Center ball

[BRKNRUN]

I use BHE on all my shots.

It doesnt matter where i hit the cb, on the real center or what my eyes think is the real center. My cb will always be going in a straight line. And if my stroke isnt perfectly horizontal (wich it always is), the 0.002" swerve movement to the left or to the right because of a very slight elevated cue wont make me miss a pot, because the pockets are in most of the times 200% the size of a ball, wich gives +- 5? angle error so i can aford to have 0.002" swerve. as long as my deflection = 0?, i dont care for a 1/4th of a tip right or left for real center movement.

or am i wrong?

As long as you start from a center CB and your bridge hand (pivot) does not move this is usually a true statement...

I actually have a tendency (when lazy in my set up) to end up slightly off center of the CB (a little right of center) .....not 100% sure why that happens (I think it has to do with my vision and perception of center) but I know it does becuase I catch myself doing it.

I don't really ever refer to center CB...I tend to refer to it as (verticle) center axis. The reason I refer to it as center axis instead of center CB is that depending on the angle of the shot (as the CB moves in relation to the OB ball) the center axis of the CB changes...(rotates)

What I do to determin center axis is after I have identified the shot path needed for the CB to pocket the OB I look at where the CB touches the cloth (along that shot line) That gives me center axis for tip placement and then from there BHE usually takes care of the rest (as long as bridge hand is stable)

Problem is that I get lazy in the set up and don't use my reference points and end up missing because I did not set up on center (axis) CB


Also...Here is some more information to chew on

I refer to top and bottom as (Horizontal) Axis...This axis also has changing variable....To me the center axis (to determin top or bottom) is the same angle through the CB as the elevation of the cue........(as it relates to the angle of the table bed)....So...as the butt end of your cue is elevated...the conact side fo the horizonatal (axis) is also raised.

Since there is almost always some elevation of the cue...the center (horizonatal) axis is never equal to the angle of the table bed.....So (IMO) from the way I reference things above....What others might consider a contact of center CB (to me) would produce an ever so slight draw effect.

 

[Neil]

.............

 

[hang-the-9]

Very easy way to tell if you actually hit center ball, no matter where you are actually aiming. Line up a dead straight shot, fairly long. Hit a bunch of shots and see if it wavers off the line after contact. I would think for a true middle ball hit you should be able to hold the cue ball within a few tips of center almost all of the time. Because the point of contact through the cue ball to the object ball to the pocket on a straight shot is right through the middle, if either of them waivers off you are having issues hitting center ball.

Another way is to clean the ball off, and see where your chalk mark ends up in relation to where you want to hit.

I have been told a few times that when I line up what I think is a straight shot, it's actually a bit on angle. This may be due to the fact that I have one eye much worse off than the other. I do wear glasses, but they don't correct things perfectly. Over the years I learned to adjust to make the ball, but when faced with a true straight shot it's even odds that it would miss, because I think it has an angle it really does not.

 

[Get_A_Grip]

Truly Center Ball or Not

For me, I need to hit the cue ball about 1/4 tip to the left (of where I visually see and perceive the center of the cue ball).

I'm guessing that this is just a visual perception thing that I have based on how I line things up when down in my stance. Actually, this is one of the pieces of information that I learned in one of the Monk books (among a few other things that I hadn't seen anywhere else).

In one of the Monk books, he shows a shot that if you aren't hitting center ball, the cue ball won't travel back on the correct path. Obviously a stun-shot or stop shot is another way to test if you're truly hitting the center of the cue ball. Doing this excercise is how I came to realize that I wasn't hitting the "center" of the cue ball.

Now if it's the case that I really am hitting more to the left of center and that I need to hit there to achieve the effect of hitting center ball based on my stroke, then so be it -- as long as I know where to aim at the cue ball to achieve center ball action, then I'm happy.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Very easy way to tell if you actually hit center ball, no matter where you are actually aiming. Line up a dead straight shot, fairly long. Hit a bunch of shots and see if it wavers off the line after contact. I would think for a true middle ball hit you should be able to hold the cue ball within a few tips of center almost all of the time. Because the point of contact through the cue ball to the object ball to the pocket on a straight shot is right through the middle, if either of them waivers off you are having issues hitting center ball.

That's what I'm trying to get across. If I hit on the center axis on a long, dead-straight in shot, the CB will fade slightly to the left...just a little. The slight tip adjustment to the right corrects that for me. What I find is I'm a LOT more accurate on long, tough shots making this adjustment.

 

[td873]

If you want to hit a "center ball" shot, where do you hit the CB?

I know this has been discussed before; however, I'd like to see the % of what people do and how they play (generally speaking). I'm interested in those who do not hit center CB on PURPOSE - not those who know they don't hit it and try to.

Your question is ambiguous, and, IMO, cannot be addressed correctly as worded. Thus, for this poll, I assumed you meant that "center ball" is the result of the shot, and not the actual contact of tip/cueball. That is, center ball means that the cue ball has no forward or backward spin at contact with the object ball, which would result in a stop shot if hitting a ball flush. [The reason I assumed this is that otherwise, your question means how do you hit the actual center of the cue ball, which does not appear to be what the answers are directed to] In this regard, I use draw 95% of the time. The other 5% relates to specific short shots with a medium stroke, where the ball is sliding (i.e., not rolling) the entire time. Also, keep in mind, that you will shoot with left or right on many "center ball" shots that are not full hits. In particular, when you want the cue ball to react off a rail.

But:

If you actually meant "do you hit in the center of the cue ball when trying to" - the answer is most of the time, but not always.

If you actually meant "do you want to hit the center ball of the cue ball on particular shots" - the answer is almost never.

If you actually meant "do you shoot with english, but on the same horizontal axis as the center of the cue ball" - the answer is sometimes.

If you actually meant, "do you use english when shooting stun shots" the answer is a lot.

-td

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Your question is ambiguous, and cannot be answered correctly as worded. Thus, for this poll, I assumed you meant that "center ball" is the result of the shot, and not the actual contact of tip/cueball. That is, center ball means that the cue ball has no forward or backward spin at contact with the object ball, which would result in a stop shot if hitting a ball flush. [The reason I assumed this is that otherwise, your question means how do you hit the actual center of the cue ball, which does not appear to be what the answers are directed to]

In this regard, I use draw 95% of the time. The other 5% relates to specific short shots with a medium stroke, where the ball is sliding (i.e., not rolling) the entire time.

Also, keep in mind, that you will shoot with left or right on many "center ball" shots that are not full hits. In particular, when you want the cue ball to react off a rail.

If you actually meant "do you hit in the center of the cue ball when trying to" - the answer is most of the time, but not always.

-td

I'm referring to non-center axis hits on the CB to achieve center-axis results. I should have been more descriptive.

 

[rcarson]

That's what I'm trying to get across. If I hit on the center axis on a long, dead-straight in shot, the CB will fade slightly to the left...just a little. The slight tip adjustment to the right corrects that for me. What I find is I'm a LOT more accurate on long, tough shots making this adjustment.

Have you ever thought that you are addressing the cue ball out of line. This could also explain why you precieve the need to have a minor right cue tip adjustment. I notice when I am slightly out of line and at times I tilt my head like a confused puppy would. This usually causes me to be oh so slightly out of line and I am unable to hit center vertical axis because I "can't see" center vertical from my persepective on the cue ball in relation to the motion of my cue. I am not so out of line that I may miss the straight in but I notice that my cue ball has some spin and also, sometimes this is hard to see if it happens, I hit the object ball just a bit off center which the english compensates for. So although I hit off center, and my cue ball had english, it still looks almost exactly like a center ball hit as the cue ball stops and the object ball goes into the center of the pocket. Just my thoughts and how I see myself playing as I observe during practice.

 

[Shawn Armstrong]

Have you ever thought that you are addressing the cue ball out of line. This could also explain why you precieve the need to have a minor right cue tip adjustment. I notice when I am slightly out of line and at times I tilt my head like a confused puppy would. This usually causes me to be oh so slightly out of line and I am unable to hit center vertical axis because I "can't see" center vertical from my persepective on the cue ball in relation to the motion of my cue. I am not so out of line that I may miss the straight in but I notice that my cue ball has some spin and also, sometimes this is hard to see if it happens, I hit the object ball just a bit off center which the english compensates for. So although I hit off center, and my cue ball had english, it still looks almost exactly like a center ball hit as the cue ball stops and the object ball goes into the center of the pocket. Just my thoughts and how I see myself playing as I observe during practice.

Webb's got a pretty mean stroke - I think he knows EXACTLY where he's hitting the ball. JMO.

 

[uwate]

You need to have the factor of distance and speed of the shot in the equation if your asking how you go about hitting a center ball shot.

 

[Neil]

................

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Have you ever thought that you are addressing the cue ball out of line. This could also explain why you precieve the need to have a minor right cue tip adjustment. I notice when I am slightly out of line and at times I tilt my head like a confused puppy would. This usually causes me to be oh so slightly out of line and I am unable to hit center vertical axis because I "can't see" center vertical from my persepective on the cue ball in relation to the motion of my cue. I am not so out of line that I may miss the straight in but I notice that my cue ball has some spin and also, sometimes this is hard to see if it happens, I hit the object ball just a bit off center which the english compensates for. So although I hit off center, and my cue ball had english, it still looks almost exactly like a center ball hit as the cue ball stops and the object ball goes into the center of the pocket. Just my thoughts and how I see myself playing as I observe during practice.

I appreciate the observation. Sighting isn't a prob with me. I also have pretty good self-assessment. I know I don't stroke laser-straight. I hit slightly right of CB center to stroke through the core of the ball. Short/medium distances do not really show the benefit. Long distances you can see the difference very well. Danny explained to me that for many players center ball isn't center ball (referring to the center-axis) due to stroke imperfections.

I shoot side-armed SLIGHTLY so that adjustment helps when i'm shooting table-length shots. I spoke to a few other pros who echo the same thing. I missed a good opportunity with my poll because my original post wasn't descriptive enough. I think people thought that hitting draw to get stun was what I was looking for--- and it wasn't.

EDIT:

I know how to find center of the CB, and how to align for it, etc. I think everyone should line up a long laser-straight-in shot and shoot it 10x or so tonight and report back. Unless the CB is stopped dead in front of the OB, you're not stroking through the core, as Scott mentioned earlier. If you stroke crooked, as MANY do in this thread I would guess, hitting the face of the CB in the center won't get you there. It's like pro golfers... ask a pro golfer if he/she strokes perfectly straight. Nicklaus said when he swung straight it was an accident. Pool players DO stroke straight, by the way, just way fewer than you think.

 

[Joe T]

I think I'm hitting center here Dave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD4o92GwWfU

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I think I'm hitting center here Dave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD4o92GwWfU

Ha... that's pretty straight! I guess the answer is I'm not using my 3rd eye enought LMAO! Sweet video!

 

[Russ Chewning]

Truthfully, you cannot hit center on the CB...because centerball is the CORE of the CB. You can, however, aim at the core, and strike the outside edge of the circumferance, at a very close approximation of where center is. MOST poolplayers aim higher than where the correct approximation is, due to perceptual errors in "seeing" where center is on the outside of the CB.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

I actually aim and hit center ball... Confirmed by Scott here...

And still a C player, of course...

Russ

 

[Joe T]

I've found that a good 70% or better of all players are significantly off center without knowing it. The straight in shot and not the rolling the cb or stripe ball up & down the table is best to test.

Dave the 3rd eye does work but ya know even it doesn't create a permernant lasting change. The only thing I've found to work is consistent refreshers with it or whatever method works for you as soon as you feel yourself a little off.

Our vision is constantly changing and for those of us that don't see the same picture everyday the best cure I've found is 10 or 20 straight ones as often or as regularly as possible. Once you're in the groove pay extra attention to what it feels like, not looks like and then later on let that feeling lead your eyes into the shot rather than vice versa.

 

[Dan Harriman]

Mr. Spider Webb Camm

You need to have the factor of distance and speed of the shot in the equation if your asking how you go about hitting a center ball shot.

This is a very smart but simple answer, I think you have got what it is I explained but if yo try to share this knowledge and someone does not understand it - they could be smarter than you. Ohh and by the way thats Ok cause more than likey you play much better, I don't care how many certificates of instruction they have. Joe Tucker is also a great instructor and I would definitely consider his input a real gem also.


Sincerely, Danny Harriman

 

[predator]

This is a clip I posted in another thread. Second best snooker player in the world practices. Starts shooting straight-in shots at around 4 minute 20 second mark. I believe this guy shoots as straight as possible, but he still misses a few.

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

 

[jongreve]

Since they are both public polls, I thought I'd try to find out who was a B+ or better and how they played the ghost...


Center and > B+: G3, G3, G6, G7, G7, G7, G7, G8, G8, G9, G10

Off center and > B+: G5, G7, G8

Center and < B+: G3, G3, G3, G4, G5, G5, G6, G10

Off center and < B+: G6



Interesting...