Aiming techniques

[JimS]

I played pool for a couple years as a teen, quit for about 40 years and have been back for 5.

The aim technique I started with 5 yrs back was the contact point method. Draw a line from the target through the object ball (ob) and that's where to aim in order to make the ball. I used this with limited success as my stroke didn't consistently deliver the cue ball (cb) to the contact point I had imagined and, being inexperienced, I often imagined the contact point at an incorrect spot on the ob.

A friend then told me about the ghost ball method. Imagine the cb at the point of contact where it will make the ob go into the pocket. In other words imagine the cb hitting the contact point. Same problems as the contact point method. Poor cue delivery and/or I imagined the wrong angle from the ghost ball through the ob and towards the pocket or, as was usually the case, away from the pocket and into the nearest rail

I realized I was seeing the angle to the pocket incorrectly. To correct this I started walking over behind the ob and mentally drawing a line from the target spot in the pocket through the ob and to the opposite rail. Then I'd move back behind the cb and look at that spot on the rail, draw the line back through the ob and to the target in the pocket and have a better idea of the correct angle to the pocket. This helped me to correctly place the ghost ball in my minds eye. Potting percentage went up ...with practice and improved stroke.

I also talked on the phone with Hal Houle and picked up some helpful methods from him but the ghost ball method has remained my primary method of aiming.

I recently picked up a new (new for me anyway) idea that I want to share in hopes it might be useful to someone.

I put a ghost ball in front of the ob and then one in back of it. By that I mean...I imagine a ghost ball on the pocket side of the ob and then see a ghost ball on the cb side and aim there. Seeing the ghost ball on the pocket side of the ob helps me to see the angle to the pocket and consequently to put the ghost ball in the right spot.

It seems that there are some angles that just fool me when I'm down on the cb and aiming. I just see some angles incorrectly and this method has been a big help in seeing those problematic angles correctly. I'm potting a higher percentage of "hard" shots than in the past. (I was told by a pro that there are no "hard" shots...just angles that I'm not as accustomed to seeing. After all aiming is just seeimg the angle to the pocket and putting the cb in line with that angle...simple )

 

[poolshark52]

this is what i do when i start missin a lot.....i dont even look at the cue ball...i pretend that i am hitting the spot on the object ball with the tip of the cue...as long as you are hitting the cue in the center it will hit the object ball at the right contact point......i know it is hard not to look at the cue ball but just try to imagine it isnt there....youll be surprised....its like shootin the balls in with your stick...also you can try shooting really fast....dont give yourself a chance to think to much ...it tends to tighted you up...slow your stroke down and that is the worst thing you can do! this will automaticly loosen you up and develop a rythem that will make you more comfortable.

 

[Teacherman]

I had a stick made that the cue ball screwed on to the end of it. Made it as a teaching advice. The cue ball had two screw holes in it. One dead center, the other about 2 or 3 cue tips higher.

When you screwed the cue ball in the dead center hole and then placed it against the object ball you could clearly see the contact points AND the line of the stick in relation to the contact points. Very helpful tool when teaching beginners.

With the top hole of the cue ball used, you could show high english allignment, low english allignment AND you could rotate it to show left and right english. Again very helpful.

I would even have students shoot with it. Which took some getting used to it in the beginning because when you back stroke, the cue ball comes with you. But, if was very helpful in giving them a mental picture of the contact point and the sticks allignment. It also gave the student a feeling of control of the cue ball.

Finally, it also demonstrated poor strokes. Many beginners couldn't stroke the cue without the cue ball leaving the table in a sine wave type stroke.

 

[Rickw]

Poolshark52

Spot on!! I do the same thing, "i pretend that i am hitting the spot on the object ball with the tip of the cue...as long as you are hitting the cue in the center it will hit the object ball at the right contact point.." That's what I like about this forum, sometimes something that you do is validated by someone else! KEWL!!

this is what i do when i start missin a lot.....i dont even look at the cue ball...i pretend that i am hitting the spot on the object ball with the tip of the cue...as long as you are hitting the cue in the center it will hit the object ball at the right contact point......i know it is hard not to look at the cue ball but just try to imagine it isnt there....youll be surprised....its like shootin the balls in with your stick...also you can try shooting really fast....dont give yourself a chance to think to much ...it tends to tighted you up...slow your stroke down and that is the worst thing you can do! this will automaticly loosen you up and develop a rythem that will make you more comfortable.

 

[Rickw]

Teacherman,

What a great idea! First time I've heard of such a training tool. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Teacherman]

Most people have good enough hand eye coordination to play pool effectively. They just don't know what to do with it.

Get down over a red circle cue ball with the red circle where the tip of the cue hits the cue ball. What do you have to do to hit the circle?.........All you have to do is simply look at it. Your hand eye coordination is good enough to play very good pool. Your hand eye coordination is good enough to deliver the tip of the stick to wherever you are looking.

Remember, the stick is in your hands, not the balls. If you make the stick do what it should do, the balls will do what they should do. You can't control the balls. You can control the stick........which indirectly controls the balls.

The trick is to figure out where to look.

From the ghost ball techniques mentioned above, go a step further and imagine the line of your stick in relation to the cue ball (as the training stick would show). This is the line of aim. Visualize this line of aim and take it back even another step to the spot on the cue ball that it is aimed at when the shot is lined up. If you can hit this spot with a smooth stroke so as to not "violate" the cue ball, the ball will go in. If you've aimed properly and can stroke your cue straight (which the hand eye coordination demo proved you can; BUT did you allign your body on the shot properly so your hand eye coordination is allowed to work properly????) If you have, then the ball will go in.

Simply put, if you can stroke the cue on the line of the stick (aim line) without variance, and you've chosen the right line, the ball will go in.

Very important to determine line of aim as the cue stick is not generally lined up with the point of contact.

You who think you are pointing the tip of the cue at the contact point are really doing something else. May look like you're doing it. May think you are doing it. If it works fine. But, technically you are doing something else.

The line of aim and the line between the contact points are only lined up on straight in shots using center ball and shots using inside english.

This technique has served me well when I played enough to stay sharp. Another benefit of line or aim/line of stick aiming is speed control. When I've got it dialed in, I can guage my speed by how far to stroke down this line of aim.

You;ve reduced the shot to a simple 6-8" movement of the stick. Took several steps to do this (ghost ball, stick line, spot on cue ball etc etc) but when it's time to pull the trigger it's simple how far do I push down this line.

 

[pete lafond]

I played pool for a couple years as a teen, quit for about 40 years and have been back for 5.

I played for about a year when I was 19. I was lucky enough to have a great teacher at that time, "Babe Cranfield". I then quit entirely for about 20 years. Even when I would go into a bar my friends would ask if I wanted to play, my response was always NO. I did not want anything to do with pool.

Later on in life I started playing again. Right around the time I meet Poolshark52. The post Poolshark52 put in this forum is a well advised to follow. He is a great player who also new Babe Cranfield very well. Pro's used to say that no one could play patterns in straight pool better than Poolshark52. Believe me, Poolshark52 could and can run balls, lots and quite consistently.

I use poolshark52's techniques and they work wonders. No matter your level, it makes sense and it really works. Lots of gimmicks out there but none provide an accurate means to create visual imaging that really works when playing, they are artificial. And many gimmicks also assume people are stupid, this method creates lasting mental visualization.

Here is what I have done with my 9 year old.

Step #1. he spent almost 2 months hitting balls in the pocket with out the cue ball. I later started playing nine ball with him using this method until he reached a point he almost never missed.

Step #2 ball in hand all the time. Just as Poolshark52 stated, he visualizes the spot in the object ball where he used to hit it to pocket it just as if were step #1. Concentrates on the center of the cue ball first and then focuses on the object balls spot and then makes the tip of his stick follow completely and directly to that specific point on the object ball.

He is pocketing balls now. A long way to go but he has a much better understanding about aiming. I know that a nine year old is not a good comparison to any adults game but I highly recommend listening whenever Poolshark52 has something to say.

 

[Teacherman]

...and then focuses on the object balls spot and then makes the tip of his stick follow completely and directly to that specific point on the object ball...

This may be what he thinks he's doing but he's not. There is a huge difference between "mental cue" and "reality". And, I'm not suggesting he change. Just trying to point out that the line of aim and the line between the contact points are rarely the same.

What I believe actually happens is the mind accepts the cue ball as the end of the stick. OR, said differently, the tip of stick is now the width of the cue ball. And with this image the body can deliver the tip of the stick (which the mind is now interpreting as the width of the cue ball) to the contact point on the object ball.

But reality is, on almost every shot, the cue tip is aimed somewhere other than the contact point on the object ball.

Good discussion. Keep it coming.

 

[pete lafond]

This may be what he thinks he's doing but he's not. There is a huge difference between "mental cue" and "reality". And, I'm not suggesting he change. Just trying to point out that the line of aim and the line between the contact points are rarely the same.

What I believe actually happens is the mind accepts the cue ball as the end of the stick. OR, said differently, the tip of stick is now the width of the cue ball. And with this image the body can deliver the tip of the stick (which the mind is now interpreting as the width of the cue ball) to the contact point on the object ball.

But reality is, on almost every shot, the cue tip is aimed somewhere other than the contact point on the object ball.

Good discussion. Keep it coming.

I like the idea of a cue ball at the end of a stick. It is a real object used in the game. I imagine not only can you see the point of contact but it also forces you to stroke straight. Great for creating a visual. I just do not like the stuff like infrared lights as they are another item on the pool table that is not there when you play a game. Also, the mind has to consider it as a seperate object. Use them as an illustration, not as a practice tool.

 

[woody_968]

...slow your stroke down and that is the worst thing you can do!

I would like to here more on why you think slowing down the stroke is bad.

Thanks.

Woody

 

[pete lafond]

I would like to here more on why you think slowing down the stroke is bad.

Thanks.

Woody

I'm sure Poolshark52 will fill you in. He is a tremendous player. I have not played him in over two years but in almost every game he'll pop 100+balls. In the meanwhile, look at a tennis player, football player, skier,... in each case they move their body rapidly before a play or move. This gets the muscles loose and true. Any stiffness can occur when relaxed causing the muscles to create a jerk, or twitch. I sometimes see pros stroking their cue rapidly in the air when stepping up to their shot, especially their first shot.

 

[turquoisecrazy]

I aim with my back hand and mentally draw a line from my grip to the tip of the cue to the aiming point on the object ball.
I take a slow back swing to make sure the line mentioned is followed, and then I accelerate and follow through.

 

[Rod]

I put a ghost ball in front of the ob and then one in back of it. By that I mean...I imagine a ghost ball on the pocket side of the ob and then see a ghost ball on the cb side and aim there. Seeing the ghost ball on the pocket side of the ob helps me to see the angle to the pocket and consequently to put the ghost ball in the right spot.

)

Jim I think this method is giving you a better idea of the big picture. The line to the pocket. However setting it up doesn't mean it's aimed straight. It's just a reference point. You actually have to take the time to make sure where it hits in the pocket.

I divide the pocket into 1/3's. Some call it cheating the pocket, but it isn't, it's using the whole pocket. Cheating is hitting the rail well before or just catching the edge of a pocket point. However with any method, especially on angles, speed can play a part in pocketing a ball. You can obviously aim dead center on an angle, but depending on table conditions, even though it was aimed correct, miss the ball wide or short.

In this example, on a slower shot, I would favor the C line to hit center, the B line. Like wise, if the c/b was moved to the left side, I would favor the A line to hit center pocket. This is no english, start adding english or more speed brings on another set of viarables but the idea is, it gives you a little comfort margin.

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I've always thought a good drill is to shoot an object ball past another ball into a partially blocked pocket, about 3/4 . Aim is critical. With this shot or any shot there might be a pattern, too fat or thin. The point is, it shows you just how critical aim really is. It's not good enough just to aim in the general direction, be specific.

Start out easy the ball locations are approximate, or use any distance or angle you want. Once you know just how critical aim/speed can be, I think you may become much more aware of your aim. It may help you zero in the focus and stroke needed to pocket some of your tougher shots.

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I should mention you can build up to using english top or bottom and and side if you choose, which adds another variable. With top or bottom alone it may throw off your stroke which = aim line.


Rod

 

[vapoolplayer]

i used to use several different aiming methods (still do when i'm in a jam or unsure) certain shots were easier with certain aiming. now for the most part its just feel. i fall down on the line, and just know when i look at the ball when i'm taking my warmup strokes if i'm right or not. i'm sure subconciously i'm still using all those different techniques for different shots, but its starting to become natural now.

VAP

 

[vballmike]

I'm not sure this is in the right thread, but it is something that has helped me.

I "good" player I know (I watched him and Earl heads up a few years ago) told me that when he taught himself to play, he put a thin strip of white tape in the back middle of the pockets. When he practiced, he'd aim not just for the pocket, but the tape. Precision pool.

This seemed to helped "visualize" the angle even better, and thru the shot. On practice shots, I could see the tape in my peripherial vision.

I'm definately not a teacher, but it definately improved my ball pocketing.

Mike

 

[woody_968]

he put a thin strip of white tape in the back middle of the pockets. When he practiced, he'd aim not just for the pocket, but the tape. Precision pool.

Hi Mike, interesting idea. But that would really only be accurate if the OB is straight out from the pocket like it is when it is on the spot. As the OB moves closer to the rail the true center of pocket actually moves.

Set the OB about 4 inches off the rail and then set your cuestick from the actual center of the back of the pocket (where the tape would be) and line it up with the OB. I think you will see that you would not want to aim at the tape from there. If the OB was close to the rail left of the pocket I think you will see that the center of the pocket has moved to the right by a few inches (in reference to the back of the pocket) and by about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch at the front of the pocket opening.

Hope I have been clear on what I am trying to say

Woody

 

[Snapshot9]

Lmao ....

Reading this was like asking a 100 witnesses to describe a murder and who done it .... 100 different descriptions <grin>

What ever happened to looking at the object ball straight into the pocket you want to pocket it in, keeping your eye on that spot on the object ball, and then cueing your cue ball to hit that spot on the object ball?

You learn later that if you use outside english, you can undercut the ball in effect throwing the object ball into the pocket, or with inside english overcut the ball and still hold it into the pocket ...

but I am an old school player .....

 

[woody_968]

Reading this was like asking a 100 witnesses to describe a murder and who done it .... 100 different descriptions <grin>

And now there is 101 LOL

 

[cheesemouse]

Reading this was like asking a 100 witnesses to describe a murder and who done it .... 100 different descriptions <grin>

What ever happened to looking at the object ball straight into the pocket you want to pocket it in, keeping your eye on that spot on the object ball, and then cueing your cue ball to hit that spot on the object ball?

You learn later that if you use outside english, you can undercut the ball in effect throwing the object ball into the pocket, or with inside english overcut the ball and still hold it into the pocket ...

but I am an old school player .....

I'm with you Scott. I must be old school because the only information I want about the objectball is does it go, after that I just line up to make it with whatever juice I'm putting on the cb to get my position...I think we are both lucky our beginnings in the game where pre-Iternet and the flood of instructional information avialible now days...Don't get me wrong. I read all this stuff but I'm kind of just smiling to myself when I do.

 

[MrLucky]

been following this thread...

and it is a good one ! though like most human desires I think some here are caught up in the I am right or more right than you are quandary! As a long term student of human behaviour and of pool I would like you to consider that humans based upon their personal behaviour patterns and experiences learn in different ways ! So what works for me may not be the all time panacea for all others! hence the term different strokes for different folks! I think I have seen at least two viable methods and approaches here but none will work for every one! I am enjoying the discourse though and lets all just try and keep an open mind !