My nemesis shot

[dquarasr]

I have a shot which gives me trouble. This cost me my league match last Wednesday.

OB one diamond away from center pocket, 1" from the long rail. CB on an approximate angle of 45 degrees. (I have the same problem all the way down to around 15 degrees.) Aiming to make this shot in the corner pocket.

I can line up this shot over and over, and miss it hitting the OB too thick. I can get down on this shot and be *positive* I'm aiming correctly and stroking at my aim point. This happens both directions, angle to the left or angle to the right. It's a perception problem. I will miss this shot eight out of 10 times hitting it too thick. I've even video recorded myself. I don't believe it's my stroke. I believe it's my perception of the shot.

When I very mechanically try to align and shoot the shot to compensate, usually overthinking and tensing up on the shot, I often miss hitting it too thin. Frustrating as hell.

I have found that if I simply, and "naturally" line up, then ever so slightly aim a bit thinner, I can make this shot eight out of 10 times. Or, if I line up normally and hit with about 1/3 tip inside without adjusting the aim so the shot deflects, I can make it consistently.

So, my questions: Is my "see it and aim slightly thinner" what is meant by "feel"? Is this how HAMB is supposed to work?

Or is the better solution to find out why I "see" this shot too thick?

 

[boogieman]

Not an instructor. If you're cutting to the left, try slightly turning your head to the left, or moving it slightly to the left. If cutting the OB to the right, do these to the right. If it's a perception problem, this might help. Try both ways and see which works best for you. It's all about correctly seeing/feeling where to hit. Do it scientifically a the practice table if you can. A simple tally of made vs. missed with each variable can help when self diagnosing and fixing problems like these.

Also these shots seem to go a bit better with follow or center, if it's possible to use them and still get position. Draw will often magnify problems in aim/deflection/mechanics.

Hopefully an instructor can address your particular issue, hope this helps or gives you some food for though.

 

[FranCrimi]

My experience with players who consistently miss the same shot is that what they see isn't where their pool cue is aimed. So you may be seeing the shot correctly but your cue from back to front may be at a slight angle. This begins with the first step you take in your approach. Everything that follows will result in how you align yourself and your cue. Pay attention to your approach. You got some clues about that when you found that if you simply and naturally line up, things go better with the shot.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... I can line up this shot over and over, and miss it hitting the OB too thick. I can get down on this shot and be *positive* I'm aiming correctly and stroking at my aim point. This happens both directions, angle to the left or angle to the right. It's a perception problem. I will miss this shot eight out of 10 times hitting it too thick. I've even video recorded myself. I don't believe it's my stroke. I believe it's my perception of the shot. ...

I suppose you could consciously include the expected throw, which is significant for a shot that long. It sounds like you are using the ghost ball or an equivalent visualization that lands the cue ball on the line you want the object ball to take. That doesn't work because of throw. Try consciously shooting the ball a ball or two from the center of the pocket.

That's a temporary patch. Eventually the correct line has to feel correct to you.

 

[dquarasr]

I suppose you could consciously include the expected throw, which is significant for a shot that long. It sounds like you are using the ghost ball or an equivalent visualization that lands the cue ball on the line you want the object ball to take. That doesn't work because of throw. Try consciously shooting the ball a ball or two from the center of the pocket.

That's a temporary patch. Eventually the correct line has to feel correct to you.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of throw. I feel silly now. Of course! I was shooting this shot pretty slowly. I noticed I was much closer with higher speed. I thought it was because when I used higher speed I’d make it more often simply because I was maybe more relaxed. That should have told me I needed to adjust for throw. Duh!!!

 

[skipbales]

I have a shot which gives me trouble. This cost me my league match last Wednesday.

OB one diamond away from center pocket, 1" from the long rail. CB on an approximate angle of 45 degrees. (I have the same problem all the way down to around 15 degrees.) Aiming to make this shot in the corner pocket.

I can line up this shot over and over, and miss it hitting the OB too thick. I can get down on this shot and be *positive* I'm aiming correctly and stroking at my aim point. This happens both directions, angle to the left or angle to the right. It's a perception problem. I will miss this shot eight out of 10 times hitting it too thick. I've even video recorded myself. I don't believe it's my stroke. I believe it's my perception of the shot.

When I very mechanically try to align and shoot the shot to compensate, usually overthinking and tensing up on the shot, I often miss hitting it too thin. Frustrating as hell.

I have found that if I simply, and "naturally" line up, then ever so slightly aim a bit thinner, I can make this shot eight out of 10 times. Or, if I line up normally and hit with about 1/3 tip inside without adjusting the aim so the shot deflects, I can make it consistently.

So, my questions: Is my "see it and aim slightly thinner" what is meant by "feel"? Is this how HAMB is supposed to work?

Or is the better solution to find out why I "see" this shot too thick?

I was practicing the same shot except closer to the rail, like 1/4' to 1/2" which gives me more trouble as it is easy to touch the rail and with sensitive cushions can cause a miss. A bystander told me to put some top on the cue ball. It did make the shot much easier. I can't say exactly why but I started making them 10 in a row instead of 3 or 4. Of course that doesn't help if it won't get you position but if it is just making the ball and it won't lead you to a scratch or something the top seemed to help. Tor Lowry touts top spin on frozen to the rail shots. That too helps, although I don't find it to be as magical as Tor suggests.

 

[skipbales]

I don’t know why I didn’t think of throw. I feel silly now. Of course! I was shooting this shot pretty slowly. I noticed I was much closer with higher speed. I thought it was because when I used higher speed I’d make it more often simply because I was maybe more relaxed. That should have told me I needed to adjust for throw. Duh!!!

yes, throw is more significant with center ball, maybe that is why the top spin helped in my post above.