Question for "feel" aimers, which comes first?

C

CueAndMe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For those who just feel the shots, get down and shoot without any conscious system, whether you make adjustments while standing or while down on the shot, which of the following do you do?

1-Do you look at the balls and just know, sort of saying to yourself, "This particular shot needs the cue pointed here," and then place the cue in that position and go?
or
2-Do you get close to where you feel the aim would be, then sort of rehearse that one shot in your mind and decide whether that shot would hit the pocket. Then, if you feel it would miss, adjust slightly and run through another shot, seeing if that will hit the pocket, and continue to adjust this way until you've rehearded the one shot in your mind that would indeed hit the pocket?
or
3-Something else? If so, please explain.

Thanks
 
I never learned a system. Mostly by feel. The more i practice the better my pocketing gets. Pure feel.
For the most part. If it is a 45 degree or less I can see it from behind the CB. If it gets thinner I will sight the hit point on the object ball first and then move behind the shot.
 
I look at the angle, find the spot on the object ball I need to hit and try to hit that spot bearing in mind that the spot on the cue ball directly opposite from the cue tip is not going to be the contact point on the object ball. I don't know if that's a system or not, maybe it's ghost ball but I'm not sure.

In my opinion there is no aiming system which can make up for hours at the pool table pocketing balls.
 
Phil capelle talks about "shot pictures" in his book. This works for players who have shot all the shots countless times. We get down and think, "this is the picture of what it looks like when this shot goes in."

I relied on aiming systems when I had no idea what the right picture looked like.
 
For me, I kind of do that second option you put up. I run the shot in my head a few times using different contact points and figure out which one gets me to the pocket. As far as finding out that contact point on the cue ball, that's where my feel comes from. After hitting so many balls, you've got a touch and an understanding of what's going to happen.
 
I see the balls path to the pocket and then the CB path to the OB. I decide where I want the CB to end up and then sort of fall into the shot. Once I am down if I feel like I need to make more than minor corrections, then I didn't land right and I stand back up and look at it again. I rarely need to get up once I see the shot.


:grin-square:
 
bluepepper said:
For those who just feel the shots, get down and shoot without any conscious system, whether you make adjustments while standing or while down on the shot, which of the following do you do?

1-Do you look at the balls and just know, sort of saying to yourself, "This particular shot needs the cue pointed here," and then place the cue in that position and go?
or
2-Do you get close to where you feel the aim would be, then sort of rehearse that one shot in your mind and decide whether that shot would hit the pocket. Then, if you feel it would miss, adjust slightly and run through another shot, seeing if that will hit the pocket, and continue to adjust this way until you've rehearded the one shot in your mind that would indeed hit the pocket?
or
3-Something else? If so, please explain.

Thanks
Click to expand...



Rote learning is a learning technique which avoids understanding of a subject and instead focuses on memorization. The major practice involved in rote learning is learning by repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it.

I don't know how to explain it but you know it when you feel it. It is an esential element of the ZONE. As a matter of fact, I think it is the Zone.
Man I love this game!
Peace, Purdman :) X BCA Certified Instructor
and damn proud of it. Thanks Randy :)
 
Luxury said:
Phil capelle talks about "shot pictures" in his book. This works for players who have shot all the shots countless times. We get down and think, "this is the picture of what it looks like when this shot goes in."

I relied on aiming systems when I had no idea what the right picture looked like.
Click to expand...

I visualize it the same as Phil - we keep "libraries" of shot pictures in our memories and riffle through them for the closest fit to the shot at hand.

One way to think of aiming systems is as Dewey Decimal Systems for our shot libraries, making it faster and more accurate to file and find shot pictures.

pj
chgo
 
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I just get down and picture a line from the OB to the pocket and If I use english to throw the ball in or inside with deflection...I go by feel and I remember how I missed them in the past so I adjust
 
First I feel the object ball, then I feel the cueball, the I feel my opponent then I shoot.
 
take a ball in your hand.. walk up to another ball thats on the table.. and using ball #1 as a hammer device wack the other ball into the pocket.. do it again .. do it again and then do it again ... and when your done doing it a few times.. realize this... you know exactly where to hit the object ball.. you know exactly what side .. the backside is the right answer.. ask yourself one simple question.. where is the back of the ball? and if you keep it pocket speed you can be wrong by a degree or two and still make all your shots.. all that psycho babble of alignment and trying to solve the riddle is a waste of time.. the best players are not neccesarily nuclear physists.. they are simple people who see the game in a simple way. Try it some time.. and try it in a good mood .. without getting mad ever.. and have some fun..
 
I see the angle to the pocket, going behind the ob and sighting it if necessary, and then from in back of the cb, while standing, I line up the cb to reproduce the ob line to the pocket. Get down slowly, see if it's right, maybe see a ghost ball in front of and in back of the ob.. maybe not, put all those pieces together and shoot. It happens in 4 to 8 practice strokes.

Sometimes I KNOW I'm "ON" but sometimes I can't find "it". I haven't learned to stop and get up if I can't find "it". :(

Position is planned while up and I get down on the shot putting the tip in position and knowing I'll need to allow for something.
 
3. Something else.

I learned to aim using what would probably be version of S.A.M. After using this for a while I began to recognize the different shots I played a million times, and then eventually stopped visualizing and aiming.

In other words I recognize the angle before me.

My primary focus now is to correctly align myself with the angle.
 
It’s all pictures. I see the angle, I know the point I’m aiming at. As I’m getting down on the shot something happens and I’m automatically set even if lots of juice is going to be used.
Once down no adjustments if the shot does not feel right I get up and start over.
 
Well,after you've played the game(s) for so many years you just automatically know where to hit the ball.It's just automatic,you just get down and do it.If it doesn't feel right,like if you get down on the ball and the moment right before you pull the trigger,you know your gonna miss the shot,you get up,chalk your cue,and start over.Its just that you've seen every shot,or one so close it just needs minor adjustment,and those adjustments are made subconsciously(i think that was the word I was lookin for).
 
Rickey said:
Well,after you've played the game(s) for so many years you just automatically know where to hit the ball.It's just automatic,you just get down and do it.If it doesn't feel right,like if you get down on the ball and the moment right before you pull the trigger,you know your gonna miss the shot,you get up,chalk your cue,and start over.Its just that you've seen every shot,or one so close it just needs minor adjustment,and those adjustments are made subconsciously(i think that was the word I was lookin for).
Click to expand...

Rickey -

I think you are correct in your description of playing by feel. :thumbup:

It took me many years to realize this. My mind knows where to aim and how to hit most every shot without me using aiming systems. Feel it and then hit it. The rest is only - knowing the fundamentals - 1) comming down on the shot correctly and - 2) having a straight stroke.
 
Wolven said:
It?s all pictures. I see the angle, I know the point I?m aiming at. As I?m getting down on the shot something happens and I?m automatically set even if lots of juice is going to be used.
Once down no adjustments if the shot does not feel right I get up and start over.
Click to expand...

I can tell from the changes in the last year that this is what I'm moving towards.. just not quite there yet.. but getting closer.
 
Great answers. For me, when I do just allow things to happen and get out of my head, I think I do it the second way I suggested. I play a shot in my head and if it feels like it misses, I move slightly and play that shot in my head, and so on until I feel that the shot is on. Then it's essential for me to believe the shot is going. I can't have any doubt or I'll often miss.

Also, sometimes I realize that at the last moment before I stroke, this doubt can creep in, and I may visualize the ball going to a place other than the center of the pocket, like a "what if?" thought. It's a bad habit. It doesn't happen all the time, but it should never happen. It's like a golfer seeing the out of bounds and the lake and the sand trap instead of seeing only the fairway. If anyone is familiar with the law of attraction, the bad shot is drawn to you because you're focussing on it, even though you're saying "don't" hit it there.
 
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bluepepper said:
For those who just feel the shots, get down and shoot without any conscious system, whether you make adjustments while standing or while down on the shot, which of the following do you do?

1-Do you look at the balls and just know, sort of saying to yourself, "This particular shot needs the cue pointed here," and then place the cue in that position and go?
or
2-Do you get close to where you feel the aim would be, then sort of rehearse that one shot in your mind and decide whether that shot would hit the pocket. Then, if you feel it would miss, adjust slightly and run through another shot, seeing if that will hit the pocket, and continue to adjust this way until you've rehearded the one shot in your mind that would indeed hit the pocket?
or
3-Something else? If so, please explain.

Thanks
Click to expand...
if you know dave segal he will teach you how to pocket any and all shots you want to know.

hal houle
 
pool

halhoule said:
if you know dave segal he will teach you how to pocket any and all shots you want to know.

hal houle
If you cannot reach segal, i will teach you all the shots. call me at 484 623 4144
Click to expand...
 
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