Aiming Without Pockets

Pidge

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have noticed my potting accuracy is better when I don't let the pockets influence picking my line of aim. Simply put, I just look at the cue ball and object ball and I see a line on the table for the cue ball to travel along. Something clicks in my head and I know I'm hitting the centre of the pocket.

For example, how many times have you had to pocket a ball but another ball is covering half the pocket? I know for a fact of I try and judge hitting the open part of the pocket I will hit the obstructing ball. But, if I just notice the that ball is covering half the pocket then stand back from the shot behind the white ball I will pass the obstructing ball and hit the open part of the pocket. I seem to be able to pick out contact points on the OB better too when I just look at the BoB instead of drawing a mental line from pocket through the OB.

The pockets don't move, they're always in the same spot. It makes no sense to me to fill my head with unwanted information such as where the pocket is. I can gather where the pocket is by other things around me like the rails, where the OB is on the table and where the CB is also.
 
I agree.
I very seldom "look" at a pocket.
My reference is cue ball and target ball.
CTE lives in Dallas.

randyg
 
The thing is neither of you are new to the game. Y'all have spent hours at the table. Repetition is what is coming into play or rather the results of the concept of HAMB.

There is a difference in trying to hit something, especially when it does not exist in reality, contact point for example, and seeing where to put something.

A pitcher already knows where the baseball is going before he ever throws it. He see where to put in in his mind and then does it. He does not try to have a point on the baseball hit a point on the catchers glove.

You may not "look" at the pocket, but, most time, it is in your field of view and as such you are using it, you just don't realize it because of years of playing.

Another example of how repetition comes into play. I've been driving the same car for years. I can get in it , put the key in the ignition without ever having to look at the key or the ignition.

Can't do that with a car another car I don't drive.

The power of repetition and muscle memory.......less active thinking, more just doing.
 
Years ago when I basically started to play pool and got into a Moose league I asked one of the best players in the league that was also on our team about how He aimed and lined up the balls. He said that he doesn't have to look at the pocket as he knows where to hit the ball by the position it was on the table. Didn't make any sense at the time but the more I practiced the more that I understood what he meant.

🎱
 
Ball pocketing is more about touch than vision (feel for the pocket)

Pidge said:
I have noticed my potting accuracy is better when I don't let the pockets influence picking my line of aim. Simply put, I just look at the cue ball and object ball and I see a line on the table for the cue ball to travel along. Something clicks in my head and I know I'm hitting the centre of the pocket.

For example, how many times have you had to pocket a ball but another ball is covering half the pocket? I know for a fact of I try and judge hitting the open part of the pocket I will hit the obstructing ball. But, if I just notice the that ball is covering half the pocket then stand back from the shot behind the white ball I will pass the obstructing ball and hit the open part of the pocket. I seem to be able to pick out contact points on the OB better too when I just look at the BoB instead of drawing a mental line from pocket through the OB.

The pockets don't move, they're always in the same spot. It makes no sense to me to fill my head with unwanted information such as where the pocket is. I can gather where the pocket is by other things around me like the rails, where the OB is on the table and where the CB is also.
Click to expand...

This is why I only key on the inside point of the pocket. No one can see the center, it's only contacted through a "feel for the pocket," which is what you're describing.

The geometry of the pool table will perfectly align to one's mind with some knowledgeable practice.

Aiming systems are like kicking systems, they just give a reference point or guide, we still have to adjust for the other variables (speed, spin, veer, cloth, humidity, etc). This is why I prefer to use the same speed, spin and shot pattern when possible.

Ball pocketing is more about touch than vision, this is understand for some, and easy for others......go figure, it's kinda like life in general. ;) 'Life is the Teacher'
 
Shooting blind

Over the last three years, I have had eye surgery twice, and have been blessed by a doctor who gave me my eye sight back.

It was my left eye that went first (cataract ) I noticed for a long while that my eye sight was getting worse, and to the point I couldn't see the edge of the object ball if it was a long shot.
My eye sight got so bad I couldn't see a wall at 15 paces.

My depth perception was gone, had to pick up a glass of water with both hands.

My game went right down the toilet, and it hurt my feelings because I knew I was a better player then that..
I went for about a year being blind in that eye before I had laser surgery and got my eyesight back.
Then the same thing started with my right eye except I didn't wait as long to have the same doctor operate on me......

I had to change my game to adjust for being blind in one eye and kind of blurry vision out of the other.
I had to learn to leave the cue ball within 4 feet of the object ball.
Leaving the cue ball in the center of the table became my main focus and I had to change my aim because everything was hard to see.

There was no need to look to see where the pockets are because I already knew where they were at.

I had to let my thoughts on aiming go and started to focus or let my natural senses take over.

It was like playing in the dark and still making the shot.
Pretty much like a bank shot and using the ghost table to reference your aim point.

My point in all this is, most shots are imagined in your head before the shots ever made on the table.

When you spend decades walking around a pool table our minds stores the images in our memories and our minds don't us over thinking the shot.

Sorry I cannot explain this better, and I hope ever can understand what I am trying to say.
 
duckie said:
The thing is neither of you are new to the game. Y'all have spent hours at the table. Repetition is what is coming into play or rather the results of the concept of HAMB.

There is a difference in trying to hit something, especially when it does not exist in reality, contact point for example, and seeing where to put something.

A pitcher already knows where the baseball is going before he ever throws it. He see where to put in in his mind and then does it. He does not try to have a point on the baseball hit a point on the catchers glove.

You may not "look" at the pocket, but, most time, it is in your field of view and as such you are using it, you just don't realize it because of years of playing.

Another example of how repetition comes into play. I've been driving the same car for years. I can get in it , put the key in the ignition without ever having to look at the key or the ignition.

Can't do that with a car another car I don't drive.

The power of repetition and muscle memory.......less active thinking, more just doing.
Click to expand...



Yes Duckie, you are correct. Thank goodness the pockets are still in the same place 60 years later.

randyg
 
Do you follow the object ball into the pocket visually

Pidge said:
I have noticed my potting accuracy is better when I don't let the pockets influence picking my line of aim. Simply put, I just look at the cue ball and object ball and I see a line on the table for the cue ball to travel along. Something clicks in my head and I know I'm hitting the centre of the pocket.

For example, how many times have you had to pocket a ball but another ball is covering half the pocket? I know for a fact of I try and judge hitting the open part of the pocket I will hit the obstructing ball. But, if I just notice the that ball is covering half the pocket then stand back from the shot behind the white ball I will pass the obstructing ball and hit the open part of the pocket. I seem to be able to pick out contact points on the OB better too when I just look at the BoB instead of drawing a mental line from pocket through the OB.

The pockets don't move, they're always in the same spot. It makes no sense to me to fill my head with unwanted information such as where the pocket is. I can gather where the pocket is by other things around me like the rails, where the OB is on the table and where the CB is also.
Click to expand...

Do you follow the object ball into the pocket visually {after contact} to see where it hits?
 
CJ Wiley said:
Do you follow the object ball into the pocket visually {after contact} to see where it hits?
Click to expand...
Yes. I had a bad habit in snooker growing up of looking at the cue ball when I was going I to the pack of reds off the black to open them up. It caused for more misses on the pot than I wanted so I started just looking at the black until it dropped. I was told the eyes cant make the cue ball go exactly where I want when splitting the pack so concentrate on the pot and rely on me hitting it correctly. Its transferred over to pool and now my eyes stay locked on the object ball until it drops. If I hit the part of the pocket I was aiming at the cue ball generally takes the line I was going for. If it doesn't, I can trouble shoot wh I either hit it too thin or too thick.
 
heres a true story related to this thread
i was taking a lesson from a pro
i left him a tough cut and basically he went over to the cue ball and made the shot
not taking much if any time in lineing it up
i asked how can he make a shot like that without more time and effort in studying it
we both are standing by the table at this time
he says to me
"close your eyes
point to the upper right corner pocket
point to the lower left pocket
open your eyes"

he said
"you see
you knew where the pockets were without looking
ive played so long that i know where the pocket is and just shoot the ball there:eek:...:wink:"
 
things seem to be counter-intuitive when learning the game at it's different levels.

Pidge said:
Yes. I had a bad habit in snooker growing up of looking at the cue ball when I was going I to the pack of reds off the black to open them up. It caused for more misses on the pot than I wanted so I started just looking at the black until it dropped. I was told the eyes cant make the cue ball go exactly where I want when splitting the pack so concentrate on the pot and rely on me hitting it correctly. Its transferred over to pool and now my eyes stay locked on the object ball until it drops. If I hit the part of the pocket I was aiming at the cue ball generally takes the line I was going for. If it doesn't, I can trouble shoot wh I either hit it too thin or too thick.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is a good habit and it's essential to continue any calibrations necessary (if the OB is missing the intended part of the pocket), to keep one's potting sharp and precise.

I've always been amazed how good my cue ball control is when I don't watch it after contact, and instead watch the object ball. Many things seem to be counter-intuitive when learning the game at it's different levels.

Play Well.
 
CJ Wiley said:
Yes, this is a good habit and it's essential to continue any calibrations necessary (if the OB is missing the intended part of the pocket), to keep one's potting sharp and precise.

I've always been amazed how good my cue ball control is when I don't watch it after contact, and instead watch the object ball. Many things seem to be counter-intuitive when learning the game at it's different levels.

Play Well.
Click to expand...
I agree, throughout even a rack I have to constantly adjust and recalibrate. For the best part of my teens I would miss, or even rattle a ball and make no adjustments and would be completely baffled by my poor accuracy I some sessions. I would put it down to a bad day at the office. But since joining AZ and reading through some of your posts the word calibrate kept coming up. Mostly when I hit a shot too thick I've misjudged the contact in my head. I sort of visualise the contact and speed of contact and that effects my line of aim. If I'm hitting too thick It is more often than not that I'm hitting the shot too slow and getting more CIT than I imagined. I simply revert to hitting firmer and adjusting my tip placement on the white to get the same position. If I'm hitting too thin its generally down to me hitting too hard. I'm not a TOI user, and I know the calibrations make more sense to TOI than the way I play, but it has helped me understand that there is no need to have bad sessions any more. I can still hit bad shots, but I learn from that and the next shot is always hit better than the last.

On a side note - I can feel what part of my tip hits the white. Left, right, bottom, top, centre or a mixture. I know instantly if it feels right when I've hit the white. If I want to hit slightly below centre then I know what feeling to expect in my grip. If I get the feeling I hit the centre of my tip then I know I've hit a little too high and the cue ball will drift further forward than expected. This also has helped me to not watch the cue ball because the feeling tells me how its going to react. This is the reason I will never play with another cue. I've got too used to my cue and got used to the feel of the contact in my grip. If I play with a friends cue or what ever i find my self watching the white when it doesn't feel right.
 
Pidge said:
I agree, throughout even a rack I have to constantly adjust and recalibrate. For the best part of my teens I would miss, or even rattle a ball and make no adjustments and would be completely baffled by my poor accuracy I some sessions. I would put it down to a bad day at the office. But since joining AZ and reading through some of your posts the word calibrate kept coming up. Mostly when I hit a shot too thick I've misjudged the contact in my head. I sort of visualise the contact and speed of contact and that effects my line of aim. If I'm hitting too thick It is more often than not that I'm hitting the shot too slow and getting more CIT than I imagined. I simply revert to hitting firmer and adjusting my tip placement on the white to get the same position. If I'm hitting too thin its generally down to me hitting too hard. I'm not a TOI user, and I know the calibrations make more sense to TOI than the way I play, but it has helped me understand that there is no need to have bad sessions any more. I can still hit bad shots, but I learn from that and the next shot is always hit better than the last.

On a side note - I can feel what part of my tip hits the white. Left, right, bottom, top, centre or a mixture. I know instantly if it feels right when I've hit the white. If I want to hit slightly below centre then I know what feeling to expect in my grip. If I get the feeling I hit the centre of my tip then I know I've hit a little too high and the cue ball will drift further forward than expected. This also has helped me to not watch the cue ball because the feeling tells me how its going to react. This is the reason I will never play with another cue. I've got too used to my cue and got used to the feel of the contact in my grip. If I play with a friends cue or what ever i find my self watching the white when it doesn't feel right.
Click to expand...

'Feeling' the cue ball. Yes. I would dare say that there are very very many here on AZB that have no idea what that really is. Your fortunate to be able to do that when playing a center line hit on the cue ball. I think 'most' can't do that but they should strive for that ability.
 
ENGLISH! said:
'Feeling' the cue ball. Yes. I would dare say that there are very very many here on AZB that have no idea what that really is. Your fortunate to be able to do that when playing a center line hit on the cue ball. I think 'most' can't do that but they should strive for that ability.
Click to expand...
I mentioned the feeling in my grip, but I think the feeling is throughout what ever part of the body is in touch with the cue. For me I have 4 points of contact with the cue which I believe heightens my feel. The bridge, chin, chest and grip all touch the cue. I think it definitely helps when you can predict or assume how a shot is going to feel, especially on the more delicate shots.
 
Pidge said:
I mentioned the feeling in my grip, but I think the feeling is throughout what ever part of the body is in touch with the cue. For me I have 4 points of contact with the cue which I believe heightens my feel. The bridge, chin, chest and grip all touch the cue. I think it definitely helps when you can predict or assume how a shot is going to feel, especially on the more delicate shots.
Click to expand...

I agree.

There is a very good player in my area that has his nose on the side of the cue & I would bet that he can 'smell' out how he hits the ball.

I sometimes have the cue touching up on my rib cage but I'm not too sensitive there unless I'm getting hit fairly hard in the ribs.:wink:

I do however have rather good feeling in my hands.
 
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I always look at the pocket and always the back of the pocket, the black. The side pockets are very important to view, for me.

It's the extension of my in line and is visually easier for me to see it. It takes no effort at all to extend my vision for a billionth of a second.
I know where the pockets are, I prefer to use them.

If I have a low percentage shot, a 1/8'' lane opening between two balls to the pocket. Now I am down on 1 knee, eye level, studying, closing one eye, squinting, looking at the lane into the pocket. Now I get up, look again, you know the rest, take the shot. Why that effort only on a shot like this?

I prefer to things the same all the time. It's part of my pre-shot routine and mechanics of the shot. I look at the balls the same way every time, not just on occasion like a low PC shot. It's more simplified, a set routine with my eyes, the same every time, not just when I need to thread the needle.

I have a set routine for everything, fundamentals and mechanics, it takes fractions of seconds. I play fast; probably execute any shot in 5 to 15 seconds, 15 seconds being too long.
For fundamentals and mechanics repetition is hard to beat.


I don't park my car in the garage and not look at the opening; I visually make sure I will not crash the wall. It helps to guide me in perfectly.

I would love to see a match where one player uses a curtain and the other player doesn’t, played on two tables with the exact same layouts of racks. It may sound crazy but anything is possible.
Who do you think comes out winner?
 
SmoothStroke said:
I always look at the pocket and always the back of the pocket, the black. The side pockets are very important to view, for me.

It's the extension of my in line and is visually easier for me to see it. It takes no effort at all to extend my vision for a billionth of a second.
I know where the pockets are, I prefer to use them.

If I have a low percentage shot, a 1/8'' lane opening between two balls to the pocket. Now I am down on 1 knee, eye level, studying, closing one eye, squinting, looking at the lane into the pocket. Now I get up, look again, you know the rest, take the shot. Why that effort only on a shot like this?

I prefer to things the same all the time. It's part of my pre-shot routine and mechanics of the shot. I look at the balls the same way every time, not just on occasion like a low PC shot. It's more simplified, a set routine with my eyes, the same every time, not just when I need to thread the needle.

I have a set routine for everything, fundamentals and mechanics, it takes fractions of seconds. I play fast; probably execute any shot in 5 to 15 seconds, 15 seconds being too long.
For fundamentals and mechanics repetition is hard to beat.


I don't park my car in the garage and not look at the opening; I visually make sure I will not crash the wall. It helps to guide me in perfectly.

I would love to see a match where one player uses a curtain and the other player doesn’t, played on two tables with the exact same layouts of racks. It may sound crazy but anything is possible.
Who do you think comes out winner?
Click to expand...

Yes the human mind is an amazing entity & so is 'the mind's eye'.

When something is done so often that it becomes subconscious some think that they no longer do it, but in reality it is still being done. I wish I could, & I can but I just don't, take at least one conscious look at the pocket on ALL shots. that would be a conformation between my conscious mind & my subconscious mind.

I like & agree with the things you say. Please keep posting often, not just for me but for everyone else too.

Best 2 You & Yours & All,
Rick
 
ENGLISH! said:
Yes the human mind is an amazing entity & so is 'the mind's eye'.

When something is done so often that it becomes subconscious some think that they no longer do it, but in reality it is still being done. I wish I could, & I can but I just don't, take at least one conscious look at the pocket on ALL shots. that would be a conformation between my conscious mind & my subconscious mind.

I like & agree with the things you say. Please keep posting often, not just for me but for everyone else too.

Best 2 You & Yours & All,
Rick
Click to expand...

Thank you Rick

This works for me, it doesn't mean it's good for everyone. Eye patterns and visuals are not that difficult, like anything else, repetition and remind ourselves to do it; second nature adheres quickly when practiced.
There is no substitute for repetition.

If I may add, I have read many times about not thinking just do it. If you use your visuals for track lines it makes the not thinking part a lot easier to think about. Again this takes about a millionth of a second, a glance at best.

Have a great day
Sincerely: SS
 
At one time, I installed CCTV systems. When dealing with what lens to use on the camera, two things were considered, depth of field and field of view.

In this pic, the pocket is in the field of view even when just looking at the OB or CB. Even tho you need not look directly at it, you still can see it in your field of view and use this info getting into shooting position.

There are very few shots on the table where the pocket in not somewhere in your field of view.
 
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Yes, the majority of the time the pocket is within the field of vision but I don't specifically focus on the pocket.

Cut backs into blind pockets are the exception. Even then I don't look at the pocket and these particular shots are my real strength. They're probably up there potting percentage-wise with any pro in the game.

People have a tendency to let the pocket influence their alignment and steer because of this. Try playing a full rack of 9 ball, but when you get down close your eyes and shoot. Lots of people miss because of poor alignment and rely on making fine adjustments when down based on seeing the pocket. My alignment is the strongest part of my fundamentals and doesn't need adjusting much because I pay attention to the balls relationship on the table and not the pocket.
 
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