Billiard Aim Trainer
- Thread starter Curdog
- Start date
The BAT
I bought the BAT mainly for my wife who was having problems lining up shots. She tried it and it seemed to help her see things more clearly.
While there are an infinite number of cut angles, it does help a great deal to get it narrowed down, especially for a novice player. It helped me with a couple of shots I was having some trouble with (object ball on head spot with cue ball in center of the table.) Now I make it with confidence.
When I bought it I wasn't expecting it to be worth the money but it turned out to be a good purchase.
Stephen
PS. Other than making the purchase, I dont' have any affiliation with these BAT folks at all.
I bought the BAT mainly for my wife who was having problems lining up shots. She tried it and it seemed to help her see things more clearly.
While there are an infinite number of cut angles, it does help a great deal to get it narrowed down, especially for a novice player. It helped me with a couple of shots I was having some trouble with (object ball on head spot with cue ball in center of the table.) Now I make it with confidence.
When I bought it I wasn't expecting it to be worth the money but it turned out to be a good purchase.
Stephen
PS. Other than making the purchase, I dont' have any affiliation with these BAT folks at all.
Batman
Registered
Stephen,
I am happy to hear of your positive experience. Can we use your testimonial on our site?
You may like to join the BATTEAM at Google Groups to get more tips and training with the BAT.
http://groups.google.com/group/batteam
Paul (BATman)
I am happy to hear of your positive experience. Can we use your testimonial on our site?
You may like to join the BATTEAM at Google Groups to get more tips and training with the BAT.
http://groups.google.com/group/batteam
Paul (BATman)
Just bought the BAT, two weeks ago and have invested about 20 hours of practice utilizing the concept. For center cue ball hits the concept seems to work well. It isn't magic but it makes those tough back cuts much easier to pocket. When applying a tip or more of sidespin on the cueball the concept doesn't work so well as you are back to picking an imaginary 'spot' on the OB.
I discovered that you must fully commit to the 3-cut system on a shot and forget where your instinct is telling you to aim, you cannot do a bit of each and achieve consistant results.
When OB and CB are in close proximity (couple of inches) I found it becomes difficult to determine accurate degree of angle and instinct is usually more fruitful.
Paul, it is interesting that you say that you should sight off of the edge of the OB, your BAT pamphlet would lead a reader to believe that you sight off the edge of the CB which would make the system work more consistently when using English.
I discovered that you must fully commit to the 3-cut system on a shot and forget where your instinct is telling you to aim, you cannot do a bit of each and achieve consistant results.
When OB and CB are in close proximity (couple of inches) I found it becomes difficult to determine accurate degree of angle and instinct is usually more fruitful.
Paul, it is interesting that you say that you should sight off of the edge of the OB, your BAT pamphlet would lead a reader to believe that you sight off the edge of the CB which would make the system work more consistently when using English.
ljmoss said:
Hi Linda, thanks for your support of Hal. You are indeed a friend of Hal's.
There are two types of people in the World.
1. Those who want to prove that you are wrong.
2. Those who are Open Minded and want more information to help their
game.
Our School gets blasted ever so often when we teach Hal's sytems. Usually by non-students. The students who are in class come away with a very valuable aiming tool....SPF=randyg
I see you went to Hal Houle's School of Psychology too.
pj
chgo
Linda, thank you for that fantastic post!!!! I have never meet Hal and was looking forward to meeting him before I found out that he was to ill to travel. You have no idea how much he has helped me with my shot making just from reading the instructions. I am sure that there is a wealth of information that I am missing from not tutoring under him like you have and I really envy you. I am looking forward to your book if you ever decide to write one and just reading your post tells me that you are more than capable of doing a masterful job of it. Keep in mind that Hal and you are "The Last of the JEDI KNIGHTS" Let the force be with you!
UOTE=Chi2dxa]Linda, thank you for that fantastic post!!!! I have never meet Hal and was looking forward to meeting him before I found out that he was to ill to travel. You have no idea how much he has helped me with my shot making just from reading the instructions. I am sure that there is a wealth of information that I am missing from not tutoring under him like you have and I really envy you. I am looking forward to your book if you ever decide to write one and just reading your post tells me that you are more than capable of doing a masterful job of it. Keep in mind that Hal and you are "The Last of the JEDI KNIGHTS" Let the force be with you![/QUOTE]
thank you for your kind words. the only one ever to wright a book will have to be Hal, as he is the master. We Houligans are only the students lucky enough to have spent time with him. i know of no Houligan that would attempt to put into print what only Hal Houle could teach.
i am not THE LAST OF THE JEDI KNIGHTS, I AM A HOULIGAN, THE FIRST HOULIGAN AND DAMM PROUD OF IT .
i have just had brain surgery as of 3 weeks ago---another year i had to miss the dcc. my first post , but a worthy one.
ljmoss
p.s the nuerosurgeon in orlando said all he could find on my brain was pictures of diamond tables, bca pool league banners ,az and pool balls.lol
on the serious side----------------
all came out well and i will be ready to go again soon.
thank you for your kind words. the only one ever to wright a book will have to be Hal, as he is the master. We Houligans are only the students lucky enough to have spent time with him. i know of no Houligan that would attempt to put into print what only Hal Houle could teach.
i am not THE LAST OF THE JEDI KNIGHTS, I AM A HOULIGAN, THE FIRST HOULIGAN AND DAMM PROUD OF IT .
i have just had brain surgery as of 3 weeks ago---another year i had to miss the dcc. my first post , but a worthy one.
ljmoss
p.s the nuerosurgeon in orlando said all he could find on my brain was pictures of diamond tables, bca pool league banners ,az and pool balls.lol
on the serious side----------------
all came out well and i will be ready to go again soon.
Batman
Registered
Sporto,Sporto said:
If you are not familiar with the 3-cut system that the BAT promotes, it may be hard to break old habits, but I have found that it does make you more consistent.
The basis of it is to use the edge of the OB for referencing all cut shots. The edge is the only absolute aiming reference point on an OB, and it represents a 30 degree angle cut.
You're right about close up shots. It is hard to estimate these angles no matter what system you employ, so yes, instincts may help more. However, after using the BAT for a while, I'll bet your instincts are a lot more accurate than they were before!
On any cut shot, it is always best to aim while standing. In other words, step back and look at the cut. Once you have decided what the angle is, only then place your back foot in the correct position to play that shot and then fall into your stance. It is usally best to actually not get down on very close up shots, but to play them with the head a little higher than normal.
Finally, regarding your last point. I don't site off the edge of the cue ball. I actually try to see both the OB and CB not as balls but more like flat circles coming together. The actual contact point between the two will send the OB on a particular path. But in terms of aiming, the contact point is not important. What is important is the path of the cue ball, and that is best determined when you look at this collision as if the two balls (CB and OB) were flat. The magic of the BAT is that it is the first aiming tool to show the relationship between the contact point, the degree of the cut and how much of the OB was being "cut off."
As far as English is concerned. Most professionals will tell you to first learn to hit without it. Then apply English gradually to help you increase options and of course control the CB better. I use English a lot, but the 3-cut system still gives me a basis, so that when I do apply English I know exactly how much I can get away with and still successfully cut the ball in.
Seeing how this thread cropped up from months past, and I have some spare change handy, my 2 cents is... the first few weeks you are learning how and where to aim, pretty much any systems that will work for your type of learning (that would be learn by watching, learn by doing, learn by reading, etc...) is fine, use laser sticks, books, aiming balls (elephant and others), whatever. After that, you forget it all and go by what "feels" right. Once past a D or low C level, if you learned how to have a true stroke and can focus well, any aiming system is past it's usefullness. The only new aiming system, if you can call it that, I have found to be usefull later on in your pool game is from Bert Kinister and one of his tapes on long shots. He pointed out where people miss and how to adjust to make them. That is the only new aiming "system" I have looked at in 20 years of playing.
Tip in Tip out
I think I have that tape where Bert teaches aiming half ball hits and then uses the concept of tip in tip out. It really clears your head to have that half ball refference and certainly has helped my game and I play at a high level. Fargo AKA Mike Page has an aiming video up on Youtube.com that is a discussion for different aiming systems. I am a little short on attention span so I had to look at it twice he is just really giving you something to think about. Interesting english players never heard of ghost ball techniques and Mike points to this in his video. I have tried the BAT at a demonstration booth and it is amazing at how easy a tough shot can be and I think it clears you head to concentrate on position.
hang-the-9 said:
I think I have that tape where Bert teaches aiming half ball hits and then uses the concept of tip in tip out. It really clears your head to have that half ball refference and certainly has helped my game and I play at a high level. Fargo AKA Mike Page has an aiming video up on Youtube.com that is a discussion for different aiming systems. I am a little short on attention span so I had to look at it twice he is just really giving you something to think about. Interesting english players never heard of ghost ball techniques and Mike points to this in his video. I have tried the BAT at a demonstration booth and it is amazing at how easy a tough shot can be and I think it clears you head to concentrate on position.
Batman said:
PM has been sent sir.
Business has been quite busy on my end with an open invite to go to Hal's house and learn all he has to teach. I think finally this week I will give the man a call and learn all he is willing to show.