Dominent EYE Therories?

[Tom In Cincy]

Dominate EYE Therories?

Is there any 'proof' or is it all 'opinion' ?

I've never seen any proof about this, yet lots of players and instructors use this 'dominate eye' as a reason for not aiming correctly.

Is there any medical/physical research that backs this Dominate Eye claim?

 

[MFB]

Is there any 'proof' or is it all 'opinion' ?

I've never seen any proof about this, yet lots of players and instructors use this 'dominent eye' as a reason for not aiming correctly.

Is there any medical/physical research that backs this Dominent Eye claim?

I have a very dominate left eye. This is the case, because I have very poor vision in my right eye. I am right-handed. When I shoot, I need to lean over the cue to aim with my good eye. I often get in the wrong position over the cue ball when aiming. It is a fact that your brain will help your weaker eye in so that it will 'make-up' what your eye cannot see by what it sees with the stronger eye.

In other words, sometimes when I am over the cueball, and I shoot a shot, (using both eyes), the ball won't go where I am aiming.

Here's a simple test. As you read this, focus on this sentence and close one eye while still looking at the words. Does the text seem to move? if the answer is no, you have just found your dominate eye. Try with the other eye too.

 

[Tom In Cincy]

I understand what you are saying. The test is a simple one, there are other tests that can be taken to determine which is a dominate eye.

My question, (and you touched on it) is that if the brain corrects the deficiency of one eye, then the 'aim' should be corrected also. This is an opinion and not backed up by FACT. Only opinions.

Is there any acceptable source/reference that can back up this opinion?

Opinions are OK, nothing wrong with them, everyone's got one. If you believe that you need to move your head to aim better and it works, stay with it.

Maybe this artilce will help me relate my question...

http://www.azbilliards.com/poolshrink/column9.cfm

 

[longball]

Is there any 'proof' or is it all 'opinion' ?

I've never seen any proof about this, yet lots of players and instructors use this 'dominent eye' as a reason for not aiming correctly.

Is there any medical/physical research that backs this Dominent Eye claim?

Sure...there's all kinds of research and articles written about dominant eye in sports. You could probably get lost for a few days in articles if you do a search on it or on eyes and vision. Whether you strictly adhere to it or not, I think the real key is setting up EXACTLY the same way every time with either the eye(s), head, chin, and eye levels without any tilt over your cue. I think for most, a slightly erratic or careless setup and alignment is the primary cause of missed shots at all levels of play. Some will blame the stroke, but the stroke is determined by setup and alignment.

 

[Tarkus697]

Is there any 'proof' or is it all 'opinion' ?

I've never seen any proof about this, yet lots of players and instructors use this 'dominent eye' as a reason for not aiming correctly.

Is there any medical/physical research that backs this Dominent Eye claim?

Don't know if it's so much a theory, but I wore glasses for 20 years and last year I had LASIK to improve my vision from 20/400 with an astigmatism in both eyes. I'm now 20/20 in my right eye and 20/15 in my left eye.

I asked the surgeon about this and he said that generally, the dominant eye will have slightly better results after the surgery.

Since I'm left handed, I guess it figures my dominant eye would be my left one as well.

 

[Tom In Cincy]

Tap, Tap, Tap

Sure...there's all kinds of research and articles written about dominant eye in sports. You could probably get lost for a few days in articles if you do a search on it or on eyes and vision. Whether you strictly adhere to it or not, I think the real key is setting up EXACTLY the same way every time with either the eye(s), head, chin, and eye levels without any tilt over your cue. I think for most, a slightly erratic or careless setup and alignment is the primary cause of missed shots at all levels of play. Some will blame the stroke, but the stroke is determined by setup and alignment.

 

[Scott Lee]

Sure...there's all kinds of research and articles written about dominant eye in sports. You could probably get lost for a few days in articles if you do a search on it or on eyes and vision. Whether you strictly adhere to it or not, I think the real key is setting up EXACTLY the same way every time with either the eye(s), head, chin, and eye levels without any tilt over your cue. I think for most, a slightly erratic or careless setup and alignment is the primary cause of missed shots at all levels of play. Some will blame the stroke, but the stroke is determined by setup and alignment.

There may be "all kinds of research" available for other sports, but little regarding playing pool. Personally I do not subscribe to the "dominant eye" theory, regarding pool. IMO, we focus with both eyes, and "see" the shot. Our brains adjust for one eye or they other being 'not as strong'. I do, however, believe that the quality of a person's stroke (which is more based on timing and grip pressure, than necessarily stance and alignment) has more to do with them missing shots and/or position. jmo

Scott Lee

 

[drivermaker]

There may be "all kinds of research" available for other sports, but little regarding playing pool. Personally I do not subscribe to the "dominant eye" theory, regarding pool. IMO, we focus with both eyes, and "see" the shot. Our brains adjust for one eye or they other being 'not as strong'. I do, however, believe that the quality of a person's stroke (which is more based on timing and grip pressure, than necessarily stance and alignment) has more to do with them missing shots and/or position. jmo

Scott Lee

What came first...the chicken or the egg? Is stance/alignment the egg or chicken, leaving timing and grip pressure as which one? I can understand where you're coming from on timing and grip pressure, but I see an enormous amount of easy shots missed because players take it for granted as if it were a gimme and never take the time to line up and go through the entire process. I feel the dominant eye is as important as the dominant ear lobe, whereever you place it for one shot it better be in the same spot for the next, and the next, etc. If you're misaligned, you better have good timing just to maneuver the cue back into position.

 

[Tom In Cincy]

Sure...there's all kinds of research and articles written about dominant eye in sports.

Longball,

I agree, I have spent way too much time researching this topic. I have read about 30 articles from all types of orgs about the dominate eye theories. None of these articles have identified the 'dominate eye' as a critical need for aiming, or having an advantage with vision perfect sports atheletes.

All the articles have acknowledged that there is indeed a dominate eye.

It sounds impressive, logical and to the untrained, a sure cure for pool aiming problems.

Stance, stroke, confidence, timing, consistancy are much more effective IMO than adjusting your head or body for a 'dominate eye'

 

[gwvavases]

Is there any 'proof' or is it all 'opinion' ?

I've never seen any proof about this, yet lots of players and instructors use this 'dominent eye' as a reason for not aiming correctly.

Is there any medical/physical research that backs this Dominent Eye claim?

I don't think this brings any clarity to your dominant-eye question, but my somewhat unusual vision situation is kind of interesting.

When I quit playing pool about 30 yrs ago, one of the reasons was because I became nearsighted. Not badly, but my distance vision got fuzzy enough that I couldn't shoot pool without glasses, and I hated wearing glasses to shoot pool.

About 3 yrs ago, I had Lasik surgery on my right, dominant eye. Only that one eye. I can't read with that eye, but distance is now crystal clear. My un-operated left eye remains near-sighted. When I read, my left eye dominates and I can read fine. (I only had one eye done so that I wouldn't need glasses to read, which would have been the case if I had had both eyes done.)

At a distance, including on the pool table, my right eye dominates, and I see fine. If I cover up my right eye and look at a 9-ball rack from the head of the table with only my near-sighted left eye, it's a big fuzzy blob, with individual balls only barely discernible. If I open my right eye, though, everything sharpens up crystal clear.

Each eye is helping the other, and the brain adapts. The doctor explained it to me before I had the procedure done. You'd think that when I look at a distance my now-perfect right eye would see crystal clear but my left eye would fuzz it up. Doesn't happen. Left eye contributes depth perception, but it doesn't interfere with the clarity I get from my right eye. I still find it kind of freaky.

If I had surgery on my right arm, would my stroke improve? Hmmmmmm

 

[tom haney]

Is there any 'proof' or is it all 'opinion' ?

I've never seen any proof about this, yet lots of players and instructors use this 'dominent eye' as a reason for not aiming correctly.

Is there any medical/physical research that backs this Dominent Eye claim?

Have you consulted Ammshara?

 

[longball]

Longball,

I agree, I have spent way too much time researching this topic. I have read about 30 articles from all types of orgs about the dominate eye theories. None of these articles have identified the 'dominate eye' as a critical need for aiming, or having an advantage with vision perfect sports atheletes.

It sounds impressive, logical and to the untrained, a sure cure for pool aiming problems.

If you look at the top women players like Allison, Ewa, Loree Jon, and a few more, you don't even have a clue as to which eye is their dominant eye. There seems to be more validity in the "cleft in the chin" theory, since each one of them is meticulous about getting their cue to fit right in that groove. Which means that their dominant eye is either inside or outside of their cue, however, due to the same setup over and over in the cleft and setting the feet and body the same way, the dominant eye (which ever one it is) is in the same spot on every shot. I think after you've mastered your stance and alignment, you can then focus on grip pressure, tempo, and stroke but can never get careless or sloppy with the setup, which is SOoooo fundamental that it's overlooked and easy to do from one shot to the next.

 

[Bluewolf]

Longball,

Stance, stroke, confidence, timing, consistancy are much more effective IMO than adjusting your head or body for a 'dominate eye'

tap tap

Laura

 

[Jerry Brice]

If you look at the top women players like Allison, Ewa, Loree Jon, and a few more, you don't even have a clue as to which eye is their dominant eye. There seems to be more validity in the "cleft in the chin" theory, since each one of them is meticulous about getting their cue to fit right in that groove. Which means that their dominant eye is either inside or outside of their cue, however, due to the same setup over and over in the cleft and setting the feet and body the same way, the dominant eye (which ever one it is) is in the same spot on every shot. I think after you've mastered your stance and alignment, you can then focus on grip pressure, tempo, and stroke but can never get careless or sloppy with the setup, which is SOoooo fundamental that it's overlooked and easy to do from one shot to the next.

If you pulled photos of the top 25 right handed men you will find almost all of them to be right eye dominate, but the cue alignment will be all over the place, some over the right eye, some the left eye, some over the nose, some off to the side like Earl, so what does that tell us or where does that lead us to?

 

[longball]

If you pulled photos of the top 25 right handed men you will find almost all of them to be right eye dominate, but the cue alignment will be all over the place, some over the right eye, some the left eye, some over the nose, some off to the side like Earl, so what does that tell us or where does that lead us to?

I don't know...what does it tell you? I think it just adds to what everyone has been saying up to this point. Strict dominant eye alignment right over the top of your cue doesn't play as great a role as a lot of instructors would lead you to believe, it could possibly be anywhere as long as it's consistent.
I can tell you one thing about the top 25 men, you won't find their cue alignment under their right eye on one shot, their nose on the next, and their left eye on another. You might not even find a 1/2" difference, if that, from one shot to another because it's so ingrained.

 

[runout ronnie]

I don't know...what does it tell you? I think it just adds to what everyone has been saying up to this point. Strict dominant eye alignment right over the top of your cue doesn't play as great a role as a lot of instructors would lead you to believe, it could possibly be anywhere as long as it's consistent.
I can tell you one thing about the top 25 men, you won't find their cue alignment under their right eye on one shot, their nose on the next, and their left eye on another. You might not even find a 1/2" difference, if that, from one shot to another because it's so ingrained.

Then we should all just let out eyes and body find the right spot for us and ignore what the so called instructors tell us? Does any one out there actually teach that>

 

[jjinfla]

Awwww Tom,

Didn't you get enough of this on the CCB? You had to bring it here.

I suppose the next question will be, Do you look at the OB or the CB last?

Jake

 

[jjinfla]

I subscribe to Bob Byrne's dominant eye theory: "If you have to be told to put one eye over the cue, you are a hopeless case and should stick to bowling" "do what feels right - there is no correct way".

Jake

 

[Tom In Cincy]

Gee Jake..

What did I do to deserve this?

Awwww Tom,

Didn't you get enough of this on the CCB? You had to bring it here.

I suppose the next question will be, Do you look at the OB or the CB last?

Jake

 

[jjinfla]

You brought up dominant eye.

It is as normal as dominant hand.

Couldn't even force myself to read any of the posts.

Jake