Hard to Find the Center of the Cue Ball

Well I still haven't read all the discuss
BRKNRUN said:
However....it is very rare to shoot exactly horizontal center....
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I think in snooker they call it a stun run through. I hit or aim to hit dead center for the short follow. Through practice I have developed a feel for where and how hard to strike the white. Watching the interaction of the tip with the white gives data.
 
Looking at the reflection in the cueball, pick a feature in the reflection to strike and drive through center ball. Once that's mastered move on to variations of off center strikes.
 
I always enjoyed playing people that loved to spin their rock. Of course a touch of isn't spin to the rock its just a flavoring.
So with a 1 mm center line and a 3 mm chalk mark. Center ball is simple stuff. Doing simple stuff well leads to a game that is Stealth. Well straight pool is a game of simple. 8 ball is close to straight pool. Bringing a straight pool game to the 9 ball money play can lead to setting the hook.
 
the big thing about hitting the centerline. is that when off a tiny bit as we all end up doing to some extent is that you only put a tiny amount of side spin on the cueball. so little variation in the cueball path and almost no variation in object ball path. to be seen.

but when using a touch of anything if you go a little more you enter into the range where english gets more pronounced as you go farther out and squirt and other things take effect on your shot. so the penalty is greater for a mistake.

players that have a straight stroke and very accurate with it, wont deviate much at all so can easily put that tiny bit of english on most shots and get away with it.
 
to add :

when using the centerline of the shot most all non rail shots dont change much or at all , according to the speed you hit with. and judging speed accurately is a tough matter.

as soon as you add spin of any kind, the speed imparted has an effect on direction and or how the shot goes.

other than where it would have went with any speed and no english.

pros have played long enough and can adjust for the things that weaker players cannot.
 
maha said:
to add :

when using the centerline of the shot most all non rail shots dont change much or at all , according to the speed you hit with. and judging speed accurately is a tough matter.

as soon as you add spin of any kind, the speed imparted has an effect on direction and or how the shot goes.

other than where it would have went with any speed and no english.

pros have played long enough and can adjust for the things that weaker players cannot.
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When I put English on the cue ball, I am not using my tip to measure how far I am aiming off center.

I have played so long that it is instinctive to me.

The only time I am super concentrated on where I am hitting on the cue ball is when I am doing a vertical masse.
 
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Along the horizontal centre line, which position has the least squirt.

Screenshot 2025-12-20 at 12.11.13 PM.png
 
BRKNRUN said:
For vertical center...it has already been pointed out that you can find that where the ball touches the cloth.....

For Horizontal center. On any table that has overhead lights....you can see a lighted portion of the ball and a shaded portion of the ball (below horizontal center)....horizontal center is the transition point between light and dark......(most people just don't pay attention that it is there)

However....it is very rare to shoot exactly horizontal center.........for a stop shot...most times you are hitting about 1/4 or 1/2 tip below center....or.....just barely into the shaded area.....for draw you are hitting further into the shaded area.......for follow......you shoot into the lighted area

Unless of course you are jacked up....you may shoot into the lighted area for draw since the CB axis changes....but you can still use the lighted/shaded area as a guide on where you intend to hit.
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Another detail: horizontal center (the "equator") is always tilted up a little to match the elevation angle of your cue - hitting above or below that = hitting above or below the CB's "3D center", which causes follow and draw.

pj
chgo
 
just to have an idea of where you stand with regards to accuracy and consistency to hit center cue ball
and maybe have realistic expectations
take alook at this from mark wilson's book
mark wilson cue ball accuracy pic.jpg
 
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good pics. but somewhat broad based on the skill levels. should have maybe a better amateur player pic as well.

but certainly shows the idea of how important is for a straight stroke and knowing how to hit where you need to aim on the cueball.
and should realize how hard it is to do much if you cant hit near center.

every one should be able to hit in the last two pics, with just some practice.
 
maha said:
good pics. but somewhat broad based on the skill levels. should have maybe a better amateur player pic as well.

but certainly shows the idea of how important is for a straight stroke and knowing how to hit where you need to aim on the cueball.
and should realize how hard it is to do much if you cant hit near center.

every one should be able to hit in the last two pics, with just some practice.
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I have played so much, I can hit dead center on the opposite side of the cue ball. :)
 
If you don’t have a straight stroke you’ll never be a sniper.

How To Play Pool For Dummies is a must
for beginners.
Chapter one: Center ball and the vertical axis from the center up and center down.

On the other side of the room we have players with some experience who are capable of using a little left and right English, follow and draw, but can’t find Grand Central Station.

I call for an investigation.
Off with their heads
 
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bbb said:
just to have an idea of where you stand with regards to accuracy and consistency to hit center cue ball
and maybe have realistic expectations
take alook at this from mark wilson's book
View attachment 870960
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There are few people I am less eager to disagree with than Mark Wilson but what I see here isn't a true representation of what I have found. An entry level player with an hour or less of instruction on the bridge and stroke will hit the cue ball in an area maybe one third that area or 1/3 the diameter. The Average pro player and elite player will both hit much smaller areas.

Another issue, these representations on a whole group around the center. That is not what I have seen in testing without telling people what I was testing for. A man that only plays once or twice a year looks at the cue ball last and hits the cue ball far more accurately than the elite professional player in this image. Another man who was a once or twice a month player, maybe a high C at best, also said he looked at the cue ball last and hit it with very close to perfect accuracy.

When I just snagged people walking by my table at Buffalo Billiards, pool room bums of various skill levels from high C to AA or Shortstop to try a shot I found in my sampling of about twenty shooters none hit the cue ball accurately trying to make a shot. After three to five shots I told them the main object of the exercise was to hit the cue ball accurately. Then they all hit the cue ball with near perfect accuracy. These were guys that played 20-40 hours a month at an estimate. They didn't focus on hitting the cue ball accurately normally. They could when they focused on that aspect of the shot.

Speaking for myself, when I am out of stroke I hit the cue ball one-eighth inch high and one-sixteenth inch left. I do that if I have been laid off a couple months or a couple years. When I get back in stroke I hit the cue ball exactly where intended. This is why I don't see an issue hitting centerline or dead center ball, talking along the outside of the ball of course!

If I were teaching someone I would let them do other things enough to stay interested but they would spend a lot of time just hitting a ball until they could hit it where intended.

I think too long of a bridge copying pro's and the open bridge are the primary causes of issues hitting the cue ball. It ain't that hard!

Hu
 
maha said:
to add :

when using the centerline of the shot most all non rail shots dont change much or at all , according to the speed you hit with. and judging speed accurately is a tough matter.

as soon as you add spin of any kind, the speed imparted has an effect on direction and or how the shot goes.

other than where it would have went with any speed and no english.

pros have played long enough and can adjust for the things that weaker players cannot.
Click to expand...
I was fortunate in that one of my mentors preached consistent shot speed over and over again. It became ingrained so as most of my shots are hit with the same power and speed. Firm pocketing speed. Forgive my possible improper use of terminology.
That's what we called it back then. Most straight pool players hit their shots the same. Or we tried to as often as possible.
 
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