mikepage said:Hey John --
Is this an accurate description of what you do? This is the earliest reference I could find of Hal himself describing his system-- August 1997
What do you CTEers think of this approach?
"There are only 3 angles for any shot, on any size table. This includes;
> caroms, single rail banks, double rail banks, 1, 2, 3, and 4 rail banks,
> and double kiss banks. Any table has a 2 to 1 ratio; 3 1/2 x 7, 4 x 8, 4 ?
> x 9, 5 x 10, 6 x 12. It is always twice as long as it is wide. The table
> corners are 90 degree angles. When you lay a cue from the side pocket to
I know nothing of this. I have seen it referenced and discussed but as I said before I NEVER participated in or read the Aiming System threads PRIOR to actually meeting Hal Houle. When I met the man, at the invitation of another friend, it was with the barest of ideas of who he was and what he wanted. Bob Johnson didn't even tell me who he was when he invited me to come to Paradise Billiards in Denver to meet him. I don't even think that at the time it even clicked in my head that this guy was responsible for so much discussion on RSB.
I went there and he had a printout of a post I had made where I was repeating something from a magazine about how Johnny Archer finds the spot on the cueball. He then starts showing me all kinds of ways to aim and is splitting the pocket.
The ONLY one that stuck with me is the quarter lines to the center and edges of the object ball. For some reason that one clicked with me and "I" started splitting the pocket using it.
Honestly Mike, I am about worn out from all the discussion and now I remember WHY I never got into them prior to meeting Hal.
I can certainly understand WHY this all causes so much controversy. It's a bit disconcerting to learn something completely new and see it work and not know why it does. Especially something so "simple" like pool.
I have ideas. I have ideas about how to diagram and video those ideas in action. But I have no time.
The ideas are that perspective plays a part in aiming systems. There is no such thing as parallel english in aiming. Those are two ideas that are intertwined - and I feel that there is some merit to them and would like to figure out a way to diagram or show them but I have no time.
So, I will just have to leave it at that.
No, I have not a clue about only 3 angles being needed to play pool. I will say that last night my friend and I went to the pool room and we got in action and every one was watching and it was a ton of fun and we didn't discuss aiming all night and enjoyed every clutch shot that split the wicket. My friend uses or knows a whole bunch of techniques or "systems" pertaining to aiming but when it came time to perform I am sure he wasn't "using" any of them consciously. It all gelled and he came with it and we partied like rocks stars on the winnings. Well ok, like really poor and unknown rock stars but we made it rain at McDonalds at 3am.
