John Schmidt's and Corey Deuel's comments on aiming systems

Hey CJ,

Sent you an email. Ordered the DVD thru PayPal on the 14th as of today the 22nd havent received it yet.

Good luch in the open

Thanks

John Cummings
N0KHQ@Charter.net

It was sent out the beginning of this week....let me know if you haven't received it by Monday - cj@cjwiley.com - you had just missed last weeks shipping .. it usually only takes 6-8 days for shipping/handling

CJ
 
Thank you so much. A player consistent in their [body] distance to the cue ball and consistent with feet and hands is set to deliver not only a repeatable stroke but is aligned for easy aim.

Every student wants to draw the ball further or break harder, but those and many other things come from having the feet and thus the body and arms the right distance to aim from up high, then get into the stance and stroke.

For many players, once the high stance or full [low] stance is in place, slight adjustments with the eyes (and not the hands and stick) bring the ball to the wide part of the pocket before the stroke is taken. Even a player who pivots their stick and not the body has to commit to holding still and looking at the shot... that's the 90% feel you are speaking about, in my understanding.

The game is played mostly by feel....I've always used the expression "I feel with my eyes when I play pool".... people always said as I was growing up "that kid has a great eye" or other references to eye sight...however, there are many great players that don't have great eye sight and play outstanding (I saw Mike Lebron win the US OPEN and put on glasses to rack the balls and to see if he could "hit" certain shots) ... this is because they develop a type of "radar" that allows them to feel how much of the object ball they're hitting.....even with that being said they STILL must be about to see some kind of connection between the CB and the OB....from talking to many of them that can't explain what they do one thing became apparent to me.....they do look at the center AND/OR the edge of the Object Ball.....this is how I came up with my Aiming System....it's not a system I invented, it's a system that came apparent trying to figure out what I did (and other top pros) when I was in "The Zone" or "Dead Stroke".
 
This is almost impossible without graphics and visual diagrams .... my aiming system is on my third volume of the ultimate pool secrets , but I'm adding my Alignment System to the new advanced series I'm working on now..... I use the edges on the Cue Ball to align my feet and the center of the cue ball for my visual point ...I don't know all about the CTE system, but it appears that they are doing something like I am, just "inverted"....in other words I use sections of the cue ball to aim at either the center or edge of the object ball.... my theory has always been if I'm going to use specific spots it's easier and more precise to use them on the cue ball because I'm almost always the same distance from it (I make it a point to be the same distance to create the same "visual perceptive").......the object ball can be from a inch to 9 ft. away, so I just use two "relative spots" and I prefer the center (for angles less than half ball) or the edge (for angles thinner than a half ball) ..... as far as "dominant eye" info. I'd recommend you listen to Stan Shuffett's opinions about this,(he gave me some very good input on how I was getting down when I saw him in Tunica, and it was about the relationship of my eye with my cue, not the CB/OB) I teach people how to allow this naturally.....I think you should try to face the shot as much as possible and naturally so you can see a straight line between the balls.....I hesitate to give suggestions about how the dominant eye works because that's one thing I never thought I should tamper with (there's a risk of really getting messed up if you don't completely understand this phenomena) ....and from my experience everyone does it differently according to their personal perception preference.....the 3p's. I will go over all of these things in more detail on my DVD, and as I said, it's essential to have visual graphics to help explain.

As we wait for the diagrams,

If one aims the left edge of the CB at the left edge of the OB, he will have a straight in shot.

If one aims the center of the CB at the center of the OB, he will have a straight in shot.

If he aims the center of the CB at the right edge of the OB to cut to the left, he will have a 30 degree cut angle.

If he aims the left edge f the CB at the right edge of the OB to cut left, he will have a 90 degree cut.

The diagrams will then show what point on the CB one aims at the center and edges of the OB to derive the other cut angles.

Sean has offered in another thread that one can memorize the resulting cut angles for using fraction on the OB. One can then memorize the resulting cut angles when aiming, say, the 1/4 and 3/4 points on the CB at the center and edges of the OB (as you proffer)...then the thirds...then the 1/8ths etc..

I offer this for those that want to play around with your method while we wait for your diagrams.

Just saying.:smile::thumbup:
 
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The Connection System

As we wait for the diagrams,

If one aims the left edge of the CB at the left edge of the OB, he will have a straight in shot.

If one aims the center of the CB at the center of the OB, he will have a straight in shot.

If he aims the center of the CB at the right edge of the OB to cut to the left, he will have a 30 degree cut angle.

If he aims the left edge f the CB at the right edge of the OB to cut left, he will have a 90 degree cut.

The diagrams will then show what point on the CB one aims at the center and edges of the OB to derive the other cut angles.

Sean has offered in another thread that one can memorize the resulting cut angles for using fraction on the OB. One can then memorize the resulting cut angles when aiming, say, the 1/4 and 3/4 points on the CB at the center and edges of the OB (as you proffer)...then the thirds...then the 1/8ths etc..

I offer this for those that want to play around with your method while we wait for your diagrams.

Just saying.:smile::thumbup:

That's all correct, except I'm not sure an "edge to edge" is actually 90 Degrees, maybe 89.9 :shrug:...and yes center to center is straight and as you connect less of the cue ball to the object ball it creates more and more of an angle....when I reach the edge to the center I've reached what I refer to as a transitional point and switch from for example the right edge of the cue ball to the center (of OB) to, instead the CENTER of the cue ball to the Left edge of the Object Ball (which is still a "half ball hit").....this, again is all done BEFORE getting down on the shot.....I think it's better for me to call it a "Connection System" rather than an aiming system....it seems like the aiming system has a stigma attached to it with many people.....I'm new to these type conversations, so I'm kinda in the dark about what's been said, and it looks like there are some strong opinions and I respect that....I just know what works for me and I am known for my shot making , especially on long shots.
 
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CJ, adding my 2 cents. Apparently while on vacation and not on the forum for a few weeks another 30 page thread sprang up, who knew... :)

Just wanted to say I've enjoyed your posts, they are very well thought out and well written and you hit on a lot of great concepts. Recently I especially liked the one about spending conscious effort to learn the game, a system, etc. and then at some point "letting go" and just letting it happen. That is a crucial step that is often overlooked and one that I learned the hard way after 6+ months of struggling with my game after making a lot of conscious changes - new aiming approach, preshot routine, shaft, etc.

Now after a few week layoff, I can go to the pool hall and while I'm a little off my feel and confidence, I'm not thinking about all of the minutia that I was before. I'm confident with my alignment/sighting/routine and can just focus on concentration and execution. Took a while to get there but I'm finally there.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for contributing to the conversations and look forward to more of your insight.

Scott
 
I've found that on straight in shots to shots with small angles, the object ball can easily be made by aiming center ball on the CB with your tip pointed directly at the contact point on the OB. Want to use english? Just use BHE.

It doesn't work on all shots though. Seems to lose it's effect when you can no longer aim your tip right at the contact point.
 
I've found that on straight in shots to shots with small angles, the object ball can easily be made by aiming center ball on the CB with your tip pointed directly at the contact point on the OB. Want to use english? Just use BHE.

It doesn't work on all shots though. Seems to lose it's effect when you can no longer aim your tip right at the contact point.

Try aiming the right side of your tip (or shaft) at the center (when cutting to the right/ left side cutting to the left) and see what happens....there's a few "tricks" to making those slight cuts much easier....many pros use the side of their tip/shaft/ or like me just use a touch of inside on most of their shots.
 
Same as center to center and pivot 1/2 tip to the outside. The edge of your shaft ends up at the center.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
Yup,

"Ferrule-Aiming/pivoting" can be easy and helpful on some shots.

lg
Ingo
 
Here is how I interpret CJ's aiming method.
The fractions on the CB and the resulting cut angles are from the left edge and are approximated for Power Point is just a cartoon and not CAD.

Some wiewers will get the idea and depending on your vision center the cut angles will vary from shooter to shooter. With time at the table, one can memorize the aim point on the CB that is aimed at the center or edge of the OB and the resuting cut angle.

The pic on the right is aimed at the right edge of the OB and the fraction is 3/8 and not 7/8 from the left edge - my mistake.

CJ Aiming 2.jpg



just sayin and drawing.:smile::thumbup:
 
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Try aiming the right side of your tip (or shaft) at the center (when cutting to the right/ left side cutting to the left) and see what happens....there's a few "tricks" to making those slight cuts much easier....many pros use the side of their tip/shaft/ or like me just use a touch of inside on most of their shots.

I'll give it a try. Something else that helps on on those cut shots is to aim for a slightly thicker or thinner hit depending on the cut angle.
 
I've found that on straight in shots to shots with small angles, the object ball can easily be made by aiming center ball on the CB with your tip pointed directly at the contact point on the OB. Want to use english? Just use BHE.

It doesn't work on all shots though. Seems to lose it's effect when you can no longer aim your tip right at the contact point.
If you have the ability to see the OB contact point (not everybody can), then you have aiming options. For instance, instead of memorizing "fractional" starting alignments you could simply use center-to-contactpoint as your starting alignment. You still have to adjust your aim from the starting alignment, but having the contact point to work with is very valuable.

One way to adjust "scientifically" from the centerball-to-contactpoint starting alignment is called "double-the-distance". I describe it in this thread: "Basic Aiming Methods Illustrated".

pj
chgo
 
Here is how I interpret CJ's aiming method.
The fractions on the CB and the resulting cut angles are from the left edge and are approximated for Power Point is just a cartoon and not CAD.

Some wiewers will get the idea and depending on your vision center the cut angles will vary from shooter to shooter. With time at the table, one can memorize the aim point on the CB that is aimed at the center or edge of the OB and the resuting cut angle.

The pic on the right is aimed at the right edge of the OB and the fraction is 3/8 and not 7/8 from the left edge - my mistake.



This is a great diagram and although the relationships are the same as I illustrated in volume 3 of my Ultimate Pool Secrets I like yours better....as it shows the less of the CB hitting the center, the more angle is produced....after you visually learn how this works it's time to start sensing it...I've always thought of it as "feeling the angle with my eyes".....Less is More, in other words, the less of the cue ball you connect to the center of the object ball the More the cut angle.....the same therefore goes for connecting to the edge of the OB...LESS IS MORE...it's easy to remember for your subconscious especially, it can deal with a hundred times more info than this ;)
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Here is how I interpret CJ's aiming method.
The fractions on the CB and the resulting cut angles are from the left edge and are approximated for Power Point is just a cartoon and not CAD.

Some wiewers will get the idea and depending on your vision center the cut angles will vary from shooter to shooter. With time at the table, one can memorize the aim point on the CB that is aimed at the center or edge of the OB and the resuting cut angle.

The pic on the right is aimed at the right edge of the OB and the fraction is 3/8 and not 7/8 from the left edge - my mistake.



This is a great diagram and although the relationships are the same as I illustrated in volume 3 of my Ultimate Pool Secrets I like yours better....as it shows the less of the CB hitting the center, the more angle is produced....after you visually learn how this works it's time to start sensing it...I've always thought of it as "feeling the angle with my eyes".....Less is More, in other words, the less of the cue ball you connect to the center of the object ball the More the cut angle.....the same therefore goes for connecting to the edge of the OB...LESS IS MORE...it's easy to remember for your subconscious especially, it can deal with a hundred times more info than this ;)
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Thanks.
The more time at the table one has with this/your method or any other viable method, the more feel "Been there done that." becomes automatic.

You have injected a breath of fresh air into this neglected Forum.

Keep it coming and be well.:thumbup:
 
I'll give it a try. Something else that helps on on those cut shots is to aim for a slightly thicker or thinner hit depending on the cut angle.

Yes, you touched on something that's very important and I'm not hearing addressed....In my Ultimate Pool Secrets DVD I refer to it as the "Three Part Pocket System"....I divide the pocket into 3 parts and aim at one part while addressing the cue ball to throw the Object ball into one of the other two parts....this is something I learned in golf.....Pro golfers aren't trying to hit any of their longer shots straight, they, instead aim for one side of the fairway and either draw or fade the ball into the middle or other side...I'm doing the same thing, and if we hit it where we aim , it's still fine, however, we give ourselves a MUCH BIGGER margin for error....this is VERY important on long shots or on very tight pockets. CJ www.cjwiley.com
 
JUST within the last month Landon won his fifth junior national championship, played quite well against great players like Morra and Strickland, and won a tournament tonight. *Dad's* CTE/PRO ONE instruction/training/information does work whether *You* choose to accept it or not. Most assuredly you will say my credibility is questionable as well since I have a wife/mother relationship with the father/son. I am not a pool player but I do witness the exchange of information between father and son and with that being said, our home is open for you to witness it for yourself at any time.

Was in Tunica last month and saw Landon play in person. Pretty convincing. I watched the CTE video a few months ago. I was impressed. The concept is not so much an aiming system as it is aligning the body, bridge, etc etc to the correct contact point. I watched Landon stand back up several times during 10 foot match with Earl. BTW he didn't miss any of those balls. That match is still viewable on insidepool.com I think. Kid played world class pool. And I see the aiming system he used. It is the the same system taught in the videos. I'm sure there is a mixture of god given ability and a lot of fine tuning but overall he uses the system. Just saying. I actually startled him by walking up beside him and his dad and telling him nice instructional video.
 
Yes, you touched on something that's very important and I'm not hearing addressed....In my Ultimate Pool Secrets DVD I refer to it as the "Three Part Pocket System"....I divide the pocket into 3 parts and aim at one part while addressing the cue ball to throw the Object ball into one of the other two parts....this is something I learned in golf.....Pro golfers aren't trying to hit any of their longer shots straight, they, instead aim for one side of the fairway and either draw or fade the ball into the middle or other side...I'm doing the same thing, and if we hit it where we aim , it's still fine, however, we give ourselves a MUCH BIGGER margin for error....this is VERY important on long shots or on very tight pockets. CJ www.cjwiley.com

Interesting. Is the choice of using inside or outside english a matter of comfort like some golfers prefer fade or draw ?
 
In the June 2011 Billiards Digest, Dr. Dave wrote:
'Here’s the bottom line: Aiming ain’t easy! If it were, pool would not be as challenging and fun as it is. Please resist the temptation to buy into the “snake-oil” sales pitches common with aiming system “marketing.”

"There ain’t no “silver bullet!” All we can really do is practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. We can probably all agree that the best “aiming system” of them all is HAMB (“Hit A Million Balls”). It is certainly the most promising to produce good and consistent results.'​
If people are interested in the full context, this quote is from the following series of articles:

I think these are good reads for anyone interested in aiming, alignment, and sighting ... the most important "fundamentals" of pool.

Enjoy,
Dave
 
I think "work" has different meanings for different people in this debate. To grossly oversimplify:

To CTE's users "CTE works" means it improves their shotmaking ability by whatever means. To CTE's detractors "CTE doesn't work" means CTE doesn't eliminate the need for other skills (including "feel").

Because of this ongoing miscommunication, the two "sides" will never see eye to eye.
Excellent summary of the ages-old CTE "debate."

I personally think all versions of CTE (including Stan's version of CTE) "work" for the people who use it effectively for the some or all of the reasons documented here:

I think these reasons explain how most cut shot aiming systems actually "work" (not on paper but in reality at the table) ... not just CTE.

Regards,
Dave
 
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