more eye and head

[Train1077]

I have noticed that I always miss the pockets on the left side. I hit the OB on the right side.

I have tried to look at my aim on long straigth shots.

When I go down it seems straight, but then as I hit the CB I can feel before it hits the OB that does not run straight. I think I keep my cue between my right (dominant) eye and my nose. When I close one eye at a time, none of them align up with the cue. I have made an illustration so you can see what I mean. It is frustrating the h"#¤ out of me. I have been playing for 4 years now, and have hit a stop, my stroke is great but having these doubts about my aim and misses are holding me back. I really want to be consistent.

Now my questions are:

1. Should I start from scratch aiming under my dominant eye, practise that, which would involve how I stand, hold arm and it all?
2. Should I stop thinking about it and just play, which I don't think I can.
3. Practise with a patch on left eye to force myself to learn to play with dominant eye?
4. I had a good day, next day I hit everything on the right even though I tried to copy how I did on the good day. How can I get a consistent aim?

I'll dedicate my first gold medal to the person who helps me overcome this, I'll buy beers, I'm really getting desperate.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Looking at your last video, it looks to me like you are setting up the cue between your nose and you left eye. (not your right)

http://youtu.be/G3Fqd0umGPA

Maybe you can post another video showing how you setup on the same shot over and over (in sequence not edited) with a closer look at your head postion.

 

[bbb]

im not an instructor but heres my comments
from your video it seemed the line of your cue was not sraight on the target it was veered alittle to your right
icbw check your self
second put the cue ball on the head spot and a piece of chalk on the second (middle) diamond on the opposite end rail
this is a straight ahead shot
can you hit the rail exactly straight ahead ??
another way to test this is to put 2 balls alittle more than a ball apart on the rail with the target between them


if you move the cue ball back afew inches from the head spot when you line up your cue should be over the middle diamond
as you stroke back and forth you shouldnt see the diamond if you are going in a straight line

your problem might be you are not stroking straight.


in my thread on eyes and head position
this was a great post
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3407514&postcount=3

 

[FranCrimi]

I remember you now. I found other videos of you shooting and I remember one in particular. Your cue is not moving in a straight line. I told you this before and I don't know if you wrote me off as a crackpot, but what the heck...I'll say it again. You are trying to shoot with a level stroke. That will cause you problems because the table has rails that get in the way of a level stroke. Therefore you will have to manipulate your back hand which can result in subtle twisting. Once you got into the habit of back hand manipulation, then you will have done it regardless of whether there is a rail in the way or not.

I recommend that to rid yourself of any back hand manipulations, make sure your cue stick is at least a half inch above the rail at all times (there are exceptions, like shooting off the rail, of course) when shooting. As an exercise, try shooting with firm, full fisted grip. Then gradually loosen it after you've shot several successful shots to retrain yourself to not manipulate the cue.

I don't think your immediate problem is your head position.

 

[kanecalgary]

I'm not an instructor, but I think if you center yourself behind the shot and then walk in and come down on it, it will bring your cue more on line. On that shot you come from the left and your cue never makes it back to straight on line. So if you're coming from center(belly button-cue ball-object ball) behind the shot, and just move your body out of the way it could help. Tony posted this great video in another thread that I found worth watching.There is a drill using the spot in the video that should be useful for you. I think you will find your cue not following straight through.Maybe even try walking into the shot from a few feet further away, it might help get the cue on line. After watching more of your video's I've noticed you lock your elbow on your bridge hand, maybe unlocking the elbow will relax the shoulders and help with your stroke. I for one cannot shoot comfortably with a locked elbow. Hope you straighten out.