For C.J. Wiley ???

[GoldenFlash]

I listened to a Texas pool player once by the name of Dick Lane. Lane was a very good pool player.
He was lecturing a few players on what he referred to as “sighting positions” about the eyes refining the shot line according to how low or how upright a player addressed a shot.
After watching him for a while, I tried what he suggested and it seemed to work for many many shots. (It did not work for those full table long ones when the cueball was frozen to the rail.) I think the final analysis was that this helped eliminate cling/throw
The gist of it was the “shot was made in the air” (aligned) and then fine tuned by standing and bending low or high while getting into the get-ready stance. You could actually see the cut lines better from certain angles from the bent back position.
The eyes would seem to just “find” that exact position to where it was almost hard to miss.
Have of you ever heard of this, C.J.?
Thanks,
Flash

 

[ENGLISH!]

I was going to PM you with my newly found thoughts about head position since I recently discovered that I am left eye 'dominant' for pool, but it seems that I can't.

But if your question is only for CJ I'll refrain.

Best 2 You,
Rick

 

[BobY]

I can't contribute on the sighting topic but was Dick Lane as slow as everyone said? I heard of players conceeding matches as it threw their game off.

I listened to a Texas pool player once by the name of Dick Lane. Lane was a very good pool player.
He was lecturing a few players on what he referred to as “sighting positions” about the eyes refining the shot line according to how low or how upright a player addressed a shot.
After watching him for a while, I tried what he suggested and it seemed to work for many many shots. (It did not work for those full table long ones when the cueball was frozen to the rail.) I think the final analysis was that this helped eliminate cling/throw
The gist of it was the “shot was made in the air” (aligned) and then fine tuned by standing and bending low or high while getting into the get-ready stance. You could actually see the cut lines better from certain angles from the bent back position.
The eyes would seem to just “find” that exact position to where it was almost hard to miss.
Have of you ever heard of this, C.J.?
Thanks,
Flash

 

[punter]

Here's a link to a previous thread about Dick Lane.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=155363&highlight=lane

 

[CJ Wiley]

One thing we can all do is create the perception of the shot that seems right to us

I listened to a Texas pool player once by the name of Dick Lane. Lane was a very good pool player.
He was lecturing a few players on what he referred to as “sighting positions” about the eyes refining the shot line according to how low or how upright a player addressed a shot.
After watching him for a while, I tried what he suggested and it seemed to work for many many shots. (It did not work for those full table long ones when the cueball was frozen to the rail.) I think the final analysis was that this helped eliminate cling/throw
The gist of it was the “shot was made in the air” (aligned) and then fine tuned by standing and bending low or high while getting into the get-ready stance. You could actually see the cut lines better from certain angles from the bent back position.
The eyes would seem to just “find” that exact position to where it was almost hard to miss.
Have of you ever heard of this, C.J.?
Thanks,
Flash

I know Dick Lane, we had many conversations about the deeper levels of the game (more on the mental than physical side). I'm not positive what you're referring to, however, I assume it's about the ideal perception of the shots that change according to distance (from cue ball to object ball).

One thing we can all do is create the perception of the shot that seems right to us. This varies from person to person depending on eye dominance, body types, flexibility, etc. This is somewhat of an illusion, so we have to train our minds accordingly.

One thing I do is keep my head higher (down on the shot) when closer to the object ball and lower when the object ball is farther away. Try this and you'll see that it makes the perception more consistent.

Allen Hopkins did this well, when he was inches from the object ball he would be up high so he could still see the cloth between the cue ball and object ball. His specialty was straight-pool and one-pocket where the balls are naturally closer to together.

Hope this helps, I've been playing a tournament and somewhat mentally drained.

Play Well

 

[HighEndCues]

I can't contribute on the sighting topic but was Dick Lane as slow as everyone said? I heard of players conceeding matches as it threw their game off.

I played Dick in a tourney in NYC over 15 years ago. I'm a very fast player and I played a 3 hour race to 9 against Dick. He was the most deliberate player I have ever played. All I could do was just look away till it was my shot, or I would have lost my mind and unscrewed myself. I couldn't even have imagined playing him straight pool. Nice guy, good player, just a wee bit slow.
Best,
Ken

 

[jamesjr1963]

I played Dick in a tourney in NYC over 15 years ago. I'm a very fast player and I played a 3 hour race to 9 against Dick. He was the most deliberate player I have ever played. All I could do was just look away till it was my shot, or I would have lost my mind and unscrewed myself. I couldn't even have imagined playing him straight pool. Nice guy, good player, just a wee bit slow.
Best,
Ken

Wow! How long do you think it would take for him and Charlie Williams to play a race to 5?

 

[ENGLISH!]

I too always did the high head when the balls are very close as CJ suggested.

What I have recently learned through Gene Albrecht is that FOR POOL I am actually left eye dominant & have been playing right handed & right eyed for 4+ decades.

So, to your question. When standing tall & the table is well below my eyes, I see the straight line with my left eye.

When down very low I MIGHT see the straight line with my right eye but maybe not.

If I were to shoot a rifle or pistol & would sight straight out from my right eye, BUT if I were shooting from the hip well below my eyes I would use my left eye to put the rifle on the line.

Gene says the odds are about 50/50 that an individual is like me.

So...at what height or level between the two does the change occur?

This is very new to me & I am just starting to deal with it & trying to learn from it.

I can tell you this my head height has evolved to higher position than my normally very low head position.

I am coming to believe that the different distances between the CB & OB could 'need' different head heights to see a straight line 'perfectly'.

I hope something here helps or at least is food for thought.

Best 2 You & All,
Rick

 

[randyg]

Wow! How long do you think it would take for him and Charlie Williams to play a race to 5?

June!

randyg

 

[OLD NO 9]

Quote:
Originally Posted by HighEndCues View Post
I played Dick in a tourney in NYC over 15 years ago. I'm a very fast player and I played a 3 hour race to 9 against Dick. He was the most deliberate player I have ever played. All I could do was just look away till it was my shot, or I would have lost my mind and unscrewed myself. I couldn't even have imagined playing him straight pool. Nice guy, good player, just a wee bit slow.
Best,
Ken

Wow! How long do you think it would take for him and Charlie Williams to play a race to 5?

Days

 

[CJ Wiley]

he was involved in a car accident and it effected his nerves

I can't contribute on the sighting topic but was Dick Lane as slow as everyone said? I heard of players conceeding matches as it threw their game off.

No one ever conceded a match to Dick that I know of, at least in a Pro event. He and Nick Varner played a race to 11 that took over 4 hours one time, and it went hill/hill.

I think he was involved in a car accident and it effected his nerves, he shook, however played very well......especially straight pool, he finished 2nd in a big one if memory serves me correctly.

 

[Stones]

Played Dick a race to 9 in Dallas in the mid 80's. Took about 2 and a half hours. I spent a lot of time looking at my shoelaces, the walls, etc. Anything to keep from looking at him while he was at the table.

I asked him about the shaking after the match. He told me that he shoots between shakes. LOL

Great guy, great player and fun to talk to. After that one race, I just decided to never play him again because of his slloooooooooooowwwww play.


Stones

 

[CJ Wiley]

Dick Lane is also from the Kennedy Family Tree. (yes, the Presidential one)

Played Dick a race to 9 in Dallas in the mid 80's. Took about 2 and a half hours. I spent a lot of time looking at my shoelaces, the walls, etc. Anything to keep from looking at him while he was at the table.

I asked him about the shaking after the match. He told me that he shoots between shakes. LOL

Great guy, great player and fun to talk to. After that one race, I just decided to never play him again because of his slloooooooooooowwwww play.


Stones

Dick Lane is also from the Kennedy Family Tree. (yes, the Presidential one) - he's worth a small fortune and has disappeared. I have had many talks with him through the years and he's a brilliant man.

I would like to see him again, the last time we communicated was in a mall in Dallas......I just happened to be there to see a movie and bumped into him, we talked briefly, and that's the last time we spoke (must have been 5 years ago).