Dominant eye switch?

A

AlienObserver

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello all.
As I've said in a previous thread 2 years ago, my consistency is suffering.
Still to this day, I play very well for 2 weeks, and then something happens and my lever of play gets demolished. To give you a taste of what I'm talking about, when I'm playing well, I'm able to beat the ghost with ball in hand. When I'm not playing well, I've missed 3 balls with ball in hand in one single set.

I've explored many, many aspects of my game to pinpoint why this is happening, I've explored my grip of the cue, my stance etc etc.

Last week, I realized that the problem was in my eyes. I was used to aim with my right eye, but having the cue in the middle of my chin. I had noticed that when I'm playing well, I aim with my eye and my head just sends a signal to my arm to shoot without thinking a line. Basically my mind says to my arm "You're lined up, shoot without thinking of the aim". If I try to hit the aiming point with my arm, my cue ball was going nowhere near. One other thing, when I was down on the shot, lined up, when I looked down on my cue, my cue was nothing but straight, it was like it was aiming to the left.

So, last week I played aiming with my left eye, and having my cue on the left part of my chin. It worked like magic. Suddenly, I was aiming with my eye, my cue was lined up, I was shooting with my arm shooting at the target, and everything worked like a dream. In one day, I went from not being able to pot a ball a feet from the pocket, to be able to pot everything, cb glued to the short rail and ball in the middle of the table.

This formed lasted for a week, when I started to miss again easy shots, and then easier shots, and easier....

I tried last night to switch eyes again, and I started playing well again...

So my question: Is it possible that my eye dominance is switching for some reason? Like for a week my left eye is dominant and then the next week my right eye becomes dominant?
 
AlienObserver said:
Hello all.
As I've said in a previous thread 2 years ago, my consistency is suffering.
Still to this day, I play very well for 2 weeks, and then something happens and my lever of play gets demolished. To give you a taste of what I'm talking about, when I'm playing well, I'm able to beat the ghost with ball in hand. When I'm not playing well, I've missed 3 balls with ball in hand in one single set.

I've explored many, many aspects of my game to pinpoint why this is happening, I've explored my grip of the cue, my stance etc etc.

Last week, I realized that the problem was in my eyes. I was used to aim with my right eye, but having the cue in the middle of my chin. I had noticed that when I'm playing well, I aim with my eye and my head just sends a signal to my arm to shoot without thinking a line. Basically my mind says to my arm "You're lined up, shoot without thinking of the aim". If I try to hit the aiming point with my arm, my cue ball was going nowhere near. One other thing, when I was down on the shot, lined up, when I looked down on my cue, my cue was nothing but straight, it was like it was aiming to the left.

So, last week I played aiming with my left eye, and having my cue on the left part of my chin. It worked like magic. Suddenly, I was aiming with my eye, my cue was lined up, I was shooting with my arm shooting at the target, and everything worked like a dream. In one day, I went from not being able to pot a ball a feet from the pocket, to be able to pot everything, cb glued to the short rail and ball in the middle of the table.

This formed lasted for a week, when I started to miss again easy shots, and then easier shots, and easier....

I tried last night to switch eyes again, and I started playing well again...

So my question: Is it possible that my eye dominance is switching for some reason? Like for a week my left eye is dominant and then the next week my right eye becomes dominant?
Click to expand...
How old are you? Eyes can change with age. Dominance can decrease somewhat but complete reversal is unlikely. Used to shoot skeet and some trap and a lot of the older guys complained of this problem. Seen an eye doc?
 
AlienObserver said:
Hello all.
As I've said in a previous thread 2 years ago, my consistency is suffering.
Still to this day, I play very well for 2 weeks, and then something happens and my lever of play gets demolished. To give you a taste of what I'm talking about, when I'm playing well, I'm able to beat the ghost with ball in hand. When I'm not playing well, I've missed 3 balls with ball in hand in one single set.

I've explored many, many aspects of my game to pinpoint why this is happening, I've explored my grip of the cue, my stance etc etc.

Last week, I realized that the problem was in my eyes. I was used to aim with my right eye, but having the cue in the middle of my chin. I had noticed that when I'm playing well, I aim with my eye and my head just sends a signal to my arm to shoot without thinking a line. Basically my mind says to my arm "You're lined up, shoot without thinking of the aim". If I try to hit the aiming point with my arm, my cue ball was going nowhere near. One other thing, when I was down on the shot, lined up, when I looked down on my cue, my cue was nothing but straight, it was like it was aiming to the left.

So, last week I played aiming with my left eye, and having my cue on the left part of my chin. It worked like magic. Suddenly, I was aiming with my eye, my cue was lined up, I was shooting with my arm shooting at the target, and everything worked like a dream. In one day, I went from not being able to pot a ball a feet from the pocket, to be able to pot everything, cb glued to the short rail and ball in the middle of the table.

This formed lasted for a week, when I started to miss again easy shots, and then easier shots, and easier....

I tried last night to switch eyes again, and I started playing well again...

So my question: Is it possible that my eye dominance is switching for some reason? Like for a week my left eye is dominant and then the next week my right eye becomes dominant?
Click to expand...
If I were you, I’d stop thinking or saying, “eye dominance.” You have a vision center that is affected by both eyes and your head position. A lot of people assume that if you do a standard eye dominance test, then that means you should put your cue stick under that eye. I find that falls for most people. It should be no wonder that many people put the cue stick directly between the eyes. Both eyes are at work. And many right-eyed dominant player put the cue directly under the left eye. This isn’t a flaw.

If you do the “standard Eye Dominance” test, but tilt or turn your head slightly to the right, as many right hand players would do in play, you’ll see both eyes at work more clearly. The sight target no longer is centered to the “dominant eye.” Your head positon will change that vision center.

If I had a magic wand, I’d banish the dominant eye term from all billiard teachings.

Get thee to a an instructor that understands vision center.


Freddie <~~~ cross-eyed
 
Cornerman said:
If I were you, I’d stop thinking or saying, “eye dominance.” You have a vision center that is affected by both eyes and your head position.
Click to expand...
Your dominant eye typically plays a stronger role than your non-dominant eye in determining your vision center. Even when it's not directly at your dominant eye, it's often closer to that eye than to the other one. "It's not the whole answer" doesn't mean "it doesn't matter".

pj
chgo
 
Cornerman said:
If I were you, I’d stop thinking or saying, “eye dominance.” You have a vision center that is affected by both eyes and your head position. A lot of people assume that if you do a standard eye dominance test, then that means you should put your cue stick under that eye. I find that falls for most people. It should be no wonder that many people put the cue stick directly between the eyes. Both eyes are at work. And many right-eyed dominant player put the cue directly under the left eye. This isn’t a flaw.

If you do the “standard Eye Dominance” test, but tilt or turn your head slightly to the right, as many right hand players would do in play, you’ll see both eyes at work more clearly. The sight target no longer is centered to the “dominant eye.” Your head positon will change that vision center.

If I had a magic wand, I’d banish the dominant eye term from all billiard teachings.

Get thee to a an instructor that understands vision center.


Freddie <~~~ cross-eyed
Click to expand...

Fred,

What are your thoughts on Gene Albrecht's PERFECT AIM?

I have been using it (right handed, left eye "vision center" dominant😁).

Truly curious...
 
Pete said:
Fred,

What are your thoughts on Gene Albrecht's PERFECT AIM?

I have been using it (right handed, left eye "vision center" dominant😁).

Truly curious...
Click to expand...

I don’t know anything about it. Maybe you can PM me with some details or Cliffs Notes!

Freddie <~~~ scan reading sucks
 
AlienObserver said:
So, last week I played aiming with my left eye, and having my cue on the left part of my chin. It worked like magic. Suddenly, I was aiming with my eye, my cue was lined up, I was shooting with my arm shooting at the target, and everything worked like a dream. In one day, I went from not being able to pot a ball a feet from the pocket, to be able to pot everything, cb glued to the short rail and ball in the middle of the table.

This formed lasted for a week, when I started to miss again easy shots, and then easier shots, and easier....

I tried last night to switch eyes again, and I started playing well again...

So my question: Is it possible that my eye dominance is switching for some reason? Like for a week my left eye is dominant and then the next week my right eye becomes dominant?
Click to expand...

Your dominant eye is definitely not changing back and forth. Your play improved for the same reason people’s playing improves when they try a new aiming method, a new stance, any other new technique, or even buy a new cue or chalk: A placebo effect.
 
Is this just a coincidence that you started this thread at the same time there has been discussion in another thread in the past 24 hours regarding John Morra's vision center situation? He has recently switched to playing pool left handed due to his vision center being located under his left eye, and the physical problems it has caused him having to twist his body/neck/torso in to a position to be able to play right handed with his shaft aligned under his left eye.
 
I envy those players whose dominant eye never changes. Makes learning and playing pool easier and consistent.
I have unidominant eyesight, whereby my dominant eye changes from day-to-day or after several days. During a single day, the dominance does not change.
After months of trying, I finally derived a specific PSR, squinting technique, head tilt, etc. so that my vision center remains consistent and I've forced my left eye to become the dominant eye while shooting pool (I'm right-handed). I've PM'd the OP with my specific techniques. Hopefully, the OP is able to develop his own method for keeping his vision center consistent on a day-to-day basis.
 
Cross eye dominance ( left eye dominant/right hand shooter) and vice-versa; IS a factor to consider in many sports such as billiards, any handgun or shotgunning where both eyes are kept open when shooting ( the preferred and proven technique in both pistol and trap/skeet), tennis, ping pong,etc.
Despite what you may read, or hear, it IS a negative that you either live with and accept the results, or switch to opposite hand play to rectify this issue - really Not an option for MOST people.
I am cross eye dominant and participate in many of the above sports at (for me) an acceptable level of skill, I have to work harder to compensate for this "curse' , but would never let it deter me from enjoying any sport or EVER use it as an excuse- for some of us- it just is what it is. practice and compete as much as you are able and accept the results.
In some sports, like baseball batting- cross eye dominance can be an advantage, as a right handed batter faces the pitcher with their left eye in the dominant position.
 
garczar said:
How old are you? Eyes can change with age. Dominance can decrease somewhat but complete reversal is unlikely. Used to shoot skeet and some trap and a lot of the older guys complained of this problem. Seen an eye doc?
Click to expand...

I am 24. I go to my eye doc once a year. He hasn't mention anything wrong with them.

Cornerman said:
If I were you, I’d stop thinking or saying, “eye dominance.” You have a vision center that is affected by both eyes and your head position. A lot of people assume that if you do a standard eye dominance test, then that means you should put your cue stick under that eye. I find that falls for most people. It should be no wonder that many people put the cue stick directly between the eyes. Both eyes are at work. And many right-eyed dominant player put the cue directly under the left eye. This isn’t a flaw.

If you do the “standard Eye Dominance” test, but tilt or turn your head slightly to the right, as many right hand players would do in play, you’ll see both eyes at work more clearly. The sight target no longer is centered to the “dominant eye.” Your head positon will change that vision center.

If I had a magic wand, I’d banish the dominant eye term from all billiard teachings.

Get thee to a an instructor that understands vision center.


Freddie <~~~ cross-eyed
Click to expand...

Thank you for your info. I've spent a considerate amount of time trying my head position. I've noticed that when I'm not playing well, I can't seem to find a comfortable head position to play, to the point where it seems impossible for me to get down on the shot comfortably. I've experimented with having a tilted head position, a straight position, a tilt to the right, tilt to the left, forcing my left cheek to touch my left shoulder.... When I'm playing good, it comes natural, as if I can't place my head wrong. But when I'm starting to play bad and trying to recreate that position, I can't do it.

jimmyco said:
Quit observing aliens for a while. See what happens.
Click to expand...
I laughed way more than I probably should xD
My original intention was to imply that I was the Alien and I was observing this world, but me observing aliens works too I guess!

BRussell said:
Your dominant eye is definitely not changing back and forth. Your play improved for the same reason people’s playing improves when they try a new aiming method, a new stance, any other new technique, or even buy a new cue or chalk: A placebo effect.
Click to expand...
This isn't a placebo effect. I'm not insane yet. I play with a friend of mine almost every day. He too can verify that for a week or two, I am potting everything, and suddenly I miss with ball in hand. Many times I am NOT changing anything, at least consciously. I simply try as hard as I can to do exactly what I was doing the last time I played good. For 3 weeks it doesn't work, no matter how much I'm trying, and suddenly it starts working, without me consciously changing a thing.
 
AlienObserver said:
This isn't a placebo effect. I'm not insane yet. I play with a friend of mine almost every day. He too can verify that for a week or two, I am potting everything, and suddenly I miss with ball in hand. Many times I am NOT changing anything, at least consciously. I simply try as hard as I can to do exactly what I was doing the last time I played good. For 3 weeks it doesn't work, no matter how much I'm trying, and suddenly it starts working, without me consciously changing a thing.
Click to expand...

Placebo effect doesn’t mean you’re insane, it just means you try something new and it works simply because you’re trying something new.

How you phrased it here is different from what you said above. You said you were shooting poorly, tried switching eyes, and it worked immediately and like magic. Then the effect faded over time, you switched again, and it immediately worked like magic again. That sounds exactly like what happens with many tricks, accessories, and techniques that people try and gives them an immediate “magic” boost. There probably is some alignment issue that is causing a problem for you, and switching aiming methods is somehow addressing it, but your eye dominance is not switching back and forth from week to week.
 
Last edited:
BRussell said:
Placebo effect doesn’t mean you’re insane, it just means you try something new and it works simply because you’re trying something new.

How you phrased it here is different from what you said above. You said you were shooting poorly, tried switching eyes, and it worked immediately and like magic. Then the effect faded over time, you switched again, and it immediately worked like magic again. That sounds exactly like what happens with many tricks, accessories, and techniques that people try and gives them an immediate “magic” boost. There probably is some alignment issue that is causing a problem for you, and switching aiming methods is somehow addressing it, but your eye dominance is not switching back and forth from week to week.
Click to expand...

I misunderstood, I thought you were implying that I was playing the same and I was under the impression I was playing better and then worse.

Well yes, this time that I changed eye it worked like magic. Tired it for 5 uncomfortable minutes and then I was potting everything from anywhere.

All the other times it wasn't like this tho. I simply tryied to recreate what I was doing the last time I played good. There were many many many days where I wasn't playing good that I was doing all the same things and it simply wasn't working, and one day it started working again for no apparent reason.
I was doing the exact same things.

Left toes on the line of the shot.
cue in the middle of the chin.
grip with indext finger, middle finger and thumb
right eye
Slight tilt of the head.

those 5 things were working for a week or 2, didn't work for 3 weeks, and suddenly they started working again.
 
your probably changing things that you dont realize, like turning your shoulders slightly more/less, or tilting shoulders more/less, or turning head slightly more, or tilting head etc.
 
owll said:
your probably changing things that you dont realize, like turning your shoulders slightly more/less, or tilting shoulders more/less, or turning head slightly more, or tilting head etc.
Click to expand...

Or, it could be something as simple as the shoes you're wearing, what you ate before your session, a different table, the lighting, bad day at work, dog took a shit on the carpet.......etc.


For the last 2 yrs. I've tried to force my eye focus on cut shots. It's hard to explain, but I'm a lefty, and left eye dom. My preshot is the same on every shot, Cue is slightly left of center. Not below my left eye, but close.
When I go down on a cut shot, and I'm moving my vision from cueball, to object ball, to pocket, I always(ha) try to "see" the shot from the same side as the cut. If it's a left hand cut, I use my left eye to target the pocket, Right hand cut, I use the right eye to target the pocket. Both eyes open,just more attention to one. It's just something I've forced myself to do on cut shots, and becomes automatic, over time.
I don't close an eye, or or try to readjust. My mind is made up before I get down, on what I need to do, but I always use either my left, or right eye to target the pocket before I pull the trigger on all cut shots over 15/20 degree. Straight shots, I am always using my left eye.

I was always pushing my right hand cuts to the left side of the pocket, consistently. If I missed, it was always to the left.

It's funny though, when ever I mention it to some of my buddies, they immediately, stick their fingers in their ears, and walk off, yelling "La La La La La La La"
 
Cornerman said:
If I were you, I’d stop thinking or saying, “eye dominance.” You have a vision center that is affected by both eyes and your head position. A lot of people assume that if you do a standard eye dominance test, then that means you should put your cue stick under that eye. I find that falls for most people. It should be no wonder that many people put the cue stick directly between the eyes. Both eyes are at work. And many right-eyed dominant player put the cue directly under the left eye. This isn’t a flaw.

If you do the “standard Eye Dominance” test, but tilt or turn your head slightly to the right, as many right hand players would do in play, you’ll see both eyes at work more clearly. The sight target no longer is centered to the “dominant eye.” Your head positon will change that vision center.

If I had a magic wand, I’d banish the dominant eye term from all billiard teachings.

Get thee to a an instructor that understands vision center.


Freddie <~~~ cross-eyed
Click to expand...
For those interested in these topics, excellent resources are available here:

vision center

dominant eye

Regards,
Dave

PS: For someone who's vision center is closer to one eye, that eye can be referred to as the "dominant eye," but this isn't always the eye with ocular dominance. I'm with you. Determining your personal "vision center" is much more important than knowing what eye might be "dominant" or not.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top