Am i the only one who uses this method on long straight ins?

[av84fun]

To me it is no different than aiming an gun. Just line up the cue ball from top to bottom and side to side until they are in direct alignment and fire straight through the cue ball with you dominate eye on the object ball. If your stroke is good the ball will fall and the cue ball will do what you have planned for it to do.

This method works for me, I normally fixate on the center to the top of ball on all shots, because I find it easier to see my alignment of the object and the pocket.

Take care

I generally agree with your rifle analogy Craig. I aim the top dead center of the CB...just as if there were a gunsight there, at the dead center of the CB...as if there was a "bullseye" there.

Then, as I follow through, I TRY to touch the dead center of the OB with my cue tip...of course you can't but you TRY.

Doing so requires a dead straight stroke. If you don't have that, then nothing will save you.

Also, as another poster mentioned, cue tip contact anywhere other than the exact vertical center will cause spin/sqwerve that will cause a miss.

Regards,
Jim

 

[Siz]

the quiet eye

If there is one shot i really do not miss, regardless of pressure, it is the long straight ins. (dont worry im not bragging, i still miss cuts like its no ones buisness) The reason for this is early on, someone told me if the shot is straight in, all you have to do is fixate on the very bottom of the ball, and if your stroke is straight, the shot should always go in.

The reason for this post is i am asking if anyone else uses the bottom of the ball method, because everytime i try to teach this to someone, they have problems using it and discard it. Anyone have any input?

I have not heard this one before, but it makes sense to me.

I suspect that the advantage is that it gives the eye a more defined target to focus on, which in turn helps stop the eye 'bouncing'. This is a foundation of Prof Joan Vickers' "Quiet Eye" theory, which she has applied to sports such as golf and basketball (see Google for details).

 

[av84fun]

This was taught to me by a well known pro - if the shot is dead straight in then simply shoot the cueball into the pocket. Since the object ball is in the way it goes right in. Been using this for 20 years and it works great. It's a great method for winning money on the corner to corner straight in proposition shot.

Whatever works...but the pocket is 4.5 in. or wider and the ball is 2.25 in.

In order for that method to work, you would have to aim and be able to hit an exact spot in the pocket opening...preferably dead center. But if you can aim and hit that exact spot in the pocket opening then it should be easier to hit an exact spot on the OB which, obviously, is closer to you than the pocket.

Personally, I don't think the issue in missing straight ins has anything to do with aiming because doing so is perfectly intuitive.

Rather, I think there are stroke errors that result in unintentional cue tip contact to one side or the other of the vertical center.

Prove it to yourself by trying the famous spot shot drill where you place the cb on the foot spot...shoot directly at the center diamond on the head rail and see how often you can get the CB to roll back over the foot spot.

Stroke as level as possible with a center ball hit so swerve is not much of an issue.

It is a humbling drill and most people miss the center to a given side pretty consistently which suggests that they don't see the center of the CB correctly.

Joe Turner has a training aid that forces a centerball hit. I've heard good things about it.

Regards,
Jim

 

[memikey]

Anyone having significant problems making straight in shots might want to consider going on to a snooker table and practicing similar shots there for a while.

When you return to the pool table you will approach the shot with much more confidence irrespective of how succesful you were on the snooker table.

 

[bigskyjake]

jesus hal, take it easy, you sound like a kid who just shotgunned 4 bags of pop-rocks

 

[predator]

Anyone having significant problems making straight in shots might want to consider going on to a snooker table and practicing similar shots there for a while.

Might be a little too frustrating for some.

I found a clip of second best snooker player in the world practicing straight-in shots. It starts at 4 minute 20 second mark.

Even he missed a few. It is very tough to say the least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuL87TeAwas

 

[RED LITE]

Open Your Mind, Hal Houle !

NO ONE CAN SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE CUE BALL. WHERE DO YOU GUYS GET THIS GARBAGE.

HAL HOULE
484 623 4144

Focusing on the very bottom of the object ball for a straight-in shot is clearly a valid technique, for many of the reasons cited by others here.
As with many aiming tricks, use it if it works for you; if not, discard it.

As for you, Mr. Houle, I don't know you, but if you hold yourself out to be a pool instructor, I would certainly avoid you at all costs. The player who started this thread asked a legitimate question (and many think he has a point), and you slam the suggestion as "garbage" without even understanding his point in the first place. That was not within the spirit of this forum, in my opinion, and certainly not the respose I would expect from a teacher dedicated to helping players improve.

So, in the future, any suggestion I hear from Mr. Hal Houle 484 623 4144
will be recognized as BS from a pretty nasty guy, and not worth the bytes it's printed on.



RED LITE

 

[androd]

If there is one shot i really do not miss, regardless of pressure, it is the long straight ins. (dont worry im not bragging, i still miss cuts like its no ones buisness) The reason for this is early on, someone told me if the shot is straight in, all you have to do is fixate on the very bottom of the ball, and if your stroke is straight, the shot should always go in.

The reason for this post is i am asking if anyone else uses the bottom of the ball method, because everytime i try to teach this to someone, they have problems using it and discard it. Anyone have any input?

have tried this since reading the thread, works well for me as its easier to align than outside edges of both balls. thanks rep to you.

 

[JohnPT]

jesus hal, take it easy, you sound like a kid who just shotgunned 4 bags of pop-rocks

ha ha 86 y/o shotgunning 4bags of pop rock Probably blew out his dentures :thumbup:

 

[SCCues]

The reason for this is early on, someone told me if the shot is straight in, all you have to do is fixate on the very bottom of the ball, and if your stroke is straight, the shot should always go in.

The reason for this post is i am asking if anyone else uses the bottom of the ball method, because everytime i try to teach this to someone, they have problems using it and discard it. Anyone have any input?

I use the bottom of the ball aiming method on straight to slight cut shots and it works great for me. A friend of mine taught me this trick and it changed my game.

James

 

[JoeW]

I wonder if people from the Philippines aim at the bottom of the ball because, as I understand it, many of them began to play on something like a pool table with what appears to be large poker chips or pucks? There is no "center ball" in this game.

I use what I call a 9" nail through the center of the CB to the center of the pocket. Maybe I have done too much carpentry but it seems like hammering a nail.

The pistol analogy is a good one but consider the idea that the cue stick is "strapped in" in the sense that it is held firmly with the bridge hand. It is unlikely that it will wander like the arm does when pistol shooting.

To me it seems obvious that what I want to do is hit the center of the OB with the center of the CB and send it down a particular line that is 1.25" off the table -- So this is what I should train my eye to do. There are things in my visual field such as where the CB would hit the opposite rail (or back of the pocket for a straight in shot) that I can use to make sure that my sight picture is lined up.

The primary problem, as I see it, is keeping the cue stick on the intended line of travel.

Once I have learned the straight in shot the problem becomes learning how to control the different effects that can be obtained. None-the-less the straight in shot is the base from which all else diverges and I want my eye trained to know exactly where those lines of travel will be.

 

[mullyman]

Ok, when I first got into this thread I thought it was an interesting idea to aim at the bottom of the OB. The reason it intrigued me so much is because when I'm teaching someone how to draw a ball I set them up a straight in shot with about 8-10 inches between CB and OB. I tell them to imagine that the cue ball isn't even there and stroke through as if they were wanting to hit low on the OB with their tip. It's nice to see the reaction of the person that has been practicing all day and getting stop shots or very minimal draw on the CB. Using this method of visualizing hitting the OB at the bottom gets them stroking through the cueball and keeping their tip down. Works great as an instructional tool.

Now, as for this one. Last night was the first chance I got to try it out. Turns out I was playing straight pool with a friend who always kicks my ass. He left me a long straight in shot. When I walked to the table the first thing that ran through my mind was "SHIT!!!!" and then I was trying to gauge my chances of making that shot with the pressure of knowing that he just ran 35 balls on me and if I jaw the pocket, as I do quite a bit with that type of shot, that he's back up to run another 35-40 balls on me and I just have to sit there and watch. Anyway, I got down on the shot and was doing my warm up stokes with all that garbage going through my head and then I remembered this thread. I stood up real quick, readjusted myself, lined up my shot and then got down and kept my eyes on the base of the ball rather than the center as I usually do. I have to admit that there was that scared feeling of going into the unkown and not knowing what was going to happen. Then I thought to myself "fukk it, give it a try and if it doesn't work then so be it." So, I gave my final warm up, stroked it and fired it right in the hole like it was a duck. That was my only shot like that so I didn't get a chance to practice it any but I'm going to tonight when I go out. Rep given for a cool aiming method.

I've heard of aligning the edges of the ball but c'mon, how in the hell do you align the edges of the balls? Do I have to lean over to one side or the other? It's not like my face is at ball level and I can see straight through them. Nah, I like this one.
MULLY
Oh, I lost the game 100-64

 

[mullyman]

I wonder if people from the Philippines aim at the bottom of the ball because, as I understand it, many of them began to play on something like a pool table with what appears to be large poker chips or pucks? There is no "center ball" in this game.

I've heard Bustamante say that he aims with his cue low and to the outside so there is nothing obstructing his view of the balls.
MULLY

 

[Hail Mary Shot]

Joey, he meant that no one can see the ACTUAL bottom of the CB. The Filipinos point at the lowest part of the ball they CAN see.

Regards,
Jim

dude, it's pretty clear that mr. hal whatever didn't get the question of the threadstarter. the threadstarter gave a valid pool scenario. maybe Mr. Hal didn't understand the logic behind the question, instead came out firing away with sarcasm. or probably his pool expertise is insufficient. you can just see how many people reacted to his comments, me included.

*I'm no expert, but I did understand what the TS was trying to say. instead mr Hal here came up with the most ridiculous argument.

 

[bigshooter]

The easiest way to make a long straight in shot is to concentrate on stopping the cue ball dead in its tracks, don't even look at the pocket or aim, if it's straight in and you stop the cue ball dead the shot has to go in the pocket, there is nowhere else it can go.

I have showed this to many people who had trouble with straight in shots and it works for every one of them.

 

[Zoltor]

If there is one shot i really do not miss, regardless of pressure, it is the long straight ins. (dont worry im not bragging, i still miss cuts like its no ones buisness) The reason for this is early on, someone told me if the shot is straight in, all you have to do is fixate on the very bottom of the ball, and if your stroke is straight, the shot should always go in.

The reason for this post is i am asking if anyone else uses the bottom of the ball method, because everytime i try to teach this to someone, they have problems using it and discard it. Anyone have any input?

Pretty obvious, but I'm grad you posted this, becuase sadly, even proes don't seem to get it. The sad thing is, if you ask any pro what is the hardest shots to make is, they'll tell you, long straight shot(they all dread those shots), but the sad thing is, It's only hard, becuase they make it hard.

I see proes, as well as non tourny players(sharks) do some funky stuff with the CB(they hit the CD on the left/right side, oposed to hitting it center/low.

Now, nomatter what type of shot you are trying to make, you should "always" hit the CB in the center high/low depending on what you want the CB to do(meaning, always stand in back of the CD, lined up to where you want the CB to hit the OB), and you hit any place(depends on what shot you are trying to make) on the OB to dictate where you want the OB to go(doing this makes long straight shots easy as pie, and makes most cuts fairly easy as well, in general anyway.


This is why most proes(the non trick tourny players) pretty much suck with multi ball comboes as well, becuase of the way they shoot the CB.

PS. Please don't get me wrong, this Isn't a bragging post, just how I noticed alot of players that screw up on the long shots shoot the CB. In fact, I completely suck when it comes to multi rail bank shots. I can make single rail bank shots just fine, but when it comes to 2 or more rails, forget it.

Now bank shots aside ofcourse, I would have to say the hardest normal shots, are cutting a OB to place it into a side pocket. Very doable(just stating what I see as the hardest normal shot), but due to the fact the side pockets are straight/not angled like corners, you have to soft play it, otherwise it will hit the corner of the pocket/bounce off instead of going in.

 

[TX Poolnut]

I like to set the tip down on the table (it almost looks like I'm aiming at the extreme bottom of the cue ball) so that my stick stays still while I'm getting into a comfortable stance and can go back and forth with my eyes between CB and OB to dial in my aim. Works for me. It also makes stretched out shots on bigger tables easier for me too.

 

[custmqs]

Really straight in?

For me, the problem was not necessarily hitting the ball straight on long straight in shots. It was a misconception of what straight in really was.

Try this... setup what appears to be a straight in corner to corner shot. Then visualize a line from the seam in the corner pocket (where the leather meets the cloth) through the center of the object ball. If the cue ball is on that line then it is truly straight in. If the cue ball is not on that line then you have a slight cut shot. Hitting these slight cut shots straight will result in catching the point and likely rattling the pocket.

Excluding shots that require cheating pocket, I have found it very useful to aim the center of the object ball at the seam (defined above) in the pocket. Not only does this method give you a precise target inside of the pocket with the largest margin of error, it also gives you immediate feedback on your aim... left of seam, right of seam, or on target.

 

[onepocket1]

a pro also told me this method - I have been shooting the "corner to corner" straight in this way for 40 years. You are absolutely correct.
Ken

 

[onepocket1]

shoot at pocket

This was taught to me by a well known pro - if the shot is dead straight in then simply shoot the cueball into the pocket. Since the object ball is in the way it goes right in. Been using this for 20 years and it works great. It's a great method for winning money on the corner to corner straight in proposition shot.

This system works well for me.