Shane Van Boening aiming system -WOW!!

I find both Hal Houle and Stan very interesting. It is quite entertaining to follow Mr Shuffetts posts and I would have loved to had been around when Mr Houle was preaching his word.

Here is a fascinating write up by Mr Houle taken from the question and answer page from JohnnyArcher.net. He seems to be angry at Johnny for hiding the secrets to aiming from all of the recreational players.
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When players write to you, asking how to aim, your pat answer is to say that you get three feet back from the shot, then you shoot parallel lines. That is all hogwash. That is not how you aim. Why don't you level with these recreational players? You use the aiming system whereby you aim the center of the cue ball at the edge of the object ball for any and all shots. You know exactly what I am talking about. We both know about placing the cue tip either left or right of cue ball center, and you know why we do that. Get honest for a change. These recreational players are no threat. Tell them the truth. - Hal Houle

I really don't know why you keep writing about my aiming system. Everybody that is listening, IT IS MY AIMING SYSTEM. I hope this would relieve some pressure that you have. Thanks, Johnny

_______________________________________________________________________


Great stuff!
http://www.johnnyarcher.net/ask.html

Also, I consider it an honor to be mentioned alongside Mr. Hal Houle.

Stan Shuffett
 
I'm looking forward to seeing your newest DVD, and appreciate what you do

Hal was aware decades ago that players aligned at an offset to their actual shot lines. It's a huge step forward when players such as yourself agree with this. IMO, Hal reversed this offset concept and explained it in terms of a slight rotation to CCB based on its 2 fixed edges.

Did the top 200 players Hal was referring to all have the same exact offsets? I doubt that as well, but I do I believe the offsets were QUITE similar.

Concerning connections, there are objective visuals and a defined rotation to CCB that connects directly to table geometry. ( CTE is a visual system and the gift of CTE is that the eyes lead to a single tick that represents a connection to pockets. That does NOT mean that CTE PRO ONE requires a CCB hit, it simply means that all CTE shots are based on an objective visual shot line.)

This subject matter will be greatly advanced in DVD2.

Stan Shuffett

I know what you're doing works, we went though it in Tunica last year and it aligned to what I normally do. From my experience the sub concsious is like a giant compter that can do a multitude of difficult tasks without concious attention (heart beat, breathing, bodily functions, creative thinking etc). When we bring concious attention to a sub concious activity we can actually influence this process and change the speed that are brain is funcionting (like in meditation, or driving our mind will go from Beta to Alpha waves).

What I'm starting to believe is most players that don't perform like they desire are using their sub conscious to adjust for "micro errors" from probably a "miss" understanding in their pre-shot routine.

The process of going from the above position to the "down on the shot" position takes a system, and if that {system} deviates it will certainly result in inconsistency. This system should be no more difficult than the system you would use to simply drop down and look at the shot with no pool cue in your hand.

Once the subconscious is congruent to what's really going on with your physical routine it's freed to play the game at a higher level......a much higher level because instead of having 70% (for example) of the "mental horsepower" available, you'll have access to more to focus on performing, rather than correcting fundamental errors.

My understanding of the body motions are greatly influenced by my Martial Arts experience, and how the body works together as one unit. Any disconnection of this unit produces some of these unwanted results and will take a process to get the player "back on track". Ultimately the players should feel like they're shooting "out of their chest" if properly aligned and their visual perspective is square to the target.

I know you this process covered, Stan, maybe we can compared notes again in Tunica, I'm sure we've both progressed in our understandings in the past year.

I'm looking forward to seeing your newest DVD, and appreciate what you do for pool and pool players.

Play Well, Givers are Winners :thumbup2:
 
I know what you're doing works, we went though it in Tunica last year and it aligned to what I normally do.
You align to the shot while standing, from a position that is equal to 1/2 tip off of the shot line? You then sweep down into shot, sometimes with a sweep to the left and sometimes with a sweep to the right?


The process of going from the above position to the "down on the shot" position takes a system, and if that {system} deviates it will certainly result in inconsistency. This system should be no more difficult than the system you would use to simply drop down and look at the shot with no pool cue in your hand.
Would sweeping into the shot from an off line position, sometimes from the left and sometimes from the right, produce inconsistant results IYO?
 
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You align to the shot while standing, from a position that is equal to 1/2 tip off of the shot line? You then sweep down into shot, sometimes with a sweep to the left and sometimes with a sweep to the right?



Would sweeping into the shot from an off line position, sometimes from the left and sometimes from the right, produce inconsistant results IYO?


You are leaving out an important variable, the visuals. In CTE PRO ONE the visuals, let's just use the CTE visuals, which are 2 in number.

For any given CTE visual, one sweep could connect with one pocket while the other sweep connects with another pocket. It all depends on the intentions of the CTE player at the table.

Yes, you are correct in that a left sweep gives a different line than a right sweep for a constant visual. That in no way constitutes inconsistency.

An example would be that OBC with CTE and a left sweep cuts right into a corner pocket while the exact visuals with a right sweep connects to the proper line for a 3 in the middle bank shot.

Stan Shuffett
 
(((Satori))) , if you're asking questions that are relevant to the conversation...that is one thing.
If I get any feeling at all that you're just heckling the instructors....I will ban you.


Any questions?
 
I can teach the "notes/technique," it's up to the player to play the music.

You align to the shot while standing, from a position that is equal to 1/2 tip off of the shot line? You then sweep down into shot, sometimes with a sweep to the left and sometimes with a sweep to the right?



Would sweeping into the shot from an off line position, sometimes from the left and sometimes from the right, produce inconsistent results IYO?

One thing Stan cleared up for me was it was ok to come in from the left, I was trying to come straight down on the shot line (on all shots), and it wasn't working very well. When he showed me how he came in from the left and staying on the horizontal plane coming in it rang a bell. For me a lot of my development is remembering what I used to do and why so I can reproduce the results. I can't see myself and video only works so well, although watching some of my old ESPN matches have been very helpful.

This time last year I was still re building my game and had some pieces out of place. After Tunica I started training with some advanced players, then we filmed 'Billiards Inside Secrets', then discussed TOI (Touch of Inside) a few thousand posts on AZ, then filmed the TOI SYSTEM Video and my game shot up to about 90% again. Now the Banking T.I.P.S. video has uncovered a few more key components, I just lack competition to get back to 100%, and that, {these days} is a big hurdle.

Ok, back to the question you had on getting down on the cue ball.....I either come in from the left or go straight down on the shot, I'm not sure about coming in from the right, I could do that, but it's not my preferred method, and it's not something I think about anyway.

The one thing I do stress is to COMPLETE your rotation so you come down over the center of the cue ball. You "can" get away with coming in at an angle, however, I suggest practicing in a very strict fashion and you can ask anyone that trains with me, I DO NOT allow sloppiness in pre shot fundamentals. You MUST hit the cue ball consistently to play this game well, so establishing as much as possible above the ball is prudent. I want to get down on the cue ball "as if" I've already successfully played the shot. "Begin with the End in Mind" - Stephen Covey

I have a way to teach that's basically an "ideal" way of playing that I was shown, then I assist and oversee how the player develops their own way of doing it. There's many variations to how someone players pool, and there's a theme that each of these variations come from. I show the theme and explain in detail how and why it works, answer all questions, and then demonstrate each component in detail.

Then, after a certain period of time (different for everyone) the player "clicks" and understands how to incorporate the correct and effective movements into their own personal way of playing. After all's said and done pool's a way of self expression, I can teach the "notes&technique," it's up to the player to play the music. Because after all 'The Game is the Teacher'
 
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Although Shane says he discovered this on his own shaft aiming methods have been around a long time.

I use a similar system, and I "discovered" it on my own too. Keep in mind, Shane said he discovered it when he was around 9 years old (per the video). Granted I haven't played in about 15 years, but this is a natural extension of "ghost ball". I was first "taught" ghost ball by a friend who showed me the game. He didn't mention it as that, just said imagine the ball is here, and this point where they touch is what you want to replicate. I started with ghost ball and started moving towards aiming points as I practiced, and using the shaft to sight the shot is natural for me. Everything after that is just practice and memorization (which practice is all about). Actually, I still use ghost ball too, especially when it's a shot that I can't remember.

What I found insightful is using the bottom of the object ball, instead of the edges, for aiming in thicker shots.
 
(((Satori))) , if you're asking questions that are relevant to the conversation...that is one thing.
If I get any feeling at all that you're just heckling the instructors....I will ban you.


Any questions?

Message received!

I hear you and I am done arguing in the aiming section. I wouldn't exactly say I argued to my heart's content though.
 
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CJ:

I agree. I have a friend who has a Break-Rak, and in letting people try it, one of the things I noticed is that while I personally focus on having the cue ball pop straight back at me, others seem not to be able to do this. They focus on "smashing" into it, and the cue ball invariably squirts or jets off to the side, bouncing around.

One particular player who plays decent I challenged to have the cue ball either pop back at him, or die somewhere in the middle of the table, and he couldn't do it, even after I asked him to "take a little bit off of it" (back-off on the power and focus on a precise hit). Then, I asked him to do the cue ball lagging drill -- where you lag the cue ball the length of the table and have it come back to the cue tip, say, 5 out of 5 times (after a few practice hits, of course, to make sure he's lined-up). What I found was that he couldn't "find" center ball -- he was cueing the ball off-center, and had altered his aim to compensate. (He was a good ball pocketer, btw -- he could run racks of 9-ball.) In watching his fundamentals, I noticed his alignment was off, but he's a particularly "strong" personality and doesn't take kindly to others critiquing his style. Nor is he open to accepting even friendly/helpful suggestions, even from better players, and even if multiple people all notice the same thing. So he's now "addicted" to the length of the table cue-ball-back-to-the-tip lagging exercise, "determined" to beat it, and he rarely does -- except on that lotto-winning rare occasion when the speed and inadvertent side he puts on the ball are perfectly balanced to score the cue ball back to the tip. Meanwhile, I can walk up to just about any decently set up table, and right out of the gate do this exercise with no problem. He just scratches his head, and when I answer his question of how I'm doing it, when I reply that I'm absolutely hitting center-ball, he exclaims, "I *AM* hitting center ball!!" ::sigh:: :o

There is no replacement for proper fundamentals -- not even an aiming system. While one can build a good game by adaptation and rote (and I suspect that's what the player above did), ultimately, it will come to bite him/her. One will be forever searching for that "panacea" to get him/her off of each plateau.

-Sean

Sean, don't discount the fact that his eyes are wrong. I was shooting spot on the wall shots, unsuccessfully, a few years ago when it was pointed out to me that I was aiming in the wrong place. I thought I was aiming to the same spot as the other players but my eyes were leading me elsewhere. This is another reason pro-one has been so helpful to me as i now get my eyes in the proper alignment for the shots. I feel I played by "adaption and rote" as you call it for quite a long time, glad I'm done with that. You can play decent like that but it is hard to get off your plateau.
 
those that aspire to play their best (those seeking effectiveness, sacrificing some..

CJ:

I agree. I have a friend who has a Break-Rak, and in letting people try it, one of the things I noticed is that while I personally focus on having the cue ball pop straight back at me, others seem not to be able to do this. They focus on "smashing" into it, and the cue ball invariably squirts or jets off to the side, bouncing around.

One particular player who plays decent I challenged to have the cue ball either pop back at him, or die somewhere in the middle of the table, and he couldn't do it, even after I asked him to "take a little bit off of it" (back-off on the power and focus on a precise hit). Then, I asked him to do the cue ball lagging drill -- where you lag the cue ball the length of the table and have it come back to the cue tip, say, 5 out of 5 times (after a few practice hits, of course, to make sure he's lined-up). What I found was that he couldn't "find" center ball -- he was cueing the ball off-center, and had altered his aim to compensate. (He was a good ball pocketer, btw -- he could run racks of 9-ball.) In watching his fundamentals, I noticed his alignment was off, but he's a particularly "strong" personality and doesn't take kindly to others critiquing his style. Nor is he open to accepting even friendly/helpful suggestions, even from better players, and even if multiple people all notice the same thing. So he's now "addicted" to the length of the table cue-ball-back-to-the-tip lagging exercise, "determined" to beat it, and he rarely does -- except on that lotto-winning rare occasion when the speed and inadvertent side he puts on the ball are perfectly balanced to score the cue ball back to the tip. Meanwhile, I can walk up to just about any decently set up table, and right out of the gate do this exercise with no problem. He just scratches his head, and when I answer his question of how I'm doing it, when I reply that I'm absolutely hitting center-ball, he exclaims, "I *AM* hitting center ball!!" ::sigh:: :o

There is no replacement for proper fundamentals -- not even an aiming system. While one can build a good game by adaptation and rote (and I suspect that's what the player above did), ultimately, it will come to bite him/her. One will be forever searching for that "panacea" to get him/her off of each plateau.

-Sean

Yes, proper fundamentals are essential and there's different levels of fundamentals. There's the ones that "feel good" and are "comfortable" and then there's ones that don't feel comfortable (at first) yet are extremely effective and consistent. It's easier to teach others to just "do what's comfortable" however, I firmly believe this will hold them back at some point from reaching full potential.

Were we put on this earth to play pool? I believe the answer is "no," so to think we can play our best and "be comfortable" too is far fetched and from my experience is simply wrong. Playing great pool is not a natural thing or far more players would excel.

Developing the most effective stance and stroke takes some effort, and pain. Some people pull back from this like it's a hot stove and others embrace it because they know in life "no pain, equals no gain," and this is true in many things and pool is no exception.

I went through a few stance/stroke changes in my early career because I was "doing what was comfortable and natural," and even though I still played at a high level I would never have reached my true potential without learning the correct way, and giving up the "comfortable way".

There are two different ways of playing, one's fine for recreational players, (seeking comfort), and the other one is essential for those that aspire to play their best (those seeking effectiveness, sacrificing some short term pain).

'The Game is the Teacher'.com
 
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What's funny is I traveled hundreds of thousands of miles on the road and not once did "aiming systems" come up. We had descriptions of different players, how they played, how much they would bet, what their favorite game is.

You would have thought someone would have been known for their "aiming system," like Buddy, Nick, Rempe, Earl, Efren, Sigel, etc.....and when I heard about "ghost ball systems" I just presumed it was just a term to keep from having to explain something that they couldn't explain.

If does make some sense to a beginner, if that's who you are teacher, I just prefer them to be aligning to a constant point on the object ball AND hitting the cue ball in a particular place. I've always thought in terms of creativity ... "creating the angles between the balls"

CJ, it is funny how road players back in the day never mentioned a aiming system. I was on the road a lot in the 70's and 80's and was around most top players back then and have never heard one player talk of a aiming system, until I came to this site when I started back playing a few years ago. I guess it was the greatest kept secret in history!:D
 
CJ, it is funny how road players back in the day never mentioned a aiming system. I was on the road a lot in the 70's and 80's and was around most top players back then and have never heard one player talk of a aiming system, until I came to this site when I started back playing a few years ago. I guess it was the greatest kept secret in history!:D

Well, back then they thought smoking was healthy for you and lobotomies were considered proper treatment for mental illness

One guy I know ran around with Buddy Hall off and on for years and told me prying pool playing advice out of Buddy during those many hours of driving was like using a plastic spoon to lift a car.

He said Buddy guarded his methods religiously. I don't know if that's true but it's often been said that players didn't give up a lot back in the day. Regarding aiming systems though I remember very clearly that a bunch of us were standing around a table at the SBE 2002 or 2003 and discussing Hal's methods and an old man piped up and said he was taught something similar back in the 60s.

I personally think that the article in the mid 90s done by Pool and Billiard Magazine clearly showed that there were "alternative" methods of aiming out there at least nearly 20 years ago and so we can only assume they go farther back than that. My take on all this is that when you have the ability to discuss endlessly about a subject then invariably just about all that can be known about it will be known at some point. So even if players weren't as forthcoming or even simply didn't use any overt aiming methods at all back in the day, today's players DO use such methods and some of them openly admit to it and talk about it.
 
Well, back then they thought smoking was healthy for you and lobotomies were considered proper treatment for mental illness

One guy I know ran around with Buddy Hall off and on for years and told me prying pool playing advice out of Buddy during those many hours of driving was like using a plastic spoon to lift a car.

He said Buddy guarded his methods religiously. I don't know if that's true but it's often been said that players didn't give up a lot back in the day. Regarding aiming systems though I remember very clearly that a bunch of us were standing around a table at the SBE 2002 or 2003 and discussing Hal's methods and an old man piped up and said he was taught something similar back in the 60s.

I personally think that the article in the mid 90s done by Pool and Billiard Magazine clearly showed that there were "alternative" methods of aiming out there at least nearly 20 years ago and so we can only assume they go farther back than that. My take on all this is that when you have the ability to discuss endlessly about a subject then invariably just about all that can be known about it will be known at some point. So even if players weren't as forthcoming or even simply didn't use any overt aiming methods at all back in the day, today's players DO use such methods and some of them openly admit to it and talk about it.

Good post. I think that the internet and this forum have provided us a way to talk about techniques and systems that you just couldn't get into in a pool room, unless you knew a roadplayer or pro personally and spent a lot of time with them. Casual conversation about techniques is sort of tough to get into when you're playing someone or having a beer with them; but when you're banging around on a keyboard it makes it easier to get into details and debate our various methods/perceptions.

I had a few guys show me some stuff off and on over the years; I was shown TOI 25 years ago after a road player beat my brains in. He saw me spinning all my shots and told me there was a much easier way to run racks...I didn't get it or believe it then, took me this forum to really re-examine it and try it out. I've had pro-speed players show me how to cinch certain shots (using ferule aiming or certain spin shots for specific angles). I don't believe there's anything new under the sun...people have come up with creative ways of presenting techniques that have been around for a long time. I'm sure some top players have avoided getting into discussing their "secrets", but I'm sure they knew then that they weren't secrets they only knew; they saw them in use against them all the time. Some folks don't like examining their own stroke/techniques in detail, for fear their perception of how it works will fall apart, they'll overanalyze it and the magic dust will blow away.....:wink:
 
I did believe up to a yesterday that the Pros' had a secret aiming system. But I couldn't improve believing that. I don't play pool much now but, collision induced throw I didn't know that when I did play a lot. The Pro's stress the fundamentals so you can hit the spot that pockets the ball. I think now they are tell everybody there secrets but nobody is listening. Unless there is a grove for the OB to follow to the pocket the Pros' have to aim and pocket the balls.
 
The TOI Technique was designed to teach a player how this is done

Good post. I think that the internet and this forum have provided us a way to talk about techniques and systems that you just couldn't get into in a pool room, unless you knew a roadplayer or pro personally and spent a lot of time with them. Casual conversation about techniques is sort of tough to get into when you're playing someone or having a beer with them; but when you're banging around on a keyboard it makes it easier to get into details and debate our various methods/perceptions.

I had a few guys show me some stuff off and on over the years; I was shown TOI 25 years ago after a road player beat my brains in. He saw me spinning all my shots and told me there was a much easier way to run racks...I didn't get it or believe it then, took me this forum to really re-examine it and try it out. I've had pro-speed players show me how to cinch certain shots (using ferule aiming or certain spin shots for specific angles). I don't believe there's anything new under the sun...people have come up with creative ways of presenting techniques that have been around for a long time. I'm sure some top players have avoided getting into discussing their "secrets", but I'm sure they knew then that they weren't secrets they only knew; they saw them in use against them all the time. Some folks don't like examining their own stroke/techniques in detail, for fear their perception of how it works will fall apart, they'll overanalyze it and the magic dust will blow away.....:wink:

The TOI Technique has been secretly around for many years....I've been told that Luther Lassiter used something similar, but I never saw him play so I can't be sure.

The Touch of Inside Technique makes a much bigger pocket zone, so those of us that gambled for a living needed this advantage. To capitalize on playing zones you can also "Throw" balls in like Earl Stickland and many other top professionals. This is done with the same principle as TOI, just using spin rather than deflection.

One way or another you have to "work" the cue ball (force it off line) to play at the highest levels. Learning TOI will enable you to do it either way, the obstacle is only in the mind and when we "empty our cup"
Screen_shot_2012-03-30_at_11.44.14_AM.png
for a brief time we can absorb this type of system relatively quickly.

TOI Technique was designed to teach a player how this is done so they can incorporate it into their own game, in their own way. No matter what myself or another champion player shows you it's still essential to DO IT YOUR OWN WAY.......everyone can improve with more understanding of how stance and stroke blend with ball pocketing to increase margin of error.

Playing at a championship level has a lot to do with how we perceive the game, and incorporate {that knowledge} into our own, unique, physical style. 'The Game is our Teacher'
 
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I have practiced TOI since CJ introduced it to the forum.

I like it. TOI has introduced a whole new level of QB control for the game. Ya gotta practice though.

Thanks for sharing

John
 
I have to say I really like the SVB aiming way. It really works for me. Although I learned most things from Dr Dave's book / Vids. We are all different and what works for one person doesnt always work for another. Some of the real pros just feel it without using all the aiming systems. But when I'm shooting I like to see the target rather than focus on a ghost ball spot. Once you get used to the angles 30 , 60 , 90 etc and knowing how to change position of the ferrule I find its so good! Its a bit like martial arts when I was into Jeet Kune Do. Bruce Lee's style. He once said it was different for everybody when teaching. Again what worked for one person didn't always work for another.

The only question I have though is about English on cue ball when using the SVB way. Is it better to pivot to the position on white or aim moving all of the cue to the english position? I know its wrong to steer..... but pivot? Not the same thing!! Thoughts on Pivoting?
 
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