Quick Question

BeiberLvr

BeiberLvr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was shooting the CB from one end of the table to the other trying to make it come back to the tip of my cue tonight. I noticed the ball kept going to the left or to the right. I was pocketing balls okay, but couldn't get the CB to come straight back.

Then I started keeping my eyes on the CB to make sure I was hitting center ball, and sure enough the CB came straight back to my tip.

I've always looked at the OB/target last before shooting, and I'm really not looking to change. It's obvious now though, that despite not completely sucking at pool, I haven't been 100% accurate with where I'm hitting the CB.

If I were to keep practicing this drill while looking at the CB only, do you think I'd eventually be able to do it without looking at the CB last?
 
BeiberLvr said:
I was shooting the CB from one end of the table to the other trying to make it come back to the tip of my cue tonight. I noticed the ball kept going to the left or to the right. I was pocketing balls okay, but couldn't get the CB to come straight back.

Then I started keeping my eyes on the CB to make sure I was hitting center ball, and sure enough the CB came straight back to my tip.

I've always looked at the OB/target last before shooting, and I'm really not looking to change. It's obvious now though, that despite not completely sucking at pool, I haven't been 100% accurate with where I'm hitting the CB.

If I were to keep practicing this drill while looking at the CB only, do you think I'd eventually be able to do it without looking at the CB last?
Click to expand...

This is one of my favorite drills to check my stroke...you could be getting left and right movement on the way back because of where you're actually hitting the opposite rail, even though your stroke may be dead straight. Try using a stripe and watch for wobble or no wobble as it leaves your tip. If you get no wobble, you hit very close to center, and if it comes back slightly off, your aim may be why. A better drill for checking both stroke and aim is to shoot straight at a ball about 6 inches off the foot rail...if everything is straight (stroke AND aim), then the OB should rebound off the footrail and double kiss the CB straight back. If you watch closely on contact, you can tell if it was your aim or unintended spin that causes the kick back to go off line.
 
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Where you're looking is not the problem. Your alignment to the cue ball and your stroke delivery are likely the reason the cue ball was not returning straight back to your cue tip.

If you have aligned yourself properly with the cue ball within your pre-shot routine, then you will strike it in the correct area and it would not be necessary to watch the cue ball to ensure proper contact.

I would first explore whether you have a straight follow-through when you stroke naturally. It could be that when you focus on the cue ball instead of your natural stroke, you are forced to make sure the stroke line is true and centered on the cue ball throughout the length of your follow through. While this may represent a "straight" stroke, this does not necessarily represent a natural stroke.

In reality, you may be focusing on the line and not your stroke delivery.

I suggest that you line up on the same shot but confirm your pre-shot alignment routine and then stroke naturally with a slightly longer follow through, without focusing on the cue ball. If the cue tip is not still positioned on the true line of approach at the conclusion of your follow- through, then it's your stroke delivery that is causing the problem.

Do this several times to ensure you are not subconsciously still focusing on the cue ball.

If your follow-through is pure and straight, then it is your alignment to the cue ball that is out of sorts. Make sure you are not inadvertently moving your body or head as you deliver the stroke. It could be that your alignment is good but unrecognized body movements are shifting your alignment before contact with the cue ball.
 
If you use a stripe ball instead of the cueball you will see immediately if you have hit it off center. If the stripe wobbles as the ball goes down the table then you hit the ball off center.

You can also orient it such so that you can inspect the chalk mark on the ball to see exactly where you hit the shot.

To answer your second question practicing looking at the CB only is not going to translate well for when you dont.






BeiberLvr said:
I was shooting the CB from one end of the table to the other trying to make it come back to the tip of my cue tonight. I noticed the ball kept going to the left or to the right. I was pocketing balls okay, but couldn't get the CB to come straight back.

Then I started keeping my eyes on the CB to make sure I was hitting center ball, and sure enough the CB came straight back to my tip.

I've always looked at the OB/target last before shooting, and I'm really not looking to change. It's obvious now though, that despite not completely sucking at pool, I haven't been 100% accurate with where I'm hitting the CB.

If I were to keep practicing this drill while looking at the CB only, do you think I'd eventually be able to do it without looking at the CB last?
Click to expand...
 
BeiberLvr said:
I was shooting the CB from one end of the table to the other trying to make it come back to the tip of my cue tonight. I noticed the ball kept going to the left or to the right. I was pocketing balls okay, but couldn't get the CB to come straight back.

Then I started keeping my eyes on the CB to make sure I was hitting center ball, and sure enough the CB came straight back to my tip.

I've always looked at the OB/target last before shooting, and I'm really not looking to change. It's obvious now though, that despite not completely sucking at pool, I haven't been 100% accurate with where I'm hitting the CB.

If I were to keep practicing this drill while looking at the CB only, do you think I'd eventually be able to do it without looking at the CB last?
Click to expand...


Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you were a teacher now?

You need to use a process of elimination in order to find what's causing the problem.

Try setting up for the shot, look at the cb last, then close your eyes when you shoot. If the cue ball goes off-line, then you have to work on your perception of what a straight stroke feels like. You can stare at the cb last all day, but if you don't pay attention to how it feels to stroke straight, you will continue to make the same mistakes as soon as you switch back.

If it does go straight with your eyes closed, then when you look at the ob last, you are probably changing your alignment when you are down on the shot at some point before you shoot.
 
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I hate to bring this up but also check on that rail... This drill is a lovely thing on a perfectly maintained table and destructive to your sanity on a sagging rail...
 
FranCrimi said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you were a teacher now?

You need to use a process of elimination in order to find what's causing the problem.

Try setting up for the shot, look at the cb last, then close your eyes when you shoot. If the cue ball goes off-line, then you have to work on your perception of what a straight stroke feels like. You can stare at the cb last all day, but if you don't pay attention to how it feels to stroke straight, you will continue to make the same mistakes as soon as you switch back.

If it does go straight with your eyes closed, then when you look at the ob last, you are probably changing your alignment when you are down on the shot at some point before you shoot.
Click to expand...

I am not a teacher. Thank you for the adVice
 
I worked on a lot of the things people mentioned tonight, and may have got to the bottom of the issue.

A poor/lazy eye pattern that was throwing my alignment off when I took my eyes off the CB to look at the OB before shooting. My previous pattern was to take warm up strokes while looking at the CB. Pause tip at the set position. Then just look at the OB, and pull back and fire away.

Now I still take about 3 warm up strokes while looking at the CB, and pause the tip at the set position. The major difference is that when I stare at the OB, I now take about 2 to 3 more warm up strokes before shooting. So I'm still looking at both balls just once, but those few extra warm up strokes while looking at the OB seem to really help me.

My stroke felt more refined, and I was definitely more accurate with where I was hitting the CB. I did a lot of basic/fundamental practice for about 3 hours.
 
Interesting. I always thought taking warm up strokes while looking at the OB was not a good thing - too easy to accidentally bump the cue ball etc. I know for me I like to be looking at the CB while taking warm up strokes, then bounce the eyes up to OB, back to CB for more strokes if needed, etc.

Maybe you just need an extra look at the OB, so you could take warm ups / aiming strokes / whatever you want to call them, look up to OB to verify aim, then back to CB and take 1 or 2 more strokes, then up to OB and fire? Just a suggestion. For me, I know if I take too many strokes or look for too long it messes with my rhythm and general "looseness", but everyone is different.

Scott
 
BeiberLvr said:
I worked on a lot of the things people mentioned tonight, and may have got to the bottom of the issue.

A poor/lazy eye pattern that was throwing my alignment off when I took my eyes off the CB to look at the OB before shooting. My previous pattern was to take warm up strokes while looking at the CB. Pause tip at the set position. Then just look at the OB, and pull back and fire away.

Now I still take about 3 warm up strokes while looking at the CB, and pause the tip at the set position. The major difference is that when I stare at the OB, I now take about 2 to 3 more warm up strokes before shooting. So I'm still looking at both balls just once, but those few extra warm up strokes while looking at the OB seem to really help me.

My stroke felt more refined, and I was definitely more accurate with where I was hitting the CB. I did a lot of basic/fundamental practice for about 3 hours.
Click to expand...

Well done. I think you figured it out.
 
scottjen26 said:
Interesting. I always thought taking warm up strokes while looking at the OB was not a good thing - too easy to accidentally bump the cue ball etc. I know for me I like to be looking at the CB while taking warm up strokes, then bounce the eyes up to OB, back to CB for more strokes if needed, etc.

Maybe you just need an extra look at the OB, so you could take warm ups / aiming strokes / whatever you want to call them, look up to OB to verify aim, then back to CB and take 1 or 2 more strokes, then up to OB and fire? Just a suggestion. For me, I know if I take too many strokes or look for too long it messes with my rhythm and general "looseness", but everyone is different.

Scott
Click to expand...

For the most part, Scott, I think you're right. It's potentially dangerous to stroke while looking at the ob, but it can be done if you pay attention to the cue moving in the background. In the OPs case, maybe it's just the right amount of time to calibrate his (or her) stroke.
 
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