Changing Aiming System? When and Why?

gpeezy

gpeezy

for sale!
I've heard of many people looking for new aiming systems or rather trying new ones. I can understand this from someone in the "learning the fundamentals of the game" stage. During that time I agree with finding a system that works.

After you have been playing for a while and have picked up any speed as a player, why would you want to change systems? To me that would throw you off. When is it time to change? When you plateau? When you have been out of stroke for a while?

To me, whatever aiming system you decide in your early growth (considering you use some type of acceptable system) you should try and master that. Seems to me it could be damaging to your game to switch.

On the other hand it could accelerate someone's game to the next level. I was just wanting to hear everyone's views on this.
 
I don't go in for all these cockamamey systems but I will say this, you're never too good to learn something new. For people that are into all these different systems you never know, it may raise them up a ball or 2.....and that's always a good thing.
MULLY
thinks any system will work if you believe in it
 
Aiming......

I played for years by feel without a system other than what I thought was how I should hit a shot. A friend of mine worked out a system which started from a video I told him about. He modified what the pro was doing and taught it to me and my game jumped as soon as I got the hang of it and now i'm making shots consistently that I used to shoot and hope that they went in.

The system I use along with my low deflection shafts has made me enjoy playing pool more than I ever did before.

James
 
gpeezy said:
I've heard of many people looking for new aiming systems or rather trying new ones. I can understand this from someone in the "learning the fundamentals of the game" stage. During that time I agree with finding a system that works.

After you have been playing for a while and have picked up any speed as a player, why would you want to change systems? To me that would throw you off. When is it time to change? When you plateau? When you have been out of stroke for a while?

To me, whatever aiming system you decide in your early growth (considering you use some type of acceptable system) you should try and master that. Seems to me it could be damaging to your game to switch.

On the other hand it could accelerate someone's game to the next level. I was just wanting to hear everyone's views on this.
Click to expand...
To make up for a crooked stroke.
 
Sorry So Long---

I obviously learned to play using the ghost ball method, as many have. After years of playing, my game plateaued. I couldn't visualize every single shot on the table.

Looking for answers, I did some research and learned a few players were aiming at a two dimensional object ball (whether you call it fractional aiming or hitting a spot). You actually aim at a point off the visual edge as if it were on the same plane. I know "pool researchers" say that fractional aiming doesn't work, which is true given no adjustments--- many use bhe to compensate many shots which eliminate the number of slices / options one learns.

This method lifted me off my plateau and progressed me much farther... essentially removing depth perception from aiming.

Once again, I plateaued over time and looked for more answers. Spoke to more top players. The end to my search for the best base methodology came to a head in Hal Houle's living room, essentially aiming at the visual edge of the object ball for every shot on the table (not only eliminating depth perception, but eliminating the need to visualize the contact point - which is the next step).

I have learned additional knowledge that builds onto this information, but it's all based off the same thing....or more to the point, making the same thing more consistent on a physical level.

The theme of what I'm saying is the elimination of aiming variation... doing the exact same thing on every shot, which reduces your chances of a miss. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, there's no system to stroking straight. Outside of that, the rest can be controlled and built into a pre-shot routine.

I know you can accomplish the same thing with ghost ball after MANY years of playing. Since exactly a year ago (July 2007), my ball pocketing has at least doubled. It's just more efficient. The next phase is making mechanical adjustments for english to eliminate the feel of deflection compensation without really worrying about "pivot points" and other things you can't worry about in the heat of battle. Information is out there.

In conclusion, you don't have to change your methodology in aiming if you're totally happy with your speed. If you've been aiming the same way for years and in your heart you know you haven't improved to the point where you have the same confidence on every shot, you might want to consider doing something different. Just because you have the same confidence, mind you, doesn't mean you're making everything - you just have a more repeatable foundation for making the tougher shots.

Hope that makes sense.
 
SCCues said:
I played for years by feel without a system other than what I thought was how I should hit a shot. A friend of mine worked out a system which started from a video I told him about. He modified what the pro was doing and taught it to me and my game jumped as soon as I got the hang of it and now i'm making shots consistently that I used to shoot and hope that they went in.

The system I use along with my low deflection shafts has made me enjoy playing pool more than I ever did before.

James
Click to expand...
Yeah I'm getting back to playing and I think I'm gonna give the Low Deflection Shafts a try. I'm not gonna mess with how I aim though. I shoot em in right now.
 
My game was ehhh ok a couple of years ago. I was an APA 6 at the time. (I know, for a lot of you, that doesn't mean much. I care not. :P)

I took a 3-day clinic with Tom Simpson - the last day of which was about aiming systems. He taught us three different methods, one of which I found helped me almost immediately, and I basically embraced it fully from that point.

I have to say, it made a nice difference in my shot pocketing. Shots I would have trouble with in the past, I make much more regularly now.
 
Aiming

It goes without saying how important aiming is. It appears equally important to note that position play is seldom discussed. If position is played with a high degree of accuracy, shot-making becomes much less critical because the shot is usually shorter and easier. I think position play might be more important than some esoteric aiming method. Make your shots easier with the proper angle and your game will improve handily.
 
Curdog said:
It goes without saying how important aiming is. It appears equally important to note that position play is seldom discussed. If position is played with a high degree of accuracy, shot-making becomes much less critical because the shot is usually shorter and easier. I think position play might be more important than some esoteric aiming method. Make your shots easier with the proper angle and your game will improve handily.
Click to expand...

This is correct in theory. However no one stays in line all the time, so you need to be able to make some tough shots now and then to get back in line.

With that said, there are lots of shots that are easy for A level players and better, but are run stoppers for anyone less than that.

The better shot maker you are, the easier it is to play position.

As for aiming methods, I believe you should try to recognize angles as frequently reocurring shots, rather than try determine the aiming point over and over again, even though you've seen it thousands of times.

After a certain amount of time you need to let yourself simply perform. I think a lot people complicate matters more than is necessary.
 
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