Most of your misses due to poor aim or poor stroke?

[Kid Dynomite]

So what category does hitting the cue ball where your to hit it come under? Is that part of aim?

What about hit the object ball where your trying to hit?

Good question!

I believe squirt, throw & deflection change my pre shot routine/alignment. A lot of masse or spin then different set up! Most misses occur due to a change made while down on the shot. "Any change" requires you to restart the pre shot routine! Many don't and miss!

My routine puts my bridge length and cue alignment on track. Once there, it is very hard to deviate from my 3 or 4 stroke execution.

My problem is shot speed. Too slow and spin/masse too much prior to contact.

Too fast and spin/masse too little prior to contact.

Would love center ball, all shots, but position forces the use of English.

Kd

 

[King T]

It sounds simple..,

Here's how I see it ... if you took away the cue ball and just shot balls in directly with your cue stick how many would you miss? Not too many, so... we know where to aim. Its delivering that pesky cue ball to that spot that makes it so tough. My vote therefore, is defect in stroke.

Getting the correct portion of the cue ball to contact the correct point on the object ball is a little different from hitting the object ball with your tip don't you think?

 

[ENGLISH!]

Good question!

I believe squirt, throw & deflection change my pre shot routine/alignment. A lot of masse or spin then different set up! Most misses occur due to a change made while down on the shot. "Any change" requires you to restart the per shot routine! Many don't and miss!

My routine puts my bridge length and cue alignment on track. Once there, it is very hard to deviate from my 3 or 4 stroke execution.

My problem is shot speed. Too slow and spin/masse too much prior to contact.

Too fast and spin/masse too little prior to contact.

Would love center ball, all shots, but position forces the use of English.

Kd

That may be an open can of worms if a couple of guys read that.

 

[Fast Lenny]

Good question!

I believe squirt, throw & deflection change my pre shot routine/alignment. A lot of masse or spin then different set up! Most misses occur due to a change made while down on the shot. "Any change" requires you to restart the per shot routine! Many don't and miss!

My routine puts my bridge length and cue alignment on track. Once there, it is very hard to deviate from my 3 or 4 stroke execution.

My problem is shot speed. Too slow and spin/masse too much prior to contact.

Too fast and spin/masse too little prior to contact.

Would love center ball, all shots, but position forces the use of English.

Kd

You mention stroke speed which many overlook and do not account for the ball spinning especially when the ball is hit at a low speed.

 

[iusedtoberich]

You mention stroke speed which many overlook and do not account for the ball spinning especially when the ball is hit at a low speed.

What are you talking about Lenny... Any of the 3 letter acronym systems automatically account for that on every shot Sarcasm

Lenny are you going to DCC?

 

[poolfitkids]

Most know instantly if you missed or made the shot when you hit it. So i think aim is fine, but it is due to break down in mechanics ie the Stroke.

 

[genomachino]

Keep your head up higher on those shots..

When i miss a medium distance straight in shot, I conclude it has to be a stroking error (eg not hitting straight).

But other times it seems an aiming error. For example i have a hard time judging the aim when the cb and ob are only a few inches apart.

High enough so you can see all of the cue ball and object ball. The results will be instant. It will just look better. it will look like it will go.

What happens when you go down on the balls and they are close you are actually blocking out part of the object ball with the cue ball. This causes your brain to not get the whole correct picture. Raise your head up and it looks better. Still not so easy but much better.

Try it. you'll like it. Good luck......

 

[ENGLISH!]

There are also times when you know you made it but somehow it just does not go.

The thing is, like what the OP said. If his make percentage for the long straight ins is high that would seem to indicate that his stroke is good.

So...for him it may be his 'aiming' for certain cuts is not correct.

Most are talking in general but the OP's problem may be on the other end of the spectrum.

I doubt we can fix it without a whole lot of more info.

Sorry BRussell, for talking about you while you're still in the room.

 

[Neil]

That may be an open can of worms if a couple of guys read that.

Trying to start something, as usual, Rick? Outside of practice routines, care to show even just ONE post of someone advocating never using english at all??

As far as alignment and aiming, they are the same thing. Not just closely related, as some think, but the exact same thing. What is aiming, other than placing the cue on the line you want to shoot down?

What you are referring to, is the other part of alignment. That is, aligning the body to the aligned or aimed cue. Without proper aligning the body to the cue, you will have stroke issues.

 

[King T]

Tough to gauge...,

Good question!

I believe squirt, throw & deflection change my pre shot routine/alignment. A lot of masse or spin then different set up! Most misses occur due to a change made while down on the shot. "Any change" requires you to restart the pre shot routine! Many don't and miss!

My routine puts my bridge length and cue alignment on track. Once there, it is very hard to deviate from my 3 or 4 stroke execution.

My problem is shot speed. Too slow and spin/masse too much prior to contact.

Too fast and spin/masse too little prior to contact.

Would love center ball, all shots, but position forces the use of English.

Kd

I struggle with this idea a little, only because it seems when I miss that I just didn't hit the object ball exactly where I planned? Not sure any aiming system will help with that, but I'm going to give a few of them a try when I get to Derby City, I heard a few of the aim coaches will be there.

If that doesn't work, I'll try alignment next.

 

[bdorman]

I suspect more aiming systems are sold because of a bad stroke than a need for an umpteenth aiming system. If you've been through three aiming systems and none of the are working for you, does it really make sense to learn a fourth aiming system? It's probably your stroke.

Personally, I only miss a shot because of:

Skid
Someone sharking me
Poorly set-up table
Upset stomach
Dirty contact lense
I just got over the flu
warped cue
bad tip or wrong chalk
phase of the moon

...and so on

 

[ENGLISH!]

Trying to start something, as usual, Rick? Outside of practice routines, care to show even just ONE post of someone advocating never using english at all??

As far as alignment and aiming, they are the same thing. Not just closely related, as some think, but the exact same thing. What is aiming, other than placing the cue on the line you want to shoot down?

What you are referring to, is the other part of alignment. That is, aligning the body to the aligned or aimed cue. Without proper aligning the body to the cue, you will have stroke issues.

You know as well as I, that there are quite a few that advocate to only use english to change the way the CB comes off the rail & only if the result can not be gotten by not using english.

Some have basically suggested to stay away from using english at all costs.

Some have made the use of english sound like it is so complicated that only a computerized robot is capable of using it effectively.

Some have suggested than some, beginners, may not want to even try using english for the their first year or so.

It seems that it is you that wants to start something with me.

I merely commented on a statement that I saw regarding a subject that has been somewhat controversial in the past.

As to the aim & alignment there are quite a few shots, especially on the larger tables where one can not get into their normal alignment BUT they can aim the cue. So...how can they be the same thing? That is a rhetorical question & I do NOT want a response from you nor to get into an argument with you.

The 'something' seems to start every time you show up. You want to 'attack' me, get me to respond & then blame me for derailing the thread.

I'm done, nothing good can come from having any contact with you. At least not until you have a change in attitude, which I seriously doubt is going to happen in this lifetime.

Sorry BRussell & everyone else.

Best Wishes to ALL & May God Bless You, Neil.

 

[ENGLISH!]

I suspect more aiming systems are sold because of a bad stroke than a need for an umpteenth aiming system. If you've been through three aiming systems and none of the are working for you, does it really make sense to learn a fourth aiming system? It's probably your stroke.

Personally, I only miss a shot because of:

Skid
Someone sharking me
Poorly set-up table
Upset stomach
Dirty contact lense
I just got over the flu
warped cue
bad tip or wrong chalk
phase of the moon

...and so on

Sounds like you have a perfect aiming method & a perfect stroke & are ready to challenge Shane.

 

[genomachino]

Your skill level has allot to do with it....

I usually hear people (e.g., Jerry Briesath) say that the main cause of a miss is a poor stroke or poor cueing, even though the shooter may think that they aimed poorly. I believed this when I first heard it, but I've started to wonder.

My percentage for straight-in shots, even long ones, is much higher than my percentage for cut shots of the same length. That's aim, not stroke.

I'm curious about other pool players: Do you think you miss more because of poor aim, or poor stroke?

There are so many variables to say it's the stroke more or the aim more.

I take lower level players that can't make a straight in shot and work with them for about 15 minutes.Then watch them shoot the same shot they missed 5 to 10 times in a row and now make it 5 to 10 times in a row.

This is a straight in shot from the kitchen with the object ball about 1 foot from the corner. Once they get the eyes right they pop that shot in pretty consistently.

Now if I had them cutting a ball to the right or left so many other factors would be involved. But on this straight in shot I'm just showing them to aim correctly with the eyes.

I take higher level players and show them how to aim an they are making all shots at a more consistent level.

Many of these players have terrible strokes but can't even tell because the eyes are so far out of wack. Once the eyes are right the stroke even straightens out a little for most of them. This is why they are a 3 or less in the league play.

On the other hand. I can work with them until I'm blue in the face trying to straighten the stroke but if the dominant eye is not in the most correct position they will just have to practice keeping that stroke straight for about 500 hours hoping the brain will get these eyes right from repetition. Do nothing else but shoot pool 4 to 8 hours a day. That's how I and most good players had to do it for years. Now that I learned how these eyes actually work I can get there and stay there with allot less practice.

I take players that work for a living and want to get better and help them get there with less hours spent .

Ask anyone that I have taught Perfect Aim to and they will tell you the same thing that I am saying. Once they see what they are supposed to be seeing and it looks good and more balls are going in the hole than before three's no telling them it's any different. They can see the difference with their own eyes. Seeing is believing. .

The problem here is that anyone that doesn't know what I'm talking about or how this works( which includes just about everyone that I havn't taught this to) will argue with me about this.

The ones that I've taught, they just know and really don't care who else knows it or understands.

If the wrong picture is going to the brain you don't have much of a chance of making the shot. it's like the sights are off on the gun but you don't know it.

When I show someone how to correct the natural sight it's like wow....

Get the eyes right first and the rest becomes allot easier from there.

Everything centers around your aim and correct sighting of the shot.

 

[King T]

When and where?

There are so many variables to say it's the stroke more or the aim more.

Now if I had them cutting a ball to the right or left so many other factors would be involved. But on this straight in shot I'm just showing them to aim correctly with the eyes.

I take higher level players and show them how to aim an they are making all shots at a more consistent level.
Now that I learned how these eyes actually work I can get there and stay there with allot less practice.

I take players that work for a living and want to get better and help them get there with less hours spent .
They can see the difference with their own eyes. Seeing is believing. .

If the wrong picture is going to the brain you don't have much of a chance of making the shot.

Get the eyes right first and the rest becomes allot easier from there.

Everything centers around your aim and correct sighting of the shot.

So are you going to Derby City? I'd like to try your system?

 

[Thomas McKane]

I find that loss of focus is the biggest issues with missing. After a couple of decades of shooting, you know how to aim, you know how to stroke and stand...but you lose focus and don't listen to what you already know. Focus is everything, when you start losing it in a game, walk away and shake it off and get it back.

 

[King T]

I agree.., but,

I find that loss of focus is the biggest issues with missing. After a couple of decades of shooting, you know how to aim, you know how to stroke and stand...but you lose focus and don't listen to what you already know. Focus is everything, when you start losing it in a game, walk away and shake it off and get it back.

Your right, that's the big part of the puzzle, but there is something to be gained from understanding how a guy like Earl, SVB, Rodney or some of the other big ball pocketers see things? Maybe it comes from some of the people picking aiming systems?

If there is just one little tip of info that can move your game up, its worth it. The difference between where you are and where you want to be might be right there.

 

[ENGLISH!]

I find that loss of focus is the biggest issues with missing. After a couple of decades of shooting, you know how to aim, you know how to stroke and stand...but you lose focus and don't listen to what you already know. Focus is everything, when you start losing it in a game, walk away and shake it off and get it back.

I agree. I make the more difficult shots but I'll occasionally miss that 30* cut with the OB 24 to 30" from the pocket. It seems to be more difficult to be totally focused at 61 than it was at 16.

 

[ENGLISH!]

Your right, that's the big part of the puzzle, but there is something to be gained from understanding how a guy like Earl, SVB, Rodney or some of the other big ball pocketers see things? Maybe it comes from some of the people picking aiming systems?

If there is just one little tip of info that can move your game up, its worth it. The difference between where you are and where you want to be might be right there.

That seems to be what Gene is talking about. One little change or understanding can make a significant difference.

 

[Thomas McKane]

Your right, that's the big part of the puzzle, but there is something to be gained from understanding how a guy like Earl, SVB, Rodney or some of the other big ball pocketers see things? Maybe it comes from some of the people picking aiming systems?

If there is just one little tip of info that can move your game up, its worth it. The difference between where you are and where you want to be might be right there.

If you REALLY hate losing, and I mean REALLY HATE LOSING deep down in your gut, you'll do anything to win, and keep winning. Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more, but then...DON'T LOSE.