I have recently learned about many different aiming systems. Some systems seem to work for some shots, but not others.
So I decided to investigate this thing called aiming!
What I did was find a large protractor graphic on the internet and printed it out. Then I set a ball on my table, marked the spot with blackboard chalk, and removed the ball.
Then I placed the protractor on the spot and drew lines from the spot (with blackboard chalk) for each angle to about 2 ft. away. 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80.
Then I marked spots at the end of each line for where the cue ball would go.
Next I placed the object ball on the spot and the cue ball on the first line (10 deg.) Then hit the object ball in and marked (with blackboard chalk) where I had my cue lined up to make the shot.
I then did this with all different degree shots.
I then went back and shot each shot lining up my cue to where I had it marked. Then made adjustments in my markings so I could line up the cue on the markings and make each shot every time.
So now I had very accurate markings as to how each shot must be lined up to make the ball in the pocket. (My table looked like a math class blackboard.)
I then went back and saw what I could aim at to make each shot. Using the center of the cue ball did not work for all angles since for some of the shots, you would be aiming into air and not anything specific on the object ball.
What did work was to aim using the edge of my cue stick along the edge of the cue ball. (For cut shot to right - use right edge of cue stick aligned with the right edge of the cue ball. For cut shot to left - use left edge of cue stick to left edge of cue ball.) Then I could aim at something specific on the cue ball.
The aims on the object ball were this...
10 - Right of center
20 - Center
30 - Left of center
40 - Right of left edge
50 - Edge and also use *center* of cue to edge of cue ball
60 - Left of edge
70 - Left of edge
80 - Forget about it.
So for major adjustments in aiming, I could use center of object ball, edge of object ball, and to the right/left of these points. For minor adjustments in aiming, I could use right edge of cue stick to edge of cue ball, center of cue stick to edge of cue ball, and left edge of cue stick to edge of cue ball.
Now the good part about this is that you are aiming at something specific, not into air. And this aiming is *very* accurate. BUT after aiming, you have to move your cue stick back to the center of the cue ball to make your shot. Error in the angle can be introduced if you don't move your cue stick back at the same angle.
Another bad part about this is that you would need to know the angle of the shot before aiming. I can't do this by looking, I would need a protractor. And it is not legal to use a protractor.
I did try using aiming for each and every shot during a tournament in which I had 5 games to play (round robin). I made some incredible shots and won the first 3 games. Then I became exhausted! I couldn't aim anymore! I lost the second 2 games and did terrible.
Someone explained to me that there is a limit to thinking about each shot before you go brain dead.
My conclusion: The above does not take into account using English and adjustments with aim on these shots (and variations in cue sticks with deflection). Also the error introduced by moving your stick after aiming and becoming exhausted when using aiming for all shots makes this a not so good thing. I've decided muscle memory and shooting from instinct is much better. Or at least using muscle memory 90 percent of the time and only using aiming maybe 10 percent of the time.
So I decided to investigate this thing called aiming!
What I did was find a large protractor graphic on the internet and printed it out. Then I set a ball on my table, marked the spot with blackboard chalk, and removed the ball.
Then I placed the protractor on the spot and drew lines from the spot (with blackboard chalk) for each angle to about 2 ft. away. 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80.
Then I marked spots at the end of each line for where the cue ball would go.
Next I placed the object ball on the spot and the cue ball on the first line (10 deg.) Then hit the object ball in and marked (with blackboard chalk) where I had my cue lined up to make the shot.
I then did this with all different degree shots.
I then went back and shot each shot lining up my cue to where I had it marked. Then made adjustments in my markings so I could line up the cue on the markings and make each shot every time.
So now I had very accurate markings as to how each shot must be lined up to make the ball in the pocket. (My table looked like a math class blackboard.)
I then went back and saw what I could aim at to make each shot. Using the center of the cue ball did not work for all angles since for some of the shots, you would be aiming into air and not anything specific on the object ball.
What did work was to aim using the edge of my cue stick along the edge of the cue ball. (For cut shot to right - use right edge of cue stick aligned with the right edge of the cue ball. For cut shot to left - use left edge of cue stick to left edge of cue ball.) Then I could aim at something specific on the cue ball.
The aims on the object ball were this...
10 - Right of center
20 - Center
30 - Left of center
40 - Right of left edge
50 - Edge and also use *center* of cue to edge of cue ball
60 - Left of edge
70 - Left of edge
80 - Forget about it.
So for major adjustments in aiming, I could use center of object ball, edge of object ball, and to the right/left of these points. For minor adjustments in aiming, I could use right edge of cue stick to edge of cue ball, center of cue stick to edge of cue ball, and left edge of cue stick to edge of cue ball.
Now the good part about this is that you are aiming at something specific, not into air. And this aiming is *very* accurate. BUT after aiming, you have to move your cue stick back to the center of the cue ball to make your shot. Error in the angle can be introduced if you don't move your cue stick back at the same angle.
Another bad part about this is that you would need to know the angle of the shot before aiming. I can't do this by looking, I would need a protractor. And it is not legal to use a protractor.
I did try using aiming for each and every shot during a tournament in which I had 5 games to play (round robin). I made some incredible shots and won the first 3 games. Then I became exhausted! I couldn't aim anymore! I lost the second 2 games and did terrible.
Someone explained to me that there is a limit to thinking about each shot before you go brain dead.
My conclusion: The above does not take into account using English and adjustments with aim on these shots (and variations in cue sticks with deflection). Also the error introduced by moving your stick after aiming and becoming exhausted when using aiming for all shots makes this a not so good thing. I've decided muscle memory and shooting from instinct is much better. Or at least using muscle memory 90 percent of the time and only using aiming maybe 10 percent of the time.