I have a weak side on cut shots

[Klopek]

0000000000

 

[Da Poet]

First, I'm no teacher so please feel free to ignore this.

Seem like there's two different directions this can go. Either the shot is not being visualized correctly or for whatever reason, the body is not lining up correctly. I used to have the same problem but not for a while now. I do a variation of a lag drill Scott Lee showed me where I put a piece of chaulk on the far rail, just past the rubber, with one of the corners of the chaulk facing directly at me precisely in line with the first diamond, and from the opposite end of the table, in line with the same diamond, I take three shots at lag speed, one, center cueball center edge of chaulk, then left edge of cueball center edge of chaulk, then right edge of cueball center edge of chaulk. (Always staying down until contact is made with the rail and then doing a full reset) And then I'll vary the speed or sometimes english (High Low only) on the next three and so on. I only use the chaulk as a target because it saves me the time of of having to chase and reset balls each shot and also, judging by how straight it comes back off the rail, tells me if I'm hitting the cueball center. The nice thing also is that if all there is around is a bar box, you can save some change.

If you are missing all the shots to one side consistently, then maybe try looking for alignment flaws starting with the feet on up to the head. If you are overcutting only one side still, keep shooting till you have it dialed in, keeping mind of whatever adjustment you're making*, and then do spot shots alternating left and right and see if there is any improvement.

*One of the things I learned doing all this is sometimes I catch myself sliding into my stance from one side of the line as opposed to centering myself behind the line before taking my stance. For some reason, this messes with the visual thing for me.

Again, I am not a teacher, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

 

[JimS]

I have two suggested practice shots. The first is to play straight-ins with follow to scratch in the same pocket as mentioned above, but use a stripe as your cue ball. (Make the stripe roll without wobble.) Second is to shoot spot shots (half ball hit) on each side. That will give you a definite target to aim at with a known angle that's the same on each side. A half-ball spot shot has your stick partly over the corner pocket. A spot shot, for those who have never played anything but ball-in-hand-anywhere is where a ball is placed on the foot spot and the cue ball is in hand behind the headstring.

I wonder if there is such a thing as a sports ophthalmologist.

Do as Bob says. Try to find a good instructor.

I am left handed and right eye dominant and this used to be a good excuse for me to twist my head all over the place trying to find the correct placement so I could consistently make shots.

For a long time I played with my right eye over the cue but Little Joe suggested that was not the best way to shoot. I took his suggestion and started shooting with the cue under my nose and learn to make shots while shooting the right way.

My process is as follows:
Move to a spot directly behind the object ball (ob) and in line with the spot in the pocket I want to hit. You MUST have a spot in the pocket and not just the pocket as your target. Draw a line through the rail and carefully note where on the rail the line comes through.

Return to the cue ball (cb) and visualize the line you have just seen is the angle line to your target.

Visualize the cb behind the ob on the angle line to the target.

Carefully lower yourself in to shooting position. If you have not developed a preshot routine where you move into the shot in a precise manner then it is vital that you do this as soon as possible. Your body placement is everything! That shooting arm must be exactly in line with the cb you have visualized behing the ob and on the target angle line.

Touch your chin to the cue and then raise your head to the shooting position you prefer. Touching the chin will help to insure you have your head exactly where you want it.. with the nose above the cue.

Visualize the shot as you take your practice strokes. You MUST have a predetermined preshot routine that you adhere to.

Be intense! Aim with all the concentration you can muster. BE VERY INTENSE as you aim. Stroke carefully with full follow through, the tip ending on the table, your back hand coming to your chest and stay there until the ob drops in the hole and the cb stops rolling.

If your routine is consistent and you've learned how to stroke correctly you will then know that you are putting the cb where you want it. If you've checked out the angle and drawn the line you will know that you have the correct angle to make the shot and you will know that you just have to shoot the shot over and over until it looks right to you from behind the cb.

Most of it seems to me to be learning what the shot looks like and discovering that when I was guessing where to put the ghost ball in my sight line I was wrong! I needed to go look at the angle on EVERY shot to make sure I was correct about where the angle line should be drawn in my minds eye from behind the cb.

The first pro I took lessons from, Jeff Carter, told me that for the most part there are no "hard" shots. There are shots that we are familiar with and shots we are not familiar with. So... get familiar with every angle!

Keep at it. The rewards, as you start to find the angle and see it automatically, are that the game becomes really fun as you drop shots from everywhere and make everything you look at!!

BUT... it all starts with a few lessons to make sure you have the foundation elements correct. The grip, the stance, your head positon, etc have to be right and have to be done a few thousand times to make them automatic. THEN makeing shots becomes just a matter of knowing the shot.

 

[Gregg]

This is some really great information, and why I keep comming back to the AZ.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I seem to constantly over cut shots when shooting to the right.

One theory (that has a flaw - see last paragraph):

Your head could be too far to the left, which makes it look like you're hitting the OB fatter than you really are when cutting to the right (this is the "parallax" problem others have suggested).

The rule of thumb for this problem is to move your head in the direction you want the CB to go. In your case you want the CB to go more to the right, so you would move your head to the right to "correct the picture".

The problem with this diagnosis is that if it's true you should also be undercutting (hitting too full) cuts to the left. I don't know how to explain the fact that you're only having problems cutting to the right. Maybe that means it's really an alignment/stroke problem (or a combination of alignment/stroke and head position).

pj
chgo

 

[kaznj]

mistake in calculation

Gregg, you are off by 3/5 pi radians divided by cot(3x)

Damn, I knew it;

No, really, I do feel like I'm "on target", lined up, straight, etc. I really would like to be able to determine if I'm putting spin on the cue ball, or if I am having sighting problems. Again, I really don't feel comfortable cutting to the right on a lot of shots.

I am left handed, left eye dominate, and my right eye is a lazy eye, with poor, uncorrectable vision. I've been told I have perception problems, and find the red/blue 3D movies don't really work for me.

I don't mind putting in the hard work to correct this issue, but I want to get to the bottom of it so I am not spinning my wheels.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

[kaznj]

I think everyone has this problem. I don't know if it is a dominant eye thing or because it is the way we line up the shot because of being either left or right handed. I do know that if I don't practice cut shots on both sides then I will have a problem on one side consistently. I agree with everyone who has said practice practice practice. Do every drill on both sides. good luck.