How I've Aimed for 60 Years

SpiderWebComm said:
Aiming directly at the contact point will result in an under-cut on most shots, unless I'm missing something in the original post. Yet, many in this thread said they aim this way. Weird.
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without getting into another debate about collision induced throw, i do agree with your statement... but i think over time, at least for me, i've started to learn which angles result in under-cutting so i'm automatically changing the contact point. although, for really long very thin cuts are still near impossible for me, and i know it's because of how i aim... with my system, i'd have to aim on a spot next to the ball, not on it. i'm still learning those.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
Aiming directly at the contact point will result in an under-cut on most shots, unless I'm missing something in the original post. Yet, many in this thread said they aim this way. Weird.
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You must have missed the feel part. You know the thing you don't need in all the other aiming systems.:rolleyes: Johnnyt
 
SpiderWebComm said:
Aiming directly at the contact point will result in an under-cut on most shots, unless I'm missing something in the original post. Yet, many in this thread said they aim this way. Weird.
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I agree completely. This is exactly the point of aim vs the point of contact nuance I mentioned in my post. I always wondered if those who pocket well and say they use this method without compensating such as I do with the sides of the cue shaft, perhaps stand over the shot differently to see it differently somehow.
 
3andstop said:
I agree completely. This is exactly the point of aim vs the point of contact nuance I mentioned in my post. I always wondered if those who pocket well and say they use this method without compensating such as I do with the sides of the cue shaft, perhaps stand over the shot differently to see it differently somehow.
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To be honest, I don't really know how I do it (adjust for the deflection), but I do know that it works for me and a lot of great players (not me) over the years. I have asked many of them how they do it and none of them really had a good answer for it. Most just said "I just do it, I feel it, I don't know how to explain it". At the time I thought they just didn't want to give up the info, but I know now that it's hard or impossible to explain. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
To be honest, I don't really know how I do it (adjust for the deflection), but I do know that it works for me and a lot of great players (not me) over the years. I have asked many of them how they do it and none of them really had a good answer for it. Most just said "I just do it, I feel it, I don't know how to explain it". At the time I thought they just didn't want to give up the info, but I know now that it's hard or impossible to explain. Johnnyt
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Cue stick or cue ball?
SPF=randyg
 
Johnnyt said:
This is how I’ve aimed since my Dad (a part time road player and boxer in the late 1920’s to mid 1930’s) taught me 60 years ago. Draw an imaginary line from the center of the OB to the spot in the pocket you want the OB to go. Then step into the aiming line of the shot focusing on that spot on the OB (I use parts of the #’s, stripes, or where white meets the colored part on the OB to find my aiming point). My pre shot routine has always been about the same except now I’m more exact and aware of it. When down stroking on the shot aim your tip very low-center (move tip where ever on last stroke) through the QB to the aim-point on the OB. Once you are in your shooting position and have a good solid bridge and you are locked onto your aiming point don’t look at the pocket again or the QB. From here you need to trust your stroke and pull the trigger moving your tip (W/O looking) where you want on the QB.

This has worked for me all these years. I’ve run several 80+ and a lot of 60’s on a 9’ table and 96 on my Valley with the stock rails on it. With the Ridgeback rails…not running many big #’s. I’m sure this method doesn’t work for everybody but as far as I know it is/was the method most pros used and most likely the same method most pros of today use. Johnnyt
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I think you should try to change. :wink:
 
randyg said:
I'm wondering if you AIM with your cue stick or the cue ball???....thanks
SPF=randyg
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Are you asking how we line up on the CB for the shot? For me, I stand behind the line I want the CB to take then make any deflection adjustments, then get down on the shot with the cue in striking position.

I have no idea how JohnnyT does it though. heh

As far as the 'how to adjust' for deflection, personally, I do a lot of practice drills using varying amounts of english until I automatically see the "corrected" aim point on the OB.
 
Johnnyt said:
To be honest, I don't really know how I do it (adjust for the deflection), but I do know that it works for me and a lot of great players (not me) over the years. I have asked many of them how they do it and none of them really had a good answer for it. Most just said "I just do it, I feel it, I don't know how to explain it". At the time I thought they just didn't want to give up the info, but I know now that it's hard or impossible to explain. Johnnyt
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It really has nothing at all to do with deflection. Its the curvature of the balls causing the point of aim to be different than the point of contact. I'm sure lots of what you are doing is feel.
 
Johnnyt said:
With the QB. Johnnyt
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OK. Your aiming make sense to me now. For about 40 years I aimed with my cue ball. Contact point to contact point and the Ghost Ball. My eyes where looking at one thing and my cue ball was pointing at another.

Over the last 10 years I have changed to Stick Aiming. I point my cue stick through the middle of the cue ball and point it at my Aim Point as opposed to contact points. What a relief for my brain. Point & Shoot.....SPF=randyg
 
3andstop said:
It really has nothing at all to do with deflection. Its the curvature of the balls causing the point of aim to be different than the point of contact. I'm sure lots of what you are doing is feel.
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I agree here. Good job. When the shot is straight in is the only time an Aim point and Contact point are the same....SPF=randyg
 
randyg said:
OK. Your aiming make sense to me now. For about 40 years I aimed with my cue ball. Contact point to contact point and the Ghost Ball. My eyes where looking at one thing and my cue ball was pointing at another.

Over the last 10 years I have changed to Stick Aiming. I point my cue stick through the middle of the cue ball and point it at my Aim Point as opposed to contact points. What a relief for my brain. Point & Shoot.....SPF=randyg
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Thanks for the tip Randy. I'm just not going to change again at this point in my life. I do fine on a bar box with it and I'm not playing on 9' tables anymore. Last time I tried changing my aiming to a few of the aiming systems I did good for a week or two and started firing balls into the rails for some reason. Took me weeks to get back to normal. Johnnyt
 
randyg said:
OK. Your aiming make sense to me now. For about 40 years I aimed with my cue ball. Contact point to contact point and the Ghost Ball. My eyes where looking at one thing and my cue ball was pointing at another.

Over the last 10 years I have changed to Stick Aiming. I point my cue stick through the middle of the cue ball and point it at my Aim Point as opposed to contact points. What a relief for my brain. Point & Shoot.....SPF=randyg
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Randy, I have played for years with an old pro who swears by the technique you describe. It didnt seem geometrically correct at first, but I tested it. As far as I can tell, it works pretty good as long as you have a half ball or less type of cut. Once the cut is more then half a ball, wouldnt you be pointing the cue to a spot beyond the object ball?
 
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