Here is Sharivari's take on this standard system...
Sharivari demos the ghost ball aiming system
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
Good clear presentation.
I wouldn’t say, as he does, that it “doesn’t work” with spin - I’d say that it shows the non-spin aim from which to adjust for spin effects.
pj
chgo
I wouldn’t say, as he does, that it “doesn’t work” with spin - I’d say that it shows the non-spin aim from which to adjust for spin effects.
pj
chgo
I like the way he stresses to look at where the aim line is pointed in reference to the 9ball. Don't just line up to the ghostball and then fire at that spot as soon as your practice parter moves it out of the way. Pay attention to where you're aiming on the ob, or in reference to the ob. This incorporates fractional or proportional type visuals that help with recognizing cb-ob relationships.
When he uses the planted tip at the estimated gb center, then rotates the cue so that it's over the cb, here's a good way to get a very good estimate without guessing so much....
Look down the shaft with the tip planted in line with the shot as he shows. If your ferrule is 1 inch, simple match that distance with the gap between your tip and the ball. In other words, from a standing perspective, look down at the shaft and adjust the tip position so that the amount/distance of cloth showing between the tip and the ball matches, visually, the length of the ferrule. This ends up being fairly accurate.
But then, once you get your cue in line over the cb, pay attention to where that aim line goes in reference to the ob itself, instead of some imaginary ghostball center or invisible spot on the cloth. By giving your mind a more concrete visual reference, like the actual ball you're aiming to hit, you'll develop good shot recognition much quicker.
When he uses the planted tip at the estimated gb center, then rotates the cue so that it's over the cb, here's a good way to get a very good estimate without guessing so much....
Look down the shaft with the tip planted in line with the shot as he shows. If your ferrule is 1 inch, simple match that distance with the gap between your tip and the ball. In other words, from a standing perspective, look down at the shaft and adjust the tip position so that the amount/distance of cloth showing between the tip and the ball matches, visually, the length of the ferrule. This ends up being fairly accurate.
But then, once you get your cue in line over the cb, pay attention to where that aim line goes in reference to the ob itself, instead of some imaginary ghostball center or invisible spot on the cloth. By giving your mind a more concrete visual reference, like the actual ball you're aiming to hit, you'll develop good shot recognition much quicker.
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Golf tee is better imo.
For those who don't know that "The Arrow" is, that would be Cranfield's Arrow. If it was important enough to Babe Cranfield that he considered writing a whole book about it, maybe you should check it out. It is a way of working on the "inch and an eighth" system which some might consider the same as the ghost ball.
There is a sheet full of them on Dr. Dave's site. Here you go: https://billiards.colostate.edu/resource_files/Cranfield_arrow.pdf
This is what the sheet looks like:
![CropperCapture[682].png](https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachments/croppercapture-682-png.595047/ "CropperCapture[682].png")
There is a sheet full of them on Dr. Dave's site. Here you go: https://billiards.colostate.edu/resource_files/Cranfield_arrow.pdf
This is what the sheet looks like:
If you drop a line from the contact point to the cloth and then out the same distance along the shot line, there's your GB location. Right isosceles triangle on its side.
Bump for Cranfield's arrow, which does the same thing as some recently mentioned devices at a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost.