drill for checking alignment/center hit

PKM

PKM

OB-1 Kenobi
Silver Member
Do you do the drill where you hit the cueball down the middle and try to get it to hit your cue? Is it better to use a striped ball so you can see the spin, or the CB so you can try to hit center without any guide? Maybe both?

Do you think this drill is particularly helpful or not?
 
I like to use the Jim Rempe ball. When the ball comes back, I can always tell where I hit because of the chalk mark. Somehow, my ball tends to consistently come back slightly to the right. It does not look like there is any english on it when I hit it, but I get that ever so slight bounce to the right off of the rail.
 
Straight stroke...

When I was starting out, way too long ago, the drill I was taught to learn to hit center ball, take two balls, place them to the left and right of the foot spot. When beginning, start with them 1 ball away fom the cueball. Shoot at the short rail on the other end of the table across the head spot. If you want use a striped ball for a cueball, you get immediate feedback and usually a truer roll. If hit correctly, the cueball wll come back and roll across the foot spot between the outer balls you set up. As you get better, move the target balls closer to the spot and make the target space smaller, like making a goal post narrower. When you can get the cueball to go between the target balls goal post, that is just a little wider than the cueball, you are hitting the cueball dead center. I remember seeing some trick shot artists at Valley Forge many years ago doing this with a silver dollar. Once they knew how the rails reacted, they could get the silver dollar to rebound off the short rail come back between the target balls and rebound off the footspot rail and go back through again! Talk about a straight stroke!
 
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I agree with Neil that shooting balls down the table and let them come back to the cue tip is not as effective as shooting long straight in shots.

If you want to do that drill, do it with a striped ball. Sometimes when I line up a striped ball like a car tire and hit it, the pattern is immediately twisted and twisted again when it rebounds off the other end of the table, yet comes back perfectly to my cue tip. That is something you cannot see with the whitey.
 
there should be no spin on the ball if you hit it dead center that drill is ok to get into the right frame of mind to play. I really dont think it helps much past that.
 
The drill is to hit the CB Exactly where you think you're hitting. The CB will come straight back if hit anywhere on the vertical axis. So you may be hitting on the vertical but not dead center. For completness sake get one of the training balls that are made to hold a little chalk when hit or lightly coat the ball with silicone for the same reason then line the spot on the CB in dead center. After hitting it you'll see how close you came. One millimeter or less is a good goal.

I heard a story where Steve Davis warmed up before a match for 15 minutes doing this drill. Of course without the silicone or training ball. I'd say if it's good enough for him, it's probably a good drill.
 
adding a little more

PKM said:
Do you do the drill where you hit the cueball down the middle and try to get it to hit your cue? Is it better to use a striped ball so you can see the spin, or the CB so you can try to hit center without any guide? Maybe both?

Do you think this drill is particularly helpful or not?
Click to expand...


The problem with this drill is that with practice you learn to "cheat" the drill, making the cue ball do what you want it to do, coming back over the spot or to your cue without necessarily shooting a straight shot.

I place a piece of chalk directly over the diamond with a flat side facing me to have a better target and be sure I am actually hitting the rail where I want to. Don't use the point facing you, different lighting creates the illusion that one side is bigger than the other. Then carefully center your stick over the diamond at your end of the table with the cue ball of course between these two points. You could still steer your stroke but you at least have three points defining a line now, getting you off to a better start. Simple as this sounds, I found that I often set up with my stick not quite centered over the diamond and steered a bit.

One line and an infinite number of arcs pass through two defined points, only one line or one arc passes through three points. Very basic geometry but worth remembering sometimes.

Hu
 
i think its a good drill, i wouldnt spend 15 minutes on it but 3 or 4 sure. Another i like along similar lines is to put the cue on the headspot, put the object ball directly in line with it and frozen to the short rail. Then hitting the cueball with a touch of draw, make it hit the object ball and rebound back to you and hit your tip.
 
Grooving your stroke....

This is a drill I do whenever I need to "groove" my stroke. It helps with alignment, and cueball/object ball contact points. I use the measle cueball as it will help (visually) show any imperfections. It isn't necessary to use a striped ball for the object ball, but it does show some spin-transfer if you take the time to align the stripe vertically. I find it takes too much time, and really doesn't help show any stroke issues.

CueTable Help





Place any object ball along the (imaginary) line for a direct cross-corner shot, approximately 1-diamond from the corner pocket. **Note: I used a laser-level, until I learned to place the balls without it.
Begin with the cueball at mid-table (A). Start by shooting stop-shots... carefully observing where the object ball goes into the pocket, and watch for any cueball deflection from the line or cueball rotation. ANY variance will be immediately noticed. When you are satisfied you are aligning yourself correctly, hitting the cueball with proper spin, and hitting the object ball properly, move back 1-diamond and begin again. Shoot about 5-6 shots at each "station".
You can then "graduate" to to moving the object ball another diamond away from the pocket
Next, you can move on to adding follow or draw english. Follow should allow you to scratch, and draw will (ideally) scratch in opposite corner (but, within a diamond is "pretty good").
I have found that my personal "problem" is that I tend to put a touch of right english on my draw-shots. This is indicated by a slight off-center cueball rotation while the ball draws to the right of the line... but the object ball hits the center of the pocket. If I straighten out this cueball contact/alignment variance, it greatly improves all my other shotmaking.

ONE LAST THING: For "straight-in" shots, I don't try to pick a contact point on the object ball. Often it's hard to see when there are shadows, numbers, stripe edges, etc... to distract you. I look for the HIGHEST point on the object ball and aim at that.

Ray
 
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I strongly recommend to test your stroke (and fine-tune it next time you practice) with a straightness drill from PAT course #2. Set two balls (2 balls diameter apart) one diamond past the center pockets line. Set the cueball on the headstring and shoot a lag shot so that the cueball passes between those object balls without touching them on the way to the foot rail and back to the kitchen.
The real tester is shooting it with so-called Speed 3, which is sending the cueball to the foot rail, back to the head rail and to the footrail again. So that the cueball passes "the gate" three times.
Thus you will see if you hit the whitey precisely on the vertical axis and can practice absolutely straight shots. Any deviation caused by English or incorrect stroke will show up inevitably.
Happy shooting!
 
Neil said:
Personally, and you are free to disagree with me, but I think this drill is a waste of time. Just because the cueball comes back to your cue doesn't in any way mean you hit it pure. For example, if I hit not STRAIGHT down the table, but a little to the right of parallel with the rail, but accidentally put a touch of left on the cueball, it can come back to the tip of the cue. I think I hit it perfect, and put the motion in memory. But I unknowingly put in false data.I think it is very difficult to hit exactly parallel to the rails. The drill I prefer is to put a ball about the second diamond down from the end of the table. The cueball two diamonds up from the other end. And using my cue, make sure they are in a straight line to the center of the pocket. Make the object ball. The goal is to use a stop shot and have the cueball stop dead in it's tracks. If it goes to the right or left, you know instantly that you didn't hit it good. The next one up from this is to draw the cueball back into the pocket. (Have to have it lined up for the pocket first) You CANNOT due this unless you hit the ball perfect. Any english or off-center hit will show up right away. These two drills will do a lot to improve your stroke. For those "in the know" these two drills are from Bert Kinnister. I think he has a lot of good ones.
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Same here, that "drill" is worthless.
 
If you want to see some really straight shooting go to Joe Tucker's web-site and watch a couple of those clips. One of his drills is he freezes to balls to the head rail a little more than a balls width apart on the center diamond, he puts the cue ball on the head spot and an object ball on the foot spot. He then shoots the object ball straight into the foot rail and stops the cue ball. The object ball contacts the rail and rebounds back striking the cue ball that has stopped in position, this cue ball now rolls back over the head spot and hits the head rail between the two balls. he does this a number of times. It's the straightest shooting and center ball hit exhibition that I've ever seen.

Dick
 
Alignment

I posted this on another site before I read Joe Tucker's stuff and would be interested in comments

One two or three eyed shooter

Ok --- three eyes is a joke, but it got your attention. I have created a way that you can determine the best way for you to aim and it won’t cost anything except a little time and maybe $3.00.

Photo one shows the table with a line drawn from the head to the foot of the table on the center diamond. I used a dressmaker’s marking pencil (cost $1.00 at Wal-mart) to draw the line. I left the pencil on the table for this photo.

For a ruler I used an 8’ piece of metal wall board corner molding ($2.00 at Home Depot). Note that the line goes from one end of the table to the other.

Photo 1
Site1.jpg


The balls are set with the base of the One ball on the line (see photo two) with the center of the numeral One centered on the line. If you look over the top of the One ball you can see the other side of the ball and that the number One lines up with the white line. Go to the other end of the table and set the Three ball in the same way.


The balls are now lined up perfectly. If you hit dead center on the One, stop on the Three ball the three ball should bank off the end of the table and come back and hit the One ball – a really tough shot.

-- Photo 2 –

Site2.jpg


Ok so how should you aim. Well first lets get the bridge hand out of the way. To do this I reversed the table bridge and set it where the stick will line up perfectly with the center of the One ball. See Photo Three. I am holding the table bridge with my left hand and site with my eyes and the right hand. Here is the interesting part of this technique.

As I look down the shaft and line up from the One to the Three I get what I think is a good site picture. Notice where your nose is relative to the shaft of the cue stick and this is your site picture.

Now raise up a little bit and you can see over the Three ball to the head rail and you can see the white line. If everything is lined up then you are straight for your site picture. If not, something has to change.

Shooting the shot by stopping on the Three ball and watching the return from the rail will tell you if you site picture is the least bit off. This is a difficult shot and you have to be lined up perfectly. All I can tell you is --- things will change.

By the way, you will learn if you shoot most accurately with one eye or with two eyes if you keep track of the number of times you can bank the three into the one ball using one two or three eyes!

-- Photo 3 --
Site3.jpg
 
Aiming

The post right before this one shows how I learned to align the eye for aiming. Unfortunately, there are too many posts and a new page had to be created. Please jump back one page.

I also have trouble with aiming. In general I use a variation of the ghost ball, compensating for throw and deflection. I also use what I call a 9” nail through the object ball to the back of the pocket. This seems to work about 90% of the time. It is the other 10% that really bugs me ! :cool: Is there a better way to aim?

On the one hand it seems that I do not need to line up the exact center of the object ball to the pocket, just the vertical center. On the other hand, I don’t trust or believe that anything other than a site through the exact ccenter of the object ball with a 9” nail works. Hmmm

I have learned that staying low on the cue stick and watching the cue ball travel and letting the stick touch the bed on follow through helps.

Shortening the swing, locking the back leg and aiming by moving my hips helps.

None-the-less, I can’t get past the 90% accuracy level. There must be a better way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
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aiming and stance

I might as well throw rocks at two sacred cows at once as throw rocks a them one at a time so here are two thoughts that aren't in line with current trends.

When we get down very low over the cue ball depth perception is compromised. Adjustments made while we are very low are made by feel and memory except for when we need a full ball or edge to edge hit. We determine our original alignment while our binocular vision is functioning at it's best, while standing. We do hundreds of things a day counting on our binocular vision and our mind to calculate the angles and distances. Doubting when down on a shot with our vision compromised doesn't seem reasonable.

The other sacred cow is the locked leg. We aren't designed to operate off of locked joints and we are actually more stable if we leave them unlocked particularly when we are shooting the tough shots that keep us down in position longer.

A little food for thought and of course worth every penny it cost you.

Hu



JoeW said:
The post right before this one shows how I learned to align the eye for aiming. Unfortunately, there are too many posts and a new page had to be created. Please jump back one page.

I also have trouble with aiming. In general I use a variation of the ghost ball, compensating for throw and deflection. I also use what I call a 9” nail through the object ball to the back of the pocket. This seems to work about 90% of the time. It is the other 10% that really bugs me ! :cool: Is there a better way to aim?

On the one hand it seems that I do not need to line up the exact center of the object ball to the pocket, just the vertical center. On the other hand, I don’t trust or believe that anything other than a site through the exact ccenter of the object ball with a 9” nail works. Hmmm

I have learned that staying low on the cue stick and watching the cue ball travel and letting the stick touch the bed on follow through helps.

Shortening the swing, locking the back leg and aiming by moving my hips helps.

None-the-less, I can’t get past the 90% accuracy level. There must be a better way. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks ShootingArts. I basically agree with you and use the low site picture on length of table shots and to make sure I watch the cue ball roll. I did learn with the prior post that shooting with two eyes is better than with one eye as far as I am concerned for the reasons you mentioned. Pool is much more a three dimensional game and I tend to watch the cue ball track (both sides and the center) for the most accuracy.

I have only recently started to use the locked leg. I don't like it but it does seem to add stability on long shots. So perhaps a semi-locked leg is more the trick.

I have played lots of other sports like tennis, ping pong, gymnastics, and acrobatic diving. I have learned that unlike these sports, pool requires a flat footed stance. It is more like pistol shooting which I had a difficult time with until I learned to stand flat footed. So the locked leg is but another way to stay off my toes.
 
ShootingArts said:
I might as well throw rocks at two sacred cows at once as throw rocks a them one at a time so here are two thoughts that aren't in line with current trends.

When we get down very low over the cue ball depth perception is compromised. Adjustments made while we are very low are made by feel and memory except for when we need a full ball or edge to edge hit. We determine our original alignment while our binocular vision is functioning at it's best, while standing. We do hundreds of things a day counting on our binocular vision and our mind to calculate the angles and distances. Doubting when down on a shot with our vision compromised doesn't seem reasonable.

The other sacred cow is the locked leg. We aren't designed to operate off of locked joints and we are actually more stable if we leave them unlocked particularly when we are shooting the tough shots that keep us down in position longer.

A little food for thought and of course worth every penny it cost you.

Hu
Click to expand...


I had a 5 minute conversation with a back in the day top flight player that "enlightened" me on aiming... It will both go in line whith what your saying and also contradict it slightly.

Before the shot you are standing and "looking" at the lay of the table. when we get down on the shot we now "aim" the shot.

You do indeed "look" with both eyes... You "aim" with one eye.

The trick is to be able to aim with one eye even though both eyes are open...

The example he gave me is the single view microscope. At first the untrained person has a difficult time looking into a microsope with both eyes open...with a little practice you will learn how to aim your view into the microscope with both eyes open...Obviously your dominant eye will be the eye over the microscope lens.

A person that uses both eyes to "look" at the ball they are going to shoot (may) be very surprised (like I was) that they are lining up with a crooked cue...

A quick test is to set up like normal with both eyes open...When your are fully aligned and ready to pull the trigger....Close your "weak" eye and see if you still feel aligned........ (I wasn't) ;)

Regarding the leg lock thing...I think it is personal preference and may be different depending on the stance for the shot....I have watched Efren use both a locked and unlocked leg in the same rack.....I am no Efren....but I tend to do the same thing...I usually use a unlocked leg, but there are some shots that for whatever reason the back leg is just more comfortable in a locked position.
 
PKM said:
Do you do the drill where you hit the cueball down the middle and try to get it to hit your cue? Is it better to use a striped ball so you can see the spin, or the CB so you can try to hit center without any guide? Maybe both?

Do you think this drill is particularly helpful or not?
Click to expand...


Yes, I think it is very helpful. I do it all the time.

It helps if you do it down the lenght AND width of the table before a game, it will show you if your stroke/shot is on or off.

My old pool instructor told me so....:D
 
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