What value do instructors place on various aiming systems? Is it more important to develop a good stroke first?
Rating aiming systems
- Thread starter Tennesseejoe
- Start date
I think it varies by instructor - most good ones are at least knowledgable to some degree about many different ways to aim, whether they use that method or not.
I know for me personally, whether I help someone out briefly or do a more formal lesson, my goal is just for them to "get it", whatever "it" might be. If they struggle with aiming, as a few have, then I can show them ghost ball, fractional, or CTE-related concepts to help them see the shot more consistently and shorten the time normally required for their brain to calibrate the shots. Similar with other parts of the game, everyone learns differently, and you have to be prepared to teach differently as well.
Most people though if even somewhat coordinated can aim reasonably well, and it's their stroke or fundamentals that let them down, so more focus should be placed on that. And as that becomes more consistent, then choosing the right shot, playing the proper patterns, etc. becomes more important as well. It really becomes a natural progression.
Scott
I know for me personally, whether I help someone out briefly or do a more formal lesson, my goal is just for them to "get it", whatever "it" might be. If they struggle with aiming, as a few have, then I can show them ghost ball, fractional, or CTE-related concepts to help them see the shot more consistently and shorten the time normally required for their brain to calibrate the shots. Similar with other parts of the game, everyone learns differently, and you have to be prepared to teach differently as well.
Most people though if even somewhat coordinated can aim reasonably well, and it's their stroke or fundamentals that let them down, so more focus should be placed on that. And as that becomes more consistent, then choosing the right shot, playing the proper patterns, etc. becomes more important as well. It really becomes a natural progression.
Scott
Great post. And that's also why a good chunk of that 85% try to seek "the holy grail" -- i.e. aiming systems -- to "fix" their pool game. This is instead of bellying up to the bar, admitting their fundamentals need work, and -- like the Nike commercial says -- "just do it" (i.e. work on that which really needs work). But, testosterone (or pride) gets in the way, as noone likes to admit their form is horrid, or "that they learned the wrong way." This is especially true of some of the "aiming system demonstrations" I've seen being posted in the Main forum. The uneducated eye doesn't see that this "demonstration" was done on a barbox, where bad fundamentals won't bite you most of the time. Instead, it "looks impressive" because the ball goes in, "just like the demonstrator said it would."
Such is the state of the forums, though. The true student -- one that truly wants to improve all aspects of his/her game -- will seek out improvement in the very thing -- execution -- that will have the longest-lasting effect on his/her game.
-Sean
It is important -- probably more important for most -- to develop a good stroke first. For judging any system, aiming or otherwise, my personal take is:
1. Is it explained well enough to know what it actually involves? This is a huge problem -- lots of examples available on request.
2. Once you understand a system, can it be easily implemented? There are, for example, some diamond systems that just take too much arithmetic for anybody but card-counters and such to use.
3. Does the system make physical/geometrical sense? I used to use a particular aiming system that seemed to make sense but when I understood the physics better it actually was causing me to miss critical shots.
As has been pointed out in other threads, virtually all systems can be made to work with practice, so I leave off the above list the question: "Has it helped anyone?" I feel that a bogus system that's mostly implemented at a subconscious level is a waste of time and effort compared to a system based in reality even though the bogosity might appear to help a player's game for a while.
