TK and I weren't discussing ferrule aim or the other methods previously mentioned. From what I recall, professionals on other AZ threads have mentioned using systems occasionally--just as TK and I discussed.
I Stopped With All the Nonsene
- Thread starter Brookeland Bill
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He doesn't think overlap.imo.
He thinks of the vicinity of the ghost ball.
Zerksies
Well-known member
I feel the ferrule edge method is very accurate to a point. It's good and accurate on angles and using spin. What i don't find it very accurate on is the shot is almost a full ball hit something like 7/8 hit. Even using the SVB way and chopping up the ferrule into 5 parts doesn't seem to work for a fuller ball shot.
From his perspective, I think that's true. I wonder how many in-person students he has taught who have never run four balls.
I agree. However, we can think or imagine whatever we want. Reality is based on what we are actually seeing, whether directly or indirectly.
In other words, we can imagine a ghostball location, but without having an ob in sight, the mind would have no way of accurately estimating the vicinity of that ghostball.
Ghostball aiming requires a visual reference of the ob. Of course, that's common sense. It's an indirect reference, though, because ghostball users are focusing on where they think the ghostball is, rather than focusing directly on the ob itself.
The ob is always being looked at, always being used as a reference by the mind. Whether or not we consciously or deliberately place focus on the ob, the mind uses what the eyes see, which allows our spatial skills to determine how far away to aim from center ob or the edge of the ob for any given shot.
So, regardless of how we "think" we are aiming, the brain is actually doing much more behind the scenes in order to make it work.
So true. Once we've developed consistency with pocketing balls, especially at the pro level, it's easy to say "aiming is simple", or "all you have to do is aim for the ghostball", or whatever other bs statement an experienced player might tell a novice.
The truth is, most of the greatest shot makers in the world can't really explain how they aim. Most will say ghostball, but what they should say is "experience", because that's really what makes ghostball work.
By estimating poorly a few thousand times, a ghostball user finally begins to develop a good eye for cb-to-ob-to-pocket relationships. Consistency finally comes after repeating enough successful estimates to weed out the unsuccessful estimates.
During this development, while the player is focusing on estimating accurate ghostball locations, the eyes are taking in a bigger picture - the ob's position and size/width, and the angle between cb and ob and pocket. Conciously, the player focuses on an imaginary ghostball and tries to send the cb to the estimated ghostball location. Subconsciously, the mind is using solid references (like the ob and the intended pocket) to guide the player toward more accurate estimates.
I wish I had started with fractional aiming 30+ years ago, because now that I am 100% focusing on the ob, rather than an imaginary ghostball, I'm allowing my mind to focus directly on what I'm seeing. The ghostball alternative is to focus on what we can't see, estimating 1.125" from varying angles of perspective, and all the while our mind is indirectly focusing on what we can see (the ob itself).
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Or you can visualize where the two balls point to upon.collision.
Same way you visualize the tangent line and cue ball path
I think Shane trolled the pool world with that side of.the ferrule and shaft aiming system.
In one interview, he was asked why he aims always low on the cue ball in his practice stroke. He said he sees the cue ball better that way.
He aims just like most of.the pros.
Aims the whole ball to the shot.
He's not looking at the sides of the ferrule or shaft imo.
He's probably laughing at those who believe that video with Jennifer Barreta.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I believe that fractional overlaps are at the same time too much to think about and not precise enough. Not to say that method or any is bad or lacking, but it doesn't work for everyone.
When I'm shooting it's more like imagining the mass of the CB and making it rub the OB the right way. I get more benefit from seeing the pocket line and sometimes imagining the 90 degree tangent line than any type of aiming system. If you hit the tangent line square, the ball must go in.
I'm not thinking about edges or fractions of balls. I'm thinking about center mass of the CB and sending it in a way that "rubs" or "clicks" the OB into the pocket.
We're all different and to some this may sound like bunk. I've always had good hand eye coordination and a good spatial awareness. I was the kid who was a bit "husky" but still always won at dodge ball and badminton.
At times I wonder if the best thing a new player could do would be to just carry a CB in their pocket for a month and take it out and toss it a little when they think about it. We spend ages discussing aiming, and while an important subject, I believe intimately knowing the CB size and mass is as important or even more so. But we never talk about that, it's just assumed that part is automatic. You do learn the CB's physical properties through playing but I think knowing it on and off the table could be an important training method. Really get it's tangible features burned into your subconscious. Get the feel for it, then you have a baseline to really understand how the spheres mesh.
I know if I lose the flip I'm still taking in info and "calibrating" when racking the balls. You can even spin them a bit to get a feel for the cloth. It's the little things that get you connected to the conditions of the day. Again, different folks do things differently. Knowing and feeling for me beats imagining fractions. Heck, even hearing can tell you a lot about how you hit the ball. I swear this game is like taking crazy pills. Don't mention this stuff to casuals, you may end up in a padded cell.
It's at the same time deeper than we can imagine but much more simple than we make it. This game is wild.
When I'm shooting it's more like imagining the mass of the CB and making it rub the OB the right way. I get more benefit from seeing the pocket line and sometimes imagining the 90 degree tangent line than any type of aiming system. If you hit the tangent line square, the ball must go in.
I'm not thinking about edges or fractions of balls. I'm thinking about center mass of the CB and sending it in a way that "rubs" or "clicks" the OB into the pocket.
We're all different and to some this may sound like bunk. I've always had good hand eye coordination and a good spatial awareness. I was the kid who was a bit "husky" but still always won at dodge ball and badminton.
At times I wonder if the best thing a new player could do would be to just carry a CB in their pocket for a month and take it out and toss it a little when they think about it. We spend ages discussing aiming, and while an important subject, I believe intimately knowing the CB size and mass is as important or even more so. But we never talk about that, it's just assumed that part is automatic. You do learn the CB's physical properties through playing but I think knowing it on and off the table could be an important training method. Really get it's tangible features burned into your subconscious. Get the feel for it, then you have a baseline to really understand how the spheres mesh.
I know if I lose the flip I'm still taking in info and "calibrating" when racking the balls. You can even spin them a bit to get a feel for the cloth. It's the little things that get you connected to the conditions of the day. Again, different folks do things differently. Knowing and feeling for me beats imagining fractions. Heck, even hearing can tell you a lot about how you hit the ball. I swear this game is like taking crazy pills. Don't mention this stuff to casuals, you may end up in a padded cell.
It's at the same time deeper than we can imagine but much more simple than we make it. This game is wild.
Coos Cues
Coos Cues
I find certain shots are tough for me to aim consistently and various tidbits from all the aiming systems I have studied are relevant to call upon at that moment in time to get past the shot. It can even be a shot you usually don't struggle with but can't see clearly right now for some reason. There are no stupid questions, just stupid mistakes.
I'm not thinking about fractions either. I simply look at the shot and know where I need to send the center of the cb in reference to the ob itself. It's visual/spatial recognition.
A straight in shot requires 0 cut angle, so I know to aim center cb to the middle of the ob as soon as I see this shot. I call it the "middle" instead of "center" because I'm aiming at the mid-point of the ob's diameter.
Using basic fractional references (basic quarter-ball landmarks), I apply an easy scale from 0 to 8. Aiming ccb to 0 is straight in, while aiming ccb to 2 is a 3/4 overlap/eclipse. But I'm not thinking "3/4 overlap". I look at the shot and realize or determine where the center of the cb needs to be sent to in order to send the ob to the pocket, then I step into that line and send it on its way.
My mind, through experience (spatial recognition), connects the aim line with a point directly on or near the ob. This recognition comes from hours upon hours of repetition, always paying attention to exactly where the cb is headed in relation to the ob, based on the references shown in this pic.
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dquarasr
Registered
Today I ran 5 pack on 10-ball and right after that was asked to play 3-cushion. Ran 9 from start..
All shots I used more or less my cue edges or middle of shaft.
Something you cant understand, does not mean that does not exist..
Except Shane also said he aims low.on the cue ball because.....
There was another great player from a few generations ago that initially aimed the tip off to the side of the cb to get an unobstructed view of the line. But when he stroked the shot, he knew exactly where the tip or shaft was directed.
A local player around here about 30 years ago would do the same thing. It looked like he was aiming low left on every shot, but those were just practice strokes to get the feel of the shot, then he'd send the cue along the correct line to pocket the ball, and that's the aim line. His name was Jack Dunbar, a top-notch player.
Cicero Murphy.
And according to a late tournament director and Mosconi road exhibition partner, Wayne Norcross, that stroke caused Murphy one world title.
When Parica came here, they were questioning why he was practice stroking at the base of the cue ball.
Now, it seems like all pros do it.
Yeah, it's like the golf swing. I mean, once you've hit the ball well a few thousand times, you just line up with the shot, give a little waggle of the club, then swing.
With pool, it works the same way. If you know where you need to strike the cb, those little off-line pre-strokes really don't have much to do with the aiming of the shot. The bulk of the aiming is already done prior to getting down on the cb.
Watch some videos of this kid AJ Manas.
Future world champion imo.
Addresses the cb dead center low then goes to proper tip location on the last stroke.
Really slick.