Hopefully The Last Aiming Thread Of All-Time

I would also like to emphasize what is meant by "cueball control" because it is a term that is thrown around loosely with little meaning attached to it.

Cueball control is not just a matter of knowing what angle and what speed you are going to use in order to get to the next shot.

It also involves the cueball path that you are taking to get to the next shot. An amateur player may use a cueball path that has an error margin of 3 inches. So...... He may land his cueball 4 inches from his desired cueball location, but it has left him without a shot on the next ball. He did well to land within 4 inches of his target, but the results are undesirable.

Whereas a professional is an expert at using a cueball path that will give him the greatest margin for error. The situation is two-fold. The best cueball path is one that gives the greatest margin of error in regards to speed, and angle.

Many times there cueball paths that will enable the next ball to be made in multiple pockets, depending on the speed of the shot.

This is where the masters of the game excel. So the importance is not just on having control of the cueball, it is also having the knowledge to know the best path the cueball should take.
 
AimingVoodoo said:
I would also like to emphasize what is meant by "cueball control" because it is a term that is thrown around loosely with little meaning attached to it.

Cueball control is not just a matter of knowing what angle and what speed you are going to use in order to get to the next shot.

It also involves the cueball path that you are taking to get to the next shot. An amateur player may use a cueball path that has an error margin of 3 inches. So...... He may land his cueball 4 inches from his desired cueball location, but it has left him without a shot on the next ball. He did well to land within 4 inches of his target, but the results are undesirable.

Whereas a professional is an expert at using a cueball path that will give him the greatest margin for error. The situation is two-fold. The best cueball path is one that gives the greatest margin of error in regards to speed, and angle.

Many times there cueball paths that will enable the next ball to be made in multiple pockets, depending on the speed of the shot.

This is where the masters of the game excel. So the importance is not just on having control of the cueball, it is also having the knowledge to know the best path the cueball should take.
Click to expand...

What you are referring to is pattern play. Pattern play is what comes AFTER learning to control the cue ball. Cue ball control is pretty much ONLY the ability to put the cue ball precisely into an area, starting with shooting it to the object ball with the right amount of speed and spin to have it go where you want it to after contact.

Playing the right patterns is another skill. That is a whole other level.

So it goes like this - AIM - MAKE BALL - GET POSITION - REPEAT. If anything fails in that sequence your turn is going to be over soon.

I use this practice routine taught to me by Ilona Bernhardt from Germany to learn patterns.

Toss out three balls and run them out with ball in hand. If you run them out go to four balls and then five and so on. If you miss or get out of line then you have to go back a ball. Or if you really want to be tough on yourself you have go all the way back to three balls. You are not allowed to take hard shots, flyers or banks. The goal is to pick the simplest patterns.

This drill accomplishes two things. It forces you to choose the best routes and it forces you to learn and play three ball patterns.
 
Last edited:
JB Cases said:
What you are referring to is pattern play. Pattern play is what comes AFTER learning to control the cue ball. Cue ball control is pretty much ONLY the ability to put the cue ball precisely into an area, starting with shooting it to the object ball with the right amount of speed and spin to have it go where you want it to after contact.

Playing the right patterns is another skill. That is a whole other level.

So it goes like this - AIM - MAKE BALL - GET POSITION - REPEAT. If anything fails in that sequence your turn is going to be over soon.

I use this practice routine taught to me by Ilona Bernhardt from Germany to learn patterns.

Toss out three balls and run them out with ball in hand. If you run them out go to four balls and then five and so on. If you miss or get out of line then you have to go back a ball. Or if you really want to be tough on yourself you have go all the way back to three balls. You are not allowed to take hard shots, flyers or banks. The goal is to pick the simplest patterns.

This drill accomplishes two things. It forces you to choose the best routes and it forces you to learn and play three ball patterns.
Click to expand...

Thats a good way of putting it, I like that.
 
Nice thread on aiming.. I agree with a whole lot of what you have said..

Some very interesting points without a big argument. Very nice indeed!
 
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