or the left edge of the shaft at the right edge of the OB -- with the choice depending on the cut angle needed.

For cuts to the right, he aims either the left edge, the center, or the right edge of the shaft at the left edge of the OB -- with the choice depending on the cut angle needed.

And he adjusts a bit from those rigid references to achieve all the cut angles needed.

And he does something else for very thick and very thin cuts.

 

[CJ Wiley]

what he's seeing and what's really happening have been coordinated or calibrated

No -- left edge of shaft, or center of shaft, or right edge of shaft to the same outside edge of the object ball depending on the angle of cut needed.

You have to understand that what he's seeing and what's really happening have been coordinated or calibrated naturally when he was quite young.....he's calibrated his eyes to make the correlation between what he sees in the shaft relative to what he sees connected to the outside edge of the object ball to create an angle....there is no system like this that can be learned in an hour or even a day because you have to calibrate your eyes to match the relationship of the perception of the connected shaft/OB edge to one of the 8 angles on pocket billiards (some say 6, but that's a more involved story)....I can teach Shane's system if someone wants to learn, but it will take 3 days of diligent training to instill these angle/cue-OB relationships....and even then the person may reject them...there's an easier way....much easier to teach an "Edge System"....imho

 

[AtLarge]

... one of the 8 angles on pocket billiards (some say 6, but that's a more involved story)....

I'm familiar with your "Ultimate Aiming System" from your DVD. I would dispute any claim that there are only 8 angles in pocket billiards. But if we get into that, it will be a long discussion, and I'm headed to bed right now. Later.

 

[CJ Wiley]

.Einstein was quoted as saying there's 6 Million Possible shots...

I'm familiar with your "Ultimate Aiming System" from your DVD. I would dispute any claim that there are only 8 angles in pocket billiards. But if we get into that, it will be a long discussion, and I'm headed to bed right now. Later.

I guess, for the technical ones it's "8 Themes" and x variations (depending on pocket and ball size).....Einstein was quoted as saying there's 6 Million Possible shots....I'm just glad he didn't say it on this forum or he would be ask to describe ALL of them :groucho:

 

[Ratta]

You have to understand that what he's seeing and what's really happening have been coordinated or calibrated naturally when he was quite young.....he's calibrated his eyes to make the correlation between what he sees in the shaft relative to what he sees connected to the outside edge of the object ball to create an angle....there is no system like this that can be learned in an hour or even a day because you have to calibrate your eyes to match the relationship of the perception of the connected shaft/OB edge to one of the 8 angles on pocket billiards (some say 6, but that's a more involved story)....I can teach Shane's system if someone wants to learn, but it will take 3 days of diligent training to instill these angle/cue-OB relationships....and even then the person may reject them...there's an easier way....much easier to teach an "Edge System"....imho

Brilliant!

lg
Ingo

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

It sounds like John has some personal issues with aiming systems... and while I agree with him that it takes MUCH MORE than an aiming system to be a great player I DO NOT think he was talking in a logical mode in this transcript....I mean, really, "you could put a bag over Stevie's head and he will still run out"..???..I'm more than skeptical of that and...."he could aim at the wall and still make the ball"......and "if aiming systems worked there would be like 4 Million people that would play like Corey".....I know this was all said in some kind of hyped up emphatic mode, but in that case I wonder why anything else should be taken seriously? Even the example of throwing a baseball to first is "off base"....throwing a ball (especially on the run) to a unstable target (someone else's glove) is apples to oranges compared to lining up a pool shot!!!

Me thinks we should put John Schmidt's comments into the proper context. Here's part of what he said:

Maybe they work... but nobody’s telling me the one’s that work. Because if they work, first of all you’re not factoring in swerve and deflection. OK, now what if a guy comes up with a delivery system, that’s different. But, aiming’s adorable -- but you still have to deliver -- so you could aim perfect. If those aiming systems worked, well there would just be like four million people who played like Corey. But it’s year after year and it’s still Corey.

So these aiming systems are overrated, they’re a way to sell videos and books and make people pontificate about their own greatness and believe me if it worked, then they’d be out there winning tournaments, but they’re not.

What Stevie Moore doesn’t get is -- Stevie Moore -- you could put a bag over his head and he’d run out. He’s a great player. So he’s playing great in spite of his aiming system, not because of it. I mean, think about it: he’s already a great player. He could aim at the wall and he’s still going to make the ball. And it’s a way to give him comfort and confidence. He’s kind of like tricked himself into thinking ‘this aiming system works.’

John Schmidt: My piece of advice, if anybody cares to the viewers at home: forget all the aiming systems. Just like when you throw a baseball to first, you just do it. Right? There’s no aiming, you do it, you feel it. It’s same with pool. You get a mental picture and you do it. Aiming systems are the most ridiculous, overrated thing...The pros scoff at that stuff, they’re like, ‘aiming systems, really?!’...

If they would quit spending so much time on line and learning about aiming systems and go hit more balls they’d become better players. There’s no short cut to it. Sitting on AZ Billiards looking for aiming systems isn’t going to get it.​

While some folks may disagree with certain aspects of what JS said, there is a lot of truth to some other things that he says. Things like people "spending so much time on line" when they could "go hit more balls, they'd become better players."

 

[lfigueroa]

You have to understand that what he's seeing and what's really happening have been coordinated or calibrated naturally when he was quite young.....he's calibrated his eyes to make the correlation between what he sees in the shaft relative to what he sees connected to the outside edge of the object ball to create an angle....there is no system like this that can be learned in an hour or even a day because you have to calibrate your eyes to match the relationship of the perception of the connected shaft/OB edge to one of the 8 angles on pocket billiards (some say 6, but that's a more involved story)....I can teach Shane's system if someone wants to learn, but it will take 3 days of diligent training to instill these angle/cue-OB relationships....and even then the person may reject them...there's an easier way....much easier to teach an "Edge System"....imho

Everyone creates their own reality when it comes to shooting pool. We all see things differently and have different mechanics that produce different strokes and subsequent effects. So what works for one guy may not very well work for the next. It's important to keep this in mind before drinking the kool-aid.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Shaky1]

I guess, for the technical ones it's "8 Themes" and x variations (depending on pocket and ball size).....Einstein was quoted as saying there's 6 Million Possible shots....I'm just glad he didn't say it on this forum or he would be ask to describe ALL of them :groucho:

That made me laugh! :grin:

 

[ENGLISH!]

I guess, for the technical ones it's "8 Themes" and x variations (depending on pocket and ball size).....Einstein was quoted as saying there's 6 Million Possible shots....I'm just glad he didn't say it on this forum or he would be ask to describe ALL of them :groucho:

Einstein. That's a good one. The problem is that it is probably true & then more than one would choose to 'argue' about each one of them.

 

[Living Legend]

I guess, for the technical ones it's "8 Themes" and x variations (depending on pocket and ball size)..... :groucho:

i understand the 8 themes and variations, i don't get what the pocket and ball size have to do with it.

 

[AtLarge]

i understand the 8 themes and variations, i don't get what the pocket and ball size have to do with it.

If pockets were larger, or balls were smaller, or both, then the margin for error in shot making would be greater -- and fewer discrete cut angles would be needed to pocket any and all shots.

 

[justadub]

If they would quit spending so much time on line and learning about aiming systems and go hit more balls they’d become better players. There’s no short cut to it. Sitting on AZ Billiards looking for aiming systems isn’t going to get it.[/INDENT]

While some folks may disagree with certain aspects of what JS said, there is a lot of truth to some other things that he says. Things like people "spending so much time on line" when they could "go hit more balls, they'd become better players."

I always laugh when I see this statement, or one like it. Do any of you making this statement believe for a minute that there are people spending time here INSTEAD of playing pool?

All I can say is I'm here when I CAN'T play pool. Makes sense, doesn't it?

(Not searching for an aiming system, but I spend way too much time here reading most everything. Work sometimes suffers, but it doesn't keep me from actually playing.)

 

[Living Legend]

If pockets were larger, or balls were smaller, or both, then the margin for error in shot making would be greater -- and fewer discrete cut angles would be needed to pocket any and all shots.

hang on i miss read your post... ok so he is just talking about the amount of variations in a theme. There could be thousands of variations per theme on any sized pocket and/or ball size?

 

[JoeyA]

Don't quit the day job.

Has any one got any ideas on how to correct the above problem, maybe something I can work on
Thanks

Petey,
I see the Filipinos and others spinning the cue or rotating the cue when they are down on the shot. They do this to relax their hand grip if I am not mistaken. You could try "turning/rotating/spinning the cue in your rear hand". If you do this, I would do this on every shot, not just when you see yourself tightening up. I'm a believer in stretching and after a hard day's work or before you go out to play, you might want to try some yoga or other stretching exercises.

 

[AtLarge]

hang on i miss read your post... ok so he is just talking about the amount of variations in a theme. There could be thousands of variations per theme on any sized pocket and/or ball size?

CJ's Ultimate Aiming System is a discrete system, i.e., it specifies a limited number of cut angles. This is contrasted with a continuous system, such as contact-point-to-contact-point aiming, which works (if you can find or "see" the contact points) directly for any cut angle. Discrete systems involve a certain number of reference cut angles. The player must adjust somehow, whether consciously or unconsciously, when cut angles between the reference points are needed.

An easy example is the fractional-ball aiming systems like "quarters," SAM, or back-of-the-ball aiming. These might specify only three reference cuts (other than straight or cut-the-paint thin): 3/4-ball aim, 1/2-ball aim, and 1/4-ball aim. If performed robotically, the use of just these three cuts would not be enough. The player learns to fill in the gaps. To make a 22-degree cut shot, for example, he might go a little thin on the 3/4-ball aim or a little thick on the 1/2-ball aim.

CJ's method is discrete. It has more reference aims ("themes") than some other methods, but not enough to pocket all shots without adjustments of one type or another. However, in actual use, I imagine CJ didn't even have to think about the reference aims or the adjustments; he was so well trained at using it that he just saw the "connection" needed between the two balls.

But I'll leave it to CJ as to how much he wants to talk about his aiming method.