Missing shots

meharis

meharis

Registered
Dear all,
I keep noticing, that most of the times I miss a ball, it turns out that I shot it too far to the left. Interestingly it has nothing to do with hitting the object ball too full or too thin, but just too far on the right side. Now I know that it's virtually impossible to tell, as there are millions of reasons, as to why this can be, but I'm asking out of curiosity, as maybe one or the other could have an explanation.

I am, b.t.w. right handed, and my right eye is the dominant one.
 
A video is worth a million words.


meharis said:
Dear all,
I keep noticing, that most of the times I miss a ball, it turns out that I shot it too far to the left. Interestingly it has nothing to do with hitting the object ball too full or too thin, but just too far on the right side. Now I know that it's virtually impossible to tell, as there are millions of reasons, as to why this can be, but I'm asking out of curiosity, as maybe one or the other could have an explanation.

I am, b.t.w. right handed, and my right eye is the dominant one.
Click to expand...
 
ok thanks. The video'll take a while though, as I'm holiday. Which perspective would be optimal?
 
Just to add to what Tony said...shoot the same shots from all three perspectives. On the side view, make sure we can see all of your stroking arm, and the cuestick, from the backswing to the end of the stroke.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
miss shots

You are missing shots but it dont have anything to do with hititng them too full or too thin. I am confused.
 
Perhaps I didn't express myself clearly: irrespective of the shot, I tend to shoot too far to the left. Depending on the angle of the shot, this means that I either hit the object ball too thin or too full. Does that make it clearer?
 
meharis said:
Dear all,
I keep noticing, that most of the times I miss a ball, it turns out that I shot it too far to the left. Interestingly it has nothing to do with hitting the object ball too full or too thin, but just too far on the right side. Now I know that it's virtually impossible to tell, as there are millions of reasons, as to why this can be, but I'm asking out of curiosity, as maybe one or the other could have an explanation.

I am, b.t.w. right handed, and my right eye is the dominant one.
Click to expand...


I have the same problem and I have to be very careful. I have a very strong dominant right eye and my cue often will drift to the outer edge of my right eye. When that happens I can lose perspective of where the center of the cue ball is. I think I'm seeing the center of the cb but it's really the left side.

You can test yourself by shooting the cue ball straight up and down the table and see if it goes left off the back rail. If it does, that could be what's happening.

So when you're shooting a shot, you're probably hitting the cb on the left and squirting it out to the right, which can result in hitting the ob too far on the right, causing the shot to miss to the left.

If that's what's happening, you have to train yourself to know where the actual center of the cue ball is. You can start with your approach to make sure you're not setting up on the left side of the cue ball. you can also check your cue position under your dominant eye. Make sure it's not drifting too far out past the edge of your eye.
 
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Not hitting the cb in the middle makes a lot if sense, and my right eye is indeed very dominant.

Next WE I'm back home and make those vids.
 
Some very knowledged professional instructors answered already, and i agree very with Fran here- there is a high percentage that you could have the same problem.

From where do you come Meharis? If i may ask :-)

lg from overseas,

Ingo
 
Of course you may ask, but I do believe you already know. What you might not know, but can tell from my hat is where I come from, and where I am right now :).
 
I have the same problem

I can identify with that. My CB goes slightly right of where I think I aimed. I can't figure out if it's a swing fault or an eye alignment error or both. Now I just play with it but cutting thinner on the left side and hitting thicker on the right side, not an ideal fix. On straight shots I have to cheat a little right and on a straight draw shot I have to consciously follow through to the left to keep the OB going straight. Help!

Henry:frown:
 
Henry Wong said:
I can identify with that. My CB goes slightly right of where I think I aimed. I can't figure out if it's a swing fault or an eye alignment error or both. Now I just play with it but cutting thinner on the left side and hitting thicker on the right side, not an ideal fix. On straight shots I have to cheat a little right and on a straight draw shot I have to consciously follow through to the left to keep the OB going straight. Help!

Henry:frown:
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Henry, if you don't want to post a video here you should video yourself anyway and study your arm swing to find out if you're twisting your cue or if it's a problem in setting up. My guess is it's one or the other.
 
I'm in Shanghai and the authorities seem to have blocked us from using YouTube and Facebook so I cannot see any of you guy's video, not sure I can post one either... Thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can diagnose it myself. A good player pointed out I have a bit of wrist cock, my knuckles are not straight down and may cause some adjustment on the through stroke but he said if I've been playing so long with it maybe should leave it alone...
 
Henry Wong said:
I'm in Shanghai and the authorities seem to have blocked us from using YouTube and Facebook so I cannot see any of you guy's video, not sure I can post one either... Thanks for the tip, I'll see if I can diagnose it myself. A good player pointed out I have a bit of wrist cock, my knuckles are not straight down and may cause some adjustment on the through stroke but he said if I've been playing so long with it maybe should leave it alone...
Click to expand...

Henry, that player probably meant that because you have been doing it that way for so long that it is probably not worth all the pain and suffering involved to change it. I don't necessarily agree with that statement. I think it depends if you are willing to work hard or not.

Back in the 70's when I was learning to play, no one talked about fundamentals. There was no YouTube or AccuStats videos where we could study other players. We had to go find good players and watch them play and then try to remember what we saw. We didn't have pocket cameras or phones where we could take a video of the player shooting. Yet, we worked on our games and figured things out.

You may not have certain Internet resources but you can video yourself and others (with their permission). It's even better if you have slow motion replay. Ask the better players if you can video them shooting and then study them and compare them to yourself.
 
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Perhaps not to you Fran, but Jerry Briesath was teaching the importance of fundamentals since the 60's. Randy and I have been teaching it since the mid 70's. I will say it wasn't widespread, but the information was there if you knew where to go for it.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

FranCrimi said:
Back in the 70's when I was learning to play, no one talked about fundamentals.
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i am not an instructor (happy fran with the disclaimer??)
fundamentals are what they say
the foundation of your game
if you cant deliver the cue stick to where you are aiming
fogettaboutit:eek:
if you cant predict your stroke speed
how will you ever play good shape??
jmho
icbw
 
Scott Lee said:
Perhaps not to you Fran, but Jerry Briesath was teaching the importance of fundamentals since the 60's. Randy and I have been teaching it since the mid 70's. I will say it wasn't widespread, but the information was there if you knew where to go for it.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

My point to Henry is that he can still work on his fundamentals without the benefit of YouTube, just as I did. Just because somebody isn't in a player's face telling him or her how they are supposed to stroke ---- that doesn't mean he can't figure things out for himself using the resources that does have at his disposal.
 
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FranCrimi said:
... Back in the 70's when I was learning to play, no one talked about fundamentals. ...
Click to expand...
It is possible that no one in your area was talking about fundamentals, but fundamentals were certainly covered in books. One book, for example, has chapters on: The Head; The Bridge; A Hint in Passing (reminds the reader to work on sound fundamentals first, that they will take time, but that they will pay off in the end); The Action; The Travel; The Whole Stroke; The Driving Action; Contact; Eye on Which Ball?. The author was very big on fundamentals. This book was first published in 1949.

Sadly, in the US reading books about billiards and how to play fell out of fashion in the 1930s or so. The material was there but you had to look for it.
 
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