Quck Poll ... what do you look at last CB or OB

[poolguy4u]

Depends on the shot, mostly I look at the object ball. On special shots that require a very high degree of accuracy, I look at the cueball. (break shot, masse, jump shots)

:thumbup:


And this is true. If I'm jacked up shooting over a ball----like a short shot into the side pocket, I need to look a the cueball when hitting.


On a long shot, I look at the object ball.

 

[Okie]

I'm kinda confused because you start out saying it's obvious that you should look at the CB last, but then go on to say you look at the OB last in competition, which is when it counts.

I've already gone in to great detail in previous posts about the comparison to other sports, and why you don't have to focus on the cue ball even though that's what you are directly contacting. I won't repeat myself, but you can read post #52 in this thread, like 6 posts up.

If you look at the object ball last during competition, then you agree that's the correct thing to do. Sure you will do different things in practice, such as focus on your stroke and mechanics, but to actually perform the best when it counts, you aren't thinking about any of that stuff, and you're looking at the object ball last.

I hope you aren't looking at the cue ball last every time you practice, because then you are developing habits that are different than what you are doing in competition. You should only need to look at the cue ball last in practice when you are trying to correct something that's wrong with your stroke, or your contact with the cue ball.

You might want to read that again. I don't see anywhere I say it is obvious to look at the cue ball last. I said "The way I strike the cue ball determines the success or failure of my attempt". My point was that the cue ball does not care where our eyes are focused when we hit it. All that matters is where we hit the cue ball, the direction the tip is traveling when we hit it, and the speed the tip is traveling when we hit it.

It is literally the only time we influence the outcome of the shot. Well, legally influence it anyways...

But to be clear....I currently look at the object ball last most of the time I am playing. But practicing cue ball last has helped me improve my stroke. It is much straighter and I tend to trust my stroke more.

Best of luck,

Ken

 

[onepocketron]

Object ball last. If I put a good stroke on the cue ball, my cue tip should hit the cue ball in the desired spot, and on the correct line.

 

[edep12]

I understand where you're coming from, but no analogy is going to 100% encompass how pool is played. It's meant to drive home the point about hand-eye coordination.

Your analogy with the nail doesn't make any sense to me. because the nail is already touching the wood, so there is no aiming of the nail necessary once it's in place, and it's all about hitting the top of the nail. If I was hitting the nail across the room to hit some target, then there would be something to aim at.

The point is that when you've practiced your stroke enough for it to become second nature, you can think of your pool cue as an extension of your arm. Once you have everything lined up and you've done a few practice strokes, you can sort of think of it as throwing the cue ball to the object ball by delivering your cue straight through the shot.

When you stroke the same way every time you get down on a shot, you no longer have to look at the cue ball or your stick once you've checked where your tip is aligned during practice strokes, and thus you are free to concentrate on the target, just as you would when shooting a rifle, throwing a baseball, or reaching for milk in the fridge. Our built-in hand-eye coordination is the most accurate way to aim at any target.

As previously mentioned, the firing gun analogy is a bad one. When firing a weapon (w/out optics) most teach to concentrate on the front sight post (not the target) until everything else is "blurry" in order to get the best results. So, this would be more in line with the theory of looking at the cue ball last.

 

[railbird99]

You might want to read that again. I don't see anywhere I say it is obvious to look at the cue ball last. I said "The way I strike the cue ball determines the success or failure of my attempt". My point was that the cue ball does not care where our eyes are focused when we hit it. All that matters is where we hit the cue ball, the direction the tip is traveling when we hit it, and the speed the tip is traveling when we hit it.

It is literally the only time we influence the outcome of the shot. Well, legally influence it anyways...

But to be clear....I currently look at the object ball last most of the time I am playing. But practicing cue ball last has helped me improve my stroke. It is much straighter and I tend to trust my stroke more.

Best of luck,

Ken

I'm still confused. You still seem to be advocating that the CB last is best even though you currently look at the OB last in competition.

 

[railbird99]

As previously mentioned, the firing gun analogy is a bad one. When firing a weapon (w/out optics) most teach to concentrate on the front sight post (not the target) until everything else is "blurry" in order to get the best results. So, this would be more in line with the theory of looking at the cue ball last.

You're right, it's a bad analogy. It seems that firing a gun when aligning the front sight with the back sight is all about making sure the gun is perfectly aligned/straight, which would have more to do with looking at the cue stick last, not the cue ball. Looking at the cue ball last makes sure you are hitting the cue ball where you intended to, but it does not make sure that your stick is in a straight line towards the target, and that your stroke is straight.

We don't have two sights on the cue stick to make sure the stick is straight. We judge our alignment as we are getting down on the shot. Once we are down, we are trusting that we are aligned correctly, and we can see our stick in our peripheral vision during practice strokes, which helps us determine if we are stroking straight or not.

Furthermore, when shooting a gun, since the back sight, front sight, and the target are all at eye level at the same time, even though your focus makes the front sight clear, and everything else blurry, you are still keeping your eyes on the target at the same time, you just don't see it as clear.

Imagine if we could trust that the gun was perfectly straight. Then we could just dial in to a specific spot on a target, forget about the gun, and fire. We would hit exactly where we were looking at every time.

 

[Okie]

I'm still confused. You still seem to be advocating that the CB last is best even though you currently look at the OB last in competition.

You are reading what you want to read....not what I wrote.

It's ok though. I bet Greg Cantrill understands!

I am out!

Ken

 

[railbird99]

You are reading what you want to read....not what I wrote.

It's ok though. I bet Greg Cantrill understands!

I am out!

Ken

Please tell me what you actually are trying to say then.

You keep driving home the point about how important the contact with the cue ball is.

It's not a huge leap to interpret that as you saying CB last is best. Please elaborate.

 

[boyraks]

Very good analysis, all the way through.

Personally, I've always thrown my back hand toward the OB, with the cue and CB both going along for the ride. Lately I've been throwing my elbow toward the OB because of something the CJ Wiley said he heard that Ronnie O. does, so the hand, cue, and CB all get thrown toward the OB by the shoulder. Seems to straighten out the whole chain of motion for me. I don't even know for sure that Ronnie does this, but I tried it and it works pretty good.

Ditto. Didnt Ronnie said " Pushing the balls with your shoulder? ( or to that effect). Tried it and it works for me. I look at the OB last though

 

[Okie]

Please tell me what you actually are trying to say then.

You keep driving home the point about how important the contact with the cue ball is.

Yes! We have 1/1000 of a second to influence the path of the cue ball. It is of the utmost importance!

It's not a huge leap to interpret that as you saying CB last is best. Please elaborate.

Sometimes people actually say what they mean...

In my earlier posts, I said I look at the object ball last during competition and cue ball last during practice. That is my answer to the OP's query.

Sidenote: I played James Walden (not even) last night and kept missing some fairly easy shots. So I hit a few shots with my eyes on the cue ball last and the next thing I know I am beating one of my heroes from the past!

I'll leave you with some RandyG wisdom - "Have an open mind"

Ken

 

[3andstop]

Hey, at least you answered the question ..... over 1800 members viewed this poll and less than 10% cared to take the time to participate. Any member interested in this has gotten robbed out of over90% of the players position.

These 90% + have no problem taking the time to click on the thread to view the results, but couldn't take the time to contribute by clicking a freaking choice.

Wonder if this says more about pool players than meets the eye?

 

[Okie]

Hey, at least you answered the question ..... over 1800 members viewed this poll and less than 10% cared to take the time to participate. Any member interested in this has gotten robbed out of over90% of the players position.

These 90% + have no problem taking the time to click on the thread to view the results, but couldn't take the time to contribute by clicking a freaking choice.

Wonder if this says more about pool players than meets the eye?

Mainstream thinking treats the subject with disregard.....

Good subject IMO though!

Ken

 

[railbird99]

Sometimes people actually say what they mean...

In my earlier posts, I said I look at the object ball last during competition and cue ball last during practice. That is my answer to the OP's query.

Sidenote: I played James Walden (not even) last night and kept missing some fairly easy shots. So I hit a few shots with my eyes on the cue ball last and the next thing I know I am beating one of my heroes from the past!

I'll leave you with some RandyG wisdom - "Have an open mind"

Ken

If you are just "saying what you mean" and it in no way applies to whether or not you think looking at the CB last or the OB last is best, then I guess you are off topic, and what you are saying should not be in this thread.

 

[Okie]

If you are just "saying what you mean" and it in no way applies to whether or not you think looking at the CB last or the OB last is best, then I guess you are off topic, and what you are saying should not be in this thread.

You and I are obviously not communicating. I am ok with that.

Ken

 

[railbird99]

You and I are obviously not communicating. I am ok with that.

Ken

Ok........

 

[Shaft]

Hey, at least you answered the question ..... over 1800 members viewed this poll and less than 10% cared to take the time to participate. Any member interested in this has gotten robbed out of over90% of the players position.

These 90% + have no problem taking the time to click on the thread to view the results, but couldn't take the time to contribute by clicking a freaking choice.

Wonder if this says more about pool players than meets the eye?

Frankly, if I see another "OB/CB Last" poll, I might not vote again either.

Instead of being an intelligent exchange of ideas and options, this turned into a "oh man, you're obviously stupid" religious war. Next time, I'll pass.

 

[AtLarge]

Hey, at least you answered the question ..... over 1800 members viewed this poll and less than 10% cared to take the time to participate. Any member interested in this has gotten robbed out of over90% of the players position.

These 90% + have no problem taking the time to click on the thread to view the results, but couldn't take the time to contribute by clicking a freaking choice.

Wonder if this says more about pool players than meets the eye?

You're failing to realize that the number of "Views" does not equal the number of members who have looked at this thread.

As I write this, the number of "Views" is over 1,900. That doesn't mean 1,900 different people. This is now the 9th day since you started the thread. It has had new posts now on 7 of those 9 days. I have opened the thread every day it has had new posts, and more than once on some of those days; so I may be counted in the 1,900 about 10 times or so. Or maybe it just counts you once per day or once per log-on; I don't know. But it's not once per person. The "Funny pic/gif thread," for instance, has over 14 million views.

So it's possible that the number of people who have looked at the thread at least once is much closer to the number who have voted (you can only vote once) than you were assuming.

 

[3andstop]

You're failing to realize that the number of "Views" does not equal the number of members who have looked at this thread.

As I write this, the number of "Views" is over 1,900. That doesn't mean 1,900 different people. This is now the 9th day since you started the thread. It has had new posts now on 7 of those 9 days. I have opened the thread every day it has had new posts, and more than once on some of those days; so I may be counted in the 1,900 about 10 times or so. Or maybe it just counts you once per day or once per log-on; I don't know. But it's not once per person. The "Funny pic/gif thread," for instance, has over 14 million views.

So it's possible that the number of people who have looked at the thread at least once is much closer to the number who have voted (you can only vote once) than you were assuming.

I thought that was the case, so I went on a thread to read that I was on before, and the number didn't change. I tried that twice before I posted. Thanks for clarifying, maybe it takes time to register new views,

 

[AtLarge]

I thought that was the case, so I went on a thread to read that I was on before, and the number didn't change. I tried that twice before I posted. Thanks for clarifying, maybe it takes time to register new views,

I found this on the vbulletin.com website regarding vBulletin options:

"• Update Thread Views Immediately
If you enable this option, the thread view counter for a thread will be updated in realtime as threads are viewed. Otherwise, they will be stored and updated every hour (by default) en masse. We recommend disabling this option for larger or busier forums as updating them in realtime can have a performance impact."

So maybe AzB is using the default option for this.

Edit -- And here's related discussion on another forum: https://forums.digitalpoint.com/threads/what-is-vbulletins-thread-views-count.628867/

 

[Ih82luz]

Quick poll: When throwing a baseball do you look at the baseball/your hand/your arm last or do you look at the target last?

Quick-Quick poll: do you look at the golf ball last or the flag on the green last when you make a golf swing?:grin: