Overlap Contact Point Aiming

Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden

BOOM!.. ZOOM!.. MOON!
Silver Member
When the CB is aimed at the edge of the OB, the balls overlap. The overlap puts the centers of both balls in line with their outside edges.
This overlap takes on the shape of a football. The exact center of this overlapping football shape is where the 2 balls contact each other.

Aim the CB center at the outer edge of the OB, and the contact point is halfway from the OB verticle centerline. When this football shape
becomes wider or narrower, both balls still contact in the center. Wherever the center CB is aimed, contact is halfway from the OB center.

So let's review what's happening... Aim the CB center to hit the OB exactly on center... and it goes straight.
Aim the CB center to hit the OB edge... and it hits halfway between the OB edge and the OB verticle center.

If the Overlap Contact Point is always halfway the distance from the OB center, why not use the contact point for aiming.
If the OB pocketing contact point is 1/4" from the OB verticle center, aim the center of the CB 1/4" past the contact point.

Aim the CB to hit the OB full in the face. Look at the distance between the pocketing contact point to the OB centerline.
Aim the CB center to hit an equal distance past the OB pocketing point. The OB will be hit on the overlap contact point.

I try to find the contact point for pocketing by visualizing the tangent line running horizontally across the back of the OB.

Just another amongst the long list of aiming suggestions... Flame on

.
 
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Cue Ball to Object Ball Aim....What about the Pocket?

Ralph Kramden said:
When the CB is aimed at the edge of the OB, the balls overlap. The overlap puts the centers of both balls in line with their outside edges.
This overlap takes on the shape of a football. The exact center of this overlapping football shape is where the 2 balls contact each other.

Aim the CB center at the outer edge of the OB, and the contact point is halfway from the OB verticle centerline. When this football shape
becomes wider or narrower, both balls still contact in the center. Wherever the center CB is aimed, contact is halfway from the OB center.

So let's review what's happening... Aim the CB center to hit the OB exactly on center... and it goes straight.
Aim the CB center to hit the OB edge... and it hits halfway between the OB edge and the OB verticle center.

If the Overlap Contact Point is always halfway the distance from the OB center, why not use the contact point for aiming.
If the OB pocketing contact point is 1/4" from the OB verticle center, aim the center of the CB 1/4" past the contact point.

Aim the CB to hit the OB full in the face. Look at the distance between the pocketing contact point to the OB centerline.
Aim the CB center to hit an equal distance past the OB pocketing point. The OB will be hit on the overlap contact point.

I try to find the contact point for pocketing by visualizing the tangent line running horizontally across the back of the OB.

Just another amongst the long list of aiming suggestions... Flame on

.
Click to expand...

Ralph,
I got ya 100%. That is cue ball to object ball aim at a defined point. That really isn't going to get real far unless you have a way that you figured out if the point you are hitting is the right one for the shot.

So tell us, how do you do that?
 
Ralph Kramden said:
When the CB is aimed at the edge of the OB, the balls overlap. The overlap puts the centers of both balls in line with their outside edges.
This overlap takes on the shape of a football. The exact center of this overlapping football shape is where the 2 balls contact each other.

Aim the CB center at the outer edge of the OB, and the contact point is halfway from the OB verticle centerline. When this football shape
becomes wider or narrower, both balls still contact in the center. Wherever the center CB is aimed, contact is halfway from the OB center.

So let's review what's happening... Aim the CB center to hit the OB exactly on center... and it goes straight.
Aim the CB center to hit the OB edge... and it hits halfway between the OB edge and the OB verticle center.

If the Overlap Contact Point is always halfway the distance from the OB center, why not use the contact point for aiming.
If the OB pocketing contact point is 1/4" from the OB verticle center, aim the center of the CB 1/4" past the contact point.

Aim the CB to hit the OB full in the face. Look at the distance between the pocketing contact point to the OB centerline.
Aim the CB center to hit an equal distance past the OB pocketing point. The OB will be hit on the overlap contact point.

I try to find the contact point for pocketing by visualizing the tangent line running horizontally across the back of the OB.

Just another amongst the long list of aiming suggestions... Flame on

.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the thread RK.
Man, I've never thought about the football shape, it does make sense though.
I'll mess around with it for a while.

John
 
You will definitely see it.

One Pocket John said:
Thanks for the thread RK.
Man, I've never thought about the football shape, it does make sense though.
I'll mess around with it for a while.

John
Click to expand...

You will definitely see it. I had a old one pocket player when I asked him how to aim, he said, "You just aim for the eye of the ball."

Football or eye its the same shape, now get it to the pocket!
 
I went to the equal & opposite overlap method right before I turned 14. I did it naturally without any instruction or direction to do so. It just seems like the natural progression from ghost ball which was initially taught to me by my Dad without ever using the phrase 'ghost ball'.

Now I did not employ the equal distances portion as described, perhaps because I was using english by that time & my cue was hardly ever aligned to center CB. I merely aligned the inside edge of the CB an equal distance to the inside of the contact point that the edge of the OB was on the outside of the contact point.

It's just a different way of coming to the same alignment. I never saw the football/eye as I was visualising vertical lines on the edges that contacted the equators.

I hope my experience & the method I used might help someone. I know from coaching that saying the same thing differently can at times be of great benefit.

Best to Mr. Kramden & All,
Rick
 
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336Robin said:
Ralph, I got ya 100%. That is cue ball to object ball aim at a defined point. That really isn't going to get real far unless you have a way that you figured out if the point you are hitting is the right one for the shot.

So tell us, how do you do that?
Click to expand...

I try to find the back point of the object ball and visualize the tangent line horizontally
and touching the OB on the backside, tweeking it back and forth until it looks correct.
.
 
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Mirza said:
Maybe illustration would help..
Click to expand...

You look to see where the contact point is on the OB. Once you establish the contact point you draw a mental line to the top of the OB. The overlap between the two balls will create a V. You align the CB over the OB so the bottom point of your V is above the contact point.
 

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eezbank said:
You look to see where the contact point is on the OB. Once you establish the contact point you draw a mental line to the top of the OB. The overlap between the two balls will create a V. You align the CB over the OB so the bottom point of your V is above the contact point.
Click to expand...
Great Pic!

When I'm driving around a bend, and I often drive 350+ miles per week, I don't look at the lines on the road or think of how far to turn the steering wheel, I find the best way to keep a steady accurate path around turns is to look at a car in the same lane 100m or so ahead and imagining a track to his location.

That's a kind of metaphor for how I see potting lines, I imagine where the OB is going and the alignment of the cue to the cue ball falls into the required line without thought. I may use aiming techniques from back in stance to get close, but as I get into the final bridge setting zone, I perceive the OB direction and the small bridge adjustments to get into correct alignment are intuitive from that point.

Colin
 
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eezbank said:
You look to see where the contact point is on the OB. Once you establish the contact point you draw a mental line to the top of the OB. The overlap between the two balls will create a V. You align the CB over the OB so the bottom point of your V is above the contact point.
Click to expand...

eezbank.. Very nice picture. I actually try to visualize the tangent line before picking the pocket contact point. I think of a toothpick glued onto the back of the OB. I visualize the toothpick horizontally and aligned with the tangent line. I will calculate the CB aim point from where the tangent line crosses the pocketing line.. Your picture may help from there on.

The CB (ghost ball) in the picture would actually have be a little to the left of where it's aimed for a true center football shape and equal distance from the OB center. IMO anyways
.
 
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Colin Colenso said:
Great Pic!

When I'm driving around a bend, and I often drive 350+ miles per week, I don't look at the lines on the road or think of how far to turn the steering wheel, I find the best way to keep a steady accurate path around turns is to look at a car in the same lane 100m or so ahead and imagining a track to his location.

That's a kind of metaphor for how I see potting lines, I imagine where the OB is going and the alignment of the cue to the cue ball falls into the required line without thought. I may use aiming techniques from back in stance to get close, but as I get into the final bridge setting zone, I perceive the OB direction and the small bridge adjustments to get into correct alignment are intuitive from that point.

Colin
Click to expand...

Don't get in front of me or behind me when we are driving or we may crash into each other. LOL. :)

One of my secrets to aligning my eyes on the way to the pool hall is to do something similar to what you are seeing. I know my eyes won't be adjusted for playing, so I "fine-tune" them on the way to Hawaiian Brian's...it is about a 25 mile highway ride.

I am left-eye dominant and am right handed. I hold the steering wheel with my left arm straight out holding the top of the wheel and I point my index finger at the lane markers on the left side of my car and line it up just parallel to the oil stains down the center of the lane as I'm driving down the center of the lane. If you don't move your hand and just drive along, you will notice that your car is staying in the center of your lane almost without you even thinking about it. Even around curves.

This allows my left arm to be outstretched like in a bridge and I am aligning my vision to see the center of my alignment and it lets me see parallel lines before I get to the pool hall. When I get to the pool hall and look down my arm at my first shot or two, my eyes focus much faster and I am able to see the parallel lines better.

Don't try this if you are driving next to me or Colin. This is only for professionals. LMAO! Beep! Beep! Honk! Honk!

Aloha. And safe driving. :)

In edit: I just wanted to comment that we must somewhat be on the same frequency, because I was going to post a new thread altogether on this very subject just this week and didn't get around to it, but your post made me think of it.
 
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Ralph Kramden said:
I try to find the back point of the object ball and visualize the tangent line horizontally
and touching the OB on the backside, tweeting it back and forth until it looks correct.
.
Click to expand...

Thats a good way to do it. I bet you dont miss much.
 
HawaiianEye said:
Don't get in front of me or behind me when we are driving or we may crash into each other. LOL. :)

One of my secrets to aligning my eyes on the way to the pool hall is to do something similar to what you are seeing. I know my eyes won't be adjusted for playing, so I "fine-tune" them on the way to Hawaiian Brian's...it is about a 25 mile highway ride.

I am left-eye dominant and am right handed. I hold the steering wheel with my left arm straight out holding the top of the wheel and I point my index finger at the lane markers on the left side of my car and line it up just parallel to the oil stains down the center of the lane as I'm driving down the center of the lane. If you don't move your hand and just drive along, you will notice that your car is staying in the center of your lane almost without you even thinking about it. Even around curves.

This allows my left arm to be outstretched like in a bridge and I am aligning my vision to see the center of my alignment and it lets me see parallel lines before I get to the pool hall. When I get to the pool hall and look down my arm at my first shot or two, my eyes focus much faster and I am able to see the parallel lines better.

Don't try this if you are driving next to me or Colin. This is only for professionals. LMAO! Beep! Beep! Honk! Honk!

Aloha. And safe driving. :)

In edit: I just wanted to comment that we must somewhat be on the same frequency, because I was going to post a new thread altogether on this very subject just this week and didn't get around to it, but your post made me think of it.
Click to expand...

How is Brian lately since the operation?
Aloha.
 
LAMas said:
How is Brian lately since the operation?
Aloha.
Click to expand...

Brian didn't have an operation that I'm aware of, but he did have a couple medical problems. I saw him and talked to him briefly in the pool hall just a couple weeks back. He is doing ok and he told me or somebody else told me he may be moving to Vegas.

I'll take a picture of him the next time I see him and provide some more info if he doesn't mind me sharing it.

Aloha.
 
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HawaiianEye said:
Brian didn't have an operation that I'm aware of, but he did have a couple medical problems. I saw him and talked to him briefly in the pool hall just a couple weeks back. He is doing ok he told me and I think him or somebody else told me he may be moving to Vegas.

I'll take a picture of him the next time I see him and provide some more info if he doesn't mind me sharing it.

Aloha.
Click to expand...

Back in the '60s, Brian and Lil Al Romero used to practice pool at Gardena Bowl during the day and went out hustling around LA at night. Those were the days of gambling at Tropicana Bowl near IngleWatts, Five Points in EL Monte, Hollywierd and Western, 6th Street Family Billiards. 5th and Main.....

Keith McCready, Ronnie Allen, Richie Florence, Rags Woods, Cecil Tugwell come to mind.

Aloha.
 
336Robin said:
Thats a good way to do it. I bet you dont miss much.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that exactly. I can miss balls right along with the best of them.
This is very close to the way I aim, but it's the best way that I can explain it.
When I'm on a run I don't think about pocketing balls, just getting CB shape.

.
 
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RK,
Thanks for the pic. EZ.

Once the contact point on the OB is established, you capture the distance to the edge of the OB from that contact point. To see the eclipse or football, you need to be down on the shot so that you can visually overlap the CB edge the same distance to the other side of the contact point on the OB - the same original distance or opposite

The problem with this is that the CB will appear to be larger than the OB especially if the separation between the two is large. So the distance that you see on the smaller OB cannot be used on the CB to create the football for the proportions will be different.

This why I use the fraction of the OB from the contact point to its edge.to the same fraction on the larger CB - this is proportional. 1/4 of the OB to the obverse 1/4 on the CB or CP2CP.(contact point on the OB lined up with the contact point on the CB).

Say the shot is cutting the OB to the left. The football will materialize on the right side of the OB and the left side of the CB, but the center of the CB is also to the right of that aim line. The challenge is to move or get the cue to the right and parallel to that aim line so that the tip is now pointed at the center of the CB.

This becomes obvious when attempting a 90 degree cut.

Your concept is viable/usefull for some shooters that can visualize the football as you do.

Thanks and be well.
 
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