Do you know how to test for eye dominance?
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I've never like the dominant eye debate either. I can do any of the test described to test which is my dominant eye and can make it either left or right by focusing either my left or right eye on what i'm looking at. Try the same test with your head turned about 45 degrees to either side of the object and see what kind of results you get. I can also pocket the balls just as easily holding the cue under my left eye, my chin, or my right eye. My natural alignment is with the cue between my chin and my right eye.
I have 20/20 vision with both eyes and have trouble aiming jumps shots properly too. Its because I haven't practiced them enough to get good at it. They look online to me and I miss to the same side everytime by about a 1/2 ball depending on how far way the shot is. I'll just learn to adjust like I did when I first learned to play. Its also harder to aim jump shots because you are jacked up and you can't really aim down the cue like on a normal shot. At least thats my excuse.
I have 20/20 vision with both eyes and have trouble aiming jumps shots properly too. Its because I haven't practiced them enough to get good at it. They look online to me and I miss to the same side everytime by about a 1/2 ball depending on how far way the shot is. I'll just learn to adjust like I did when I first learned to play. Its also harder to aim jump shots because you are jacked up and you can't really aim down the cue like on a normal shot. At least thats my excuse.
I don't play that good but one of my best qualities.....(if I have any) Is that I line up good with the balls. When I am playing good I can just line up and swing and have a pretty good percentage of making balls. Even though I'm left eye dom. and right handed. So I really doubt there is any curse in this.
Tony
Tony
I'm not speaking "for" anyone besides myself. As far as bold opinions go, I guess I have plenty. However, I am a BCA Recognized Instructor, and I've been giving lessons for quite some time, so my opinions are based on experience. My students range from complete beginners to open level players, and I've had to come up with a variety of techniques to help players.Badhit said:
Since you obviously feel dominant eye is important, under which part of the dominant eye should the cue be placed? If there's a one-size-fits-all solution, what is it?
I'm not sure why you characterize cross-dominance as a "curse" or a "condition." There's nothing abnormal about it; it's perfectly natural. You make it sound like they were born with a club foot. Ralf Souquet seems to shoot fairly well. If he followed the advice in one of your earlier links, he would've switched to shooting left-handed long ago. I guess he might've won some tournaments that way
I'm not saying that having the cue under the dominant eye doesn't help some people. Having it there, though, doesn't mean that it works because that's the dominant eye - it's a red herring. Can you explain how Karen Corr, Earl Strickland, Neils Feijen, and others, play with the cue lined up under their EARS?
It's what you get used to, nothing more, nothing less.
PS Welcome to AZBilliards
-djb
Me:
I play right handed and have right dominant eye. I used to align my cue with the center of my chin. It somehow forces both eyes to work equally hard to create the 3D image. Later I align my cue more towards my dominant eye (I think it was because I saw Earl Strickland does that so I mimic, does he?) and let my brain do whatever it wants. I have a feeling that I rely on my dominant eye more but I don't bother.
My girlfriend:
She plays right handed and has left dominant eye. Her head is (to me) tilted like this man
in order to align her dominant eye directly above her cue. It just seems awkward to me. I am not sure if that hurts performance or not (she is too novice to say).
My friend:
Right handed and don't know which eye is dominant. He aligns his cue directly under his chin. When he plays, I always feel that he aims the cue ball a bit to the right. He can still make shots, but probably because he compensated for the whole thing from the beginning.
A guy I saw:
Just close his other eye when he plays. I think that's the worst. You lack the 3D perception that your brain helps you put together.
P.S. I'm more interested in why people hold their cues with different hands, for instance, right handed person using left hand to hold cue.
I play right handed and have right dominant eye. I used to align my cue with the center of my chin. It somehow forces both eyes to work equally hard to create the 3D image. Later I align my cue more towards my dominant eye (I think it was because I saw Earl Strickland does that so I mimic, does he?) and let my brain do whatever it wants. I have a feeling that I rely on my dominant eye more but I don't bother.
My girlfriend:
She plays right handed and has left dominant eye. Her head is (to me) tilted like this man
in order to align her dominant eye directly above her cue. It just seems awkward to me. I am not sure if that hurts performance or not (she is too novice to say).
My friend:
Right handed and don't know which eye is dominant. He aligns his cue directly under his chin. When he plays, I always feel that he aims the cue ball a bit to the right. He can still make shots, but probably because he compensated for the whole thing from the beginning.
A guy I saw:
Just close his other eye when he plays. I think that's the worst. You lack the 3D perception that your brain helps you put together.
P.S. I'm more interested in why people hold their cues with different hands, for instance, right handed person using left hand to hold cue.
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NervousNovice said:
I'm right handed and I've naturally played pool left handed since the first time I picked up a cue. I thought I was playing right handed, and that therefore all the coordination for a shot was in the bridge hand, since I was bridging with my right hand.
One day I was playing this guy and he says to me, "Oh, a lefty eh?" I said, "No, I'm right handed." He tells me I'm shooting left handed and I didn't believe him at first, because there is absolutely nothing else I can do with any coordination with my left hand.
I've often wondered if this phenomenon is actually serendipitous for pool players because my dominant eye is my right eye, and since I shoot left handed my right eye is slightly more forward facing and more naturally aligned over the cue. I know Mike Sigel is also naturally right handed, but shoots pool left handed, and I've heard many conversations over the years about how this actually helped his game.
This is funny, especially the "curse" thing, as I'm suffering just opposite problem.
My dominant eye is my right eye. I'm also right handed. I've played for 18 years, and couple of years ago I realized that I'm 'shooting' with my left eye. So, now, I should be disciplined and patient and take my time to adjust my stance and the whole package, so I could have my right eye above the cue. Sometimes, especially now after I've realized it, I have my cue quite centered with my chin, but still mostly maybe 65-35 favouring the left eye. Maybe I should get this black "pirate" eye patch in front of my left eye for a while, so I couldn't have another choice but to adjust myself to play with my right eye. I'd guess in long shots and in long runs also, it matters, even some here says it wont..
The problem is, that my neck doesn't like if I try to turn my head. If you watch these old skool straight pool players, they seem to play similarly. Mosconi and Kelly at least, but then again, I don't know if they really have left eye dominant.
In pool, the distances are not so long, but in snooker I know they coach them nowadays from the junior level to favour heavily the dominant eye..
My dominant eye is my right eye. I'm also right handed. I've played for 18 years, and couple of years ago I realized that I'm 'shooting' with my left eye. So, now, I should be disciplined and patient and take my time to adjust my stance and the whole package, so I could have my right eye above the cue. Sometimes, especially now after I've realized it, I have my cue quite centered with my chin, but still mostly maybe 65-35 favouring the left eye. Maybe I should get this black "pirate" eye patch in front of my left eye for a while, so I couldn't have another choice but to adjust myself to play with my right eye. I'd guess in long shots and in long runs also, it matters, even some here says it wont..
The problem is, that my neck doesn't like if I try to turn my head. If you watch these old skool straight pool players, they seem to play similarly. Mosconi and Kelly at least, but then again, I don't know if they really have left eye dominant.
In pool, the distances are not so long, but in snooker I know they coach them nowadays from the junior level to favour heavily the dominant eye..
I am now left eye dominate. In a few more years I should be there.
what i do.......i put both eyes in a locked room and let em fight out, the eye that can walk out wins
Go find a BCA certified instructor of "how to shoot a rifle"DoomCue said:I'm not speaking "for" anyone besides myself. As far as bold opinions go, I guess I have plenty. However, I am a BCA Recognized Instructor, and I've been giving lessons for quite some time, so my opinions are based on experience. My students range from complete beginners to open level players, and I've had to come up with a variety of techniques to help players.
Since you obviously feel dominant eye is important, under which part of the dominant eye should the cue be placed? If there's a one-size-fits-all solution, what is it?
I'm not sure why you characterize cross-dominance as a "curse" or a "condition." There's nothing abnormal about it; it's perfectly natural. You make it sound like they were born with a club foot. Ralf Souquet seems to shoot fairly well. If he followed the advice in one of your earlier links, he would've switched to shooting left-handed long ago. I guess he might've won some tournaments that way
I'm not saying that having the cue under the dominant eye doesn't help some people. Having it there, though, doesn't mean that it works because that's the dominant eye - it's a red herring. Can you explain how Karen Corr, Earl Strickland, Neils Feijen, and others, play with the cue lined up under their EARS?
It's what you get used to, nothing more, nothing less.
PS Welcome to AZBilliards
-djb
and ask him if he thinks dominant eye matters.
Dale
Joe Tucker has a segment on the DVD when you buy the 3rd Eye Stroke Trainer. I will just say that what he says has helped me with dominant eye position. I will let him comment on what he has found, or you can buy his tool (it was worth the $$$ that I spent on it).
I have a great idea. Send me $10, and I will tell you whether or not eye dominence matters. Then your money will be "well spent", because you will know for sure.
It is a straight forward empirical problem. Set up an agreed upon test shot that you make about 50% of the time. Here is one “test,” OB one diamond and ½” off the foot rail and CB one diamond off center on the head rail and one diamond from the head rail. Shoot alternating to the left and right pocket with center ball. Shoot each set of shots five times with your eye in various places for each run of ten. Keep track of the outcome.
Now you will “know” the best way for “you” to shoot for accuracy. During a game, if your shot is less than two feet and you calculate CB return then perhaps some other method of shooting is better. But it seems to me that you (whoever you are) should know in what way you are the most accurate on a length of the table shot.
Until you have run a test on a shot that you make about 50% of the time all you have is your opinion and your buddy’s opinion. We all know what that is worth.
BTW, I have learned that while I prefer to play with the stick under my chin slightly favoring the right eye, that I am most accurate playing with one eye for length of table shots where accuracy is important.
Now you will “know” the best way for “you” to shoot for accuracy. During a game, if your shot is less than two feet and you calculate CB return then perhaps some other method of shooting is better. But it seems to me that you (whoever you are) should know in what way you are the most accurate on a length of the table shot.
Until you have run a test on a shot that you make about 50% of the time all you have is your opinion and your buddy’s opinion. We all know what that is worth.
BTW, I have learned that while I prefer to play with the stick under my chin slightly favoring the right eye, that I am most accurate playing with one eye for length of table shots where accuracy is important.
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JoeW said:
I like this post. This is how to find out where the cue should be in relation to the eye...which is important. This post ignores the entire question of "eye dominence" and goes straight for what matters. Bravo.
I guess you don't understand the difference between "closely parallels" and "exactly the same." Sure, the two involve aiming, but the aiming is totally different.pdcue said:
There is a lot more depth perception required in pool than shooting. In shooting, you can place the sight on the target, thus creating a two dimensional image. In pool, that isn't possible; the cue ball would block the object ball. How do you achieve depth perception? You must use BOTH EYES.
Again, apples and oranges.
-djb
DoomCue said:
You are seriously confused.
How do you think the cue ball could possibly 'block' your view of the OB?
Your major mistake is thinking depth perception is required.
You don't need any depth perception to shoot pool.
I am curently trying to retrain an old friend, he cain't make
a blind cut to save his life - but set up a shallow cut, OB close to
a rail, that is 4 times as dificult, and he pokes it in like a hanger.
Using depth perception to aim balls is a trap that will keep you from
ever learning how to aim/sight right.
If they were right-handed, which side did they usually line up on?Badhit said:
As for whether eye dominance is important, I don't know enough about vision to say one way or another, but I do know that some people have a real hard time finding the center of the cue ball, as Badhit has said.
If a player has certain symptoms, I think it may indicate head misalignment. In my experience, the symptoms include inability to place the tip at the real center of the cue ball, a swerving stroke, a tendency to always miss to one side, and frequent unintended side spin. Some people think that everyone will naturally put his head where the shot is seen accurately, but that is not true.