Seen Pool101's DVD, and The Otto Zone Trainer, the aiming device that work. I saw work as I tested it with some kids, and saw improvement on the spot. There is a U-Tube of the Otto Zone Trainer here.
Have any of you INSTRUCTORS
- Thread starter CocoboloCowboy
- Start date
Think pool101's kit is a best buy at $19.99 DELIVERED.
I'm certainly not trying to knock anyone's method of aiming or training, but this like so many aiming methods has you aiming at an imaginary spot.
IMHO aiming this way "in and of itself" leaves a large variable even before the CB touches the OB. Let's face it, that spot isn't going to be on the table when you are playing so you have to estimate where it is aside from delivering the CB to it.
Why not aim directly at a real spot? Even if it's close to a 90 degree cut.
Again IMHO there is a much easier way with much less variable. You know the spot on the OB that must be hit, "AND" you are holding a straight edge in your hand when you are shooting.
Think of your cue stick as emitting 3 laser lines. One coming straight off the left edge of the shaft, one coming off the right edge of your shaft, and one coming from the center of your shaft.
Turn on the left laser to cut left, the right laser to cut right, and the center laser to shoot a straight in shot. Look that line right to the aiming point on the OB
straight in>-----------------------------------------
right cut >______________________________
and the opposite side of the shaft for left cut. ( I can't draw that LOL)
If you are cutting a shot to the left, stroke the left edge of your cue stick into the point of aim on the OB. If you are shooting a shot to the right simply stroke the right edge of your cue stick into the point of aim.
Don't use the center of the shaft because it won't compensate for the curvature of the CB. Only use the center for straight in shots.
It doesn't matter what english you put on the CB. Nothing changes, the aiming spot is fixed and not imaginary on the table surface.
Don't go twisting you back hand or front hand just stroke the shot straight and true.
Trust the stroke and put the edge of the stick on that spot on the OB for whatever side you are cutting the shot to. STROKE THROUGH to it.
IMHO aiming this way "in and of itself" leaves a large variable even before the CB touches the OB. Let's face it, that spot isn't going to be on the table when you are playing so you have to estimate where it is aside from delivering the CB to it.
Why not aim directly at a real spot? Even if it's close to a 90 degree cut.
Again IMHO there is a much easier way with much less variable. You know the spot on the OB that must be hit, "AND" you are holding a straight edge in your hand when you are shooting.
Think of your cue stick as emitting 3 laser lines. One coming straight off the left edge of the shaft, one coming off the right edge of your shaft, and one coming from the center of your shaft.
Turn on the left laser to cut left, the right laser to cut right, and the center laser to shoot a straight in shot. Look that line right to the aiming point on the OB
straight in>-----------------------------------------
right cut >______________________________
and the opposite side of the shaft for left cut. ( I can't draw that LOL)
If you are cutting a shot to the left, stroke the left edge of your cue stick into the point of aim on the OB. If you are shooting a shot to the right simply stroke the right edge of your cue stick into the point of aim.
Don't use the center of the shaft because it won't compensate for the curvature of the CB. Only use the center for straight in shots.
It doesn't matter what english you put on the CB. Nothing changes, the aiming spot is fixed and not imaginary on the table surface.
Don't go twisting you back hand or front hand just stroke the shot straight and true.
Trust the stroke and put the edge of the stick on that spot on the OB for whatever side you are cutting the shot to. STROKE THROUGH to it.
Do you have the video???
I actually use the trainer to find the line, from the center of the cue ball at contact (ghostball Position) back to center of the cue ball, raise your tip up on the shot line and find the aiming spot on the obj. ball or stick aiming line. That is now your aiming point, either a fraction of the ball or a tip distance off the ball.
Hope this clears it up.
There is no "one way" to aim as is obvious by all the discussions on aiming.
I am just offering a simple, easy to use and learn visual aid and aiming system.
After a few thousand balls you won't even remember how to aim it just happens!
Mark
No I don't have the video, but I'm aware of the concept. All I can say is that if it helps ... it's helpful.
I'm clear on the concept Mark, and again I mean no disrespect to anyone's methods. I merely state that IMO why aim at an imaginary spot (ghost ball) on a secondary object (the table) rather than aiming directly at the point of contact on the OB that you are trying to pocket?
With the method I tried to explain, there are no adjustments, no aim point vs contact point.
Of course there is no "one way" to aim. There are a ton of methods. However, I believe the most direct way, eliminating the most variables possible is to directly aim at the contact spot on the OB,with a specific line of the cue stick. Short of putting the CB on a track to the OB, I do believe this removes the most variables, and is by far the easiest to conceptualize.
Most all the methods are helpful in aiding visualization for beginners, and In fact the more ways to look at something the better for our brains to absorb the problem.
But when it comes to making the shot by hitting the OB at the point of contact, I see no good reason not to aim directly at the point of contact you want to hit.
This way of aiming was always portrayed as flawed based on aiming point vs contact point, but no one ever knew or revealed the secret to eliminating aim point vs contact point by using the sides of the cue stick rather than the center of it.
Now figuring out how to make that delivery dead accurate each time is really the missing piece to the ball pocketing puzzle.
I actually do try to teach putting the cue ball on the track to the OB ball, if the cue ball is on the track it will be at the ghost ball position when it contacts the OB ball.
The problem IMO with trying to tell someone to aim at the contact point is that new players will always try to aim the center of the cueball to the contact point, which results in a miss, and trying to find the spot on two spheres that will make contact is difficult to visualize.
Aiming down the aim line, through the spot where the aim line and shot line intersect seems the simplest to me.( everyone does not agree with me) ( but they dont know what I Know) : )
I do use the right outside edge of my cue if I am aiming down a line that passes on the left outside edge of the OB ball. I use the center of my cue aimed half on half off the OB ball edge for 1/2 ball. etc.
I do agree that whatever method you use to aim, it is the delivery down a straight line that gets the job done!
Mark
The problem IMO with trying to tell someone to aim at the contact point is that new players will always try to aim the center of the cueball to the contact point, which results in a miss, and trying to find the spot on two spheres that will make contact is difficult to visualize.
Aiming down the aim line, through the spot where the aim line and shot line intersect seems the simplest to me.( everyone does not agree with me) ( but they dont know what I Know) : )
I do use the right outside edge of my cue if I am aiming down a line that passes on the left outside edge of the OB ball. I use the center of my cue aimed half on half off the OB ball edge for 1/2 ball. etc.
I do agree that whatever method you use to aim, it is the delivery down a straight line that gets the job done!
Mark