This gadget looks pretty useful for getting the concepts across.
Interesting aim trainer device
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
Here's a similar concept invented by a guy here in Chicago (but never marketed to my knowledge). It occupies some space on the table, but if it isn't in the way you can actually shoot the shot with the gadget in place. You position it centered over the OB and aim at the point that extends over the ghost ball center (a little hard to see in this pic).
pj
chgo
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I think that does no more than Cranfield's Arrow which is a lot cheaper.
Looks like more of a fractional aiming tool, rather than ghostball aiming. Neat device.
My strong preference is for a tool that sits in place while shooting. The OP tool looks helpful but requires a second person to lift away, to maintain aim. Yes?
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
No it has a code in it to enable noclip and the CB will pass directly through the lexan.
Why beg the question when you already know the answer?
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I use that red bar point (base of ghost ball) to determine my starting cue alignment line....However....I extend it through that point to the OB....that becomes my contact point with center shaft...(not the actual true contact point between GB/OB).........When that point is "off the ball" is when I use the edge of shaft.
I stumbled upon a method to find that "center GB" point that works on pretty much all tables (that have a overhead light)......It is kind of obscure and not sure if taught (never heard of it anyway)......A overhead light will create a brighter top of ball and darker lower portion of the ball....there is a horizon line where it transitions....A cue tip placed next to the OB will have a reflection off of the OB.....as you move your tip away from the OB the reflection will move up the OB.....when your tip reflection is about 1/2 way up the line (transitioning from the darker section to the lighter section...your tip is now where center GB would be.
I stumbled upon a method to find that "center GB" point that works on pretty much all tables (that have a overhead light)......It is kind of obscure and not sure if taught (never heard of it anyway)......A overhead light will create a brighter top of ball and darker lower portion of the ball....there is a horizon line where it transitions....A cue tip placed next to the OB will have a reflection off of the OB.....as you move your tip away from the OB the reflection will move up the OB.....when your tip reflection is about 1/2 way up the line (transitioning from the darker section to the lighter section...your tip is now where center GB would be.
Because I sped-watched the video and didn't know the answer.
the red bar in the gadget is thru the center of the ghost ball and is lined up to the pocket thru the center of the object ball
you aim the center of the cue ball at that red bar to make the shot
in my pic the small red vertical line is from the center of the cue ball to the red bar
i dont know what the large red bar is supposed to tell you
i went to youtube linking my post here in the comments but when i go back to see if he responded my comment has been deleted
The aim point is always the thick red bar in the middle of the aimer. But what happens when you remove the aimer to hit the shot? Can you remember some random distance that the thick red bar was from the edge of the OB? The other lines serve as a ruler so that you can see how far the thick red bar is from the edge of the OB. First, you "zero out" the ruler to the thick red bar, then you use the ruler to determine how far the thick red bar is from the edge of the OB. That way when you remove the aimer you will know the fractional aim point relative to the edge of the OB, e.g 1/4 ball inside the edge of the OB, or 1/8 ball outside the edge of the OB.
I think it's going to be a bit futzy to zero out the ruler while trying to keep the thick red post at the middle of the ghost ball. I think the ruler should be on an independent surface that does not contact the table so that it can be rotated freely without moving the aimer....V2.
In the left hand picture in post #9, the ruler tells you that your aim point is slightly more than 1/8 ball inside the right edge of the OB. Aiming the middle of your tip exactly at the edge of the OB is a 1/2 ball cut, and aiming 1/8 ball inside the ball edge is a 5/8 ball cut. A 5/8 ball cut can be aimed by lining up the right edge of your cue tip to the edge of the OB (assumes a 14.3mm tip, with a 13mm you would need to aim the edge of the tip 0.6mm inside the edge of the OB, and with a 12mm tip you would need to aim the edge of the tip 1.1mm inside the edge of the OB, and with an 11mm tip you would need to aim the edge of the tip 1.6mm inside the edge of the OB, 1.6mm = 1/16 of an inch).
In the right hand picture, the aim point is between 1/8 ball and 1/4 ball outside the right edge of the OB. Aiming 1/8 ball outside the edge of the OB is a 3/8 ball cut, and it can be aimed by lining up the left edge of your tip to the edge of the OB. Because the cut is thinner than a 3/8 ball cut, you can aim the edge of your cue tip slightly outside the edge of the OB.
I think it's going to be a bit futzy to zero out the ruler while trying to keep the thick red post at the middle of the ghost ball. I think the ruler should be on an independent surface that does not contact the table so that it can be rotated freely without moving the aimer....V2.
In the left hand picture in post #9, the ruler tells you that your aim point is slightly more than 1/8 ball inside the right edge of the OB. Aiming the middle of your tip exactly at the edge of the OB is a 1/2 ball cut, and aiming 1/8 ball inside the ball edge is a 5/8 ball cut. A 5/8 ball cut can be aimed by lining up the right edge of your cue tip to the edge of the OB (assumes a 14.3mm tip, with a 13mm you would need to aim the edge of the tip 0.6mm inside the edge of the OB, and with a 12mm tip you would need to aim the edge of the tip 1.1mm inside the edge of the OB, and with an 11mm tip you would need to aim the edge of the tip 1.6mm inside the edge of the OB, 1.6mm = 1/16 of an inch).
In the right hand picture, the aim point is between 1/8 ball and 1/4 ball outside the right edge of the OB. Aiming 1/8 ball outside the edge of the OB is a 3/8 ball cut, and it can be aimed by lining up the left edge of your tip to the edge of the OB. Because the cut is thinner than a 3/8 ball cut, you can aim the edge of your cue tip slightly outside the edge of the OB.
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This is an excellent tool to help fractional aimers, those who use the basic ob quarters or eighths and fine tune from there.
It's called a "ghost aimer", but ghostballs are not visible, hence the use of the vertical line or aiming slice. This little device shows what should be referenced - the ob itself, because it's real, not imaginary.
The setup may be 100% ghostball, but the resulting aiming method is 100% fractional.