Man, those drawings in the proof of exactness thread are so cute. They show just how limiting CTE is. It is only exact for certain shots and not all shots. My GB method works on all shots.
I've yet to see a pretty drawing of a ball in front of the cue ball drawing. You know when you have to shoot jacked up and have no choice on where to put your bridge hand.
Speaking of bridge, where are the drawings for using a mechincal bridge shooting over a rack of balls like in 14.1 at times?
I'd like to see a drawing of a rail first shot, you know hit the rail first then the OB you want to make.
Let's see some drawing that represent real world conitions and how easy CTE can be used, which it can't. Just read the Answering question post on how confusing alot of people find.
Here is a real simple way to learn to aim and if because its free, you don't feel is worth while, well, to make ya feel better, I will take donations.
Set up a simple cut shot where the OB is about a foot from the center of a corner pocket. Put the CB at a angle to that OB, say about foot away. Now, this next step would be easier if you had Babe Cranfields Arrow, but its not need.
Now, place the tip of your cue at a spot 1/2 ball from the outermost edge of the OB. If you were using the arrow, your cue tip would be on the point of the arrow. This point is the aim point.
Now, with your tip on that spot, move until your cue is directly over the OB ball. Lower your cue until it touches the top of the CB. Thats the aim line. You aim the top of the CB to that spot on the table or if you are practicing with the arrow, the point of the arrow, the OB will go center pocket, if you line everything up. See everything takes practice, its just that some ways, like GB are easier to practice than others, like CTE.
Practicing with the arrow and using the top of the CB is the only true way to aim. Once the arrow is gone, that where hours of practice come into play like any system.
Now, while standing there with the cue tip on the aim point and the butt resting on top of the CB, the butt part that goes past the CB represents the line the cue needs to be on for center ball hit on the CB.
Oh, and feel aiming,,,, well, feel aiming only applies to new players that haven't spent alot of time at the table or the first time you ever attempt a certain shot, or a shot you don't practice much.
Feel aiming is the same as guesstamating. You do not have enough experince with shot making to know where to put the CB in order to make the OB go where you want it. The more quality time at the table, the more you know where to aim, so you go from feeling to knowing. Once I decided on what to do on a shot, I know where I need to aim based on alot of table time and not feel.
For me, feel come, into play in the executation of a shot.
Like the first time you try a two rail bank. You feel where to aim at first, but then after practice, practice, you just start to know where to aim to make that two rail.
So, everyone uses feel aiming at some point and never truely gets away from it.
If their is a pre shot routine, what is the shot routine and the post shot routine? I always here about the pre shot routine but nothing about the rest. Aren't these other two just as important?
I used to hear that once you hit a ball stay down until the ball drops. Haven't read that lately anywhere. This is a very important step to do.
At the very least, I have made my own way to aim that makes sense to me, simple to use, can be used on all shots, and just plain works.
Oh, position play IS NOT a separte from shot making. This is just wrong type thinking. Putting a ball in a pocket and position play are components of shot making. Putting a OB in a pocket is not shot making, thats putting a OB in a hole. Shoting making is putting the ball in the pocket AND getting position for the next shot. This needs to be practice from the first time you ever pick up a cue.
Even if you are practicing one ball drills, keep where the CB is going in mind. Watch it until it stops rolling. Ove time, you will this has helped you see the CB path better.
Its just sad that a game that is so simple has been turned into something that is harder than it needs to be by people that really should know better.
Here is a little fact that is key in shot making, there is one and only one point on the table that when the CB is placed there will cause the OB to go center pocket. This is true even with spin.
Also, that point is always the same no matter what the angle of the CB is to the OB.
FWIW