Reigning Back Pocket Campion of the World.

AtLarge said:
Mike, this is intriguing, because you must have learned this technique in the 1970's, right?

Are you familiar with the center-to-edge (CTE) aiming method taught by Hal Houle and refined in recent years by Stan Shuffett? If so, is your technique similar to theirs?

Did you personally discover/develop your CTE aiming technique or did you learn it from someone else? If the latter, do you remember who else was using it or teaching it in that era?

I don't know whether you are aware of it, but the Houle/Shuffett type of CTE aiming is quite a controversial topic on this forum and has led to numerous lengthy threads with vociferous proponents and opponents. If you developed or learned something similar 35 years ago, you may know or represent an important Missing Link in our knowledge of the development of such methods.

[Edit: I also realize that you may just be talking about aiming the center of the cue ball at the edge of the object ball, or a little thicker or a little thinner hit than that, for shots that are in the vicinity of 30-degree cuts. If so, that technique is just part of fractional-ball aiming, and probably goes way back. It will be interesting to hear more about the nature of your technique.]
Click to expand...

I saw this center edge back in the early 70's. It was clear as a bell to me that if you aimed your cue through the center of the cue ball to the edge of the object ball it will give a very accurate point of contact. I never took any lessons from anybody. I developed my game by myself through practice and tried to find ways to make the balls center pocket with my cue stick as a pointer. This has always been my way of aiming. For years I have shown this to people but didn't realize that everybody didn't do it until recently when I read about it on AZ as some kind of secret.
 
gulyassy said:
I saw this center edge back in the early 70's. It was clear as a bell to me that if you aimed your cue through the center of the cue ball to the edge of the object ball it will give a very accurate point of contact. I never took any lessons from anybody. I developed my game by myself through practice and tried to find ways to make the balls center pocket with my cue stick as a pointer. This has always been my way of aiming. For years I have shown this to people but didn't realize that everybody didn't do it until recently when I read about it on AZ as some kind of secret.
Click to expand...

From what you say here, Mike, it sounds like what you were doing then (and now) is not the type of center-to-edge aiming taught by Houle and Shuffett. Their manual CTE method(s) involve initially sighting each shot through the center of the CB to the outside edge of the OB, offsetting the cuestick from that sighting line, and then pivoting the tip back to center CB to arrive at the final stroking line (ignore english for this simplified description). That is not what you are talking about, right?
 
AtLarge said:
From what you say here, Mike, it sounds like what you were doing then (and now) is not the type of center-to-edge aiming taught by Houle and Shuffett. Their manual CTE method(s) involve initially sighting each shot through the center of the CB to the outside edge of the OB, offsetting the cuestick from that sighting line, and then pivoting the tip back to center CB to arrive at the final stroking line (ignore english for this simplified description). That is not what you are talking about, right?
Click to expand...

There is no pivoting in my aiming technique, but on each side of the table there is a different picture for aiming. I would tend to think that everybody would perceive the aiming according to where their cue is under their face and what eye they see out of and even with English, I use center to edge, of course in a little different way.
 
gulyassy said:
There is no pivoting in my aiming technique, but on each side of the table there is a different picture for aiming. I would tend to think that everybody would perceive the aiming according to where their cue is under their face and what eye they see out of and even with English, I use center to edge, of course in a little different way.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the explanation, Mike.
 
gulyassy said:
Back in Greenville SC for a few weeks and I am offering one on one lessons in my shop at my home on a 4 1/2 by 9 Diamond Pool table with 4 3/8 pockets and tournament blue cloth. I can teach all these secrets that I have been reading about that I thought was the only way to play. I have been playing pool for 42 years. I have been teaching for 42 years. I am the reigning Back Pocket Champion of the World, played on the Mosconi Cup 2 years in a row, won countless tournaments and love pool. I know how to win which is something that most pool instructors can only guess about. My skills include all games and focus on basics and winning. PM me if anyone is interested in learning the secrets of pool. Privacy is my promise.
Click to expand...

Back pocket 9ball,The Fuscos,Jimmy and Pete brought this game from philly to baltimore one evening,back in the late 70s,early 80s,after both of them losing to Cigar Tom Vanover playing regular 9ball,they offer to play Tom some of this game,let say they got even pretty quick playing back pocket 9ball!
 
gulyassy said:
There is no pivoting in my aiming technique, but on each side of the table there is a different picture for aiming. I would tend to think that everybody would perceive the aiming according to where their cue is under their face and what eye they see out of and even with English, I use center to edge, of course in a little different way.
Click to expand...

For what it's worth Klaus Zobrekis, the great German pro player, also told me he uses the edge of the object ball for orientation. He visited here earlier this year and we talked about it. He said he has done it that way as long as he has been playing.
 
Hehe,

Klaus Zorbrekis is for sure a very advanced and strong player. But for sure not a pro. He s workin, has his own buisness.
Just for Info :)

but he still has it-just a few month ago he played a great tournament and won it.

lg
Ingo
 
Hey Mike, Hope all is going well. Hope to have you back in WV next august for the next WV State Championships. Gimme a call when you get a free minute, Thanks Buddy
Brian K
 
Ratta said:
Hehe,

Klaus Zorbrekis is for sure a very advanced and strong player. But for sure not a pro. He s workin, has his own buisness.
Just for Info :)

but he still has it-just a few month ago he played a great tournament and won it.

lg
Ingo
Click to expand...

Klaus is professional class. There aren't many people who like it at all in any way when they see his name facing them. He is bundesliga and has been since he was a teenager.

Even if he is a little rusty it wouldn't take but a couple days for him to find top gear again.
 
AtLarge said:
From what you say here, Mike, it sounds like what you were doing then (and now) is not the type of center-to-edge aiming taught by Houle and Shuffett. Their manual CTE method(s) involve initially sighting each shot through the center of the CB to the outside edge of the OB, offsetting the cuestick from that sighting line, and then pivoting the tip back to center CB to arrive at the final stroking line (ignore english for this simplified description). That is not what you are talking about, right?
Click to expand...

Can somebody link me to a thread that discusses this method. I have always just used feel, and I HATE the thought of pivoting. Oh god it gives me the heebee jeebees. But this has me intrigued, for once. So, any more info on the system Mike uses discussed here? Thanks.
 
gulyassy said:
As soon as I figured something out about playing and another people wanted to learn or playing with a friend I let them know what I had discovered. In the beginning I was way off about pool but I enjoyed helping others. After a few years I was able to teach simple basics that made my game begin to blossom. Within a few more years I discovered the secret of center to edge. This I learned in the first 5 years. I also learned center ball and started destroying my opponents. I lived at the Hilltop Motel in Hudson Ohio for about 10 years. It had a Gold Crown 1 and 2 bar tables and was open 24 hours a day. I only lost 4 times, once to Jay Swanson and once to Bobby Sneider, a local from Cleveland, once to Grover, and once to Amil Glocart. I played everybody that came in because the owner, Ralf called me down to the bar when ever there was action. I played Leo Gay, Jimmy Marino, Mighty Mouse, Bill Steigal, gave Joe Kerr the 7, busted and stranded Junky Randy and Mark Mario, just to name a few. Yes I picked my games well but after a few years I played everybody. This is where I developed my game and became a player. I left the Hilltop at 27 and stayed on the road for years making a living. When action became scarce I went to work fixing cues but still playing. I started making cues 25 years ago and here I am ready to get at it again.
Click to expand...

I know where the Hilltop was. I used to live in Chardon, Ohio....small world.
 
The Chinchilla said:
Can somebody link me to a thread that discusses this method. I have always just used feel, and I HATE the thought of pivoting. Oh god it gives me the heebee jeebees. But this has me intrigued, for once. So, any more info on the system Mike uses discussed here? Thanks.
Click to expand...

How can anybody else discuss my system, I invented it for me. I believe you can invent something that will repeat consistently for your game just put in a little time.
 
gulyassy said:
How can anybody else discuss my system, I invented it for me. I believe you can invent something that will repeat consistently for your game just put in a little time.
Click to expand...

Forgive me, I thought it was a recognized system being discussed. For now i'll keep my system I guess... HEHAGW... hit em hard and get weight.
 
Hey Mike, how's it going? Too bad I won't be in the area. BTW, I'm lovin' the custom break cue you completed for me. Additionally, the shaft freeze process works!! Would like that product to be applied to all my other shafts, but I don't want to be separated from them :-)
Any chance you'd ever have a set-up near Raleigh? I know one year you had a setup @ the Caronlina Classic in Goldsboro.
 
The Chinchilla said:
Can somebody link me to a thread that discusses this method. I have always just used feel, and I HATE the thought of pivoting. Oh god it gives me the heebee jeebees. But this has me intrigued, for once. So, any more info on the system Mike uses discussed here? Thanks.
Click to expand...

The CTE methods I referred to and briefly described are those taught by Hal Houle and Stan Shuffett. From Mike Gulyassy's responses to my questions in this thread, I do not believe that Mike's personal aiming method is one of those.

But for your information, here is a link to Dr. Dave's compilation of material on CTE aiming methods: http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/aiming.html#CTE.

Stan Shuffett released a DVD earlier this year teaching manual CTE (with on-the-table pivoting) and the more refined Pro One method. Here is Stan's site: http://www.justcueit.com/

This forum has had innumerable threads over the past few years discussing CTE aiming methods.
 
AtLarge said:
The CTE methods I referred to and briefly described are those taught by Hal Houle and Stan Shuffett. From Mike Gulyassy's responses to my questions in this thread, I do not believe that Mike's personal aiming method is one of those.

But for your information, here is a link to Dr. Dave's compilation of material on CTE aiming methods: http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/aiming.html#CTE.

Stan Shuffett released a DVD earlier this year teaching manual CTE (with on-the-table pivoting) and the more refined Pro One method. Here is Stan's site: http://www.justcueit.com/

This forum has had innumerable threads over the past few years discussing CTE aiming methods.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that link. I have already looked over that Dr Dave liost extensively. I didn't find anything of interest, although his page is so well-done. Very insightful, I think he hits the nail on the head for the most part with his "synthesis" (my word not his).

Thanks again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top