Eye opening drill... Point & Shoot

Vinnie

Vinnie

pool is cool.
Silver Member
OK,

Last night I started trying this to see if my positioning needs work. You simply play whatever you want EXCEPT that before each shot, point on the table with your cue tip where you want to leave the cue ball after the shot. I now realize that I have been more of a shot maker than a position player. My new goal is to be able to leave the cue ball within a 2-ball radius (4.5in) of the chosen spot. This drill can be very humbling (for non-pros) if you were to play it in a public setting.
 
That's a good idea, the good news for me is if I do it while someone's looking, my position will be so far from the cue tip placement that they won't even realize what I'm doing. :thumbup:
 
I try to do this all the time while I am shooting.

I helps train your mind to really make a decision about where the cue ball needs to be for the next shot.

Not making a decision about my shape is one my most common, and careless errors, I make. Ending up with the wrong angle because you were too lazy to look can be really frustrating! :-)
 
I usually put a napkin in the middle of a table and try to land there after every shot.. I usually quit after couple of shots tough :o
 
About 10-12 years ago, I ran into this girl in Wisconsin that would do that every shot in tournament play. The word was she was the Current College Champion at the time.

I was a low C player at the time and got to face her only once. She'd line up every shot and get down on the shot, right before she pulled the trigger she'd lift up, point quickly to a spot on the table and then 2 stroke the shot and get right on the spot.

I cannot for the life of me remember what her name was.

Is there a list of College Champion pool players anywhere?
 
Position

When I first started learning when I was 14, I cut out a 6" circle out of paper, and would lay it down on the table where I wanted the cue ball to be for the next shot. It is a very good training device to use.

On the other hand, I watched a player point to where he wanted the cue ball to be for every shot in a match, and he did not come within 6" of the point on any of the shots, but was in the general vacinity which allowed him to go ahead and get out.
 
I always shoot for pretty precise position. FWIW , I always pick the part of the pocket I'm shooting at as well.

I think the biggest mistake most people make is that they settle for just a general idea of where they want to be and then just shoot. ALOT of people I see seem to shoot for no more than like quadrants of the table.

Funny part is when you cross the line by like an 1" and your like WTF , that was so dumb.

IMO, I think you should always know where you want to be and where you don't want to be before you take the shot.
 
OK,

Last night I started trying this to see if my positioning needs work. You simply play whatever you want EXCEPT that before each shot, point on the table with your cue tip where you want to leave the cue ball after the shot. I now realize that I have been more of a shot maker than a position player. My new goal is to be able to leave the cue ball within a 2-ball radius (4.5in) of the chosen spot. This drill can be very humbling (for non-pros) if you were to play it in a public setting.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea. Putting a physical target on the table, like a napkin, coin or piece of chalk, gets to be too much trouble very quickly for me - but just pointing might be easy enough that I might actually keep it up. Knowing me, I'll get lazy and stop walking over to see the exact position I need - but aiming for an exact target, even if it's not exactly the right one, will add value to my practice.

I'll give this a shot - thanks for the idea.

pj
chgo
 
Vinnie said:
OK,

Last night I started trying this to see if my positioning needs work. You simply play whatever you want EXCEPT that before each shot, point on the table with your cue tip where you want to leave the cue ball after the shot. I now realize that I have been more of a shot maker than a position player. My new goal is to be able to leave the cue ball within a 2-ball radius (4.5in) of the chosen spot. This drill can be very humbling (for non-pros) if you were to play it in a public setting.
Click to expand...

This is one of the best drills for postion. Also for beginers that are just starting to learn position play, just start by going 2,3, and four rails with just the QB landing on a pre-picked spot on the table. When you have that down pretty good use an OB but don't worry about making the shot at first. Just learn where different hits and english takes the QB. Johnnyt
 
Jerry...Find an older BCA rulebook. They used to list all the ACUI collegiate champions (men and women), since they started keeping records ('40's or '50's). The new rulebook only has the most recent college champions (2008). This years tournament just ended a couple of weeks ago. You may find that older information on the Generation Pool website (www.generationpool.com), but I'm not sure. It will definitely be in any rulebook older than 2004 or so.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

stuckart said:
Is there a list of College Champion pool players anywhere?
Click to expand...
 
BryanBpool said:
I try to do this all the time while I am shooting.

I helps train your mind to really make a decision about where the cue ball needs to be for the next shot.

Not making a decision about my shape is one my most common, and careless errors, I make. Ending up with the wrong angle because you were too lazy to look can be really frustrating! :-)
Click to expand...

The correct angle is the key. It's especially important when playing a shot in the side pocket. You want the natural shape to go toward the correct side of table.
 
A fun little variant game we play from time to time , we call it reverse pool but I'm sure there are other better names for it , is a game where you have to shoot the object ball to carom off the cue ball in order to pocket it. We do both rotaion and 8 ball style. It's fun and teachs a great deal about ball positioning.
 
I think the technique of using the tip of your cue to point to where you want the cue ball to end up is a great idea. The mind's control of your stroke is controlled by the cerebellum, which has no vocal component. It can however understand visual stimuli, so pointing out your target, whether you do it with your stick or just with a stare, is of great value. It's also one of the reasons that the quiet eye phenomenon is so valuable in aiming, to eliminate extraneous information so that the brain can concentrate on the main job at hand.
 
HereWeGo said:
http://www.bca-pool.com/play/tournaments/results/history_acui.shtml


You can chose mens or womens.
Click to expand...

Perfect thanks!

This is her:

1997 Heather Perrigoue University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
1995 Heather Perrigoue University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

The UWM union has a nice pool room with 20 perfectly kept GC's. Back in 97' I think it was $2/hour to play there.

btw, ha ha, look at the women's winner from 2004, "Maria Juana", is that for real? Bet she smokes!
 
On a very similar note, when I practice putting....I roll a marble out onto my carpet maybe 3 or 6 or 10 feet away, and try to hit that marble with the golf ball. After a few weeks of this.....the hole on the golf course looks like a bucket!!! :)

Seems like when you practice a much more difficult task then the one needed.....what ever you are trying to master becomes much easier!


G.
 
Johnny Archer

I was so mad at Johnny Archer when I played in his tournament. I like to play shape using the lint on the table and think that is why my game was off that weekend.
JoeyA
 
I've done this almost since I started playing. Couple it with advice from George Fels in Mastering Pool and follow the cue ball with your eyes after contact. Makes a HUGE difference! This does go against the old "Follow the object ball until it's in the pocket." but try it, it works.
 
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