Mike Dechaine's aiming system

B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
While listening to the TAR podcast I nearly fell out of my chair when Mike Dechaine described his aiming system and it was exactly as mine! Equal Overlap.

I know Mike visits AZB occasionally and I'm glad I was able to help him. :thumbup:

equaldistanceaimingdiag.jpg


Seriously though, he also mentioned lining the shot up with his shaft and I'd like to understand more about that. He said it's not like Shane's use of an infinite number of areas on the shaft; it sounded more like lining up one part of the shaft just to confirm his Equal Overlap aim.
 
bdorman said:
While listening to the TAR podcast I nearly fell out of my chair when Mike Dechaine described his aiming system and it was exactly as mine! Equal Overlap.

I know Mike visits AZB occasionally and I'm glad I was able to help him. :thumbup:

equaldistanceaimingdiag.jpg


Seriously though, he also mentioned lining the shot up with his shaft and I'd like to understand more about that. He said it's not like Shane's use of an infinite number of areas on the shaft; it sounded more like lining up one part of the shaft just to confirm his Equal Overlap aim.
Click to expand...

Doesn't everyone aim like this? :D
 
Same thing Jimmy Reid teaches, but he calls it "equal/ opposite". If you haven't seen his material, I suggest you get it.
 
Kinda like I aim.....I use the outside of the CB and segments of the OB....generally 1/2, and 1/4 segments. There are specialty shots for super thin, but 95% of shots for me work out fine using this.

G.
 
If this is equated into the clock system that I use, it's hitting the 5 o'clock portion of the object ball with the 11 o'clock portion of the cue ball (using a straight line drawn through both balls as the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock axis) .

Like JoeyA said, we all aim this way, it's just there are about a million ways to describe it (well, really only a handful). Call it what you want, but with the exception of "spun-in" shots, this is what has to occur to pot the object ball directly into its intended pocket.

Maniac (let the flaming begin)
 
JoeyA said:
Doesn't everyone aim like this? :D
Click to expand...

Ghost ball aiming is ok but not ideal especially for thin cuts. All should aim by looking at pocket (or where to aim), the line from pocket (or where the target is) to OB, the OB, and CB all at same time, if your focus is sharp you will develop an exact pin point aim at OB, impossible to miss the shot, even if your stroke is not 100%. If you are tired it will take a bit longer to find. It is best to find this spot while you standing and then go down pushing cue at it, and then focus.
 
bdorman said:
While listening to the TAR podcast I nearly fell out of my chair when Mike Dechaine described his aiming system and it was exactly as mine! Equal Overlap.

I know Mike visits AZB occasionally and I'm glad I was able to help him. :thumbup:

equaldistanceaimingdiag.jpg


Seriously though, he also mentioned lining the shot up with his shaft and I'd like to understand more about that. He said it's not like Shane's use of an infinite number of areas on the shaft; it sounded more like lining up one part of the shaft just to confirm his Equal Overlap aim.
Click to expand...

Just gotta say, I find this very puzzling.

You say you have trouble estimating the OB contact point, but two exactly
equal length arcs are no problem. BTW, they are symetrical around
that same OB contact point, which you say you can't estimate?????

Dale
 
Aiming Forum (PLEASE)

There is a place to discuss this sort of thing... at length... really at length..

oh and CJ does not aim this way... TOI (a little squirt will do ya)
 
Last edited:
pdcue said:
Just gotta say, I find this very puzzling.

You say you have trouble estimating the OB contact point, but two exactly
equal length arcs are no problem. BTW, they are symetrical around
that same OB contact point, which you say you can't estimate?????

Dale
Click to expand...

Sorry if the graphic is unclear: I have trouble estimating the ghost ball center (the spot on the table), not the OB contact point. That's why I stumbled into Equal Overlap: for me, it's easier to find the OB contact point (#1 in the graphic) and then line that up with an equal overlap of the CB (#2).

All three points (GBCenter, OBcontact and CBcontact) are vision-imaginary in that the rules don't allow us to use a Sharpie to mark points :D. It's just that it's easier for me to visualize OB and CB contact points than a spot on the table where the center of the GB is supposed to go.
 
bdorman said:
While listening to the TAR podcast I nearly fell out of my chair when Mike Dechaine described his aiming system and it was exactly as mine! Equal Overlap.

I know Mike visits AZB occasionally and I'm glad I was able to help him. :thumbup:

equaldistanceaimingdiag.jpg


Seriously though, he also mentioned lining the shot up with his shaft and I'd like to understand more about that. He said it's not like Shane's use of an infinite number of areas on the shaft; it sounded more like lining up one part of the shaft just to confirm his Equal Overlap aim.
Click to expand...

From the Aiming Forum:

Cue /stick aiming. - 01-27-2013, 12:51 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cue Aiming and Contact point on the CB to the contact point on the OB.

Aim your cue at the center of the OB to the pocket/target, touch the OB – this is the contact point on the OB that must be hit by the contact point on the CB. If not perceived easily, then look at the relationship/distance from that point to the edge or the center of the OB and transfer that distant to the CB. Aim the cue while standing at these 2 points.

While holding the cue at the butt of the cue, preferable at arms length, rotate from the arm pit/shoulder to the center of the CB and get down on the shot and shoot. The error from a geometric standpoint will be about 1 degree at most - less for thick shots and more for thin.

Triangle Calculator
Length of Side a: 72"
Length of Side b: 72"
Length of Side c: 1.125" (1/2 OB)
Angle C: .89 degrees
http://www.endmemo.com/geometry/triangle.php

The maximum 1 degree error will create a greater distance away at distance from the intended CB path to the OB and must be compensated for by aiming with a bit of outside english.

This should work for most cut angles except the very thin cuts where you might miss the OB with the CB. To compensate for the 1 degree, use a bit of outside english to allow the CB deflection to send the CB closer to the OB and not miss the OB all together.

Start with the edge of the CB aimed at the edge of the OB and adjust the amount of outside english for the distance between the CB and the OB until you can graze the OB for a very thin cut (< 90 degrees) . The amount of outside english will be less than when the CB and OB are close together to compensate for the 1 degree error.

Good shooting.
 
This was written about years ago in a book by marvin chin. He called it the two point equal portion system.
 
LAMas said:
From the Aiming Forum:

Cue /stick aiming. - 01-27-2013, 12:51 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cue Aiming and Contact point on the CB to the contact point on the OB.

Aim your cue at the center of the OB to the pocket/target, touch the OB – this is the contact point on the OB that must be hit by the contact point on the CB. If not perceived easily, then look at the relationship/distance from that point to the edge or the center of the OB and transfer that distant to the CB. Aim the cue while standing at these 2 points.

While holding the cue at the butt of the cue, preferable at arms length, rotate from the arm pit/shoulder to the center of the CB and get down on the shot and shoot. The error from a geometric standpoint will be about 1 degree at most - less for thick shots and more for thin.

Triangle Calculator
Length of Side a: 72"
Length of Side b: 72"
Length of Side c: 1.125" (1/2 OB)
Angle C: .89 degrees
http://www.endmemo.com/geometry/triangle.php

The maximum 1 degree error will create a greater distance away at distance from the intended CB path to the OB and must be compensated for by aiming with a bit of outside english.

This should work for most cut angles except the very thin cuts where you might miss the OB with the CB. To compensate for the 1 degree, use a bit of outside english to allow the CB deflection to send the CB closer to the OB and not miss the OB all together.

Start with the edge of the CB aimed at the edge of the OB and adjust the amount of outside english for the distance between the CB and the OB until you can graze the OB for a very thin cut (< 90 degrees) . The amount of outside english will be less than when the CB and OB are close together to compensate for the 1 degree error.

Good shooting.
Click to expand...

Many thanks. I've copied it to a Word doc and will study it. A quick read didn't suffice :wink:
 
bdorman said:
Sorry if the graphic is unclear: I have trouble estimating the ghost ball center (the spot on the table), not the OB contact point. That's why I stumbled into Equal Overlap: for me, it's easier to find the OB contact point (#1 in the graphic) and then line that up with an equal overlap of the CB (#2).

All three points (GBCenter, OBcontact and CBcontact) are vision-imaginary in that the rules don't allow us to use a Sharpie to mark points :D. It's just that it's easier for me to visualize OB and CB contact points than a spot on the table where the center of the GB is supposed to go.
Click to expand...

A humble suggestion, that might even be helpful. Forget about the center
of the Ghost - I never could understsnd how anyone could ever make a
shot aimming that way.

'Aim' to make the Contct Point of the cueball hit the Contact Point of the
objectball. CJ calls this 'aimming with the cueball' or some such wording.

You might just be amazed.

ps: if he evers figures out you can determine where to hit the OB without
using Inside to compensate for CIT - there may be no stopping him.

Dale
 
This is what I naturally 'gravitated' to as a 13 year old boy 46 years ago with no mention of ghost ball or any other description.

Hell I tought I invented it.:wink: Not really but I did discovered it on my own.

I think it is great as it has no limits & is not regimented.

JMHO
 
bdorman said:
Many thanks. I've copied it to a Word doc and will study it. A quick read didn't suffice :wink:
Click to expand...

Copy AtLarge's review of what I proffered as well...good stuff.
Thanks for your interest.

01-27-2013, 09:40 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LAMas -- If I understand the technique you described, it is to
(1) identify the OB and CB contact points,
(2) extend your arm and point the stick down the line that runs through those two contact points,
(3) pivot the tip to center CB using the shoulder or armpit as the pivot point, and
(4) go down to shooting position on that new line of aim and shoot.

This, of course, is a form of contact-point-to-contact-point aiming. I imagine you present it as an alternative because of your previously stated visual difficulty with the stick line normally being different from the line through the two contact points.

I tried what you suggest and found it works pretty well. But I thought it was kind of awkward to handle the stick in that fashion and then get down accurately on the new line for the shot.

But I found a slight modification to your proposal that worked a bit more smoothly for me:
(1) identify the two contact points,
(2) get down into shooting position with the stick on the line that runs through those two points,
(3) pivot the tip to center CB using the back hand as the pivot point, and
(4) shoot
Note: my step (3) is the same type of movement as is used for front-hand english -- leave the back hand in place and move the front of the stick by slightly deforming or moving the bridge sideways -- only in this instance we are moving from off-center to center CB rather than the other way around.

Since I was pivoting from maybe 50"-55" (depends where you hold the stick) instead of your 72", the error (versus a parallel shift) is a bit greater my way, but not much.

Give that one a try and see what you think. And, of course, you can simply visualize the line or vertical plane running through the two contact points and align the cue stick through CB center, parallel to that plane or line, without initially placing the stick in the cp-to-cp plane. That continues to be my preferred way for cp-to-cp aiming.

Thanks for the clever suggestion. Maybe someone will find what you suggested (or my slight modification) useful.
 
Well,

we all know, or better said: we all read here thousands of postings about aiming. But the result is the only important thing-nothing else.

If someone comes over and telling or asking about aiming, i usually answer, that there is only one thing what is important:

"You must be able to SEE the shot". And here it doesn t matter what you re using. You have to find out for yourself what works best for you. Equal Distance, Double-the-Distance, Back of the Ball, GhostBall, CTE, Pro1 and so on etcetera.

Some have great ablities to *visualize* with this version-others have to use a mixture from 2 or 3. And then, what is very often not *posted*, it is important that you definitley create a bulletproofed "eye-pattern" for yourself.

Visualisation is the key-- the question is just, how good you can visualise and what you will try to visualise.

lg
Ingo
 
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