Dominant eye - do you care about it?

[pinkisntwell]

One thing I can never forget while I'm playing is the dominant eye issue. When I started playing I just placed the cue under my chin and took it from there. After a while I noticed that I was right-eye dominant and that's why the cue was pointing to the right all along . I thought it would keep me from improving and so I tried to shift my stance so the cue is pointing straight away from me. I had to alter my gripping hand and my head, which was then almost off the cue.

It made the cue look straighter, but it was still not completely straight and every single time I go down on a shot I think about it and I've been thinking about dropping it altogether and just put my chin on the cue and be done with it. Is this a bad idea?

I'm also posting a poll, it's pretty self-explaining, I wish to know what other people do. I didn't include an option about people who don't know/care about dominant eyes, if you don't then please don't vote.

 

[juanbond]

Of course I care about my dominant eye! I care for it just as much as my non-dominant eye.

 

[Gerry]

Even though this subject has been covered to death, I like to talk about it because it has hit home with me lately. Since getting a new table at home I've been able to work out a ton of things that have bothered me for years. I've gone through most of the ways of playing from the Filipino style, to the snooker style, trying to see what works best for me. All the while my misses, no matter what style I used, were consistently over cutting to the right, and under cutting to the left. I'm left handed, and left eye dominant.

So, for the past month or so I've been making a conscious effort to tell myself to over cut or undercut the ball accordingly, and it has worked wonders to this point. I'm certain my dominant eye along with the way my binocular vision tend to make me see the aim angle a little off. I did some tests by covering 1 eye and shooting balls, then switching. Though it was really weird shooting with one eye, it taught me a lot about how my eye work.

Lately I've also been wondering if some of the greats over the years maybe had "neutral" vision, or something a little different than the average joe?

This thread should be fun!:d

Gerry

 

[pinkisntwell]

Lately I've also been wondering if some of the greats over the years maybe had "neutral" vision, or something a little different than the average joe?

Joe Davis could see only from one eye. The same is true about Niels Feijen I believe.

 

[RBLilly]

Oh my god!

Of course I care about my dominant eye! I care for it just as much as my non-dominant eye.

Well said!!!! When you drive, do you put your dominate eye directly over the center of the steering wheel? Or do you just drive with both eyes looking forward? LOL

 

[sicbinature]

I used to put my D eye over the cue until I started getting serious about teaching myself to shoot left handed. After about six months or so I noticed that I dont really use my right eye as much as I thought I had too. It is feels better to center the cue under my chin.

 

[catscradle]

I assume I have a dominant eye and I don't even think about where I put it.

 

[NINEBALLART]

Anyone watching the ESPN Classic pool on t.v.?? Did you see Jeanette Lee with her head cocked and right eye over the stick??? How weird she looked. Look at her now. Chin straight over the cue. I personally don't think it works or matters... Your brain and eyes adapt to everything. You don't read with one eye or your head cocked. You don't drive or write checks or anything else that way. Why try and shoot pool that way???
I had surgery 2 years ago because of a torn retina. I was seeing spider webs while looking out my left eye... It was dried blood. The Dr. said I would always see some black lines floating around but my brain would eventually tell my eye to ignore it and even though it would still be there, I would not notice it or it would not bother me... He was right.
If you have a dominat eye I think you look straight and the other eye adapts and you see perfect...Just my opinion. Doesn't mean I am right. Just what I think...

 

[Fuji-whopper]

The 3rd eye trainer helps keep you from your dominant eye slanting your perspective.I am right handed, left eye dominant and the cue is under my right eye. It's the worst configuration ever but I seem to do okay with it, the trainer helped me "realize" where center ball is and what it looks like.

 

[pinkisntwell]

Your brain and eyes adapt to everything. You don't read with one eye or your head cocked. You don't drive or write checks or anything else that way. Why try and shoot pool that way???

Because when you write checks you don't need to very accurately line up two objects one of which is sitting very close to your eyes.

If you have the cue under your chin you can still make it look straight (to your eyes) if you vary the position of your gripping hand. Or so I think

 

[lewdo26]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant and I my cue rubs my chin ever since I took lessons with an instructor heavily influeced by the snooker.

It took me a little while, but now the shots "look correct" in my downward stance that way most of the time... AND my consistency went up %1000 because there's not much room for variation from shot to shot if your stance is really square.

I've recently discovered though that if I line up my cue during my standing address with my left eye, I don't "lose" the cut angle during the transition into my stance. I started experimenting with that after carefully studying Archer, who's also right handed, left eye dominant, and has his cue directly under his chin. As usual, him and Buddy Hall saved my life!

Gerry, you give me something to think about every time I read your posts. I'm going to start charting my cuts to left and right and seeing whether I overcut or undercut my missed in each case. Should be fun and elucidating!

 

[Jal]

...Lately I've also been wondering if some of the greats over the years maybe had "neutral" vision, or something a little different than the average joe?

I have an instructional tape with Jim Rempe and Loree Jon Jones. On it they discuss dominant eyes and the fact that she lacks one. Apparently, it's a bit of a problem for her as it tends to cause parallax errors. She has to use her "judgement" to overcome it, so this probably wouldn't be an advantage for anyone.

Jim

 

[Gerry]

Gerry, you give me something to think about every time I read your posts. I'm going to start charting my cuts to left and right and seeing whether I overcut or undercut my missed in each case. Should be fun and elucidating!

Well I'm glad I keep it interesting Lewdo!....I have a brother Louis....we used to call him Lewdo too!....and his son Louie, we call Lou2

I also chart some things while shooting, mostly now I chart my run stoppers playing 14.1. I THOUGHT I knew why my runs were stopping, but til I charted it, I was wrong. It seems I remembered the things that stopped my long runs....mostly getting stuck. Most of the real stoppers are not playing position on more than 1 ball at this point.

have fun, Gerry