Is an aiming system accurate?

pete lafond

pete lafond

pete.l@slipstic.com
Silver Member
It seems that many talk about aiming systems. Is the purpose to get the general point of where to hit the OB? Are aiming systems pinpoint accurate?

I've read and players have told me about the aiming system they use. Just thinking back after playing 10 ball today; There were several shots that required not only pinpoint accuracy due to partially blocked pocket, but also consideration for CB movement, throw and English. Conditions were - High humidity. Looking back it seems that there would be no way a system could compensate for so much. To me experience of play and locking in on the OB spot just before pulling the trigger seems to be the best system.

So are these systems to help those who have difficulty in pocketing balls? or are they to help you find the spot on the OB?

(Our tables are shimmed a little so we do not have the luxury of buckets.)
 
Ive never seen an aiming system that wasnt fallable. It boils down to experience and being able to make micro adjustments in your mind/arm for humidity, dirty balls etc. If everything were perfect aiming systems would be perfect, but you would have a hard time playing pool in a vacuum.
IMO systems are great for beginners to figure out the differences in point of aim vs point of impact. But past that, its memory. When I am playing bad, 8 or 9 times out of 10, it is because I am not "seeing" the shot correctly for whatever reason (the other 1 or 2 for me is mechanics). To be playing good, if your eyes and brain are working well together and your body is following suit..... you should be fine.
If you are not seeing the angles correctly, best thing to do is to stop and look at them from a few different viewpoints and make the decision as to whether it looks right or not. If your brain is not processing the visual, or is making the wrong decision it helps to give it more information to work with.
Chuck
 
i think both, help find the spot on the objectball and help with pocketing. Although most of the time i don't need'em just get down look back and forth and fire i don't have to worry about english or position those days should be more consistent LOL. But there are days when i rely on my systems. As i practice with aiming systems to where i get it down i am splitting the pockets and when there are objects in the way and half of a pocket i have trouble believe it or not cheating the pockets. But i have always been a perfectionist at all things in my life that i think there is a certain way to do things where it works and i just have to go through the trouble and agony of trial and error. And what i came to mind is i was wrong LOL but i really think aiming systems help my game just me though.
 
Good question Pete!

Personally I think aiming runs a distant third to 1. Being able to align to where you want to aim and 2. Being able to deliver to where you're aligned or where you're aiming.

Though alignment is often included within the general category of aiming, and we are often trying to accomplish both at the same time, it requires a different analysis altogether.

eg. If I have a ball 12" from a pocket and I'm shooting a draw shot from 6 feet away. It's not hard for me to see where I should hit the OB, but it is very hard to consistantly hit that point accurately.

So if I could align accurately, I'd probably eliminate 70% of my misses, plus I'd lose position much less often which would eliminate a lot missed shots that are caused from having to play tougher shots.

On delivery, I think this is less important than most people suspect. I think most errors here stem from the fact that people often begin their delivery when they are not aligned to their aim point, or when they are aligned correctly but aren't sure about it, and so they second guess during delivery by swiping left or right or just choking the cue through hesitation. If a player has good alignment and is confident of this, or simply trusts it anyway, delivering straight enough, such that the delivery isn't the cause of the miss is not so hard I believe. At least for anyone with a half decent stroke.

So I believe, that if a player can get alignment and delivery working well and in harmony, they are probably playing at pro level. Then they might eek out a few extra percent with disciplined analysis of aiming, so that they can improve their percentage of making the more difficult shots.

Also at the beginner level a player can benefit a lot by at least finding out the approximate aim line required to make shots.

But as you say Pete, nothing really beats shooting a few thousand balls and just learning what feels right when dealing with the many variables. That is how most top players learned how to do it as I understand.

Colin
 
Colin Colenso said:
Good question Pete!

Personally I think aiming runs a distant third to 1. Being able to align to where you want to aim and 2. Being able to deliver to where you're aligned or where you're aiming.

Though alignment is often included within the general category of aiming, and we are often trying to accomplish both at the same time, it requires a different analysis altogether.

eg. If I have a ball 12" from a pocket and I'm shooting a draw shot from 6 feet away. It's not hard for me to see where I should hit the OB, but it is very hard to consistantly hit that point accurately.

So if I could align accurately, I'd probably eliminate 70% of my misses, plus I'd lose position much less often which would eliminate a lot missed shots that are caused from having to play tougher shots.

On delivery, I think this is less important than most people suspect. I think most errors here stem from the fact that people often begin their delivery when they are not aligned to their aim point, or when they are aligned correctly but aren't sure about it, and so they second guess during delivery by swiping left or right or just choking the cue through hesitation. If a player has good alignment and is confident of this, or simply trusts it anyway, delivering straight enough, such that the delivery isn't the cause of the miss is not so hard I believe. At least for anyone with a half decent stroke.

So I believe, that if a player can get alignment and delivery working well and in harmony, they are probably playing at pro level. Then they might eek out a few extra percent with disciplined analysis of aiming, so that they can improve their percentage of making the more difficult shots.

Also at the beginner level a player can benefit a lot by at least finding out the approximate aim line required to make shots.

But as you say Pete, nothing really beats shooting a few thousand balls and just learning what feels right when dealing with the many variables. That is how most top players learned how to do it as I understand.

Colin
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I think this is were I sometimes find difficulty in forum questions about aiming. Is it an encapsulated phrase meaning stance, alignment, delivery,.. or is it simply how a player aligns the ball.. or how to find the target for the CB???

You have described it as a component of "shot making" rather than the end all. Maybe some really good terminology and descriptions should be put in place with a heading "shot making".

Just some thoughts. It would help me in understanding what players are trying to achieve when submitting forum questions about "aiming".

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In my opinion, and I may be entirely wrong but there could be some very good discussions about every aspect and just maybe (Mr. Wilson will really hate me for this one, sorry) there should be a specific category for fundamentals.

The reason I say this is that "stance" for one can evolve into many discussions. Just getting off the last one on "Aiming re-visited" there was a good post by Koop, who always has some great contributions, stating stance will not matter. I agreed at first and then I later realized that it does matter significantly. Every player in golf, tennis, baseball, skiing, basketball,, relies on stance even if in mid-air. They rely on a center balance point plus +++. There is more to this but if you get my point, a good organization (structure) might just help topics become better tools for everyone.

Other great threads include things like banking,.. Anyway a special category that is prefaced with a srtucture with definitions would be helpful in my opinion.
 
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I asked Fred about this, now when i address the cueball whether i am aligning center cueball. i just get down and line cue to center easy right but i can view the cueball as two cueballs with both eyes open. just like the finger illusion place your index fingers together and bring close to your face but dont focus on your fingers but the background you should see a floating middle finger. now this is how i address the cueball if i want to use the aim and pivot system, if it is a cut to the right i address to the right cueball then when i focus on the cueball as seeing it as one ball my cue is aligning to the right half of the cueball. then i pivot the cue to center and i have a new aim line just easier for me to do it this way there is no straining on my eyes. But for those who worry about eye dominance and such i think this would be easier as if wanted to shoot rifle like aiming i would just address the right cueball as i am left eye dominant and its the left eye that views the right cueball if i close one eye when seeing the cueball how i see it, but when seeing it like this i don't see the cueball this way each and everytime i address it, just when i relax my eyes. So for the alignment part this is how i do it, i don't really care about my stance just as long as i am comfortable. But the stroke is very important for me.

Here is a paint program picture to show you how i see the cueball, now the two red dots if you like to aim the edge of the cueball to the objectball, or how i use to aim i would aim both those to the objectball this was i have two points for the edge to aim not just one, cause if you think about it the single cueball's edge is in between the two red dots. I know sounds weird and alot of people look at me crazy when i try to explain them this but it use to work for me or should i say still works for me. May be off topic but i just wanted to share.
 

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S.a.m.

Hey guys, I used to believe that aiming came all from experience, and the amount of time you spent playing.

Now that I have been to a billiards school, and got taught by one of the best instructors around, I feel a little different about aiming.

The aiming method they use is S.A.M. it is called that because it is a supplimental aiming method. Or that is what it was originally designed for.

Now, don't get me wrong because it only works for about 90% of the shots out there. Things like jumping, kicking, and such don't work really well with it.

However, things like banks, combinations, regular shots, etc. this system is the best I have seen.

It goes off a principle that Albert Einstine came up with. There is only 6 points of contact on the object ball that you need to consern yourself with. If you get those six points down, and can contact those six points, then you can make about 90% of the shots in pool.

The cool thing is that about 70% of the shots in pool all fall on one contact point. So needless to say if you can hit that contact point you can make about 70% of the shots in pool.

Now, I won't lie, I was skeptical at first. But after using this system since early June, my pool game has dramatically increased. I will say about 90% of the shots I make in a game will hit the heart of the pocket.

Granted like everything out there you have to practice to make this system work for you. But it is the easiest most acurate way of aiming that I have ever seen.

If you all would like to know more about it, there is a guy on here called randyg. He is a BCA instructor and owns a pool school up in Dallas, TX. He could tell you all about this aiming system.

I won't trade this aiming system in for anything, cause already in about 2 months time I am starting to whoop some butt in my pool league.
 
Heard alot of good things on S.A.M i tried to find a good explanation on it but can't, and like any other system it is probably best showed on the table.

Note: someone said S.A.M stand for Shot and Missed which i thought was funny, maybe you can give a little explanation about the system.
 
txplshrk said:
Hey guys, I used to believe that aiming came all from experience, and the amount of time you spent playing.

Now that I have been to a billiards school, and got taught by one of the best instructors around, I feel a little different about aiming.

The aiming method they use is S.A.M. it is called that because it is a supplimental aiming method. Or that is what it was originally designed for.

Now, don't get me wrong because it only works for about 90% of the shots out there. Things like jumping, kicking, and such don't work really well with it.

However, things like banks, combinations, regular shots, etc. this system is the best I have seen.

It goes off a principle that Albert Einstine came up with. There is only 6 points of contact on the object ball that you need to consern yourself with. If you get those six points down, and can contact those six points, then you can make about 90% of the shots in pool.

The cool thing is that about 70% of the shots in pool all fall on one contact point. So needless to say if you can hit that contact point you can make about 70% of the shots in pool.

Now, I won't lie, I was skeptical at first. But after using this system since early June, my pool game has dramatically increased. I will say about 90% of the shots I make in a game will hit the heart of the pocket.

Granted like everything out there you have to practice to make this system work for you. But it is the easiest most acurate way of aiming that I have ever seen.

If you all would like to know more about it, there is a guy on here called randyg. He is a BCA instructor and owns a pool school up in Dallas, TX. He could tell you all about this aiming system.

I won't trade this aiming system in for anything, cause already in about 2 months time I am starting to whoop some butt in my pool league.
Click to expand...

Nice post. One thing I have noticed is that I spot the OB contact differently based upon other balls in the vicinity of the one that I am shooting. I guess the best way of stating this is that it seems that if other balls exist around the one I am shooting I have a better perspective and the point of contact is incredibly clear. If no balls exist, the path of my OB becomes most clear. Strange as this sounds, it is reality for me.
 
pictures

Hey guys,

I will scan the pictures I have that explains S.A.M. better if your interested. I will PM them to you if your interested. Just let me know. I won't post them on here without randyg giving me permission though. I can send you a couple pics, and you can see if it makes since to you at all.

Like you said though, it is best explained on the table. It didn't make since to me until I kept trying it, then I caught on to it, and watch out. I am getting a lot more consistent.

Just let me know if you all want pics and I will PM them to you when I get a chance to scan them.
 
txplshrk said:
It goes off a principle that Albert Einstine came up with. There is only 6 points of contact on the object ball that you need to consern yourself with. If you get those six points down, and can contact those six points, then you can make about 90% of the shots in pool. .
Click to expand...


I doubt Albert Einstein came up with anything so mundane as how to pocket pool balls.

Fred
 
Pm

txplshrk said:
Hey guys,

I will scan the pictures I have that explains S.A.M. better if your interested. I will PM them to you if your interested. Just let me know. I won't post them on here without randyg giving me permission though. I can send you a couple pics, and you can see if it makes since to you at all.

Like you said though, it is best explained on the table. It didn't make since to me until I kept trying it, then I caught on to it, and watch out. I am getting a lot more consistent.

Just let me know if you all want pics and I will PM them to you when I get a chance to scan them.
Click to expand...
I would like to see it if possible. Thanks
 
Albert

doubt Albert Einstein came up with anything so mundane as how to pocket pool balls.

Fred
Click to expand...

Well Fred, you don't have to believe me but Albert Einstein was a very avid pool player. His pool playing buddy was Mark Twain.

Albert Einstein was fasinated by all kinds of things, and since pool is a very mathmatical game, it is no suprize to me that he would have checked into this.

There are only six contact points on an object ball. You can try and find more, but there isn't any more. Once you can see that, and learn that, it makes the game much more easy.

Tonight when I get home I will scan the pics, and send them to anyone that wants to see them.

If you don't believe it, then don't use it. If you believe it, or want to try it out, then more power to you.

I was just telling people of a method I learned, and I fell in love with this method.
 
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i would like the pics, and since they say its a whats the word here i can't think of it but has to do with one of Hals systems and since i love Hals systems i wouldn't mind learning or testing out S.A.M.
 
txplshrk said:
Well Fred, you don't have to believe me but Albert Einstein was a very avid pool player. His pool playing buddy was Mark Twain.

Albert Einstein was fasinated by all kinds of things, and since pool is a very mathmatical game, it is no suprize to me that he would have checked into this.

There are only six contact points on a cue ball. You can try and find more, but there isn't any more. Once you can see that, and learn that, it makes the game much more easy.

Tonight when I get home I will scan the pics, and send them to anyone that wants to see them.

If you don't believe it, then don't use it. If you believe it, or want to try it out, then more power to you.

I was just telling people of a method I learned, and I fell in love with this method.
Click to expand...

Interesting post you made and very interesting that Albert played. Though I can not speak for Fred, but there is much more to making a shot than to the 6 contact points stated. IE one CB contact point can be used for different results.
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Cue Ball

Your absolutely right about the cue ball. I wasn't talking about contact points on the cue ball though. I was talking about 6 contact points on the object ball. Once you know the 6 contact points, you can adjust anything else you need to, english, stroke speed, etc. If you know the 6 contact points then it is a lot easier to figure out what comes next.
 
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