Margin of Error/Impact Area

The Margin of Error is Good

We all benefit from the Margin of Error and the size of it diminishes the farther away you get from the pocket. All Systems would be deemed inperfect based on the fact that the qualities of stance, stroke, etc. which are physical do come into play.

What it comes down to is who can sink more balls and get out.

Your margin of error looks awfully big to me.
 
The last picture is what a real aiming system consists of. I'm still waiting for a picture of a CB and OB that have aiming points on them.

They don't have visible aiming points, which is the whole premise of using centers and edges instead. Objective references clearly seen from ball address.
 
what it comes down to is who can sink more balls and get out.

Your margin of error looks awfully big to me.

^^^^ THIS ^^^^ ...... Unless the OB is almost sitting inside the pocket
The range of aim as shown is much smaller with speed and sidespin
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The size of the Impact Area is determined by the OB entry angle into the pocket and the OB distance to the pocket.

How much of the Impact Area the CB can use is determined OB/CB cut angle.

Below are two drawings to help with these concepts.
in looking at the 2 pictures, i think you have to refine your definition of Impact area/margin of error, esp. given that particular pocket shape. the OB outer edge could be *some amount* further wider and still go in with certainty. i recently saw dr dave's analysis on this (how-wide-are-the-pockets?, effective pocket size) so it's fresh on my mind.

still, great visual. i like your notion of "contact patch". i hadn't thought of that, but i think being able to imagine the locus of contact points around the OB is doable and would be, for me, a good intermediate step in accurately envisioning the ghost ball region. i'm finding that for shots with a very close distance between the CB and OB, i'm having troubles. i'll have an initial idea of the cut when standing behind the CB, then when i hover over the two, i'll have a WTF moment and think that i'm way off.

concentric circle on the surface around a sphere. nice.

The last picture is what a real aiming system consists of. I'm still waiting for a picture of a CB and OB that have aiming points on them.
i'm not sure what is going on in that last picture...
 
Duckie, "appear to work"?

Once again, the table doesn't lie to you. Either you make the balls or you don't. Either you aim right or you don't, either you aim right then execute in the allowable margin of error or you don't.

OF COURSE the margin of error allows for some wiggle room on the hit to simply make the ball. OF COURSE the larger the pocket is or the easier it takes balls the larger the margin of error is.

That applies for all shots taken.

The point of a system is does it help the shooter to get themselves aligned properly more often or not?

Assuming the shooter doesn't have a major deficiency in their stroke (or even if they do), getting lined up properly as the fist step BEFORE shooting should lead to a higher degree of pocketing makable shots.

So it has nothing to do with margin of error making it appear as if a system is working. The margin of error is there regardless. The question is does the system transfer to different tables equally well and the answer is yes. CTE for example works exceptionally well on tight pocket tables where the margin of error is quite a bit smaller.

I have used it on Chinese 8 Ball tables to make sick shots where the pockets are tiny and rounded and they use 2.25" pool balls.
 
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