Aiming Systems
- Thread starter JB Cases
- Start date
I can't believe you would claim that about aiming systems! Of all the things you have said about CTE, Pro One, SEE, Same Aim, etc -- this has to be the most preposterous!
Now, had you said ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,," -- that I would have agreed with.
test... .. ... .
Funny you should mention that!:grin: I've been working on something I believe it was that Ratta said in another thread. He said that even though a person plays by feel, their mind actually has a method or "system" that it uses to get on the correct aiming line.
I'm not saying every player uses a specific aiming system, but rather we all have a method, known to us or unknowingly that we use to aim. A lot of us play by feel and never really understand the mental steps our minds take to get us into position. Nor do we want to know or even care as long as the balls are dropping off the table.
But we do something or we wouldn't have any consistency and be a raw beginner every time we left and came back to the table. Our memory banks have figured out a process and it repeats itself with improving accuracy every time we play.
For years I played using the contact point with a lot of success. But I always wondered how my brain made it actually work. Because we know if you aim at the contact point you'll under cut the shots as the angles increase. In essence, I was searching my subconscious mind and asking it to show me in the conscious realm. No small task.
I reasoned it would show me by red flags as I aimed and alarm bells if I was incorrectly aligned for each shot. It doesn't speak. It only performs. So I tried aiming with different systems, all the ones I've learned and seen in my travels and dvds. I estimate I know a dozen or so variations on aiming from ferrule aiming to shadow aiming...ghost ball to parallel aiming...Cte to double the distance. What I found was interesting, at least to me.
Despite all the systems, when I aim by feel I use a combination of contact point/ double the distance aiming up to a half ball hit. For thinner cuts I use the edge of the cue ball to the contact point. The interesting thing about this is that a pro friend confided to me that this was how he aims. At the time I couldn't visualize what he was talking about, but now I do.
The way I know this is by the way I looked at the relationship of the cue ball and object ball. When I felt comfortable on a shot alignment, I looked for a common factor in using the different aiming systems. What was making me feel comfortable even though I was using different approaches? How did I know I was lined up correctly? What was it in my subconscious mind that gave the "go" signal?
When I hit the correct visual after a couple of hours, I knew it. No thoughts were needed. It's what my eyes wanted to confirm the shot. Now I know and and wonder why I didn't try to figure this out years ago instead of guessing and wasting time?
You probably think I'm crazy and it's impossible to do, but what's really crazy is I responded to a thread with no posts in it and put down all this crap! :grin: :scratchhead:
Best,
Mike
I'm not saying every player uses a specific aiming system, but rather we all have a method, known to us or unknowingly that we use to aim. A lot of us play by feel and never really understand the mental steps our minds take to get us into position. Nor do we want to know or even care as long as the balls are dropping off the table.
But we do something or we wouldn't have any consistency and be a raw beginner every time we left and came back to the table. Our memory banks have figured out a process and it repeats itself with improving accuracy every time we play.
For years I played using the contact point with a lot of success. But I always wondered how my brain made it actually work. Because we know if you aim at the contact point you'll under cut the shots as the angles increase. In essence, I was searching my subconscious mind and asking it to show me in the conscious realm. No small task.
I reasoned it would show me by red flags as I aimed and alarm bells if I was incorrectly aligned for each shot. It doesn't speak. It only performs. So I tried aiming with different systems, all the ones I've learned and seen in my travels and dvds. I estimate I know a dozen or so variations on aiming from ferrule aiming to shadow aiming...ghost ball to parallel aiming...Cte to double the distance. What I found was interesting, at least to me.
Despite all the systems, when I aim by feel I use a combination of contact point/ double the distance aiming up to a half ball hit. For thinner cuts I use the edge of the cue ball to the contact point. The interesting thing about this is that a pro friend confided to me that this was how he aims. At the time I couldn't visualize what he was talking about, but now I do.
The way I know this is by the way I looked at the relationship of the cue ball and object ball. When I felt comfortable on a shot alignment, I looked for a common factor in using the different aiming systems. What was making me feel comfortable even though I was using different approaches? How did I know I was lined up correctly? What was it in my subconscious mind that gave the "go" signal?
When I hit the correct visual after a couple of hours, I knew it. No thoughts were needed. It's what my eyes wanted to confirm the shot. Now I know and and wonder why I didn't try to figure this out years ago instead of guessing and wasting time?
You probably think I'm crazy and it's impossible to do, but what's really crazy is I responded to a thread with no posts in it and put down all this crap! :grin: :scratchhead:
Best,
Mike
That was really funny. That made my night :thumbup:
Your post was quite informative as well. That's pretty much how I aim. I use the double the distance on some shots and I simply overlap or eclipse the balls on the others.
Good stuff there, Mike. I would have to agree with you. I believe that any repetitive method of setting up on shots (aligning the head, shoulders, arms, hands, etc.) constitutes a system; even if it is one that is done subconsciously and cannot be easily taught or explained.
Thank you for that.
Roger
JC
Coos Cues
My aiming system
I use the following system during my preshot routine and with a proper pelvic shift and 17 degree rotation of the leading gastrocnemius tendon while addressing the shot the results are very predictable. Here is the system expressed mathematically.
if A,B,C are the points z1,z2,z3 ant the angles B and C are each pie- alpha/2
then
(z2-z3)^2 = 4(z3-z1)(z1-z2) sin^2 alpha/2
I'm working on a video for youtube which may initially appear to be just a fat man with poor pool fundamentals and bad habits but trust me, it's really a nice system. I'm currently looking for a top pool professional earning somewhere in the low five figures nocturnally annually to endorse it for me.
JC
I use the following system during my preshot routine and with a proper pelvic shift and 17 degree rotation of the leading gastrocnemius tendon while addressing the shot the results are very predictable. Here is the system expressed mathematically.
if A,B,C are the points z1,z2,z3 ant the angles B and C are each pie- alpha/2
then
(z2-z3)^2 = 4(z3-z1)(z1-z2) sin^2 alpha/2
I'm working on a video for youtube which may initially appear to be just a fat man with poor pool fundamentals and bad habits but trust me, it's really a nice system. I'm currently looking for a top pool professional earning somewhere in the low five figures nocturnally annually to endorse it for me.
JC
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John, I hate to say it and it doesn't happen very often, but I agree with you completely.:thumbup2:
You say rightly. Let's not flunk.
You're welcome!:smile: My purpose was to simplify things and say that we all start out in this game at the same place. We may travel to opposite ends of the pool universe and our aiming be as individual as a fingerprint, but there are common factors we all share. As foreign as they may sound, they're all inter-connected in some way.
After all, tin foil hats keep your head dry when it rains, too. :grin:
Best,
Mike
Metmot - I'm having just a bit of trouble following your system. Can you just answer this one question for me? When you do the pelvic shift, which way are you shifting? I've tried left, right, and forward. None of those seem to be working for me. I was afraid to try the rear pelvic shift since I was in unfamiliar surroundings. But if that's what it takes I'm willing to try.
Just let me know.
JC
Coos Cues
I do it just like Elvis did on the Ed Sullivan show. Like I said, the results are predictable.
JC
Cognitive Dissonance?
Answer:
People tend to seek consistency in their beliefs and perceptions. So what happens when one of our beliefs conflicts with another previously held belief? The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the feeling of discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs. When there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, something must change in order to eliminate or reduce the dissonance.
Aiming systems that break down and all will at times - will lead to insecurity, i.e. double distance is parsimonious except when the CB and OB are close together; pivot systems cannot be geometrically diagrammed; shadow/eclipse systems are given to parallax error; 90/90 is geometrically accurate but the parallel shift back to the center of the CB is given to error.
Aiming systems are a primer to establishing a mental lookup table to solve the path of the CB to contact the OB that sends it to the intended target with the CB traveling to the desired position to shoot the next shot.
Without the discipline of using an aiming system, one can flounder with self doubt and never achieve the consistency of pocketing balls and shape. It is usefull to to use a consistent system to allow one to observe the results of said system and add the results to the mental look up table - I remember that shot and how to get shape.
Now, if you don't have a good memory...no system will work, nor will shooting 1 millions shots.
Now where is that next cold Coors?
:smile::thumbup:
Answer:
People tend to seek consistency in their beliefs and perceptions. So what happens when one of our beliefs conflicts with another previously held belief? The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the feeling of discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs. When there is a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviors, something must change in order to eliminate or reduce the dissonance.
Aiming systems that break down and all will at times - will lead to insecurity, i.e. double distance is parsimonious except when the CB and OB are close together; pivot systems cannot be geometrically diagrammed; shadow/eclipse systems are given to parallax error; 90/90 is geometrically accurate but the parallel shift back to the center of the CB is given to error.
Aiming systems are a primer to establishing a mental lookup table to solve the path of the CB to contact the OB that sends it to the intended target with the CB traveling to the desired position to shoot the next shot.
Without the discipline of using an aiming system, one can flounder with self doubt and never achieve the consistency of pocketing balls and shape. It is usefull to to use a consistent system to allow one to observe the results of said system and add the results to the mental look up table - I remember that shot and how to get shape.
Now, if you don't have a good memory...no system will work, nor will shooting 1 millions shots.
Now where is that next cold Coors?
:smile::thumbup:
In the spirit of Halloween: BOO!
This may be the first aiming thread that JB has started that isn't DOA. I like the simplicity of this system...and there doesn't appear to be any pivoting involved. Dr. Dave and Lou would approve. :thumbup:
Mr. King T
If I may, let me call your attention to post #23 in the "Mosconi on Aiming" thread...That guy seems to know what he's talkin about...
: Better yet..let me furnish a link for you...http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3280468&postcount=23
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Mike:
This is an excellent post. In essence, what I think you are describing, is to *allow yourself* to trust yourself, to trust your muscle memories, to trust your subconscious. Just as you described, that "go" signal you receive from the bowels of your mind -- the "real" "go" signal that you just *know* is right -- is an uninterrupted conduit. Too many people have "control" issues -- they want to remain "consciously in control" during all aspects of the shot, and close-off that conduit. And that's why I think they are end-running the one part of them that will actually help them learn to play this game well.
Learning aiming systems are great for exposing you to learning different ways to lining up a shot. But they themselves are not the "be all, end all" of pool excellence. Some of the aiming system advocates will have you believe that this game "is all about aiming, and unless you can aim well, you will never be able to play this game well." While on the surface this is true, it also exemplifies an extremely narrow point of view. It doesn't pay any homage to the fact that if you let it, the human mind *knows* how to aim a round sphere at another round sphere. That's why many pros can't explain "how" they aim. It's because they've figured out how to *let* their mind do what it knows how to do -- they aren't allowing their conscious mind to get in the subconscious mind's way.
Again, great post!
-Sean
Play safe.
@Mike
That s right my friend
And a very nice posting, too. I noticed so often, that players, who have a natural talent for her *body-feeling* to align themselves, acting similar to often shown systems taught by instructors etc.
The best for example would be the way like Ekkes shows it- i align myself 100% like he does before i step into the ball. But never knew about his system..........-- i just align on the *base-line*. I also don t use the aiming-system (See-System)- but some things sounding interesting.
Just wanted to show up, that many many systems are similar- or better said: the result is similar. I m still using myself 4 kind of aiming-systems. (took a while to pick it out, lol- because i use them already so long^^)
For me i feel comfortable with them- but i m always looking for new input and knowledge. And i also really enjoy this threads.
Just those guys who are hollering more and more, using just bad words for each other, are getting annoying. Hard to understand how adults, who love the same game can act- Even hard to believe if some here are really adults.............
keep shooting,
lg
Ingo
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