Never Aim - Your "Mental Eye" Knows What's Expected...Trust Your Eye

CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
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As long at a player has a consistent, relative starting point (I recommend Center/Center and Center/Edge) the unconscious "eye" knows what to do to achieve the desired outcome......the key is to get out of the way {consciously} and allow this process to happen naturally.

A good friend sent me this link, it sums what I'm saying up very well using archery as the example......I also recommend the book 'Zen in the Art of Archery' for anyone wanting to understand this process at a deeper level.

LINK TO "AIMING" IN ARCHERY <--------
 
I used to do a lot of Traditional archery. the video is right. it's like throwing a ball, not shooting a rifle.
 
It's called instinctive shooting and it's exactly like throwing a ball or a spear or a dart or even a bullet. I can't hit crap with a pistol using the sights, but I'm a pretty good shot just raising the piece and firing. Howard Hill killed charging lions using this method, and the ancient Huns, Saracens, and Mongols were also masters of the art as well. The Zen archers may pause briefly and let the shot fall when it's ready, but they do not "aim" in the way some people try to aim a pool shot.

I just posted a video of a modern archer who has resurected the Hun style of rapid fire archery. He never misses, not even shooting at thrown targets while riding horseback. I can't seem to locate it right now, but if you search my recent posts it's there. Pretty amazing stuff.

I've been laboring under the false illusion that I've learned thousands of slightly different shots until I remembered how to shoot each one. What was I thinking? Nobody's mind works like that! I've really been learning just a couple of alignments and making the slight adjustments to those alignments with my mind. Ten thousand times easier.

And I agree, the CTE alignment is the biggie. From there most of the common cuts are not far off. How you make the slight correction is up to you. I hear about this pivoting stuff and visual sweeps, and although I don't really understand what they are doing, I'll wager it's not much different from what I'm talking about. Maybe it's time to get that DVD and explore it a bit deeper. In the meantime I'll just let my mind make the adjustments as long as I make that CTE "connection" first.
 
I actually make "aiming adjustments" using my left foot..

I agree....for me pool has always been similar to archery and target shooting with a pistol. I grew up in an area where everyone shot guns and the first pool room I gambled in had archery (and fishing/tackle store too) and I was seasoned at a very young age.

Instinct is the best "aiming method," and there are some fundamental things that enable this to be effective. Footwork is one of the biggest requirements....I actually make "aiming adjustments" using my left foot...this technique is deadly when utilized correctly.



Sloppy Pockets said:
It's called instinctive shooting and it's exactly like throwing a ball or a spear or a dart or even a bullet. I can't hit crap with a pistol using the sights, but I'm a pretty good shot just raising the piece and firing. Howard Hill killed charging lions using this method, and the ancient Huns, Saracens, and Mongols were also masters of the art as well. The Zen archers may pause briefly and let the shot fall when it's ready, but they do not "aim" in the way some people try to aim a pool shot.

I just posted a video of a modern archer who has resurected the Hun style of rapid fire archery. He never misses, not even shooting at thrown targets while riding horseback. I can't seem to locate it right now, but if you search my recent posts it's there. Pretty amazing stuff.

I've been laboring under the false illusion that I've learned thousands of slightly different shots until I remembered how to shoot each one. What was I thinking? Nobody's mind works like that! I've really been learning just a couple of alignments and making the slight adjustments to those alignments with my mind. Ten thousand times easier.

And I agree, the CTE alignment is the biggie. From there most of the common cuts are not far off. How you make the slight correction is up to you. I hear about this pivoting stuff and visual sweeps, and although I don't really understand what they are doing, I'll wager it's not much different from what I'm talking about. Maybe it's time to get that DVD and explore it a bit deeper. In the meantime I'll just let my mind make the adjustments as long as I make that CTE "connection" first.
Click to expand...
 
What a lot of players don't realize is you have to get your mind out of it. It's about seeing what you want in sensuous imagery. Yes you must put in hours of practice, develop muscle memory, yada yada. In the end the part of your brain that leads to dead stroke, in the zone or whatever you want to call it are driven by visual images, not verbal commands. Yes you evaluate the table, decide what needs to be done & then shut off the inner talk and visualize & truly "see" the result, then execute it.
 
Sorry but I totally disagree....

Teaching what I teach I have reached unchartered territory.

The biggest problem with players today is not knowing where the natural sight really is instead of trying to let your brain sort it out. For many players their eye position is not even close to where it needs to be. . They call these players 3's in the APA leagues. Correcting this gives the player immediate improvement when it seemed they were stuck at the same level forever. The 4's 5's 6's and so forth players are just at a better level because of getting their eyes in the correct position better naturally.

Some from repetition and others are just naturally better at getting there naturally. But it takes thousands of reps to get the eyes in the best natural position trying to let the brain sort it out. Knowing where they need to be helps everyone if they understand it and apply it.

I take 3's that can't even make a long straight in shot hardly at all. Teach them where their eyes need to be and how to get there and within 10 minutes have them make this shot 5 to 10 times in a row. Pretty amazing. Their teammates hardly believe it?

Other players at different levels have the same problem but not as bad depending on how much they shoot. Repetition will help make this better. But every player on the planet needs to how to get this done if they want to reach their full potential and get to their next level.

The brain just doesn't do this very well unless you play 8 hours a day forever. As soon as the hours of play cut down the eyes and brain just don't naturally get to this best natural position as good. We used to call it out of stroke when in reality we were getting out of that more perfect eye position.

The biggest problem is the non dominant eye naturally tries to work like the dominant eye when it is doing the sighting which throws everything off. The only way to combat this is to keep the dominant eye in the most dominant position therefor putting the non dominant eye where it needs to be.

Your brain can't really sort this out well unless you do allot of reps over and over.

Most of our practice time is wasted trying to naturally get these eyes in this perfect position

The comparison to archery is not the same either.

I shot bows before they even had peep sights in my younger days. I shot competitive. With a bow you are isolating one eye. That is the one that is doing the aiming. If your shooting without a sight and just sighting with the tip of the arrow your right eye is doing the aiming if your right handed and the left eye if your left handed. If your using a sight it is the same way. Not the same at all.

In pool your right eye is sighting to the right and the left eye to the left. It's just the way it is. Regardless of being right handed or left handed.

Both eyes have different problems when trying to get them in the correct position.

In my journeys I have revived many older players games by teaching them this.

The older we get the harder it is to get the eyes in the most perfect position naturally.

But once the eyes are corrected you can shoot as good as you ever did because the brain is getting the most correct picture.

What I teach is not a theory but cold hard facts. This is the way the eyes naturally work.

Traveling and doing over 2,000 lessons helping players learn this has allowed myself to take this to the next level.

This is nothing that I copied or invented. When I showed this to Rodney Morris back in July of 2009 he was amazed. He wanted to sell my video on his website.

I havn't been on this aiming site for awhile.

This is something that I know about and just needed to share.

It's just the way the eyes work. I just teach players how to use them......
 
CJ Wiley said:
I agree....for me pool has always been similar to archery and target shooting with a pistol. I grew up in an area where everyone shot guns and the first pool room I gambled in had archery (and fishing/tackle store too) and I was seasoned at a very young age.

Instinct is the best "aiming method," and there are some fundamental things that enable this to be effective. Footwork is one of the biggest requirements....I actually make "aiming adjustments" using my left foot...this technique is deadly when utilized correctly.
Click to expand...

I dont know anything about archery or pool systems but I can tell you that shooting a pistol accurately is about watching the sights in relation to the target, having the stance and grip to hold it there and the trigger control not to disturb the sights when you fire. Outside of a few freaks like Tarran Butler and a few trick shot guys no one can shoot a pistol accurately at any appreciable distance reliably by point shooting.

In this video I draw fire two rounds on each of three targets, reload and do it again in right at five seconds. I saw the sights on every shot. You can see the results in the video. When I dont see the sights shit goes everywhere. :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6xxcBuW7QQ

The idea of point shooting may work in pool I dont know but I can tell you it is rubbish with handguns.
 
Very good my friend.....

JCIN said:
I dont know anything about archery or pool systems but I can tell you that shooting a pistol accurately is about watching the sights in relation to the target, having the stance and grip to hold it there and the trigger control not to disturb the sights when you fire. Outside of a few freaks like Tarran Butler and a few trick shot guys no one can shoot a pistol accurately at any appreciable distance reliably by point shooting.

In this video I draw fire two rounds on each of three targets, reload and do it again in right at five seconds. I saw the sights on every shot. You can see the results in the video. When I dont see the sights shit goes everywhere. :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6xxcBuW7QQ

The idea of point shooting may work in pool I dont know but I can tell you it is rubbish with handguns.
Click to expand...

We can get pretty good point shooting in pool. That's how everyone has done it for years.
It's just too much for the brain to try and sort out. The brain and especially the subconscious mind for sure need help with this task.

And there are so many great players out there playing pool that just point shoot.

How many hours and weeks does it take? Lots.

It's much easier to just show someone where this natural sight is with the eyes when we shoot pool.

It works and it just makes it allot easier to see the shot.

When the shot doesn't look quite right. The eyes Aren't right.

Good insight right here with the guns. Well said.......
 
It is pretty cool how similar this video is to the way CJ teaches how to play.

He stresses the importance of the grip, the stance, etc. while the aiming is done instinctively in the minds eye along with a consistent set up. The key imo is to practice so that you can have a consistent set up naturally or automatically and your focus can be on seeing the shot.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnpwJpN3IY4
 
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genomachino said:
We can get pretty good point shooting in pool. That's how everyone has done it for years.
It's just too much for the brain to try and sort out. The brain and especially the subconscious mind for sure need help with this task.

And there are so many great players out there playing pool that just point shoot.

How many hours and weeks does it take? Lots.

It's much easier to just show someone where this natural sight is with the eyes when we shoot pool.

It works and it just makes it allot easier to see the shot.

When the shot doesn't look quite right. The eyes Aren't right.

Good insight right here with the guns. Well said.......
Click to expand...

Gene here is an archer that stresses the importance of dominant eye in "instinctive shooting"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrY1rLvTmqM
 
Any eye doctor will tell you that eye test doesn't work to find the dominant eye..

(((Satori))) said:
Gene here is an archer that stresses the importance of dominant eye in "instinctive shooting"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrY1rLvTmqM
Click to expand...

Also he is saying that if your left eye dominant that you need to shoot a bow left handed.

Right eye dominant you need to shoot right handed.

This is so wrong.

Also, any eye doctor will tell you that this pointing or circle test is unreliable. 50% accurate. Like flipping a coin. 50% right and 50% absolutely wrong. Kind is an idiot test for sure. .

In world war 1 they would do this inaccurate eye dominance test and if you were right handed and showed left eye dominant they made you shoot the gun left handed. We all know how ridiculous this is. It's like telling someone that is right footed, because they are left eye dominant that they need to kick only with their left foot. Or left eye dominant so they need to bat only left handed even though they are 100% right handed.

The armed services abandoned this practice because it was really ridiculous but someone thought it was a good idea back then.

I'm right handed and left eye dominant. Shot a bow with my right eye and right handed. Competetively I was the best archer in our group. Shoot a gun under my right eye. I'm very good with the bow or gun and I always used to get more than my share of deer with our hunting group.

Bottom line is we can isolate the eye that is doing the shooting with a gun or a bow. With aiming a pool shot it is not as easy. When you get close like down on a shot your vision crosses forcing you to have your real dominant eye in the correct position or the shot doesn't look quite right.

It's because you are going kind of cross eyed if the dominant eye is not in the most correct position. .

A few players out of 100 have ocular vision and shoot only with one eye. They don't have this problem.

Like John Morra for instance. The cue is directly under the left eye like a rifle. Players like John Morra don't have to worry ABOUT GOING CROSSEYED BUT HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH WHEN they aim.

Using any of this guys info to help you sight a pool shot is ridiculous at best.

If someone told me I had to shoot a bow left handed I would have quit. I would have immediately go down to the bottom of the pool skill level for sure.

If someone is left eye dominant and shoots right handed it sounds like this guy thinks you should shoot left handed. I don't think anyone is going for that.

Like telling someone that is right handed they have to throw a ball left handed to play baseball because they are left eye dominantl.

I think you get the point.

This all has to do with the retinal field of vision.

Once you get close like on a pool shot, it's one whole eye doing the aiming and the outside of the other. And this switches from shot to shot depending which way you are cutting the ball.

Unless I'm there showing you it's hard to even imagine what I'm talking about.

But there is a reason that the players I teach this to almost immediately cut their misses in half. Their ability to aim takes a great big jump.

Once I show this to a player there is no telling them that it is any other way. They can see it with their own eyes. Seeing is believing.

That bow guy is really thinking he is giving people good info. He sucks at best.

His info sucks.

The same with pool also. There is allot of misinformation out there.

When something new comes out that really works many a skeptical.

They have tried stuff that just doesn't work before. I know what I teach works because I've taught it over and over for 5 solid years with pretty much 100% success.

And to players of all skill levels. It helps everyone sight their shots better.

I've found that if someone is having trouble with what I teach I can help them and get them on track right over the phone. They were just not understanding one piece of the aiming puzzle. If one piece is missing you can't make any puzzle complete. Once they get that piece they can see the results just fine.

Like I said, unchartered territory. Nobody ever figured this puzzle out before since the beginning of pool. .

I didn't reinvent the wheel. I just figured out how it really all works and how a player can use this to sight their shots as good as humanly possible.

Bottom line. If you want to learn how to aim a pool shot don't ask an archer, golfer, bowler or ping pong player.

This bow guy is a Perfect example of how misinformation gets out there.

We have great tips now that we never had before and these amazing laminated shafts. When something like this Perfect Aim comes along and it works so good for everyone it's hard to believe that so many try to hold on to old beliefs.

I just show players where the sight is for them. If you know how to put the sight on the target you have a better chance of hitting the target.

That's as good as it gets.

Point being.........:rolleyes:
 
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genomachino said:
Also he is saying that if your left eye dominant that you need to shoot a bow left handed.

Right eye dominant you need to shoot right handed.

This is so wrong.

In world war 1 they would do this inaccurate eye dominance test and if you were right handed and showed left eye dominant they made you shoot the gun left handed. We all know how ridiculous this is. It's like telling someone that is right footed, because they are left eye dominant that they need to kick only with their left foot. Or left eye dominant so they need to bat only left handed.

The armed services abandoned this practice because it was really ridiculous but someone thought it was a good idea.

I'm right handed and left eye dominant. Shot a bow with my right eye. Shoot a gun under my right eye. I'm very good with the bow and I always used to get more than my share of deer with our hunting group.

Bottom line is we can isolate the eye that is doing the shooting with a gun or a bow. With aiming a pool shot it is not as easy. When you get close like down on a shot your vision crosses forcing you to have your real dominant eye in the correct position or the shot doesn't look quite right.

It's because you are going kind of cross eyed.

A few players out of 100 have ocular vision and shoot only with one eye. They don't have this problem.

Like John Morra for instance. The cue is directly under the left eye like a rifle. Players like John Morra don't have to worry ABOUT GOING CROSSEYED BUT HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH WHEN they aim.

Using any of this guys info to help you sight a pool shot is ridiculous at best.

If someone told me I had to shoot a bow left handed I would have quit.

Like telling someone that is right handed they have to throw a ball left handed to play baseball.

I think you get the point.

This all has to do with the retinal field of vision.

Once you get close like on a pool shot, it's one whole eye doing the aiming and the outside of the other. And this switches from shot to shot depending which way you are cutting the ball.

Unless I'm there showing you it's hard to even imagine what I'm talking about.

But there is a reason that the players I teach this to almost immediately cut their misses in half. Their ability to aim takes a great big jump.

Once I show this to a player there is no telling them that it is any other way. They can see it with their own eyes. Seeing is believing.

That bow guy is really thinking he is giving people good info. He sucks at best.

His info sucks.

The same with pool also. There is allot of misinformation out there.

When something new comes out that really works many a skeptical.

They have tried stuff that just doesn't work before. I know what I teach works because I've taught it over and over for 5 solid years with pretty much 100% success.

And to players of all skill levels. It helps everyone sight their shots better.

I've found that if someone is having trouble with what I teach I can help them and get them on track right over the phone. They were just not understanding one piece of the aiming puzzle. If one piece is missing you can't make any puzzle complete. Once they get that piece they can see the results just fine.

Like I said, unchartered territory. Nobody ever figured this puzzle out before since the beginning of pool. .

I didn't reinvent the wheel. I just figured out how it really all works and how a player can use this to sight their shots as good as humanly possible.

Bottom line. If you want to learn how to aim a pool shot don't ask an archer, golfer, bowler or ping pong player.

Point being.........:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to use the video as a way to criticize your technique. I was simply guilty of not reading your posts accurately.

To be honest I have never seen what you teach but I know that if I have my head off to the left or right then the way I see the shot is different and the message to the brain doesn't look right. I always thought that is what you taught.

Anyways thanks for clearing up the difference in what that guy was saying and what you teach.
 
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JCIN said:
I dont know anything about archery or pool systems but I can tell you that shooting a pistol accurately is about watching the sights in relation to the target, having the stance and grip to hold it there and the trigger control not to disturb the sights when you fire. Outside of a few freaks like Tarran Butler and a few trick shot guys no one can shoot a pistol accurately at any appreciable distance reliably by point shooting.

In this video I draw fire two rounds on each of three targets, reload and do it again in right at five seconds. I saw the sights on every shot. You can see the results in the video. When I dont see the sights shit goes everywhere. :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6xxcBuW7QQ

The idea of point shooting may work in pool I dont know but I can tell you it is rubbish with handguns.
Click to expand...

You shoot real good, I'm very impressed. But are you saying that you are getting the sights on target - front sight aligned with rear sight aligned with target center - for each shot, including bringing the muzzle back down after the recoil?

What's that, the 10 yard line? What do you think your results would be firing carefully aimed single shots from the bench at that distance with the same pistol? Seems to me if you are really using the sights as you say during rapid fire shooting that your results would be similar to what you might get shooting from the bench.

Sights on a firearm are a wonderful invention. They make precision shooting from a distance possible. But there are too many instructors in law enforcement and special forces units all over the world who teach instinctive point shooting for real-life combat situations to make a blanket statement that it's all rubbish.

Of course, this has nothing to do with shooting pool. You can't put sights on a cue, and even if you could, you'd still have to aim at a specific point. Which just doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind. That's why Efren laughed when Shane asked him if he uses the stick to aim with. As Shane himself says, "Now, it's just automatic."
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
You shoot real good, I'm very impressed. But are you saying that you are getting the sights on target - front sight aligned with rear sight aligned with target center - for each shot, including bringing the muzzle back down after the recoil?

What's that, the 10 yard line? What do you think your results would be firing carefully aimed single shots from the bench at that distance with the same pistol? Seems to me if you are really using the sights as you say during rapid fire shooting that your results would be similar to what you might get shooting from the bench.

Sights on a firearm are a wonderful invention. They make precision shooting from a distance possible. But there are too many instructors in law enforcement and special forces units all over the world who teach instinctive point shooting for real-life combat situations to make a blanket statement that it's all rubbish.

Of course, this has nothing to do with shooting pool. You can't put sights on a cue, and even if you could, you'd still have to aim at a specific point. Which just doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind. That's why Efren laughed when Shane asked him if he uses the stick to aim with. As Shane himself says, "Now, it's just automatic."
Click to expand...

Have you ever looked at the statistics of shots taken, shots hit in a typical law enforcement gun battle? Look it up. Perhaps they should be teaching it differently. That also takes into account a high majority of lethal encounters takes place inside of 5'.
 
nobcitypool said:
Have you ever looked at the statistics of shots taken, shots hit in a typical law enforcement gun battle? Look it up. Perhaps they should be teaching it differently. That also takes into account a high majority of lethal encounters takes place inside of 5'.
Click to expand...

So, you're saying that a cop misses the bad guy at 5' and it's because he didn't take the time to use the sights? Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that most cops never even draw their piece with intent to shoot and have next to zero experience in actual firefights, would it?

Adrenaline (plus the acrid smell of crap in your shorts) can have a lot to do with the results of a close-quarter attack.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
So, you're saying that a cop misses the bad guy at 5' and it's because he didn't take the time to use the sights? Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that most cops never even draw their piece with intent to shoot and have next to zero experience in actual firefights, would it?

Adrenaline (plus the acrid smell of crap in your shorts) can have a lot to do with the results of a close-quarter attack.
Click to expand...

You're the one that used their training as a reference to make your point. When it doesn't fit your story, now you want to argue about it? That makes perfect sense.
 
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