aiming

berlowmj

berlowmj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The "rhythm" thread was so fruitful, I wonder what we might do with aiming. I have been toying with the concept that, as we store the images of 1000s of shots in our brain, we might strive for aiming to become an instinct. That is, we might strive for a situation in which a particular pattern of balls stimulates an identical stored memory and the result is a subconcious alignment of the shot.

Sort of like seeing "dead shots" in a cluster.

Excuse me if this is a fantasy grounded in my lack of experience.

As always, I defer to your mastery.
 
I think that's what most experienced players do. (I'll be there in about 20 years)

I've experimented with a few aiming systems, but they haven't really worked for me, and I just fall back on feel.
 
Aiming systems

I use a aim system by Hal Houle. This system works on all tables. Yes snooker tables to. There are six shots on a pool table. That is all find these shots and you found the key that has made me a better player.
Tom Simpson will glady teach you this system.:D
 
That is exactly what I do. I may look the shot into the pocket, but it's almost completely instinct....no squirt, deflection, or banking systems to confuse the issue. Of course I will study the table to determine my pattern, and when I played more often... practice, practice.

Never quite understood why some people clutter their mind with so much intellectual interference. After all, in most professional sports, other than a golfer where the terrain is always different, do athletes even have the time to "study". A boxer would be on his azz, a tennis player, or baseball player would be watching the ball pass him while he figured wind velocity, or bat deflection. JMO

Jim
 
berlowmj said:
The "rhythm" thread was so fruitful, I wonder what we might do with aiming. I have been toying with the concept that, as we store the images of 1000s of shots in our brain, we might strive for aiming to become an instinct. That is, we might strive for a situation in which a particular pattern of balls stimulates an identical stored memory and the result is a subconcious alignment of the shot.

Sort of like seeing "dead shots" in a cluster.

Excuse me if this is a fantasy grounded in my lack of experience.

As always, I defer to your mastery.
Click to expand...

I look for systems in the game that re-occur frequently. In aiming, I utilize the half ball hit on a lot of shots. You would be surprised how many of these shots come up after you notice them. (kind of like when you buy a new car. Never seen that style on the road until you buy one, then everyone has one) LOL.

I don't have a percentage on these shots being available, but, would think it was fairly high. IMO.

Also use the inside english aiming system. Simple, but, effective,
 
klockdoc said:
I look for systems in the game that re-occur frequently. In aiming, I utilize the half ball hit on a lot of shots. You would be surprised how many of these shots come up after you notice them. (kind of like when you buy a new car. Never seen that style on the road until you buy one, then everyone has one) LOL.

I don't have a percentage on these shots being available, but, would think it was fairly high. IMO.

Also use the inside english aiming system. Simple, but, effective,
Click to expand...

Can you please elaborate a bit on "inside english" aiming? It is all by feel for me, if I can see the shot, chances are I can pocket the ball.

Banger
 
Aiming "systems" are crutches that usually have to be unlearned to unblock your learning curve. They teach fantasy concepts (like "there are only x shots") that limit you. Avoid them.

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
Aiming "systems" are crutches that usually have to be unlearned to unblock your learning curve. They teach fantasy concepts (like "there are only x shots") that limit you. Avoid them.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...


How many shots are there?.....SPF=randyg
 
Go to the library or purchse
Maurice Daly's Billiard Book Read the first 30 or so pages.
and
How I Play Snooker by Joe Davis.

Both have very good explanations of the fundamentals of the game.

Alignment over the shot IMO is the most important part of aiming. Without proper alignment you can't possibly see the shot correctly when down.

Stand square to the shot at a distance that will allow you to reach the CB with grip hand at your side. Step INTO the shot. Not AWAY from the shot. (not putting your rear foot in the bucket). You're now in perfect alignment over the shot and your body has the correct distance from the CB.
 
breakin8 said:
I use a aim system by Hal Houle. This system works on all tables. Yes snooker tables to. There are six shots on a pool table. That is all find these shots and you found the key that has made me a better player.
Tom Simpson will glady teach you this system.:D
Click to expand...

That's incorrect, unless you use back hand english to compensate for the in-between angles. I used this system for a while, but it's not 6-aims for ALL shots... adjustments must be used.

There is, however, one aim for all shots. Maybe Tom will show you that one?

EDIT: I know some people think there's no such thing as aiming systems that work like the nuts. There are. Incorporating them into a pre-shot routine eliminates guess work, feel and variation.
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
That question doesn't make sense to me. Is it serious?

pj
chgo
Click to expand...


I just thought you would continue. If there are not 6 shots, then how many are there?....SPF=randyg
 
SpiderWebComm said:
EDIT: I know some people think there's no such thing as aiming systems that work like the nuts. There are. Incorporating them into a pre-shot routine eliminates guess work, feel and variation.
Click to expand...

I concur. IMO, any system used, whether it be kicks, banking, aiming, etc. is not recalled every time you approach the table for your shot. The results from your practicing them are locked into your memory for recall when needed. You do it out of instinct.

Like driving a car. You react to situations when confronted. You are not constantly thinking about it when it is going on. Your pre-shot routine should cover all these aspects.
 
randyg said:
I just thought you would continue. If there are not 6 shots, then how many are there?....SPF=randyg
Click to expand...

12:rolleyes: ? 6 on each side of the object ball:eek: ?

S.A.M. SPF:D :D :D
 
jimmyg said:
That is exactly what I do. I may look the shot into the pocket, but it's almost completely instinct....no squirt, deflection, or banking systems to confuse the issue. Of course I will study the table to determine my pattern, and when I played more often... practice, practice.

Never quite understood why some people clutter their mind with so much intellectual interference. After all, in most professional sports, other than a golfer where the terrain is always different, do athletes even have the time to "study". A boxer would be on his azz, a tennis player, or baseball player would be watching the ball pass him while he figured wind velocity, or bat deflection. JMO

Jim
Click to expand...

It's very simple. Occam's razor...
 
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jimmyg said:
That is exactly what I do. I may look the shot into the pocket, but it's almost completely instinct....no squirt, deflection, or banking systems to confuse the issue. Of course I will study the table to determine my pattern, and when I played more often... practice, practice.

Never quite understood why some people clutter their mind with so much intellectual interference. After all, in most professional sports, other than a golfer where the terrain is always different, do athletes even have the time to "study". A boxer would be on his azz, a tennis player, or baseball player would be watching the ball pass him while he figured wind velocity, or bat deflection. JMO

Jim
Click to expand...
You don't think that a boxer review tapes/videos from his opponent before facing him in the ring? A football team doesn't review videos of previous games to give them an idea of what their formation means in respect to the play that will take place? You don't think that a baseball player does not instinctively hit the ball based on previous practice of swinging at these types of pitches?

Preliminary practice and awareness in order to know what to do in these instances is what prepares you for when it happens. You don't purposely think about all these every time you get up to shoot, but, you are recalling them subconsciously every time you shoot a shot. JMO for what it is worth...:D
 
randyg said:
I just thought you would continue. If there are not 6 shots, then how many are there?....SPF=randyg
Click to expand...
Actually, I said it's a fantasy to think "there are only x shots", meaning I think it's a fantasy to think the number of shots can be quantified, much less limited to a few.

Do you have a different view to share?

pj
chgo
 
klockdoc said:
You don't think that a boxer review tapes/videos from his opponent before facing him in the ring? A football team doesn't review videos of previous games to give them an idea of what their formation means in respect to the play that will take place? You don't think that a baseball player does not instinctively hit the ball based on previous practice of swinging at these types of pitches?

Preliminary practice and awareness in order to know what to do in these instances is what prepares you for when it happens. You don't purposely think about all these every time you get up to shoot, but, you are recalling them subconsciously every time you shoot a shot. JMO for what it is worth...:D
Click to expand...

Of course they study and review, I never suggested that they didn't. Nor did I suggest that one does not need to nail down the basics with practice and more practice. If you read my post again, you will see that I underscore the word practice by repeating the word twice.

The type of review that you refer to is to learn the techniques, strengths, and weaknesses of his opponent... that's common sense. Know your opponent.

What I am referring is one's inate ability to learn by watching an action done correctly, copying, and repeating the activity until you duplicate the action with successful results. Of course, during this "learning" period, constructive instruction greatly improves one's chances of success.

This inate ability, some may call talent, varies with different individuals. Not everyone can "see" a bank shot, or feel the hit of topspin off a tennis racquet.

And I'm not diminishing the value of basics, proper instruction, or systems. What I am suggesting is that with different levels of "talent", systems, by themselves, become less useful.
 
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