old dogs and new tricks

[ShootingArts]

I have been playing with house cues lately leaving my case at home. Learning a lot and enjoying myself. However last week I got into studying all of these modern ways to make balls go in the holes instead of just eye-balling the shot. Studied up on Geno's Perfect Aim, Dr. Dave's information, information from various threads . . . Dang, I was full up to here with great new ways to make balls go into pockets.

Full of all of these great and wonderful ideas, I commenced trying them. Geno's method; totally one-sided for me I couldn't have made a ball in a bushel basket cutting left. Fractions and overlaps, looked good, made sense, didn't make any balls though! One method after another I tried and failed to make work. The worst I have shot in recent memory, the worst I have shot in maybe 30 years or so. After several hours of absolute misery I took a break and cried on somebody's shoulder awhile. Then I went back to the table. Cue ball here, object ball there, I want it to go in the hole over yonder. Thunk, click, thud as the balls whacked into the back of the leather pockets.

I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks but I don't think this old dog has enough years left to learn them! :smile: :smile:

Hu

 

[Roger Long]

Who needs new tricks if the old tricks work just fine?

Roger

 

[randyg]

Roger has that answer ok....SPF=randyg

 

[justaguy]

old dog...

Hu, i think Roger had it almost dead on, but let me elaborate on it a bit... i think two things are at play here:

1) you are not the intended audience for aiming systems and as such, probably wont benefit much from using them : systems are essentially substitutes for experience and practice. they are intended to give folks (such as i) with less than 30 years (or more) of shooting experience a framework to help determine where an object ball and the cue ball will go once struck in a particular manner. with your years experience, you have an innate understanding of these things and these systems are redundant to you.

2) someone with an ingrained understanding and well-grooved stroke is best to stick to mental imagery and not think about the mechanics while trying to shoot: as Givens points out in "the 8-ball bible", you never hear a consummate pro (in any athletic endeavor) say "well, i was just making sure that i hit each and every mechanical checkpoint of my swing/stroke/pitch/whatever". they always say "i just visualized the putt rolling in" or "i just tried to put a smooth stroke on the shot". those visualization techniques are in the right brain, where the subconscious muscle memory is, not the left brain which holds logic and verbalization...

long answer short, someone with the vast experience and well-grooved stroke you have need not worry about systems, they are not meant for you...

 

[Tennesseejoe]

You can't teach an old dog new tricks,
But I've never seen an old dog that didn't like a young trick.

 

[Cuebuddy]

I have been playing with house cues lately leaving my case at home. Learning a lot and enjoying myself. However last week I got into studying all of these modern ways to make balls go in the holes instead of just eye-balling the shot. Studied up on Geno's Perfect Aim, Dr. Dave's information, information from various threads . . . Dang, I was full up to here with great new ways to make balls go into pockets.

Full of all of these great and wonderful ideas, I commenced trying them. Geno's method; totally one-sided for me I couldn't have made a ball in a bushel basket cutting left. Fractions and overlaps, looked good, made sense, didn't make any balls though! One method after another I tried and failed to make work. The worst I have shot in recent memory, the worst I have shot in maybe 30 years or so. After several hours of absolute misery I took a break and cried on somebody's shoulder awhile. Then I went back to the table. Cue ball here, object ball there, I want it to go in the hole over yonder. Thunk, click, thud as the balls whacked into the back of the leather pockets.

I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks but I don't think this old dog has enough years left to learn them! :smile: :smile:

Hu

Kinda scary Hu But yesterday I had a hour to kill and I tried a few of these aiming systems myself for the first time. They did not work for me....I am sure they work for some but I must be doing it wrong. I have been watching some of Spidy's youtube vids and although he seems like a cool cat and does a great job of explaining the process it doesn't work for me. I know before I touch it off that my aim is wrong so I must be misinterpreting it. I will continue to work on it until it makes sense but until then I will keep using the aiming technique that has drained balls for me near on 40 years. I call it the seems about right method.

 

[ShootingArts]

seems to be the system for me . . .

Kinda scary Hu But yesterday I had a hour to kill and I tried a few of these aiming systems myself for the first time. They did not work for me....I am sure they work for some but I must be doing it wrong. I have been watching some of Spidy's youtube vids and although he seems like a cool cat and does a great job of explaining the process it doesn't work for me. I know before I touch it off that my aim is wrong so I must be misinterpreting it. I will continue to work on it until it makes sense but until then I will keep using the aiming technique that has drained balls for me near on 40 years. I call it the seems about right method.

Back many many years ago a friend put a set of ignition contact points in his four wheel drive. No idea how to set them and we tried a wide variety of settings without success. Finally we went hats in hand to the local mechanic in the very small town to borrow a feeler gauge. "Don't need no gauge, I eye-balls them!" We told him we might have to push it over there for him to eye-ball the points but by some fluke my very next eye-ball effort had the truck running like a top.

To paraphrase the old mechanic, Mr. Dan Galloway, We don't need no system, we'll jes' eye-balls them!

Hu

 

[Scott Lee]

I think it's important to note that none of these so-called "aiming" theories are "systems". They are all aiming methods, which means that there will always be (at the very least, small) mental and physical adjustments necessary (per each individual, and their own personal perception of the shot)...just as we do when we use what Hu and Cuebuddy are talking about, which is the aiming method called "feel". People are all built differently, we think differently, we learn differently, and we perceive differently. That's why there will never be a "one-size-fits-all" anything, let alone a single "best" aiming method. Do what works best for you. Too many people are looking for some magic bullit, which is why these aiming threads attract so much attention. Get your stroke process down, and just about anything will work pretty consistently...better, the more confidant you are in your stroke accuracy.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[houmatroy]

JoeyA is a fine example !

I have been playing with house cues lately leaving my case at home. Learning a lot and enjoying myself. However last week I got into studying all of these modern ways to make balls go in the holes instead of just eye-balling the shot. Studied up on Geno's Perfect Aim, Dr. Dave's information, information from various threads . . . Dang, I was full up to here with great new ways to make balls go into pockets.

Full of all of these great and wonderful ideas, I commenced trying them. Geno's method; totally one-sided for me I couldn't have made a ball in a bushel basket cutting left. Fractions and overlaps, looked good, made sense, didn't make any balls though! One method after another I tried and failed to make work. The worst I have shot in recent memory, the worst I have shot in maybe 30 years or so. After several hours of absolute misery I took a break and cried on somebody's shoulder awhile. Then I went back to the table. Cue ball here, object ball there, I want it to go in the hole over yonder. Thunk, click, thud as the balls whacked into the back of the leather pockets.

I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks but I don't think this old dog has enough years left to learn them! :smile: :smile:

Hu

Joey proves ova & ova u can teach a old dog new tricks..everytime i watch him play I see him shootin shot that are in his arsenal that he never had b4...:thumbup:

 

[ShootingArts]

all BS aside

Joey proves ova & ova u can teach a old dog new tricks..everytime i watch him play I see him shootin shot that are in his arsenal that he never had b4...:thumbup:

Troy,

All BS aside, I much admire that about Joey. He is by far the most dedicated to learning of anyone I know of that has been playing as long as he has. Nobody works on their game harder than JoeyA.

Hu

 

[houmatroy]

Troy,

All BS aside, I much admire that about Joey. He is by far the most dedicated to learning of anyone I know of that has been playing as long as he has. Nobody works on their game harder than JoeyA.

Hu

Much Agreed Hu...been knowing Joey for may moons & even tho he wont say this himself...He's shooting better now than he ever has...and the only reason is the work he has been putting into it...I use to have a few Houma boys that i woulda put in the box with him..not no mo without a lil weight of course...

 

[3RAILKICK]

Back many many years ago a friend put a set of ignition contact points in his four wheel drive. No idea how to set them and we tried a wide variety of settings without success. Finally we went hats in hand to the local mechanic in the very small town to borrow a feeler gauge. "Don't need no gauge, I eye-balls them!" We told him we might have to push it over there for him to eye-ball the points but by some fluke my very next eye-ball effort had the truck running like a top.

To paraphrase the old mechanic, Mr. Dan Galloway, We don't need no system, we'll jes' eye-balls them!

Hu

Hu-forgive me-please but you struck a nerve in an old dog

Points and condenser-those were the days! And with an emery board to file the pitting away in the closed position-you might delay a long time putting on that new set-or get another 5000 miles out of the cap and rotor.Thanks for the memories.

Oh yeah-cover the distributor at the car wash too- or you might be late for that big date.

Thanks again.

 

[JimS]

I have been playing with house cues lately leaving my case at home. Learning a lot and enjoying myself. However last week I got into studying all of these modern ways to make balls go in the holes instead of just eye-balling the shot. Studied up on Geno's Perfect Aim, Dr. Dave's information, information from various threads . . . Dang, I was full up to here with great new ways to make balls go into pockets.

Full of all of these great and wonderful ideas, I commenced trying them. Geno's method; totally one-sided for me I couldn't have made a ball in a bushel basket cutting left. Fractions and overlaps, looked good, made sense, didn't make any balls though! One method after another I tried and failed to make work. The worst I have shot in recent memory, the worst I have shot in maybe 30 years or so. After several hours of absolute misery I took a break and cried on somebody's shoulder awhile. Then I went back to the table. Cue ball here, object ball there, I want it to go in the hole over yonder. Thunk, click, thud as the balls whacked into the back of the leather pockets.

I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks but I don't think this old dog has enough years left to learn them! :smile: :smile:

Hu

Action knocker!!!!!!! :groucho: :groucho:

 

[vagabond]

Did u get the chance to check out the rest rooms of Waffle House in your town? They were the cleanest of all the waffle Houses across the nation.:thumbup:

 

[vagabond]

I have been playing with house cues lately
One method after another I tried and failed to make work. :smile:

Hu

Did u try the method I invented that is called ' Redneck Aiming System'? In the past I described this method on this Forum.It is easy and works very well

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Hu, I couldn't have said it better myself. A great expose' on a bunch of flim-flammers and their brazen attempts to corrupt and debase the young pool players of today with their hyped-up, mumbo-jumbo aiming systems. Finally, a breath of clean air has swept through this forum that will hopefully blow away their abhorant guise of innocence and show them for what they really are. Shisters and flim-flammers. What?...I said that already? Anyway, good job SA. :thumbup:

 

[houmatroy]

Did u get the chance to check out the rest rooms of Waffle House in your town? They were the cleanest of all the waffle Houses across the nation.:thumbup:

HaHa...No havn't checked that out yet...Don't know if i will ever be able to confirm that statement due to I don't eat there regular but when i do frequent it..it's usually wee hours in the morning afta a night out...& I'm a lil to alcohol impaired to be that in tune to detail....lol

 

[ShootingArts]

bar table bar room practice

I have been to the pool room a few more times since my last post. I have been tuning with the house cues and with bar table competition of the formal or informal kind in mind. Buffalo has about a dozen nine foot Diamonds, three bar tables, and one nine foot GC IV. Being the tight varmint I am I have a hard time feeding the bar tables quarters, ain't crazy about all of the bending over to fetch balls up either.

The GC IV is in a crowded area of the hall but things were slow when I got there this morning and I got a chance to get on it. First thing I did was steal the Aramith cat head cue ball off of a nearby bar table. That puppy sure does like to run! Stops OK, draw bit until I raised the rear of the cue up a couple three inches. Found the sweet spot for me and draw was working like it should after that.

I played shape as I would play it on a bar table, not always the best shot on a nine footer with moderately tight pockets. After the first hour give or take things still went just fine. As usual, a major adjustment going from the Diamond rails to the GC rails kicking and banking. Took awhile to get in tune but soon things were working. The cue ball was taking the paths I wanted it to off of the object ball pretty well too.

I definitely feel that I am getting much quicker adapting to different conditions than I usually play in. Felt pretty strong most of the time today, smelt pretty strong too, New Orleans full Summer is almost here!

I'll have to feed the bar tables pretty soon to see where I am really at but I think I'm getting pretty competitive bar box style. Soft tips are the ticket for my style of play.

Hu