Blind cueists -- do they exist? Could they exist?

9BallPaul

9BallPaul

Banned
This topic came up in my poolroom recently. Seems to me that a former player who was familiar with stroking the ball could -- with the help of an "aimer" stationed behind him -- have a reasonable chance of making balls.

In that way, a former player who went blind might be able to enjoy the feel and sounds of pocketing balls. More than a few players think I'm nuts.

Instructors, what do you say?
 
9BallPaul said:
This topic came up in my poolroom recently. Seems to me that a former player who was familiar with stroking the ball could -- with the help of an "aimer" stationed behind him -- have a reasonable chance of making balls.

In that way, a former player who went blind might be able to enjoy the feel and sounds of pocketing balls. More than a few players think I'm nuts.

Instructors, what do you say?
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Looking for some action or what?
 
Neil said:
Yes. A while back there was an article in one of the mags about a blind guy that played in a local tournament. He had a coach on every shot, but he actually won a couple of matches! They also interviewed one of the guys he beat. He was a little embarrassed to say the least.
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Thanks Neil. Can't wait to direct my pool buddies to your post.

And Drew? Once again I can't fathom what you're talking about.
 
I have coached a APA 9 ball team here in NC for many years and a player on one of the inhouse teams we played against forever is legally blind and he has a skill level of 4 for the last two years. Guys can be a 2 in APA nineball so he can and does beat sl 3"s quite regular and he can't have a drivers licence as he is that blind but he can see the shadow or dark edge of the object ball and cueball. My wife is a great 3 who has been a 4 and he can beat her 4 out of 5 times but not by much, just a point or two. It would seem like having to kick at a ball would really hinder his play, but he kicks well enough that having your sl3 play him safe don't cause him much trouble.--Leonard
 
I don't see why there aren't blind players. I've seen blind skiers while out on the slopes and none of them were on the bunny slope either.
 
gunzby said:
I don't see why there aren't blind players. I've seen blind skiers while out on the slopes and none of them were on the bunny slope either.
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In my early days I was a ski instructor in Winter Park, where the was a program for blind skiers. Of course they required an escort, but they could do it.

I've been fooling around on my own table with closing my eyes, or pulling my hat over the eyes, and the results are mixed. But that doesn't count. I think you'd have to be blind to accept or reject the challenge.

I'm gonna search out that pool mag article that Neil mentioned.
 
9BallPaul said:
I've been fooling around on my own table with closing my eyes, or pulling my hat over the eyes, and the results are mixed. But that doesn't count. I think you'd have to be blind to accept or reject the challenge.
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Several years ago, I attended a pool clinic given by instructor Tom Ross. As part of the clinic, he had us line up for the shot, then close our eyes and shoot the object ball into the pocket. If we lined up correctly and had good fundamentals, most of the time we could make the shot with our eyes closed.

I've demonstrated this "trick" to other people many times over the years. Making a ball with my eyes closed never fails to impress the rail birds. :cool:

Once you line up for the shot, the rest is mental. You can make the shot even with your eyes closed.
 
PoolSharkAllen said:
Several years ago, I attended a pool clinic given by instructor Tom Ross. As part of the clinic, he had us line up for the shot, then close our eyes and shoot the object ball into the pocket. If we lined up correctly and had good fundamentals, most of the time we could make the shot with our eyes closed.

I've demonstrated this "trick" to other people many times over the years. Making a ball with my eyes closed never fails to impress the rail birds. :cool:

Once you line up for the shot, the rest is mental. You can make the shot even with your eyes closed.
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Interesting you bring this up. Tom is a homeboy, and he's recovering from a brain bleed that laid him low for a few months. I'll be attending his fund-raiser on July 9 at Wynkoop Billiards in Denver.
 
My wife is legally blind (she has no central vision). If I stand on the opposite side of the table and tell her when the back of the cue is lined up she can make about 30% of the shots over six feet or so. She cannot see the object ball but she can see the cue ball with her very limited peripheral vision.

On closer shots she can get an image of the OB that is less than four feet away if she looks out of the side of her eye. To see what she sees place your doubled fists about three inches in front of both eyes and use only your peripheal vision to see the world. You have to look straight ahead and yet try to see things from the sides of your eyes. With this very limited vision she can pocket some balls and usually makes mistakes with cue stick alignment.

We have played a type of pool where she tries to place the the next object ball in any pocket with the cue stick. She does not have to use the cue ball. She has, at times, run four or five balls in a row. Not bad for a blind lady who has a red tipped cane.

BTW she has a good PSR and gets very happy when she can pocket more than three in a row.
 
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JoeW said:
My wife is legally blind (she has no central vision). If I stand on the opposite side of the table and tell her when the back of the cue is lined up she can make about 30% of the shots over six feet or so. She cannot see the object ball but she can see the cue ball with her very limited peripheral vision.

On closer shots she can get an image of the OB that is less than four feet away if she looks out of the side of her eye. To see what she sees place your doubled fists about three inches in front of both eyes and use only your peripheal vision to see the world. You have to look straight ahead and yet try to see things from the sides of your eyes. With this very limited vision she can pocket some balls and usually makes mistakes with cue stick alignment.

We have played a type of pool where she tries to place the the next object ball in any pocket with the cue stick. She does not have to use the cue ball. She has, at times, run four or five balls in a row. Not bad for a blind lady who has a red tipped cane.

BTW she has a good PSR and gets very happy when she can pocket more than three in a row.
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Thanks very much Joe. This settles the question once and for all.
 
gunzby said:
I don't see why there aren't blind players. I've seen blind skiers while out on the slopes and none of them were on the bunny slope either.
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A team mate in APA is legally blind and belongs to a blind ski club. The club goes to Colorado for ski trips. He is a APA 3 in 8 ball. He plays like most 3's will sometimes run 5 balls and then miss with BIH or follow in a pocket hanger 8 ball. One eye is removed and can only see shadows with the other. He has a hard time distinguishing what balls are his group and most times can't see the 8 ball. But he still wins his share and is a good team mate.



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I'm no instructor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn. There's more to shooting than point and shoot. There is also a feel for the aim and everything else that goes into the mechanics of shooting. Plus your term "cueist" would be a misnomer as that suggests some level of expertise.
 
LAlouie said:
I'm no instructor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn. There's more to shooting than point and shoot. There is also a feel for the aim and everything else that goes into the mechanics of shooting. Plus your term "cueist" would be a misnomer as that suggests some level of expertise.
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In the future I'll try to run my thread titles by you first, Louie. Thanks for your contribution. Did you bother to read the other posts? Yours looks a little silly next to the accounts of legally blind people playing pool.
 
Handicapable

I am not sure on the blind aspect as I have never seen someone either totally or legally blind shooting pool, but I imagine it would be possible. If some people are correct, when you lose one sense, your others respond by getting better (IE losing sight would make your sense of touch or sound come up a notch).

On another note, I remember making a table several years ago with hydraulics fixed at 4 points under the bed of a table so it could raise up and down to accomodate children in wheel chairs. It was a neat idea that worked fairly well. Your post reminded me of that.
 
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