From Dr. Dave's Resource Page
It's been a while since I actually read this thing. I wanted to comment on some of the content. Hopefully nobody takes offense to this - heck, I even edited my own info that Dr. Dave quoted (because I'm a LOT more educated today than I was a year or two ago). I just figured if Dr. Dave is going to post CTE info (and it appears as though many people here are using it as a "go-to reference," it might as well be correct. This will at least give everyone a baseline for future questions, discussions and the beloved arguments. Here we go:
For a “thick hit” (a small cut angle less than 15 degrees) to the left:
1. Align the cue 1 tip to the right of the CB center through the right edge of the OB.
I kept reading this technique in this thread and I couldn't understand where people kept getting this - I now see why... it's listed here. This is bad information. CTE is based on a 1/2 ball pivot. Now, you can offset much less, but you gotta be on a different radius based on your bridge spot (from the CB edge line) that might be closer to the center. Small pivots are for developed, advanced CTE players. Players who utilize small pivots have a developed arcing technique. If you rotate your cue in your bridge (which i'm guessing most do here), you're going to miss a LOT of shots. As a beginner, if you're using a 1-tip pivot there's no way you're getting a sensation of how to arc.
2. Place the bridge hand down with the cue along this line.
I don't agree. Your bridge should be on a CB edge-to-shooter line (parallel to ctel)
3. Pivot the cue until the cue is pointed directly through the center of the CB.
Incorrect. You'll miss everything you shoot at if you do this. You must pivot your cue with consideration of the arc required for the shot (see shot circle).
4. Stroke perfectly straight along this line.
Correct
For a “half-ball hit” (close to 30 degrees) to the left:
1. Align the cue through the center of the CB and through the right edge of the OB.
2. Place the bridge hand down with the cue along this line.
3. Stroke perfectly straight along this center-to-edge (CTE) line.
Everything above is incorrect. You ALWAYS pivot on every shot in CTE - EVERY SINGLE SHOT. Perform a thick pivot.
For a “thin cut” (more than 45 degrees) to the left:
1. Align the cue 1 tip to the left of the CB center through the right edge of the OB.
2. Place the bridge hand down with the cue along this line.
3. Pivot the cue until the cue is pointed directly through the center of the CB.
4. Stroke perfectly straight along this line.
Incorrect - Also, focus on 1/2 ball pivot (see above)
from Colin Colenso:
1. Stare down the CTE line with the cue tip to the left.
Not true. One is always looking across the CTE line (staring straight down the outermost edge line)
2. Slide your bridge and tip into position picturing the line of aim relative to the CTE line.
Not true. Who knows what the line of aim is until you get to the CB center? I don't picture anything other than identifying the CTEL accurately, outermost edge line (to align my body) and sliding my bridge into position. Outside of that, my focus is on an accurate arc. That's it. Forget relative aim lines.
3. Bring the tip up to center CB on this line of aim. The CTE line is in your peripheral vision.
Not true. If you do this, you're aiming and you're not using the system to pocket the ball. This isn't CTE.
4. Shoot straight. -use natural follow for consistent CIT. (A soft stun can cause you to miss the shot).
from 3kushn:
Line up for CTE. If the cut angle is to the left, place your tip on the right side of the CB then pivot to center (not moving the bridge) and stroke the shot. Just the opposite for a shot angled to the right.
This does not take into account thick/thin shots, pivot arcs, outermost edge alignment--- anything.
from av84fun:
1. See the CTE line extended from the outside edge of the OB to the top center of the CB and thence toward the shooter.
The reverse CTE line from the OB to the CB (ETC, but from a side perspective) is key. AV8 is really close here.
2. Place your back foot on the extended CTE line and fall on the shot with your chin/nose descending down on top of that line.*
Never put your foot on the CTEL - your eyes/body/feet should be centered on one side or the other.
3. Land on the table with your bridge hand short of your normal bridge length with a certain spot on your bridge hand** directly on top of the CTE line.
If you place your bridge on the CTEL - you risk pivoting back to it for a 1/2 ball hit.
4. Push your bridge hand up to your normal bridge distance on the "track" provided by the CTE line while pointing your tip to the outside edge of the CB at the equator.***
Yes, cue should be parallel to the CTEL unless you're a Pro1 user - that might change on right to left pivots as a right hander.
5. When you reach your normal bridge length, pivot the tip along the equator to the exact center of the CB. That is your Line of Aim. Note the spot on the OB that the tip points to. You will see that as the cut angle changes, executing the above procedure will cause the tip to point to different places on the OB and/or off the OB entirely on thinner cut angles.
Yes, just make sure you pivot along the arc of the shot.
NOTE that this method goes "off" when the CB and OB are very close together and when certain cut angles are reached. I find that the cut angle goes off at about that angle created by placing the CB at table center on the head string and the OB about 1/2 diamond below the foot string.
At very close ranges, you must shorten your bridge to within OB/CB distance. If it's VERY close, you must air pivot.
* It is actually correct have your nose/chin SLIGHTLY inside the CTE line.
Sometimes, sometimes not.
** That spot is normally the inverted ^ formed by the index finger of the closed bridge or the center of the thumb pad of the open bridge. But bridge configurations vary and it is CRUCIAL to locate the correct spot for each player.
Agree with bridge configurations. I like his idea of bridgehand spots.
*** The pivot as described serves two purposes. 1. It gets the shaft out of the way so that you can continuously see the CTE line and 2. It helps to created a consistent bridge distance.
The pivot makes the ball, period. Forget continuously sighting the CTEL after pivoting. You should always have a consistent bridge distance.
from SpiderWebComm (Dave Segal):
- You should never sight directly down the CTEL (center to edge line). Your head should always be on one side or the other. I like pretending the CTEL is a vertical plane - my body leans against it, one side or the other.
I'm more educated now than I was then. I don't like to lean on the CTEL. I like to lean on the outermost edge line (reverse CTE line)
- The bridge position is not really correct in the diagram... it's never on the CTEL. I did it this way just for simplicity in making the diagram. My only intent is to show how the shot circle works - not the other details of CTE.
Correct.
(All shot circle content is good)
from Colin Colenso:
Any cue that moves or turns from one position to another can be described as having been pivoted at some distinct point. On CTE shots this pivot point must be behind the CB and usually it is behind the bridge hand so the shape of an arc, projected to the front of the shot circle would always be flatter than the actual shot circle arc.
That's true, I think, if you pivot straight from your back hand. If you hip-pivot, shoulder/torso pivot or air pivot - it's not true.
Hence, it seems more like the shot circle is an approximate visualization method, like, as you've said, scraping your tip along a distant window. This is fine, but it's not very quantifiable or systematic, other than it would seem to indicate that you can intuitively sense the nature of the turn and that the turn pivots noticeably closer to the CB with closer distance shots.
It's definitely a visualization method, for sure. This is key to the entire system. Either you can arc properly or you can't. I think, however, it's an easily visualized method and can range from kinda accurate (rank cte beginner) to hyper-accurate (for a seasoned cte player). I think the learning curve for players (regarding pivoting) is quite fast.
Regarding edges of the OB, technically there is only one edge each side that is on the CTE line, but I understand that one's perception of variations in this edge change if one sights the various angled shots from different positions relative to the CTE line.
This is absolutely KEY. It's the key to everything, actually. Shot geometry changes when the eyes move a hair.
from Jal:
[The dependence on pivot length] is why it's not an exact system and why a majority of shots will be missed unless some intuitive adjustment is made. However you have the stick aligned prior to pivoting, the correct pivot point is on a line from the center of the ghostball through the center of the cueball. Where that line crosses the long axis of the cue, is the place to pivot.
Of course, if you can picture where the ghostball is located with sufficient accuracy to make the shot, on the face of it, there seems to be little point in doing the pre-alignment/pivoting procedure. That's related to the main bone of contention between those who are critical of these types of systems, and those who support them: unless you can come up with some procedure for determining the pivot distance that's not tied to shot geometry (impossible), the system(s) are not exact and rely on the experience and judgment of the player to make the final crucial adjustment, consciously or subconsciously.
That's not to deny that many have found them useful.
This is true if someone rotates their cue in their bridge, but they shouldn't nor is it proper procedure. Determining the shot arc pivot is instantly learned and mastered over a few months. When mastered, it becomes the basis for everything.
Important: ALWAYS pivot on every shot (as pre-shot routine). Forget identifying angles as they don't matter beyond "thick or thin."
So, do two dinners equal a Mortons?
