post your aiming history

prewarhero

prewarhero

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Silver Member
I am curious what aiming techniques people are using, but what they have tried, why they stopped and why their current approach is superior. Perhaps different techniques for different types of shots.

I used to shoot by just feel. Then tried some type of ghost ball. Now I do either, feel, GB or parallel aiming depending on the shot. My biggest challenge is proper visual center. I can align and visualize perfect on a straight in shot or close to it, but as the cut increases it seems to get more subjective, no?

Curious for responses from others
 
I'm relatively new to the game. Took it up 3 years ago at age 58.

Like most, I started with Ghost Ball. Not sure if I was attracted to the method...or the fact that some lady named The Striking Viking was explaining it on a youtube video :D Anyway, I a believer in methodology and Ghost Ball was the only one I had at the time.

Once I was lining up a "sample" shot with a real CB in the Ghost Ball position. While looking at it, it dawned on me that that the overlap between the "OB's contactpoint to OB edge" was always equal to the "CB's contactpoint to CB edge". I posted the following graphic on AZ and found out that it was a method popularized by Jimmy Reid:


Later on I realized that I was pretty good at making OB's that were on the rail, so I began to imagine a rail even when the OB wasn't anywhere near a rail. An alert AZer dubbed it the Ghost Rail method:grin::



I basically use the Equal Overlap method and confirm it with the Ghost Rail method. My other significant milestone was when I began focusing on the shotline and OB contact point instead of the CB (arthritis in my neck makes seeing the OB somewhat difficult, but I was able to alter my stance so it is possible).

I'm open to all ideas. I've purchased the CTE DVD II but currently don't have the table time it takes become proficient with it.

My firm belief is that the goal of any method should be to "work it's way out of a job". In other words, the method should become so routine that you say "I don't use a method. I play by feel."
 

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I do it mostly by feel now. When i started out i realized a quarter (coin) from the object ball was the contact point and and started like that. I looked into CTE Pro One, Ghost ball, parallel, point aiming and what makes most since is this is where i need to hit it, so i hit it there.

I do use some instances of what i learned from these aiming systems for specific shots, like thin cuts i use ghost ball, for long shots that require a cut or a touch, like cue on the rail, i may double check my shot with cte. But i have a very good feel for my shot, and shoot 95% of the time without any aiming method, just look where i need to hit and hit it.

Now my backcuts i do use a system that seems to work for me, i aim at the contact point without re-adjusting for the back cut and put outside english on the cue ball and it works, where i fall at is if i need to use inside for position
 
I can't write the whole thing down, it's too damned long! I'll try anyhow.

Started with:
1. Spinning balls in, Strickland method. I aimed most balls almost full on and squirted/threw the balls in.

2. Then ghostball. Still my system of choice. Flexible, applicable to all situations.

3. Aiming by the numbers: First commercial system bought. As such systems go I have to give it very high marks indeed, it is IMHO one of the best systems available for beginners and intermediates alike if you don't like ghostball/quarter system. Nice package with balls, booklet, DVD and book with which to chart your progress on various drills. The system works well for most shots, although...maybe not if you like to soft roll a lot of cutshots, you will have to compensate on some shots. I still use the balls (very nice quality Aramith), the drill book (great idea and implementation), and the system itself on a certain category of shots.

4. I then bought the SEE system. It is in contention as best system. Very nice package with video and pdf file. Smart way to integrate alignment into the aiming process. I still use the footwork from this system, and some of the info as well. It works very well, can be a bit complicated and is very demanding of your preshot routine. You'd better control your stepping in, or you're going to have a hard time...

5. CTE....I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but I'm not going to lie about it. After being very sceptical for a long period of time, all the hype finally convinced me to buy Stans first DVD. . At the time I didn't post anything about it, as I was primarily a lurker. I spent a full month with it at the snooker table and gave it my very best shot. I tried everything in my power to make it work, and I do mean EVERYTHING. I had time off from work and spent the full day working on it...Couldn't make strict CTE work consistently, went to Pro 1 and got it to work, sort of...I only tried DVD1 and watched some youtube videos, but can't give the material I watched very high marks. All I got was a DVD for a very high price, which in my opinion did not fully explain the aiming process, at least in a way which could be easily understood by me. To be frank, I felt ripped off, at least compared to my very nice experience with SEE and Aiming by the numbers. To this day I wonder if the whole thing is just a scam or if I'm missing 1 extremely critical piece of information to make it all work perfectly...

6. TOI. Experimented with it. Pocketed quite a few balls and was sure it was the best thing ever..Then I started looking deeper into it, trying to beat the 10ball ghost with it..I then discovered some serious drawbacks, IMO, with the system, at least when applied to all shots..I bought the pay per view rather cheaply (on a sale). The price was fairly low, but I still don't think it was a very good value. I could go into details, but I'm trying to keep this short.

7. I've tried every new system that has been made available for free, including a very surprisingly effective one posted by 8pack here on the forum. That system works extremely well. Worth checking out if you want to try pivot aiming. And its free to boot!

8. I've lost most of my interest in buying and trying aiming systems. I use elements from SEE and aiming by the numbers, but most of my aiming is ghostball based or ghostball/contact point hybrid. I can't fully explain what I'm doing but it seems to work ok. If I ever get the chance to view the second DVD of CTE for free, I might do it out of sheer curiosity to see if some things might be made clear to me, that it may click...I don't have high hopes, though. So you see I have put rather a lot of money into pool aiming systems...I hope others can learn from my experiences.
 
Last edited:
Straightpool_99 said:
I can't write the whole thing down, it's too damned long! I'll try anyhow.

Started with:
1. Spinning balls in, Strickland method. I aimed most balls almost full on and squirted/threw the balls in.

2. Then ghostball. Still my system of choice. Flexible, applicable to all situations.

3. Aiming by the numbers: First commercial system bought. As such systems go I have to give it very high marks indeed, it is IMHO one of the best systems available for beginners and intermediates alike if you don't like ghostball/quarter system. Nice package with balls, booklet, DVD and book with which to chart your progress on various drills. The system works well for most shots, although...maybe not if you like to soft roll a lot of cutshots, you will have to compensate on some shots. I still use the balls (very nice quality Aramith), the drill book (great idea and implementation), and the system itself on a certain category of shots.

4. I then bought the SEE system. It is in contention as best system. Very nice package with video and pdf file. Smart way to integrate alignment into the aiming process. I still use the footwork from this system, and some of the info as well. It works very well, can be a bit complicated and is very demanding of your preshot routine. You'd better control your stepping in, or you're going to have a hard time...

5. CTE....I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but I'm not going to lie about it. After being very sceptical for a long period of time, all the hype finally convinced me to buy Stans first DVD. . At the time I didn't post anything about it, as I was primarily a lurker. I spent a full month with it at the snooker table and gave it my very best shot. I tried everything in my power to make it work, and I do mean EVERYTHING. I had time off from work and spent the full day working on it...Couldn't make strict CTE work consistently, went to Pro 1 and got it to work, sort of...I only tried DVD1 and watched some youtube videos, but can't give the material I watched very high marks. All I got was a DVD for a very high price, which in my opinion did not fully explain the aiming process, at least in a way which could be easily understood by me. To be frank, I felt ripped off, at least compared to my very nice experience with SEE and Aiming by the numbers. To this day I wonder if the whole thing is just a scam or if I'm missing 1 extremely critical piece of information to make it all work perfectly...

6. TOI. Experimented with it. Pocketed quite a few balls and was sure it was the best thing ever..Then I started looking deeper into it, trying to beat the 10ball ghost with it..I then discovered some serious drawbacks, IMO, with the system, at least when applied to all shots..I bought the pay per view rather cheaply (on a sale). The price was fairly low, but I still don't think it was a very good value. I could go into details, but I'm trying to keep this short.

7. I've tried every new system that has been made available for free, including a very surprisingly effective one posted by 8pack here on the forum. That system works extremely well. Worth checking out if you want to try pivot aiming. And its free to boot!

8. I've lost most of my interest in buying and trying aiming systems. I use elements from SEE and aiming by the numbers, but most of my aiming is ghostball based or ghostball/contact point hybrid. I can't fully explain what I'm doing but it seems to work ok. If I ever get the chance to view the second DVD of CTE for free, I might do it out of sheer curiosity to see if some things might be made clear to me, that it may click...I don't have high hopes, though. So you see I have put rather a lot of money into pool aiming systems...I hope others can learn from my experiences.
Click to expand...
You ordered snake oil and that is what you got. Stick with what you know and like best.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
I can't write the whole thing down, it's too damned long! I'll try anyhow.

Started with:
1. Spinning balls in, Strickland method. I aimed most balls almost full on and squirted/threw the balls in.

2. Then ghostball. Still my system of choice. Flexible, applicable to all situations.

3. Aiming by the numbers: First commercial system bought. As such systems go I have to give it very high marks indeed, it is IMHO one of the best systems available for beginners and intermediates alike if you don't like ghostball/quarter system. Nice package with balls, booklet, DVD and book with which to chart your progress on various drills. The system works well for most shots, although...maybe not if you like to soft roll a lot of cutshots, you will have to compensate on some shots. I still use the balls (very nice quality Aramith), the drill book (great idea and implementation), and the system itself on a certain category of shots.

4. I then bought the SEE system. It is in contention as best system. Very nice package with video and pdf file. Smart way to integrate alignment into the aiming process. I still use the footwork from this system, and some of the info as well. It works very well, can be a bit complicated and is very demanding of your preshot routine. You'd better control your stepping in, or you're going to have a hard time...

5. CTE....I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but I'm not going to lie about it. After being very sceptical for a long period of time, all the hype finally convinced me to buy Stans first DVD. . At the time I didn't post anything about it, as I was primarily a lurker. I spent a full month with it at the snooker table and gave it my very best shot. I tried everything in my power to make it work, and I do mean EVERYTHING. I had time off from work and spent the full day working on it...Couldn't make strict CTE work consistently, went to Pro 1 and got it to work, sort of...I only tried DVD1 and watched some youtube videos, but can't give the material I watched very high marks. All I got was a DVD for a very high price, which in my opinion did not fully explain the aiming process, at least in a way which could be easily understood by me. To be frank, I felt ripped off, at least compared to my very nice experience with SEE and Aiming by the numbers. To this day I wonder if the whole thing is just a scam or if I'm missing 1 extremely critical piece of information to make it all work perfectly...

6. TOI. Experimented with it. Pocketed quite a few balls and was sure it was the best thing ever..Then I started looking deeper into it, trying to beat the 10ball ghost with it..I then discovered some serious drawbacks, IMO, with the system, at least when applied to all shots. At the time I thought my fundamentals were too bad, since I kept getting some residual inside on a lot of shots and I had trouble making the absolute longest almost straight in shots..Then I started wondering why this hardly ever happens when I use center ball...If I can hit perfect stop shots without residual spin, my fundamentals can't be too bad..I bought the pay per view rather cheaply (on a sale). The price was fairly low, but I still don't think it was a very good value. I could go into details, but I'm trying to keep this short.

7. I've tried every new system that has been made available for free, including a very surprisingly effective one posted by 8pack here on the forum. That system works extremely well. Worth checking out if you want to try pivot aiming. And its free to boot!

8. I've lost most of my interest in buying and trying aiming systems. I use elements from SEE and aiming by the numbers, but most of my aiming is ghostball based or ghostball/contact point hybrid. I can't fully explain what I'm doing but it seems to work ok. If I ever get the chance to view the second DVD of CTE for free, I might do it out of sheer curiosity to see if some things might be made clear to me, that it may click...I don't have high hopes, though. So you see I have put rather a lot of money into pool aiming systems...I hope others can learn from my experiences.
Click to expand...

People have different opinions about putting money into pool. If i spend 100 dollars on a piece of info and it helps me to win a 100 set at some point then i'm even. Every time i use the info to win from that point just keeps putting me farther ahead. I'll pay for a tidbit if i think my roi is gonna be worth it.
 
Most of my pool playing years have been completely by ghostball. I studied books early on and learned a lot of the other nuances of the game as well, soaking in anything I could find.

So, I guess I could say ghostball was my system of choice, until maybe 4 or 5 years ago when I started to look into several different aiming methods. CTE Pro One was just coming onto the market, and I got the DVD right away. At first watch it was very perplexing to me, I didn't really understand all the material presented. So I decided to just go through the motions and practice what was demonstrated. I felt like I was just "winging" it as the connection didn't really come. After several practice sessions something started happening. I could begin to put together the perceptions that were there all along. There was an "aha" moment when things started making sense and quickly became easier and easier to do. I will say that looking back, there were a few things that didn't come clear to me until I took the system to the table. A lot of questions to Stand and DVD reviewing followed.

In the meantime I did try other systems: some systems from Dr Dave website like double the distance, I bought SEE, and I tried some other variations of pivoting like 90/90 and one Dave Segal had on his blog.

In the end I always kept coming back to CTE. I felt the strongest connection there. Only recently has Stan posted "full circle" information on CTE, which to me was the "final chapter" as it gives you the information to see perfect perceptions when down on the shot. If anyone has questions about CTE don't hesitate to call Stan, he is always willing to help anyone that wants to learn. You can PM me too.

That would be my history of aiming :)
 
Straightpool_99 said:
I can't write the whole thing down, it's too damned long! I'll try anyhow.

Started with:
1. Spinning balls in, Strickland method. I aimed most balls almost full on and squirted/threw the balls in.

2. Then ghostball. Still my system of choice. Flexible, applicable to all situations.

3. Aiming by the numbers: First commercial system bought. As such systems go I have to give it very high marks indeed, it is IMHO one of the best systems available for beginners and intermediates alike if you don't like ghostball/quarter system. Nice package with balls, booklet, DVD and book with which to chart your progress on various drills. The system works well for most shots, although...maybe not if you like to soft roll a lot of cutshots, you will have to compensate on some shots. I still use the balls (very nice quality Aramith), the drill book (great idea and implementation), and the system itself on a certain category of shots.

4. I then bought the SEE system. It is in contention as best system. Very nice package with video and pdf file. Smart way to integrate alignment into the aiming process. I still use the footwork from this system, and some of the info as well. It works very well, can be a bit complicated and is very demanding of your preshot routine. You'd better control your stepping in, or you're going to have a hard time...

5. CTE....I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but I'm not going to lie about it. After being very sceptical for a long period of time, all the hype finally convinced me to buy Stans first DVD. . At the time I didn't post anything about it, as I was primarily a lurker. I spent a full month with it at the snooker table and gave it my very best shot. I tried everything in my power to make it work, and I do mean EVERYTHING. I had time off from work and spent the full day working on it...Couldn't make strict CTE work consistently, went to Pro 1 and got it to work, sort of...I only tried DVD1 and watched some youtube videos, but can't give the material I watched very high marks. All I got was a DVD for a very high price, which in my opinion did not fully explain the aiming process, at least in a way which could be easily understood by me. To be frank, I felt ripped off, at least compared to my very nice experience with SEE and Aiming by the numbers. To this day I wonder if the whole thing is just a scam or if I'm missing 1 extremely critical piece of information to make it all work perfectly...

6. TOI. Experimented with it. Pocketed quite a few balls and was sure it was the best thing ever..Then I started looking deeper into it, trying to beat the 10ball ghost with it..I then discovered some serious drawbacks, IMO, with the system, at least when applied to all shots. At the time I thought my fundamentals were too bad, since I kept getting some residual inside on a lot of shots and I had trouble making the absolute longest almost straight in shots..Then I started wondering why this hardly ever happens when I use center ball...If I can hit perfect stop shots without residual spin, my fundamentals can't be too bad..I bought the pay per view rather cheaply (on a sale). The price was fairly low, but I still don't think it was a very good value. I could go into details, but I'm trying to keep this short.

7. I've tried every new system that has been made available for free, including a very surprisingly effective one posted by 8pack here on the forum. That system works extremely well. Worth checking out if you want to try pivot aiming. And its free to boot!

8. I've lost most of my interest in buying and trying aiming systems. I use elements from SEE and aiming by the numbers, but most of my aiming is ghostball based or ghostball/contact point hybrid. I can't fully explain what I'm doing but it seems to work ok. If I ever get the chance to view the second DVD of CTE for free, I might do it out of sheer curiosity to see if some things might be made clear to me, that it may click...I don't have high hopes, though. So you see I have put rather a lot of money into pool aiming systems...I hope others can learn from my experiences.
Click to expand...

I appreciate you giving your input here, but I gotta agree with Cookie Man. You have't really spent all that much on aiming systems.

Some of those systems took an ungodly number of hours (years in some cases) to develop, big $$$ to produce, time to promote (heck, if you don't promote it nobody ever finds out about it, right?), cost of DVDs printed, and followup support, etc. To put it in the proper perspective, the average cost of the systems you have tried is about is about the cost of a small round piece of laminated leather, or a 3/4" cube of ground rock dust... neither of which will last more than 6 months. You've probably spent more on a single jump or break cue, or just one mass-produced LD shaft than you have on all of the systems combined.:wink:
 
Hey Straightpool,

I've shown you two aiming systems in my earlier post. How about you send me a couple hundred $$'s for each one so you can say you've spent the requisite amount on aiming systems?

If you act today I'll discount the total cost of two systems to $350. But wait....there's more: A free cube of slightly used Master chalk with every system!

Of course, you'll want to check with Cookie and Sloppy to see if $350 more makes you respectable. If not, let me know how much more they say you need to spend and I'll oblige.

And remember, if you win the US Open 9-ball the first prize is $30,000 (paid -- maybe -- in installments), so you'd be $29,650 ahead of the game.

:D :D :D
 
Ghost Ball.........always has been.....always will be.

No need to try anything else. Be a waste of time for me since ghost ball comes so natural to me.

It all about what feels right to you, what comes natural to you.

The system used does not make the player, the player makes the player.
 
duckie said:
Ghost Ball.........always has been.....always will be.

No need to try anything else. Be a waste of time for me since ghost ball comes so natural to me.

It all about what feels right to you, what comes natural to you.

The system used does not make the player, the player makes the player.
Click to expand...

Ghost ball is equivalent to eating mashed potatoes with a hammer.
I guess it could be done, but why.:eek:
 
8pack said:
Ghost ball is equivalent to eating mashed potatoes with a hammer.
I guess it could be done, but why.:eek:
Click to expand...

And this has what to do with the topic of the thread?

It's this type of non topic reply that gets threads sidetrack.

If you can't add to the topic of the thread.....why post?

I post my aiming history, which was the topic....you post a dig. Nice .... One could think you are attacking me and therefore you need to be banned.

Lke a few others in this thread that just post digs and nothing on the topic.

Sorry for the off topic post.......
 
This is a strong visualization method - it's why shots near the rail are relatively easy for me.

But I wonder... if you can see the line of this "imaginary rail", can't you also see the line to center pocket that shows you the contact point? Isn't that a more direct target?

pj
chgo

View attachment 26169
 
Certainly in theory, you raise a good point, but as one who has used the GhostRail (great label), and I've also used 'RailroadTracks' (which is a 2nd line parallel to the 'rail', but tangent to the near edge of the OB) allows me to find the center of the OB and it's contact point. For me, picking balls off the rail is so much easier than a back cut w/ the ball in the middle of the table because the visual cues provided by the near object rail is simply a great clue and provides a helpful perspective. Max Eberle's grandfather told him as a young boy, 'Ahh...you're finally starting to see the gutter'.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
This is a strong visualization method - it's why shots near the rail are relatively easy for me.

But I wonder... if you can see the line of this "imaginary rail", can't you also see the line to center pocket that shows you the contact point? Isn't that a more direct target?

pj
chgo

View attachment 26169
Click to expand...

I use both. For no particular reason, I aim with the Equal Overlap method first (contact point) (if I'm uncertain about the contact point, I also use Allison Fisher's advice: the contact point is the spot on the OB furthest from the pocket), and then use the Ghost Rail method as a confirming point. Kind of like how a artillery gunner triangulates on a position with two reference points rather than just one.
 
ghost ball
contact point to contact point
alitle fractional aiming
NOT A FAN OF PIVOT SYSTEMS
since for me its hard enough to see a line
get down
and shoot along that line
adding a pivot is just one more step to complicate things
(to me)
 
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