aiming with english

poolprince

Registered
Ok so I know this is a commonly asked question asked but most 'pool teachers' claim that when shooting with outside english you aim thicker on the ball and when shooting inside english you aim to hit it thinner than usual. Is this the technique any of you guys use? Or is there a more accurate way of aiming to compensate for english?
 
Ok so I know this is a commonly asked question asked but most 'pool teachers' claim that when shooting with outside english you aim thicker on the ball and when shooting inside english you aim to hit it thinner than usual. Is this the technique any of you guys use? Or is there a more accurate way of aiming to compensate for english?

Pandora's box is open :welcome:
 
Ok so I know this is a commonly asked question asked but most 'pool teachers' claim that when shooting with outside english you aim thicker on the ball and when shooting inside english you aim to hit it thinner than usual. Is this the technique any of you guys use? Or is there a more accurate way of aiming to compensate for english?

Generally, this is only the case when shooting medium speed or slower where the spin will 'take' before reaching the OB. When hitting the cueball hard, the single biggest factor is deflection or squirt so the opposite is true. Distance can be a factor also. No easy answers. Sorry.
 
Ok so I know this is a commonly asked question asked but most 'pool teachers' claim that when shooting with outside english you aim thicker on the ball and when shooting inside english you aim to hit it thinner than usual. Is this the technique any of you guys use? Or is there a more accurate way of aiming to compensate for english?

that all depends.....on how you aim.

CTE will compensate for stuff like that......the methods I use I don't make an adjustment (but I'm a freak of nature)

go do some research on the diff aiming methods esp CTE you should find a TON on this very site.
 
So many variables involved with this...............

Ok so I know this is a commonly asked question asked but most 'pool teachers' claim that when shooting with outside english you aim thicker on the ball and when shooting inside english you aim to hit it thinner than usual. Is this the technique any of you guys use? Or is there a more accurate way of aiming to compensate for english?

Speed, distance,if your jacked up a little or alot, top english or bottom or somewhere inbetween.

And then you have to learn what happens to the cue ball with your particular stroke.

Any good instructor can help you through these problems and get you started on the right track to really understanding what is going on and what is happening on each of these types of shots. but the rest would be up to you to put the puzzle together so when you are in a game situation these shots will become second nature to yourself on all these simple but seemingly complicated shots and techniques.

This is why it is so important to have the shot aimed perfectly in the first place.

If you don't have it aimed perfect how can you compensate and adjust to what the different englishes are going to do.

The problem is you now have a aiming guess on top of an english guess on top of whatever else and the shot will be doomed immediatly.

I kind of liken it to when we first learned to riding a bicycle when we were young. Soon you learn if you are falling a little to the right you turn to the right a little and the adjustment keeps you from breaking your butt.

Soon you learn a whole lot of adjustments because if you don't learn your riding carrer can be very short. Soon you don't have to think much and all these adjustments just become second nature.

With these pool shots you will still have to aim good and adjust correctly but the thought process will come to you alot quicker once you work at and learn exactly how all these little adjusting shots work.

The rest is just hard work. You gotta want it to get it.

What will help you is the little paper enforcers that you buy at Walgreens or walmart. Put one down for the cue ball and one down for the object ball. Now you can set up the exact same shot over and over and practice the different englishes and see where the object ball is going and teach yourself how you need to adjust. Plus soon you will start to have a better knowledge of where the cue ball is going also.

Have a great day geno...........
 
"I kind of liken it to when we first learned to riding a bicycle when we were young. Soon you learn if you are falling a little to the right you turn to the right a little and the adjustment keeps you from breaking your butt. "

Nice analogy. When you get it down, you will soon be riding with no hands - body steering left and right.

Like being in dead stroke.:smile::thumbup:
 
Ok so I know this is a commonly asked question asked but most 'pool teachers' claim that when shooting with outside english you aim thicker on the ball and when shooting inside english you aim to hit it thinner than usual.

In my game, I do exactly opposite of this for the vast majority of shots with english. In fact, for years I struggled with english due to the same advice you've written until I realized it was backwards.

Fred
 
There is really not an easy answer for this, it takes a lot of trial and error to understand. Mostly because of the speed and stroke will put the cueball in different places. So first off you gotta understand your stroke and how to hit a target.

For the most part, you can aim thicker when using outside english or even just follow.

A very good local player taught me to aim short of the pocket and throw balls in with english/follow. You're stroke is the difference between leaving the ball in the jaws or in the bottom of the hole.
 
Do a search on Back Hand English or BHE and learn that method....When using BHE the aim adjustments are (most of the time) done for you....

That is IF you are using a normal deflection shaft...:smile:
 
While there are many recommendations and much to learn I have derived a few principles for my use that seem to work. I think that you have to play with each individually and then try different combinations to find what works for you. The principles I use are as follows:

Hard shots produce more deflection.

Soft shots with English produce a curve toward the side the English was placed on.

So you can get deflection (away from the shot line) and curve (to the other side) depending on how you hit the cue ball.

Hitting the cue ball further away from center increases the type of movement off line.

To minimize deflection I use Joe Tucker’s version of front and backhand English. You have to play around with this technique until you learn that while your stick is not on the shot line, you can estimate the line down which the cue ball will roll.

I have found that I can get just about as much effect with a half tip off center as I can with a full tip off center if my stroke is good. This too takes much work and confidence in your shot making ability.

The effects of deflection seem to take place immediately (when you hit the cue ball).

The curving effect of English are often delayed especially on a long soft shot.

A masse effect can be timed that is depending on the stroke the curving effect can be obtained early or later in the shot.

I am sure that others will disagree with some of my principles so you need to derive your own principles and then study how you can use them.

In general, I aim a little thicker with inside English (deflection throws it ) and a little thinner with outside English (deflection throws it into the OB). But it really depend on how I want to execute the shot.
 
Last edited:
Good summary, Joe.

I also have a list describing all of the squirt, swerve, and throw effects (along with video demonstrations of many of them) here:

I agree with you that it is important for an person to develop their own individualized understanding of these effects through experience.

Regards,
Dave

While there are many recommendations and much to learn I have derived a few principles for my use that seem to work. I think that you have to play with each individually and then try different combinations to find what works for you. The principles I use are as follows:

Hard shots produce more deflection.

Soft shots with English produce a curve toward the side the English was placed on.

So you can get deflection (away from the shot line) and curve (to the other side) depending on how you hit the cue ball.

Hitting the cue ball further away from center increases the type of movement off line.

To minimize deflection I use Joe Tucker’s version of front and backhand English. You have to play around with this technique until you learn that while your stick is not on the shot line, you can estimate the line down which the cue ball will roll.

I have found that I can get just about as much effect with a half tip off center as I can with a full tip off center if my stroke is good. This too takes much work and confidence in your shot making ability.

The effects of deflection seem to take place immediately (when you hit the cue ball).

The curving effect of English are often delayed especially on a long soft shot.

A masse effect can be timed that is depending on the stroke the curving effect can be obtained early or later in the shot.

I am sure that others will disagree with some of my principles so you need to derive your own principles and then study how you can use them.
 
Back
Top