Another Cueball Training Device/Product!!

[El Toro]

If anyone doesn't know how an aiming tunnel works, you set it up either in front of a pocket or close to a rail and you shoot through it. If the ball even slightly grazes the device, your shot doesn't count, even if you still pocket the ball. It's instant feedback.
The first person I saw that brought aiming tunnels to demonstrate was Mark Wilson, former team USA Mosconi Cup captain.

 

[td873]

And how can you make your comment about how cheap the aim tool is? Do you know how much it is? Or are you making that comment out of ignorance? Until you hear from that horse's mouth, then I guess you don't know.

I will be waiting for you to upload a video of you using that device and consistently making a ball through it without hitting it. Since you're a betting man, I bet you couldn't do it twice in a row!

I know you like your device. And for very specific situations it may be cool (like for a true beginner and maybe for gimmicky training / funsies). And, admittedly, the auditory feedback and movement of the hoop is a plus. But even with that, hoop trainers really aren't a great tool for a host of reasons. For example, with the 2.75" (well, with any of them really), you can still hit the cue ball with unintended English and have it go through the hoop. It's actually pretty easy to shoot through 2.75" side. That's about 1/4" of room on each side of the hoop. If you hit an object ball 1/4" off target, you will almost certainly miss the shot. [even the 2.375" hoop has plenty of room]. So you need to be pretty new to the game for that to have any value.

As Bob was alluding, you can accomplish the same level of training without hauling around something relatively large (with a cost component).

It's also super easy to replicate (and improve on the design). Maybe a 15 minute design and 45 minutes to print at this size with one color change (and you could streamline it and make it print even faster).

Definitely an "A" for effort and trying to bring something to the pool masses. But low marks for the somewhat confrontational attitude.

-td

(Edit: I designed and printed one in under an hour)

 

[straightline]

I used wickets bent from coat hangers back - so long ago might be forward when lol. The main element these things reveal is the width of the ball. You may find shooting past obstacles becomes less stressful.

The best (and most convenient) drill is combos.

 

[El Toro]

I know you like your device. And for very specific situations it may be cool (like for a true beginner and maybe for gimmicky training / funsies). And, admittedly, the auditory feedback and movement of the hoop is a plus. But even with that, hoop trainers really aren't a great tool for a host of reasons. For example, with the 2.75" (well, with any of them really), you can still hit the cue ball with unintended English and have it go through the hoop. It's actually pretty easy to shoot through 2.75" side. That's about 1/4" of room on each side of the hoop. If you hit an object ball 1/4" off target, you will almost certainly miss the shot. [even the 2.375" hoop has plenty of room]. So you need to be pretty new to the game for that to have any value.

As Bob was alluding, you can accomplish the same level of training without hauling around something relatively large (with a cost component).

It's also super easy to replicate (and improve on the design). Maybe a 15 minute design and 45 minutes to print at this size with one color change (and you could streamline it and make it print even faster).

Definitely an "A" for effort and trying to bring something to the pool masses. But low marks for the somewhat confrontational attitude.

-td

(Edit: I designed and printed one in under an hour)

View attachment 899220

You didn't do any design work when all you did was copy the original look.

 

[td873]

You didn't do any design work when all you did was copy the original look.

2 things.

1) you are 100% incorrect. It seems like you just did what you accused Bob of doing -> speaking without knowledge. You should be sure you know what you are saying before saying it. The design of my hoops is vastly better than yours. Yours is essentially a rectangle with 2 holes in it. That's pretty rudimentary. [for example, if you look at the top of the hole, it doesn't even need to be round because the ball is so far below it. (Interestingly, my "copy" actually improves on your design by spacing it based on ball measurements...)]

2) you simply copied other pre-existing designs. There's a post with variations earlier in this thread. And people have been shooting through the snooker spider bridge in this way for many, many years.

Like I said, you are definitely vested in your design. Which is great. Trying to expand pool is commendable. But query whether your attitude here is presented to the real pool community. If so, you might consider a more amiable approach.

-td

 

[Zerksies]

This looks like another novelty gadet that does not fix the underlying issue.

 

[nataddrho]

Did you not read what he said? He flat out trashed it. How do you not understand that? He has not even tried using this aiming aid.
If you're selling a used car online, and I comment and say, "Man, that car sucks, there's better, cheaper cars elsewhere". That's pretty rude of me to say that, right? Especially when I've never even tried your car out. But hey, this is a discussion forum and I can talk shit about your car, right?
We're all here because we like pool, right? I didn't know that it was a requirement to speak up and ignorantly talk trash about something a person is trying to sell.

@El Toro I understand how you are feeling. Emotionally separating yourself from your ideas is a learned skill. Like anything else it is something that you have to practice and get better at over time. I know all too well.

Everybody in the world has great ideas from their own perspective. Ideas are free and valueless, essentially step zero. The very first step of innovation is to make a prototype and validate it yourself (cost and feasibility). You at least did this instead of talking about it, so good. The second step is to make a minimum-viable-product (MVP) and validate it with the public. This is where you are. Your public-validation stage results are telling you that the idea is not worth pursuing with a lot of capital because the response is underwhelming. You need to realize that his is reality and use it to properly place your product into the correct space (low production numbers, stay 3D printed, don't invest in a steel-cut mold, 50 sales per year target, etc).

You can't defend your idea yourself to force validation with the public. It is like trying to fight the laws of nature.

The nice thing about this forum is that you get critical feedback pretty much for free. In the engineering world you usually need to pay for it.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

A lot of you are mentioned using the pocket reducers, instead of this aiming tool, but pocket reducers won't tell you that you still have a garbage stroke and can't shoot straight.

I guess that raises the question: If you are consistently making balls in tight pockets, can you have a 'garbage' stroke and not be shooting straight?

I can't do the whole 'shoot between two objects' thing to save my life, but that is because I don't have what I consider to be a useful aim point.

You see, I learned to pocket balls and make shape. I can shoot between two balls to hit an object ball beyond the split because I have the ball to aim at (or a spot if I'm kicking).

Shooting between arbitrary obstacles doesn't teach anyone a thing about playing pool. If you want to dial in shooting straight, shoot from the spot to the middle diamond and make the cueball come back through the spot. Free, even on a bar table. Fast because there is nothing to set up. Accurate because the rail tells you if you have spin.

With any 'training' device, one has to ask whether the device is actually doing anything toward the final goal of being a better player. This isn't. Maybe it will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling, but nobody will care that you can roll a cueball through posts after you lose a match.

 

[DeeDeeCues]

This looks like another novelty gadet that does not fix the underlying issue.

It won't even diagnose the underlying issue, and could potentially worsen it because it isn't a true test of anything that matters on a pool table.

 

[Bavafongoul]

I think this training device is great. These kinds of devices are tools to give instant feedback that you are not shooting straight. A lot of you are mentioned using the pocket reducers, instead of this aiming tool, but pocket reducers won't tell you that you still have a garbage stroke and can't shoot straight. Other comments are saying to use chalk or golf tees, yeah, they do the same thing as this tool, but they take longer to set up than just standing this tool up-right. I'm sure most of you are super good at pool and may think this tool seems silly, but this isn't for you, it's for the beginners, the standards, and open players who just want to get a little better. We were all crappy at pool at one time.

For any of you noobs who want to get better, the link is https://mtlaser3dprintstudio.etsy.com

I dunno know about you but if I shoot at the corner pocket 6’, 7’, or 8 1/2’ away, straight is straight as far as my eyes
can discern a cue ball’s roll. I don’t need to see it pass thru a round portal to then head straight to the corner pocket and drop in the pocket. With the pro pocket reducer, which I submit makes the pocket ridiculously smaller with 4.25” CP and just a wee bit larger with 4.5” CP, rejects the cue ball, I know it wasn’t hit straight. And what’s even better feedback, at least for me, I don’t roll the cue ball into the pocket because it’s too easy and becomes boring. I actually shoot object balls, both straight shots and cut shots too. This provides more meaningful feedback and challenging. Remove the reducers and OMG, the pockets just seem enormous afterward. These gimmicks remind me of lawn croquet which is a pretty boring to play.

 

[ShootingArts]

Wow. Throwing Bob under the bus like that. I mean, Bob’s been around a minute and knows a lot of things. Bob’s opinion vs “new user.” Hmmmm

I also agree it is gimmicky and probably not useful for most people. But like many pool training things, some folks will find it useful.

-td

I bought one of the little things from Joe Tucker. Joe seems highly intelligent and knowledgeable, especially about pool. I found the gizmo worthless, I already stroked straighter than it gauged. A near beginner might find it wonderful, somebody with more experience, not so much. I broke or lost a piece, don't remember which. Replacement was fast and free!

I don't know anything about the device in this thread. To be gentle, it looks like one more device that came out because of 3D printers. People buy the printers or other NC equipment then have to find something to do with it. Might be doing these folks wrong but it seems like a lot of stuff is hitting the market that was designed because somebody had a machine to make it.

Hu