Aiming Systems

[Mikjary]

Good reply LAMas..., but if aming systems break down.., and without one you likely wont improve, what system do you use and what do you do when it breaks down?

Enough playing time is necessary using the method to understand its limits. I find that I hit certain shots better with one system over another. These are usually shots where throw is a factor.

After playing for years, knowing how to deal with throw and applying it to aiming systems is an experience based tool. Paying attention to the effects of friction on the balls will come naturally.

The systems that are affected least by throw are the pivot alignment systems due to their many built in adjustments. They have sighting adaptations that can be learned, but bringing prior knowledge to the table through experience based practice will influence your progress positively.

Best,
Mike

 

[Mikjary]

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

TY, Sean. I don't study aiming systems for the specifics they advocate that are necessary to become exclusively proficient with them. Instead, I take bits and pieces of each one and build my aiming arsenal, collectively.

I can use them as stand alone tools, but that's not my goal. I want to shoot on a subconscious level as much as possible. I look for common practices in these systems as the bedrock for a correct alignment and their setups as a correct PSR. They may have different approaches, but they all end up in the same place.

Thanks for the link. I've read it before and it is worth repeating. :thumbup:

Best,
Mike

 

[Mikjary]

@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

Ingo,

It's hard to get a good discussion going about aiming. A lot of players consider it an unnecessary part of the game and that it should come only naturally. I used to do this, but found my knowledge was limited and my game plateaued.

My first post was to include these players in the "no system" system and try to find common ground. I was hoping to generate some different outlooks on aiming which might be interesting to explore. Like I said, we all aim in our own personal fashion.

Best,
Mike

 

[duckie]

I say there are no aiming systems, only different visualization methods on getting the CB to the OB or wherever you are sending the CB.

Aiming a rifle with open sights/scope is a aiming system. That system consist of the rear sight and the front sight. You can see and touch these points. Then the target, which needs to be straight in line with the rifle sights, has a big dot on it.

There is nothing like the above in shot making. There is no real sights on the CB. There is no real target on the OB and mostly the OB is not straight in line with the CB like with target shooting. Aiming is all done in your mind's eye.

The closest you can get to using a aiming system is to practice with the arrow by Babe Cranfield and using the top of the CB to aim at the arrow point. Why the top, because as the CB roll, the bottom becomes the top and so on.

Real learning is trail and error. Nothing more. Once you do it right, you forget the wrong ways and only remember the right way. This is really what is happening and not that you use XXX system.

As example, I was having a hard time with extreme cut shots. The CB/OB angle was over 80 degree, I mean a thin, thin hit. Well, one day I made it. After that, that shot is now cake because I used trail and error until I made it and then just remembered how I did it on the future ones. Same with multi rail banks. Trail and error was the only way to get the feel for how balls will come of rails. Misses are just important as makes in learning.

The more balls you hit the bigger data base of experience you can draw from in order to pocket balls. Its HAMB training and not aiming systems that get you to where you want to be.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

As example, I was having a hard time with extreme cut shots. The CB/OB angle was over 80 degree, I mean a thin, thin hit. Well, one day I made it. After that, that shot is now cake because I used trail and error until I made it and then just remembered how I did it on the future ones.

If we ever meet up, I'd like to setup various 80 degree cut shots with you and have you shoot them for $50/try since they're cake.

 

[Roger Long]

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

And another excellent post by you, Sean.

There is nothing wrong with any aiming system unless it is being used to try and give the player constant, conscious control, and thereby not allowing the subconscious mind to do its job. The concept that Sean just pointed out is also explained very well in Bob Fancher's book, "Pleasures of Small Motions."

Roger