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

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
The key to this shot is really speed. In order to learn how the effects of the stroke play out on variable distances, the speed is critical. This method is designed to develop consistency. With a consistent accelerating stroke, the player can understand the squirt and aim accordingly.
Are you saying "accelerating stroke" means hit harder (higher speed)?

pj
chgo
 

ENGLISH!

Banned
Silver Member
The more you raise the butt, the greater curve you get with any offcenter hit. Higher speed "stretches" the curve over a longer distance, so it has less effect on the shot.
Is that what you mean?

pj
chgo

Thanks PJ.

Yeah, that's it. I believe CJ mentioned somewhere that he does not play with a very level cue. Your statment above is an important factor to consider in that CJ has stressed a touch of inside & a firm acellerating stroke.

If you hit CJ's shot with more than a touch inside & too softly it is more subject to take more 'feel & touch' to effectively & successfully execute consistently.

I know he is saying 'without spinning it' but that may be more of a don't accentuate it kind of thing. Kind of like, set up for a touch & then stroke it for a little less. He does not want to spin it even though it very much probably does even if only to a very smalll degree.

Just a thought.
Rick
 
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swest

goldmember
Silver Member
Are you saying "accelerating stroke" means hit harder (higher speed)?

pj
chgo

I have been assuming the reference to 'accelerating stroke' refers to the same thing it does in golf. In golf, you don't want to reach full clubhead speed until the moment (or even just after, if there were no ball in the way) you hit the ball. This improves distance, and consistency.

Same in pool. The cue tip should reach its maximum speed just as (or right after, if there were no cue ball in the way) it contacts the cue ball. This maximizes cue tip to cue ball contact time and spin effects.

In other words, you want the cue tip to be accelerating through the cue ball, not decelerating.
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
"A single conscious thought will keep the cue ball from it's path"

CJ,

Been there, obviously not @ your level & not for a 20 hour session.

My best pool advice, from my Dad: 'there's always a shot...you just have to find it'

I've looked, I've found them, I've shot them, and I've made more than my fair share of them.

Spin knowledge (English) is a very valuable tool. Especially when combined with a subconscious mind & and a 'dead stroke'.

RJ


Your Dad was right and without that belief someone will never reach the level or mastery. That's what I've been quoted as saying about the day I knew I was a Champion was the day I "real eyesed" "there's always a shot, and always a way to accomplish that shot".

Some people will argue and want to know why the things I speak of physically happen, I would be more interested in HOW these things mentally happen. Knowing too much of the "physics" of pool is the best thing you can do for your pool game....to stay the same, and even get worse. "A single conscious thought will keep the cue ball from it's path".
 
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Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I have been assuming the reference to 'accelerating stroke' refers to the same thing it does in golf. In golf, you don't want to reach full clubhead speed until the moment (or even just after, if there were no ball in the way) you hit the ball. This improves distance, and consistency.

Same in pool. The cue tip should reach its maximum speed just as (or right after, if there were no cue ball in the way) it contacts the cue ball. This maximizes cue tip to cue ball contact time and spin effects.

In other words, you want the cue tip to be accelerating through the cue ball, not decelerating.
That's the way I've always understood it too (but I've also always thought that's the normal way to do it).

CJ, Mikjary and others who have commented on it seem to be saying it's about hitting the shot more firmly.

pj
chgo

P.S. I mean that "accelerating through the stroke" is the normal way; not "accelerating through the cue ball", which I think is technically impossible, but maybe a helpful way of thinking about it.
 
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swest

goldmember
Silver Member
P.S. I mean that "accelerating through the stroke" is the normal way; not "accelerating through the cue ball", which I think is technically impossible, but maybe a helpful way of thinking about it.

Exactly. Once the tip contacts the cue ball, I suppose there's a certain deceleration...
 

swest

goldmember
Silver Member
Knowing too much of the "physics" of pool if the best thing you can do for your pool game....to stay the same, and even get worse. "A single conscious thought will keep the cue ball from it's path".

Knowing the physics frees me from doubt, uncertainty and ignorance, and allows me to give my game over to my subconscious.
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
Knowing the physics frees me from doubt, uncertainty and ignorance, and allows me to give my game over to my subconscious.

I feel the same way about the way I aim. I have a set of steps that frees me from doubt, uncertainty and ignorance. Thus I can focus on execution. When I am in stroke I am not even focusing on anything as it's all flowing just through following those initial simple steps to aim.
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
Thinking in terms of "extending your tip through the cue ball" is a helpful

Exactly. Once the tip contacts the cue ball, I suppose there's a certain deceleration...

Thinking in terms of "extending your tip through the cue ball" is a helpful image... the cue is a "delivery system" for the tip and creates a centrifugal force (which does not really exist), much like a hammer or golf shaft does for the head. You must feel like the maximum acceleration is at the point of contact and that's also how you connect your senses to the Game through your fingers. 'The Game is the Teacher'
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
CJ:
Knowing too much of the "physics" of pool if the best thing you can do for your pool game....to stay the same, and even get worse.
So that's why there are no physicist pros?

pj
chgo
 
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iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So that's why there are no physicist pros?

pj
chgo

I know there is a world class player, I believe from Europe, who is either a physicist phd or a legit rocket scientist. I forget who he is, but there was an AZ writeup about him, or that at least had a paragraph about him, a couple of years ago at one of the world championships. Maybe someone will remember who I am talking about.
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
I know there is a world class player, I believe from Europe, who is either a physicist phd or a legit rocket scientist. I forget who he is, but there was an AZ writeup about him, or that at least had a paragraph about him, a couple of years ago at one of the world championships. Maybe someone will remember who I am talking about.

Jonni Fulcher. won at least one Eurotour stop I believe.
 

Jal

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
...

A while back I said I can hit the center and spin it with either right or left english....I know a lot of people cringed when I said that, but it's true. I can go STRAIGHT through the center of the cue ball and twist the cue counterclockwise for left english and clockwise for right english....I'm not sure what a sophisticated camera would see, but I will tell you I can cue it a hair to the left of center, then go through and twist it quickly clockwise Exactly as I go through the ball and to the naked eye it will look like I hit it on the left and put right english on it (you see it react after it hits the cushion).
There's really is no mystery if you're aware that the frictional force from the swiping ("twisting") motion changes the direction of the overall force, and even to the point of having it crossover to the other side of center in some cases. You also get copious amounts of squirt in the "wrong" direction (e.g., to the right with right english).

This freaks people out when I show them because it makes NO LOGICAL SENSE, but neither does David Copperfield or any stage magician....
Frankly, regarding your idea of increasing the margin of error with inside english, this is one of the few things you've said that does make sense, so I guess it makes sense that it doesn't make sense (to you).

Jim
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Jim:
There's really is no mystery if you're aware that the frictional force from the swiping ("twisting") motion changes the direction of the overall force, and even to the point of having it crossover to the other side of center in some cases. You also get copious amounts of squirt in the "wrong" direction (e.g., to the right with right english).
Can you elaborate on the squirt thing, Jim?

pj
chgo
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
It's in the way that you use it.

I know there is a world class player, I believe from Europe, who is either a physicist phd or a legit rocket scientist. I forget who he is, but there was an AZ writeup about him, or that at least had a paragraph about him, a couple of years ago at one of the world championships. Maybe someone will remember who I am talking about.

John McChesney was my original partner at Champs Billiards and did a lot of research on these subjects. We talked about several of them in the early morning hours over a few cups of coffee, and sooner or later we all draw the same conclusion. It's all in the matter that you individually process the information. It's neither a blessing or a curse, it's in the way that you use it.
 

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
There's really is no mystery if you're aware that the frictional force from the swiping ("twisting") motion changes the direction of the overall force, and even to the point of having it crossover to the other side of center in some cases. You also get copious amounts of squirt in the "wrong" direction (e.g., to the right with right english).

Frankly, regarding your idea of increasing the margin of error with inside english, this is one of the few things you've said that does make sense, so I guess it makes sense that it doesn't make sense (to you).

Jim

That's right, that's why David Copperfield was used as an example. We call it "slight of cue". The old timers call it "wrist rolling".
 

ENGLISH!

Banned
Silver Member
Your Dad was right and without that belief someone will never reach the level of mastery. That's what I've been quoted as saying about the day I knew I was a Champion was the day I "real eyesed" "there's always a shot, and always a way to accomplish that shot".

Some people will argue and want to know why the things I speak of physically happen, I would be more interested in HOW these things mentally happen. Knowing too much of the "physics" of pool is the best thing you can do for your pool game....to stay the same, and even get worse. "A single conscious thought will keep the cue ball from it's path".

Naturally, I concur. Some of us here, I do not know how many, have been in that subconscious state sometimes referred to as 'dead stroke' or 'the zone'. There has even been a thread about how to return to that state.

It certainly can be elusive. A brief story from Friday. I was playing at a 'pool' bar that I frequent because of the nice people there. I was playing okay & enjoying myself, winning mostly, losing a couple. Then this young shooter walks in & an older gentleman says to me, 'You better tighten up'. I told him, 'I don't know if I can today'.

I beat the shooter a game of 8-ball leaving him with 4 balls but he missed a shot. I broke & ran out. The point of this story IMO is FOCUS. Subconscious & uninterupted FOCUS. I did NOT think of any physics at all.

I'm going to say something that I know will cause a stir. My 'zone' button is fear. Fear of losing. Fear of messing up & embarrassing myself. It used to be fear of letting my team mates down in sports & in league play.

Confidence is a great thing to have. But I have seen over-confidence make a goat of many a cocky ball player. Re-read my Fryday story & note what I told the older gentlelman. Was I confident? No, but that fear button got pushed & I went 'into the zone'.

Bottom line? To each his own.

RJ aka Rick
 
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