Do you aim the cueball or the cuestick?

What do you aim?

  • I aim the cueball

    Votes: 39 50.6%
  • I aim the cuestick

    Votes: 24 31.2%
  • I'm a pinball wizard

    Votes: 14 18.2%

  • Total voters
    77

av84fun

Banned
SpiderWebComm said:
You're the pro! First off... you start by forgetting about your cue position and focus only on the cue ball. Your stick doesn't matter... as a matter of fact, you could probably lean on it like a walking stick while you aim...swing in a little back hand english and shackalacka ding dong the ball magically drops.

Man, I should start giving lessons with this stuff... I bet I could make a fortune...seems like no one knows this stuff but like 3 people on this site.

No bro, you couldn't make a fortune because few will believe you...at least at the present time.

Within 2-3 years, the method to which you refer that has been refined exhaustively by Stan Shuffett (as you know) will become the aiming standard for the vast majority of serious players...at least those who want to win.

Regards,
Jim
 

Dead Money

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Man, on thin cuts I am looking at the spot on the object ball I want the cue ball to hit. On less severe shots like spot shots,straight ins etc once I am lined up I am actually looking at the pocket when I pull the trigger. Not sure "why" this works for me but it does. Btw, I know it sounds crazy but it works..................
 

unknownpro

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Zoltor said:
Well that's not true, afterall how do you think people including myself pull off multi bas combos huh? If you just aimed the Cuestick, unless all the balls were perfectly lines up, you wouldn't beable to pull it off, so clearly it is very possible.

PS. On a side note, I don't know if your a pro or not, but if most poes think that to be the case, it may indeed explain why most proes downright suck at comboing any thing other then a total of 2 OBs(with the exception of trick shot pros, as they specialize in such things). The Ironic thing is, realistically the average combo shot you would have in a real game(2-3 OBs)is far easier then a 2-3 rail bank shot.


unknownpro said:
I left off both because I think it is impossible unless the shot is dead straight with center ball.
You are quite right of course, what I said is not true. I should have said it is impossible if you are using side english. It doesn't have to be straight in, but you can't use side english and aim the cueball and the cuestick on one line.
 

Zoltor

Registered
unknownpro said:
You are quite right of course, what I said is not true. I should have said it is impossible if you are using side english. It doesn't have to be straight in, but you can't use side english and aim the cueball and the cuestick on one line.


Oh ok, that's a different story, however,I don't think that is technically impossible either, although incredibly hard to do(effectively anyway).
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think Ive got an odd answer..... I dont aim with either. :confused:
My aiming is done while standing behind the shot. As I get down into my stance, I am lined up and ready to fire. I give a couple practice strokes to make sure Im aligned with my stroke/arm.... then I pull the trigger.
I have tried adjusting my aim when Im already down on the shot.... but everytime I have had bad results. If I feel Im off, I stand, and go through my preshot routine again.
Chuck
 

halhoule

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You Cannot See A Spot On An Abject Ball. Cue Sticks Do Not Pocket Balls, The Cue Ball Pockets All Balls.
 

halhoule

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pool

RiverCity said:
I think Ive got an odd answer..... I dont aim with either. :confused:
My aiming is done while standing behind the shot. As I get down into my stance, I am lined up and ready to fire. I give a couple practice strokes to make sure Im aligned with my stroke/arm.... then I pull the trigger.
I have tried adjusting my aim when Im already down on the shot.... but everytime I have had bad results. If I feel Im off, I stand, and go through my preshot routine again. AND WHAT IS YOUR AIMING SYSTEM????
hal houle
 

Zoltor

Registered
RiverCity said:
I think Ive got an odd answer..... I dont aim with either. :confused:
My aiming is done while standing behind the shot. As I get down into my stance, I am lined up and ready to fire. I give a couple practice strokes to make sure Im aligned with my stroke/arm.... then I pull the trigger.
I have tried adjusting my aim when Im already down on the shot.... but everytime I have had bad results. If I feel Im off, I stand, and go through my preshot routine again.
Chuck

Ok I'm confused, how can you not aim at all? It's probally technically doable to not aim the Cuestick(since 98% of the time, you'll be standing right dirrectly inback of the cb anyway, so when you take your stance it more or less auto aims), not smart as it is just asking for a error, however doable. Although if you are doing that, you better be aiming with the cb, otherwise, you might as well put a Blind Fold on.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Most people do this without even thinking about it.
If you have trained your brain and your body to line up behind the shot.... that is in fact the aiming.
What I am getting at, is standing behind the cueball ON the line of the shot, and having your head/eyes, bridgehand and stroking shoulder line up (fall into place so to speak) as you are settling into the shot.
Recognizing the angle and where the cueball needs to contact the object ball is all done while standing for me.
I can not steer the cue in a consistantly straight line if I am moving my back hand side to side to adjust the aim.... it just isnt in its groove.
I dont know anyone successful that "aims" by moving their cue around until they are on the right line. The stroke isnt repeatable.
Chuck

PS
Hal, I visualize several things from imaginary lines, to fractional balls and ghost balls. But again, it is while I am vertical.
 

DelaWho???

Banger McCue
Silver Member
RiverCity said:
Most people do this without even thinking about it.
If you have trained your brain and your body to line up behind the shot.... that is in fact the aiming.
What I am getting at, is standing behind the cueball ON the line of the shot, and having your head/eyes, bridgehand and stroking shoulder line up (fall into place so to speak) as you are settling into the shot.
Recognizing the angle and where the cueball needs to contact the object ball is all done while standing for me.
I can not steer the cue in a consistantly straight line if I am moving my back hand side to side to adjust the aim.... it just isnt in its groove.
I dont know anyone successful that "aims" by moving their cue around until they are on the right line. The stroke isnt repeatable.
Chuck

PS
Hal, I visualize several things from imaginary lines, to fractional balls and ghost balls. But again, it is while I am vertical.

This sounds a lot like what I do. Before I get down on the shot I know: Which ball I am shooting
Where I want the CB to end up
What type of hit I am going to use, draw, follow, spin etal.

I fall into the shot and practice stroke a couple times making sure I am lined up to hit the CB correctly. Then I pull the trigger with my eyes on the object ball. If it doesn't feel right I either get up and reposition or in the case of say a long thin cue or some other really challenging shot (applying English over distance) I just trust that I'm in the right spot and pull the trigger. The brain seems able to automatically compensate for English and sometimes my eyes tell me I am going to miss, but because of this "auto compensation" if I trust and shoot I usually have a positive result.

I guess that makes me a pinball wizard....

B
 

Tristan

Big 'Bumpin'
Silver Member
SpiderWebComm said:
You're the pro! First off... you start by forgetting about your cue position and focus only on the cue ball. Your stick doesn't matter... as a matter of fact, you could probably lean on it like a walking stick while you aim...swing in a little back hand english and shackalacka ding dong the ball magically drops.

Man, I should start giving lessons with this stuff... I bet I could make a fortune...seems like no one knows this stuff but like 3 people on this site.

How much would you charge?
 

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
halhoule said:
Cue Sticks Do Not Pocket Balls, The Cue Ball Pockets All Balls.

You've obviously never seen me scratch directly into a pocket.
 
Last edited:

unknownpro

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
RiverCity said:
Most people do this without even thinking about it.
If you have trained your brain and your body to line up behind the shot.... that is in fact the aiming.
What I am getting at, is standing behind the cueball ON the line of the shot, and having your head/eyes, bridgehand and stroking shoulder line up (fall into place so to speak) as you are settling into the shot.
Recognizing the angle and where the cueball needs to contact the object ball is all done while standing for me.
I can not steer the cue in a consistantly straight line if I am moving my back hand side to side to adjust the aim.... it just isnt in its groove.
I dont know anyone successful that "aims" by moving their cue around until they are on the right line. The stroke isnt repeatable.
Chuck

PS
Hal, I visualize several things from imaginary lines, to fractional balls and ghost balls. But again, it is while I am vertical.

That's basicly what I'm doing but I'm consciously aiming the cue stick to a spot relative to the ghostball and then completely disregarding the object ball and cueball during the stroke focusing only on speed and direction of the cuestick. If I hit the right speed range the object ball should go in and the cueball go on the correct position line.

And that's why I don't like backhand english. I want my stroke as straight as possible and my stance facing the line of the cue.
 

unknownpro

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DelaWho??? said:
This sounds a lot like what I do. Before I get down on the shot I know: Which ball I am shooting
Where I want the CB to end up
What type of hit I am going to use, draw, follow, spin etal.

I fall into the shot and practice stroke a couple times making sure I am lined up to hit the CB correctly. Then I pull the trigger with my eyes on the object ball. If it doesn't feel right I either get up and reposition or in the case of say a long thin cue or some other really challenging shot (applying English over distance) I just trust that I'm in the right spot and pull the trigger. The brain seems able to automatically compensate for English and sometimes my eyes tell me I am going to miss, but because of this "auto compensation" if I trust and shoot I usually have a positive result.

I guess that makes me a pinball wizard....

B
Applying english is really the only reason you need a method of aiming, imo. Otherwise you just hit straight throught the center of the ghost ball.
 

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
unknownpro said:
That's basicly what I'm doing but I'm consciously aiming the cue stick to a spot relative to the ghostball and then completely disregarding the object ball and cueball during the stroke focusing only on speed and direction of the cuestick. If I hit the right speed range the object ball should go in and the cueball go on the correct position line.

And that's why I don't like backhand english. I want my stroke as straight as possible and my stance facing the line of the cue.

Not quite sure how you play, but there's no way you play at a top level doing that. You may have a good day, and then follow it up with a terrible day. You're guessing where the ghost ball is.... especially at a distance. You must aim at something TANGIBLE in order to constantly increase your ball pocketing and speed.

To disregard the object ball is to disregard the entire shot.

P.S. I'm not trying to be smart-sounding, I promise. You have to aim at the object ball every single time, on every single shot.... unless you wanna spend 25 years of trial and error to figure it out.
 

td873

C is for Cookie
Silver Member
Cue Sticks Do Not Pocket Balls...
And guns don't kill people, bullets do. Of course, at a certain level both statements are true. But without the gun/stick you won't have much ;) BTW, I tried it without the cue stick. Very poor results. Actually, about the same results for me as with the stick. Odd. lol.

-td

[edit]
IMO, you have to aim the cue stick to contact the cue ball at a particular location to get the desired spin (if any) and direction of the cue ball. You have to aim the cue ball to contact a ball at a desired location to (hopefully) cause it to go in a particular direction. Your mental computer takes many factors into consideration (e.g., english, speed, angle, playing conditions, etc) to allow the cue ball to do what it's told (by the cue stick). It's a cumulative effect of all components that make the ball.
 
Last edited:

supergreenman

truly addicted
Silver Member
Meh, I don't need to aim with no stinkin cue or cue stick. I do it the old fashioned way with my eyes.

Kids these days I tell ya...................

:rolleyes:
 
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