Irregular issues with seeing shots.

Kimmo H.

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey!

I have been actively playing for about 8 months or so, and been steadily improving since.
The thing that hurts my game the most is an issue with seeing the shot every now and then, even the simplest cuts or even straight shots become unnaturally hard to see correctly. Straight in shots start to look like i have to cut just a bit, the side changing constantly :D
It's like I see the ball "flat", making determining contact point nearly impossible and making alligning correctly very hard. Or sometimes I start to see the shaft in blurry kind of doubles, as my eyes cant focus sharply. This bugs my mind, as this occurs many times every day. I cant come up with a solution to this on my own, and there are no instructors to seek advice from here in Finland :(
I have done Dr Daves visual allignement drill, and tried to find out my dominant eye. I shoot (guns) with my right eye, as I'm right handed, but this doesnt quite transfer to pool, as it seems that head a little right over the cue is the correct allignement (a bit left eye dominant). The difference is so minimal that it is hard to say for sure. My eyes seem to be very close to each other. Even with that determined, the problem keeps popping up and its killing me. I have pretty good understanding of angles and CB control and paths to go around the table, therefore I would make quite decent 9 ball player if this damn eye thing wouldnt come up every game ruining the chances of running out :sorry:
Is there anything that could help with this, or something that could narrow the possibilities causing this? I'm having my eyes and vision checked soon, to make sure that it is not a physical issue with my eyes.

When I'm having a good moment, the game becomes easy and smooth again. This usually lasts for a rack or two. I make balls and get where i need to. My stroke isnt perfect, but it's quite straight and consistent when I just see the shot correctly. The closest thing to an instructor here is a friend of mine, who played pool competively in the early 2000 (3rd in european master etc.). He is a very good player, knows a lot of the game and has a beast of a stroke himself. Still he cant see anything fundamentally wrong with me or my stroke / body allignement :confused:

This takes the fun out the game, as my stroke, understanding and knowledge about the game improves, but I still lose a ton of games by missing the simplest of shots giving away games constantly.

Thank you for your input in advance :)

- Kimmo
 
Welcome to the pool world. This stuff happens to all of us on different levels. Even the pros have their bad times. Keep working on it. You'll figure it out. I find when I am in a funk that when I keep working through it my game goes up a notch when I come out on the other side.
 
I have developed this type of problem over the years and I attribute it to long intense sessions on a computer screen. I would suggest you start with Gene Albrecht in finding a vision center. Personally I have started playing str8 pool whenever I get the chance and I am finding I am narrowing down my vision center although it is frustrating because the spacial depth perception just isn't there anymore. Like you said everything looks flat. I too was thinking about seeing an optometrist. Let me know how you make out.
 
Thanks for the input so far :smile:

I'm a machinist and a welder by occupation, so my eyes get a real punding at work, that must not help with this either... I'll keep you posted after seeing the eyedoctorthingy (dont remember the english word for it :thumbup:)
 
Seeing Shots

Kimmo H. said:
Hey!

I have been actively playing for about 8 months or so, and been steadily improving since.
The thing that hurts my game the most is an issue with seeing the shot every now and then, even the simplest cuts or even straight shots become unnaturally hard to see correctly. Straight in shots start to look like i have to cut just a bit, the side changing constantly :D
It's like I see the ball "flat", making determining contact point nearly impossible and making alligning correctly very hard. Or sometimes I start to see the shaft in blurry kind of doubles, as my eyes cant focus sharply. This bugs my mind, as this occurs many times every day. I cant come up with a solution to this on my own, and there are no instructors to seek advice from here in Finland :(
I have done Dr Daves visual allignement drill, and tried to find out my dominant eye. I shoot (guns) with my right eye, as I'm right handed, but this doesnt quite transfer to pool, as it seems that head a little right over the cue is the correct allignement (a bit left eye dominant). The difference is so minimal that it is hard to say for sure. My eyes seem to be very close to each other. Even with that determined, the problem keeps popping up and its killing me. I have pretty good understanding of angles and CB control and paths to go around the table, therefore I would make quite decent 9 ball player if this damn eye thing wouldnt come up every game ruining the chances of running out :sorry:
Is there anything that could help with this, or something that could narrow the possibilities causing this? I'm having my eyes and vision checked soon, to make sure that it is not a physical issue with my eyes.

When I'm having a good moment, the game becomes easy and smooth again. This usually lasts for a rack or two. I make balls and get where i need to. My stroke isnt perfect, but it's quite straight and consistent when I just see the shot correctly. The closest thing to an instructor here is a friend of mine, who played pool competively in the early 2000 (3rd in european master etc.). He is a very good player, knows a lot of the game and has a beast of a stroke himself. Still he cant see anything fundamentally wrong with me or my stroke / body allignement :confused:

This takes the fun out the game, as my stroke, understanding and knowledge about the game improves, but I still lose a ton of games by missing the simplest of shots giving away games constantly.

Thank you for your input in advance :)

- Kimmo
Click to expand...

Kimmo,
That's the main reason I wrote my book. I think if you will give it a try it will help you. I have a purely visual protocol and a place for shot planning and preshot routine that I think you would like very much. Also when you are ready to start playing with English on the Cue Ball I will be there to coach you along. That goes for anyone actually no matter what aiming method they use.
 
Kimmo H. said:
Thanks for the input so far :smile:

I'm a machinist and a welder by occupation, so my eyes get a real punding at work, that must not help with this either... I'll keep you posted after seeing the eyedoctorthingy (dont remember the english word for it :thumbup:)
Click to expand...

A good friend of mine is blind in one eye and has very bad vision in the other and plays really strong. I doubt eyesight has anything to do with it. Stand back from a straight shot, line up, then get down and shoot it with center or a little bit of bottom but don't look at the cueball at all and don'tt take any practive strokes. Do this over and over. Your brain will help you naturally correct, do the same thing for cutting balls to the left and right.

You have been playing for 8 months so this is pretty typical. If you shoot a rifle with your right eye but have your chin on the right side of the cue try putting in the center of your chin. If your eyes are one way, and your cue is facing another you will struggle to make balls consistently unless you shoot them over and over.
 
Have your eyes checked before you start frying your brain with the old question, What am I doing wrong today?

I would start with a Pre Shot Routine Checklist during your practice sessions. Repeat them over and over until you hate it, and then do it again and again. You can make it a challenge which helps to deal with the boring repetition involved. Once you have that down you are good to go, second nature through repetition.

If you begin to struggle you always go back to your checklist when all things were working well.
It's a positive way to approach a bad day on the pool table, instead of negative thoughts and what am I doing wrong. Once negativity sets in its all uphill both ways.

Check your eyes
Sincerely:SS
 
I'll get 'em checked tomorrow, will update after diagnosis :o

^^ I'll start working on that tomorrow, thanks for the idea :)

And philly: That is one possibility, however i doubt it as the OB is so clearly seen as flat, that got me wondering if it is some flaw that i make constantly over and over or something off my sight. This thinking part should be taken of along with the Drop the Rocks shooting strategy for straight shots, as there aint time to think balls as flat if it was a mental issue :rolleyes:


It's really nice to read different takes on this, I know that it will be eventually fixed automatically as skill increases, but damn its so annoying while it lasts. Must make sure that I dont let it get in my head too much.
Luckily when I'm at the table, the only thoughts in my head are the balls on it and how I'll get through them. Nothing bothers me then, that is why I love playing pool. It takes away the stress and pressure of everyday things and relaxes the mind to do just one thing, play. Then I just start taking shots by shot by shot, pot and position, over and over untill I miss or run out of balls :grin:
 
It's possible that you have developed an astignatis...astigratis...a problem with your eyeball.
Schedule a visit with your friendly neighborhood optometrist and have your eyes checked. If there's any kind of a problem he can write you a prescription and you can order some billiard glasses from Dr, Harris, in Quebec.
Then you will have no excuses for missing shots other than your wife leaving you for playing too much pool. :smile:
 
Well...

I had my eyes and vision checked today, and just as I was afraid I'll have to get glasses or contacts... :mad:
I'm not sure if the glass "strength" value is same over here and US, but in finnish i got basic value -0.5 vision on both eyes, and also the astigmatism that Tramp suggested, -0.5 on right eye and -0.25 on the left. This causes me to see things differently with different distances, hence making some shots seem wrong to my eye, causing constant misses to the same side. Atleast thats what she said :)

I'll get my first contacts next week, we'll see if they help with my vision.
When I tried the testing instrument glasses at the shop, the difference was huge with and without glasses :eek: The world became sharp again, kind of spooky to see the difference as I have had extraordinaly good vision up untill now. Some day I'll have to get glasses too to wear at work and so, as welding isnt possible with contact lenses. But I thought that they'd be nicer to use than actual glasses when playing pool and cycling etc. that I do on my free time :rolleyes:
How does playing pool work with glasses? Do they fall on your nose when down on shots? Twist the image when tilting the head? Im kind of new to this stuff :help:
Got some BIG hopes for the contacts, it would be great to see the world sharp again, especially the pool table :smilewinkgrin:
 
Good job Kimmo. I wear glasses too but I wear distance contacts for pool and they work great. It's nice to see isn't it! Best of luck and keep hitting balls.
 
Drop The Rock said:
A good friend of mine is blind in one eye and has very bad vision in the other and plays really strong. I doubt eyesight has anything to do with it. Stand back from a straight shot, line up, then get down and shoot it with center or a little bit of bottom but don't look at the cueball at all and don'tt take any practive strokes. Do this over and over. Your brain will help you naturally correct, do the same thing for cutting balls to the left and right.

You have been playing for 8 months so this is pretty typical. If you shoot a rifle with your right eye but have your chin on the right side of the cue try putting in the center of your chin. If your eyes are one way, and your cue is facing another you will struggle to make balls consistently unless you shoot them over and over.
Click to expand...

I was just getting ready to suggest something similar because I've had that issue since starting back playing about two years ago especially on straight shots.

Since I've been practicing at home on the dinner table with this it's helping.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=5178898#post5178898

Now I'm also improving by getting my body and head in line then getting down on the shot without looking at the cue ball. But then I take 2 warm up strokes the same speed that I want to hit the cue with, glance and the cue ball just to make sure where the tip is, look back at the object ball, back stroke smoothly, pause and follow through.
This has helped my ball pocketing and position.
 
Yup, very possible to be some of the aforementioned, even the eye thing. i have a friend who has like 4-5 pairs of glasses with different scripts for different subtle changes. sometimes during a match "mostly plays 14.1" he could change them 3 times, but he is very in touch with stuff like that and really knows his stuff.

but this is about you and here's what i think. after only playing for 8 months there is more likely your stance is wrong or should i say inconsistent thus causing the problem. head to the table (you play on 9"ers, right?) put an object ball 1/2 diamond before the side pocket and 1 chalk off the rail, put the cue ball about the head string as a dead straight shot for the corner pocket and try and execute a nice smooth stop shot, do this on both sides. my money is on you hitting the rail about a diamond before the corner pocket on one of those sides, maybe ever a diamond and a half depending on how much you a misaligned.
 
Kimmo,

As odd as this is going to sound and as much as everyone is gonna have an opinion on what I say.

You're fine. There's nothing wrong except the fact that you think there's a problem. Your supposed to see shots from an offset. You're fighting what naturally happens as you progress to high level of pool.

You can fight it, and try to see shots from a text book or logical POV, but that's where you'll end up struggling, like u are.

Straight ins are objective in that they're simple. The center of the CB to the center of the OB. However, in pool we play the game from two different levels. Standing and down at ball address. Simply put, when you move into Ball Address you are gonna offset what you see while Standing.

If you try to set up visually straight in, the movement into ball address will counter act that. That's why u start at an offset to counter an offset on the way down. Get it?

Pool is a game that delves into the visual intelligence side of our brain, which is usually backwards from what "logic or normal" type thinking may lead us to. That's why you'll see young kids, ppl who aren't always the brightest in "Society's" eyes, and inhebriated ppl play the game well. Then you think well I'm smarter then these ppl so I should be better at pool. Yes and no. The one thing most of the previous mentioned ppl have, is that, they let themselves get better naturally by not fighting logic and just trusting results and visual intelligence.

Hence why when you ask one of these ppl, "how do you do x?". They always say something to the tune of, "I just see it" or "you gotta just see it".

Hope this helps you, as I know what it's like to be lost in this game and also be in an area where you feel the rest of the world may have more knowledge to offer. Just know this is the most solid piece of info that I've learned in my years of progression. Trust yourself and the results of that journey.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top