Having a flaw in my game, looking at the cue ball before stroking through and missing

J

justinb386

Banned
I will start out by saying that I have been playing off and on for around 20 years (starting playing when I was 14, and am almost 34 now).

I played a lot (and very well) in my teen years.

I was naturally a good player (got really good very fast).

I stopped playing as much when my home pool room closed down (around the year 2000 I think), but never lost the love for the game, and kept playing (just not as much as I did when I was a kid).

Lately I have only been playing around once a week, and started playing in some tournaments recently (nice to be competing again after not competing in a long time).

Well, I have been experiencing a really bad flaw in my game that I am having a lot of trouble with (probably because of lack of practice, or maybe because I am getting nervous on the ball I am about to shoot).

I will be down on my shot, and then I will start looking at the cue ball and then the object ball, and then back at the cue ball again.

Well, right before I stroke through, I will glance back at the cue ball, and it will cause me to miss my shot.

It is very annoying, and I wish I could stop doing it.

I think maybe I need to go back to the basics, and learn what exactly I should be doing before stroking through the cue ball.

How many times do the pro's look at the cue ball and the object ball before following through each shot?

Is there a good solid routine that I should know about when I am down on my shots?

I heard that world champion Willie Hoppe said that the cue ball was always the last thing he would look at before stroking through each shot.

This is interesting.

Would just like to learn a good routine that will stop me from this crazy eye movement that I have been doing lately (moving my eye from the object ball back to the cue ball before stroking through, that usually causes me to miss).

Any good videos or books that explains about this stuff?

Please be nice (and resist the temptation of making fun of me, if you feel the need to) in your replies.

I just want to get good and consistent again, and I know I need to play a lot more often in order to do that.

Thanks.
 
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justinb386 said:
I will start out by saying that I have been playing off and on for around 20 years (starting playing when I was 14, and am almost 34 now).

I played a lot (and very well) in my teen years.

I was naturally a good player (got really good very fast).

I stopped playing as much when my home pool room closed down (around the year 2000 I think), but never lost the love for the game, and kept playing (just not as much as I did when I was a kid).

Lately I have only been playing around once a week, and started playing in some tournaments recently (nice to be competing again after not competing in a long time).

Well, I have been experiencing a really bad flaw in my game that I am having a lot of trouble with (probably because of lack of practice, or maybe because I am getting nervous on the ball I am about to shoot).

I will be down on my shot, and then I will start looking at the cue ball and then the object ball, and then back at the cue ball again.

Well, right before I stroke through, I will glance back at the cue ball, and it will cause me to miss my shot.

It is very annoying, and I wish I could stop doing it.

I think maybe I need to go back to the basics, and learn what exactly I should be doing before stroking through the cue ball.

How many times do the pro's look at the cue ball and the object ball before following through each shot?

Is there a good solid routine that I should know about when I am down on my shots?

I heard that world champion Willie Hoppe said that the cue ball was always the last thing he would look at before stroking through each shot.

This is interesting.

Would just like to learn a good routine that will stop me from this crazy eye movement that I have been doing lately (moving my eye from the object ball back to the cue ball before stroking through, that usually causes me to miss).

Any good videos or books that explains about this stuff?

Please be nice (and resist the temptation of making fun of me, if you feel the need to) in your replies.

I just want to get good and consistent again, and I know I need to play a lot more often in order to do that.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

If you aim using the tip of cue for a spot on the OB, you must look at OB last and your head position/eyes must be accurate; if you aim ghost ball (comparison aiming) it really does not matter much where you look at last, or the position of your eyes/head (from visual aspect, it matters from balance stance aspect) since you are comparing aim between cb & ob ; especially in pool, the pockets are large, and the ball can slam the edge of the pocket and fall; provided your stance, alignment, aim, and stroke are correct. Looking at OB last allows you the opportunity to steer CB slightly if your aim was off a bit, but IMO not critical in pool; in snooker yes. Looking at CB last is helpful when you want to be 100% accurate with your english, especially of power shots.

I heard a pro says, once you are down on the shot and aligned up the eyes job is done, and it is your stroke delivery is critical then.
 
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I would recommend a few long visits to Dr Dave's web site.

http://billiards.colostate.edu/

See especially
http://billiards.colostate.edu/bd_articles/2012/april12.pdf

There is a great deal of useful information on his site including videos that address many topics.

His books are also usually available at your local library. The DVDs are very much worthwhile and can be obtained from his we site.

While you are at the library check out any Robert Byrne's "New Standard Book Of Pool And Billiards." This is a classic and will address the issue you raise.

Joe Tucker has much good information for sale and for free. See his web site especially this one

http://www.joetucker.net/freevideos.html

Look up MIke Page on YouTube. He has some of the best videos with some of the clearest explanations for many things. This link will get you started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE1hnDmHhvc

Bob Jewett has written many many articles and his web site contains a great deal of information see

http://www.sfbilliards.com/miscellaneous.htm

see especially his thoughts on aiming systems at

http://www.sfbilliards.com/Misc/Houle.txt

While there are many resources on the net the one's listed above are among the best available and your time is well spent with any of these true experts in the field of pool and billiards.
 
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The balls are not moving around on you after you establish your aiming line.

If you stick to that line, and if your stroke is straight, it really does not matter which ball you look at last.

I find that focussing on the straightness of the trajectory of my tip (which happens to be near the cue ball) helps me keep my stroke straight, all the way to follow through.

But, whatever works for you.
 
A lot could be going wrong besides where you're looking when you pull the trigger...just for grins, try this. Line up over the shot while standing. When you get down on the shot, don't look at the CB at all...just focus on the OB. Your peripheral vision will tell you enough about the CB and tip. Stroke through the CB focusing on the OB. At some point, you'll need to put some looking at the CB back into your PSR, but your eye pattern is causing you a problem. I would try and not think consciously about your eye pattern, it will draw too much concentration away from the more important things. Another technique is to get down on the shot and pause with your tip at the point of contact on the CB...then look at the OB and don't look back at the CB.

Eventually, you're eye pattern will adjust to a more normal (for you) pattern of looking back and forth between the two, without the distraction of obsessing over it.
 
I had a coach once do a trick with me. I was shooting a spot to spot shot and trying to leave the cue ball in different places on the table. And I was having trouble making it. He had me step into my shot and before I took my final stroke he had me close my eyes. I was making it everytime. He said I was aligning it correctly but my visuals were causing me to throw the cue at it. With my eyes closed all I was concentrated on was stroking straight thru.
 
i have heard of pro's moving there eyes with their stroke so cue ball at the back of your stroke and object ball as you stroke foward. but i agree with some previous comments stance alignment and stroke straight. i always stair the cue ball away from making the shot in front of me and its mostly because of bad stance with a bad stroke.
 
Do yourself a favor... take some videos of yourself when practicing. Talk to the camera about the scenario & the results.

Take some video from the side & the front & the back. AND take some of your eyes during your stroke tasks. Your eyes are the connection to your brain, which controls all the facets of performing the task. Interrupting "the feed" during the delivery stroke isn't the thing to do.

Try the video idea for your own self-help, then seek some Instruction or a Coach.

Good Luck...

You might want to try using Bob Jones' "Stroke Analyzer", using two (2) webcams. This is a good simple system.
 
Jdm34 said:
i have heard of pro's moving there eyes with their stroke so cue ball at the back of your stroke and object ball as you stroke foward.
Click to expand...

This might work when you are young. However, the ability to quickly change focus decreases with age. At age 34 the OP is on the borderline.

I try to keep my eyes as "quiet" as possible, i.e. as little movement as possible. Eyes on the OB while getting down on the shot, on the CB for the first (and maybe second) practice stroke, then intently on the OB for subsequent practice strokes and final stroke.

For me, the key is not to let my eyes wander to other distractions on/near the table.
 
Thanks a lot for all of your nice replies, and very helpful info and links. I have a lot of reading to do, and need lots of practice. Thanks again.
 
Yeah, I been wanting to talk to Steve Boyer for a long time. Have not got around to giving him a call yet. I heard him and his partner do really good cue repair work too. Can't afford lessons, but it would be nice to shoot some with him some time. Maybe some day I will have the extra money for a few lessons that I know I could really use (if I ever want to get better). Thanks.

Scott Lee said:
I would recommend a couple lessons with your local professional PBIA instructor, Steve Boyer. He lives right there in Evansville. Then spend some time on those websites Joe W mentioned.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...
 
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