I find it helps a lot on shots that I routinely mis-aim on. Maybe it's just because I'm actually paying close attention to the shot, but I do feel I can see the aim better with chin on cue.
Should your Chin be on the Stick, or what's comfortable for you?
- Thread starter LeftyIke
- Start date
Eye sight (Basic) has 2 parts;
Central vision and Peripheral vision.
In shot making, Central vision is King.
In cue ball travel (shape) Peripheral vision is how your mind checks the actual outcome against what the mental picture was before the shot.
ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE A COMPLETE MENTAL PICTURE OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO, DOES Central vision come into play...
Central vision checks where the tip contacts the cue ball and the cue ball track to the aim point...then Peripheral vision keeps track of the cue ball path/travel to where it stops...
Moving your chin {down} toward the shaft focuses the Central vision on that part of the shot.
Raising your chin {up} above the shaft allows the Peripheral vision to better give feedback to the brain (mental picture vs. shot outcome) in real time.
_____
[head does NOT move, eyes do NOT MOVE]
{Central vision does NOT MOVE, Peripheral vison follows the cue ball path}
set up a shot that you make 80% of the time
then send the cue ball to a target that is 1/2 table away.
vary your height above the shaft until:
you can make the shot and watch getting the shape 80% of the time
that is as low as you need to get.
_____
set up a shot that you make 80% of the time
then send the cue ball to a target that is a table length away
vary your height above the shaft until:
you can make the shot and watch getting the shape 80% of the time.
that is as high as you need to get.
[head does NOT move, eyes do NOT MOVE]
{Central vision does NOT MOVE, Peripheral vison follows the cue ball path}
_____
some of the best source books with pictures of the Games Greatest players
{in their shooting stance} is by Eddie Robin,
"Winning One-Pocket"//"Shots, Moves and Strategies" and "Position Play in 3 Cushion Billiards"
[Thanks Mr. Robin]
========
in the words of Eddie Taylor
"Hay Kid, 8 and out always wins"
Central vision and Peripheral vision.
In shot making, Central vision is King.
In cue ball travel (shape) Peripheral vision is how your mind checks the actual outcome against what the mental picture was before the shot.
ONLY AFTER YOU HAVE A COMPLETE MENTAL PICTURE OF WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO, DOES Central vision come into play...
Central vision checks where the tip contacts the cue ball and the cue ball track to the aim point...then Peripheral vision keeps track of the cue ball path/travel to where it stops...
Moving your chin {down} toward the shaft focuses the Central vision on that part of the shot.
Raising your chin {up} above the shaft allows the Peripheral vision to better give feedback to the brain (mental picture vs. shot outcome) in real time.
_____
[head does NOT move, eyes do NOT MOVE]
{Central vision does NOT MOVE, Peripheral vison follows the cue ball path}
set up a shot that you make 80% of the time
then send the cue ball to a target that is 1/2 table away.
vary your height above the shaft until:
you can make the shot and watch getting the shape 80% of the time
that is as low as you need to get.
_____
set up a shot that you make 80% of the time
then send the cue ball to a target that is a table length away
vary your height above the shaft until:
you can make the shot and watch getting the shape 80% of the time.
that is as high as you need to get.
[head does NOT move, eyes do NOT MOVE]
{Central vision does NOT MOVE, Peripheral vison follows the cue ball path}
_____
some of the best source books with pictures of the Games Greatest players
{in their shooting stance} is by Eddie Robin,
"Winning One-Pocket"//"Shots, Moves and Strategies" and "Position Play in 3 Cushion Billiards"
[Thanks Mr. Robin]
========
in the words of Eddie Taylor
"Hay Kid, 8 and out always wins"
skiergd011013
Well-known member
I just started doing this, after 20 years of playing. Felt a little awkward at first, but i took video of myself last night, and it looks like very good form. I have an issue (although allison fisher herself told me its not a problem, during a lesson with her) with my head moving during warm up strokes. Touching the cue to my chin solved it. The issue i have is, anytime i use a closed bridge, i cannot see over my bridge to the cue tip/cueball, if the cue is touching my chin. How do you deal with this? Just raise head up for those shots?
Last edited:
skiergd011013
Well-known member
those that put their chin on the cue end up getting back problems later in life. part of the reason older players dont get so low on the shots as their backs dont let them do that for hours at a time.
the old saying pay me some now or pay me a lot more later. applies.
the old saying pay me some now or pay me a lot more later. applies.
skiergd011013
Well-known member
Ive been experimenting with this for the last few months, and my game has noticeably suffered. I started doing it because during stroking, my head moves a little bit. (Allison fisher said during a lesson that it is not a problem). I figured resting my chin on the cue would stop that, which it did. Im going to stop doing the chin thing. The normal way i have always shot, my chin is an inch or so above the cue.
can they do a maximum break?
or run 20 in 3c?
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
Changing one thing in a setup can affect many others. Could be that getting that little bit lower changed something somewhere else.
Could also be that you simply see the game better from your familiar vantage point.
The second reason is why I struggle getting my head way up off the cue as a low stance player. I tried playing more upright and found that not only is it easier for my mechanics to break down but even more importantly, my perception of angles is off. Shots look different. I managed to get my head maybe an inch or two tops off the cue where I can still see shots like I'm accustomed to so that's where I play from now. But if my body could handle it, I'd have my chin right on the cue.
To each his own. If you gave it a few months and it's worse for you, it's unlikely to still be the 'gets worse before it gets better' phase. FWIW, I used to wear glasses but now wear contacts and can tell my eye pattern on video even from behind because my head bobs slightly. I agree with Allison Fisher....it's not an issue as long as you are dead still when it matters.
it shouldn't matter if your head moves or not. if your stroke is straight all the time then the cue ball goes where you aimed.
so ingraining a straight stroke, and making sure where you aim is on the right spot on the cue ball and object ball for that shot.
so ingraining a straight stroke, and making sure where you aim is on the right spot on the cue ball and object ball for that shot.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
It def matters a ton if head moves on delivery. It just doesn't matter if it does on pre-strokes.
Eyes are the guidance system, if they are moving, your straight stroke won't stay straight. Closed eyes, no problem, stays straight. Eyes on wrong spot or moving around effectively making the target seem like it's moving, and your subconscious will try to correct to target and your stroke will swerve.
But ye, on pre-strokes, a lil head bob doesn't hurt. I had no idea I was even doing mine it's so subtle till I saw it on video.
Mostly its your eye position in relation to the cue that is most important.
Everyone's best position is a little different.
Shoot the straight in shot.
When it goes in easy from short distance and long distance note where the cue is in
relationship to your eye and that is where you need it to be always,
(whether or not your chin is touching the cue stick)--that is your preferred Vision Center.
For those interested, there are simple, accurate, and reliable procedures to find and test your vision center (and to separate vision center issues from stroking issues) in this video: