How i learnt how to AIM and AIMING systems in General

[mlalum]

lol, it only took you six posts in this thread to call his post "silly" and accuse him of "berating people." Why don't you just come right out and call him a naysayer, hater, and accuse him of being here just to stir the pot and cause trouble and be done with it?

Lou Figueroa

Lou, you're the man.

 

[Cameron Smith]

It's worth noting that there are aiming methods taught in snooker. The only two I have been privy to are ghost ball and fractional aiming. The latter I like best simply because it teaches you to memorize the potting angles.

But the OP is right, it isn't discussed at length beyond the beginner phase. Focus amongst players is on mechanics.

I think Pool players have developed all of these aiming methods because there is a wider variety of potting angles that amateurs will attempt in pool than in snooker. You don't really see too many amateur snooker players play long thin backward cuts, and if you do they're not too disapointed about missing it because it's a tough shot anyways. On a pool table, it's a very makeable shot one that an amateur pool player would figure to make a high percentage of the time. That's my theory at least.

I am in agreement with the OP, I see aiming systems as training wheels.

 

[duckie]

Here is how i learnt how to aim in cuesports

Line up a shot, attempt to pot it. Depending on where the object ball goes, you know you hit it too thin or too thick. Set it up, make the necessary adjustment and try again. Once you have the shot down, repeat until memorised. Rinse and repeat a few hundred thousand times with all different shots.

Now i play both snooker and pool and i'm not one of these 'snooker elitists" who think snooker is way harder than pool. Both games are hard in their own right, the speciality shots in pool are very challenging to learn.

However you can't dispute that just isolating the potting, snooker is harder in that regard. Not just the bigger distance, the cut on the pockets and size of them makes all the difference.

Now you go to any top snooker forum, e.g. check out http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=11

and there is virtually no talk about aiming or aiming systems. It's all about cueing technique to produce a ramrod straight, repeatable stroke. Every aspect of stroke mechanics is discussed on snooker forums.

But here on a pool form where the potting is exponentially easier, it's all talk about aiming systems (quite passionate heated debate like we are talking religion and politiics) and not anywhere near as much talk about stroke mechanics. I definitely don't agree with this 'your find your natural stroke' stuff. The human body wasn't made to use a cue to hit a ball, there is nothing natural about it, watch the top players, every single friggin detail and learn from them. The players who have even attempted to deviate from standard recognised perfect cueing in snooker (e.g. Tony Drago and Joe Swail) have been journeymen at best, only having the success they have due to enormous talent, every single No 1 player in snooker history has had perfect cueing technique (John Higgins, Ronnie o sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis)

Anyway it's just an interesting observation from someone who enjoys both the pool and snooker worlds.

Interesting how easy this thread got already into aiming systems when the real topic is the lack of discussion of the other aspects that come into play in running balls.

He makes a very good point. I can think of at least three threads that concerned the basics and each got very little good info. The most info provided was to buy something or go get some instruction.

Now, what is the reason for this lack of discussion on stroking, bridge, and stance? And for that matter just plain ole practice tips.

I mean to me, stroking, bridge, and stance are the holy trinity of running balls.

I've learned there is no one stroke to use, not just one, but many varietys needed based on what you got to work off and what you got to do to get to your next shot or position.

I've learned there are a variety of stance positions , not just one, that comes up in play that you need to learn to stroke while in that position. Not every shot is gonna be in the idea postion on the table to allow you to get in what I call the standard stance. What is important is to be able to stroke straight no matter what stance you have to use.

I've learned to use a variety of hand bridges and that each style has one thing in common, it is always planted on the table.

I've learned to love the stick bridge and now have started to shoot single handed on some shots that I would use a bridge on.

Its these types of things that has made my game really strong.

 

[duckie]

Learning by memory is what works best in the long run IMO. The problem most hacks have is no one is there to tell them how important it is to pay attention whether they overcut or undercut on every shot. And here is the kicker: they need to pay attention if they overcut or undercut even on the shots they MAKE.

This is a real gem of advice here.

From my point of view, I always shoot for center pocket and even though it goes in, if it is not center pocket or rather, exactly where I wanted it to go, I consider it a miss and notice if it was over or under cut and more important, the reason for the over/under cut.

Accurate ball making all comes from the player and nothing more. If you accept sloppiness into you ball making, it will limit your runs.

 

[GetMeThere]

And that is the way it should be. It's easy to learn to aim. It's hard to make that cue go straight down the correct path. And, without a straight stroke, it doesn't matter how well one can aim.

well...yeah....or....I don't know.

It's true in one way (and it's easy to know): A lot of people have trouble making long, straight-in shots. And there's a thread running now about that. Everybody knows where to aim on such shots, so the problem is obviously accurate stroke.

OTOH, when I see pros miss shots the shots they miss are often at "strange" or "back" angles. I think an important percentage of shots are missed because people aren't certain about exactly where the OB needs to be hit to make the shot.

I think knowing exactly where the OB needs to be hit (by WHATEVER method you use) is a very important part of making shots; and I think few players are "perfect" at that knowing.