This is also the way I aim for jumps. It's surprisingly accurate
How do you guys aim while jumping?
- Thread starter CreeDo
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This is also the way I aim for jumps. It's surprisingly accurate
I like Willie's idea. I think it resembles Spot Bowling or Spot Aiming. Accuracy comes with repetition.
After you've become proficient at the jump, your confidence level should help you get better at the aiming, because you won't be worried about getting over the blocking ball(s) & hitting or making a ball.
Good Luck..
You have to know your jump stroke, where does whitey goes for 99% of shots, and adjust; you have to adjust, if your whitey all over the place, then there is no way to know. long jumps are hit and miss. Some pros put left or right english, maybe same idea of TOI!!
I get down, look at the ball I'm aiming for, then choose on either a one or 2 rail kick, go back for my shooting cue and aim exactly on the rail where I'll hit the desired spot on OB and fire at the correct speed. :thumbup:
I only jump if it's a hanger. Losing control of CB is a bad idea and jumping almost always results in just that.
I only jump if it's a hanger. Losing control of CB is a bad idea and jumping almost always results in just that.
I'll usually jump if I KNOW that giving up BIH will sell the game out, hanger or not (this is only if there is a better chance of me jumping and hitting it as opposed to kicking and hitting it). In this situation...I don't care how much control I lose on the cue ball...BIH is never the best option.
Maniac (as suck-ey as I play...I am actually a pretty decent jumper)
It sounds like a lot of you are not looking at the object ball when you jump.
That's kind of a relief to me.
I know at least one semi-pro player in my area said just treat it like a normal shot,
do it as much like a normal shot as possible. Elevate as little as you can, use a normal (underhand) grip.
He doesn't get down low and "pre-aim" and he doesn't look at anything but the OB. He doesn't dart.
His jumps are accurate, so it made me wonder "is that what the good jumpers are ALL doing?
If I don't learn to look at the object ball, will I never be able to sink cut shots more than 5 inches from the hole?"
Can someone post a video (or least tell me a convincing lie) showing that you can consistently make jumps,
say, over a foot from the hole, over 2 feet from the CB, at various cut angles...
without looking at the object ball after elevating?
That's kind of a relief to me.
I know at least one semi-pro player in my area said just treat it like a normal shot,
do it as much like a normal shot as possible. Elevate as little as you can, use a normal (underhand) grip.
He doesn't get down low and "pre-aim" and he doesn't look at anything but the OB. He doesn't dart.
His jumps are accurate, so it made me wonder "is that what the good jumpers are ALL doing?
If I don't learn to look at the object ball, will I never be able to sink cut shots more than 5 inches from the hole?"
Can someone post a video (or least tell me a convincing lie) showing that you can consistently make jumps,
say, over a foot from the hole, over 2 feet from the CB, at various cut angles...
without looking at the object ball after elevating?
I usually stand still when I'm aiming. I leave the jumping for when the match is done 
If I go to the pool hall tonight, I will
I just wanna say thanks to those who suggested the trick
where you look at the blocking ball, and visualize the line of the CB passing through/over it.
I started using it and after just a couple of days it's hugely improved my jump accuracy,
I made some tough shots that way. When I miss, I feel like it's more my fundamentals,
I can feel it when I steered the ball.
With a little more work I think I should reach a point where I no longer do
"wtf why did it go there?!?!" jumps.
where you look at the blocking ball, and visualize the line of the CB passing through/over it.
I started using it and after just a couple of days it's hugely improved my jump accuracy,
I made some tough shots that way. When I miss, I feel like it's more my fundamentals,
I can feel it when I steered the ball.
With a little more work I think I should reach a point where I no longer do
"wtf why did it go there?!?!" jumps.
My J/B has a heavy purple heart shaft with a samsara tip. Aiming this way has allowed me to just put a good stroke on the ball and I'm getting the jump and hit probably 90% of the time. My pocketing percentage has gone up also, but I haven't kept up with it.
If jumping accurately is so easy that it should be banned, then shooting with a near level cue should also be banned.
On jump-cut shots, "try aiming a little "fuller" on the object ball than you initially think."
I heard this advice by Johnny Archer while commentating on a match, really good..
Petros
I heard this advice by Johnny Archer while commentating on a match, really good..
Petros
Creedo, I think unless you practice an AWFUL lot, making a cut shot with a jump has some luck involved. My reasoning is simply that if the CB is not rolling at impact then aiming at the normal contact point won't get you there. You can hit the shot perfectly but if the CB is still bouncing it will contact the OB somewhere other than the vertical line through the correct contact point.
So either you practice to where you can get the ball back on the table rolling before contact, or you get good enough that you can estimate where in it's arc the hopping CB will be at contact so you can aim at the right spot, it's a bit "hit and hope", I think.
So either you practice to where you can get the ball back on the table rolling before contact, or you get good enough that you can estimate where in it's arc the hopping CB will be at contact so you can aim at the right spot, it's a bit "hit and hope", I think.
Pretty much what everyone else said but I would like to add that in my opinion darting is my favorite technique but learn both ways. For me it harder to aim for a dart because the transition between aiming the way others have described and getting my hand positioned to dart always throws me off. So I tend to dart closer shots. I use the more traditional technique that most players I know seem to prefer for shots with more range because the transition between aiming and stroking is easier. When the cue is nearly vertical while darting, the cue can be a guide to where the cue ball will go if hit straight. I have only been playing around with a jump cue for a year or so but I can do most routine shots because I found a what works for me.
If jumping accurately is so easy that it should be banned, then shooting with a near level cue should also be banned.
Not wanting to turn this thread into a "they should ban jump cues" discussion....I would like to offer my opinion on this quoted post (and the one Neil was responding to).
IMO, jump cues should only be allowed for the first shot when returning to the table, and in a push-out situation. If your opponent safes you into needing one, fine.....otherwise, no. IOW...a person should not be able to hook himself/herself THEN break out the jump cue to get out of a jam they put THEMSELVES into. Only exception would be after sinking a ball on the break and being hooked (i.e. the push-out situation), then jumping with a jump cue would be allowed.
Makes sense....doesn't it???
CreeDo....I apologize in advance if the thread gets derailed because of this post.
Maniac
I agree 100% with this, and believe that's most important. But in retrospect, I also like the cue ball to land as close to the target ball as I can (without bouncing in to the ball as stated above) only because if you spin the cb the least bit (intentionally or not), the longer it's on the table, the more out of line it becomes. Just something to think about...It just becomes feel I think