SightRight: Stunned by how good this is

7stud said:
The brain can adapt to misalignment, for example:


I used the paper with the line, and got into my stance, and the paper indicated that my head needed to move to the right. I'm right handed, and I've done one of those vision center tests, and my vision center is about at my left eye. So, I took the paper off the table, got down on my shot, then moved my head further to the right. That doesn't look straight to me. I assume my brain has adapted to my head being too far to the left.

Ordinarily, it seems that I must line up my shot with the cue just to the left of my nose. What advantage is there to retrain my brain to recognize that lining up with the cue under my left eye is straight?
Click to expand...
I’m not going to go into too much detail, because the product they are selling isn’t just the device; it’s the decades of coaching with this method that he’s compiled. The resources take you through a series of steps that demonstrate misalignment, explain why it’s different to just sighting along the baulk line, or bringing your finger to your nose (by the way, he doesn’t believe a diagnosis of a dominant eye necessarily dictates your center of vision relating to cuesports, keyword being necessarily), show how much you may be offline, explain how this affects shots left to right and right to left, and take you through numerous drills and exercises to help you adjust to your ‘sightright’ center of vision.

I will say that I don’t believe just giving someone something that replicates the pocket sightright, or even the sightright device itself, will result in that person figuring out how best to make use of it or apply it their game. I had the joint attachment two years ago. I used it a few times and just put it away. I used the pocket sightright with the resources for 15 minutes and instantly saw the benefit. It’s not just about what you see, it’s about using the knowledge to approach the shot on the correct line. Your high planar and low planar alignment may be different. For example, when i’m standing above the shot, my sightright center is slightly to the right of my navel. When I’m down on the shot, my sightright center is almost dead center of my face. He talks about all these things.

I mean, I’m not shilling these guys. I have nothing to do with them. I was just blown away, after almost 25 years of playing cuesports, that something so simple combined with some knowledge could demonstrate something so dramatic.

In the pool world. it’s easy to dismiss things as useless gadgets because there are so many of them. Remember that this method comes from snooker, where they still use a single piece of ash wood and mainly elk master tips, and the biggest revolution in technology in 40 years has been the introduction of Taom chalk. And the list of names that have found sightright useful is very real; Williams, Ronnie, Bingham, Gilbert, Allen, etc. If you have any interest developing your game, that in itself should be enough to convince you that it’s more than just a straight line with a step in it.
 
Cameron Smith said:
The tool is intended to help you find your vision centre by positioning yourself in such a way that you can see a straight, unbroken line. In snooker they teach that you should stand behind the shot with your head on the line of the shot. This tool is intended to help you understand exactly where your head (and body) should be positioned prior to the shot approach.

Once your are position properly, you are supposed to just drop straight down. Players who struggle with their vision centre are often trying to find the line while they are dropping into their stance.

The two cubes or chalk will show your the line and where your cue goes, but not where your head should be.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the clarification. We can align a cue ball and an object ball dead straight into a corner pocket for the player to learn where their head must be, too. But I like the straight line concept--it's been used for golf in a variety of arenas.
 
BilliardsAbout said:
Thank you for the clarification. We can align a cue ball and an object ball dead straight into a corner pocket for the player to learn where their head must be, too.
Click to expand...
I use a string to align a diagonal corner pocket to corner pocket straight in shot. Then I put stickies directly under the string for the object ball and the cue ball, where the target pocket to the OB and the OB to the CB are equidistant. The string extends off the table, and I put tape under the string down on the floor to mark the shot line for my feet. Ordinarily, I straddle the shot line while standing and put the tip of my cue behind the CB and line up the straight in shot with my cue. I move my eyes from CB to OB then to the target pocket imagining the line the CB and OB will travel. Then I get into my stance, drop down and confirm my aim before shooting. However, the paper version of the SightRight says my head needs to move further to the right. How does the shot line help me to know where my head should be?
 
Last edited:
Shuddy said:
I’m not going to go into too much detail, because the product they are selling isn’t just the device; it’s the decades of coaching with this method that he’s compiled. The resources take you through a series of steps that demonstrate misalignment, explain why it’s different to just sighting along the baulk line, or bringing your finger to your nose (by the way, he doesn’t believe a diagnosis of a dominant eye necessarily dictates your center of vision relating to cuesports, keyword being necessarily), show how much you may be offline, explain how this affects shots left to right and right to left, and take you through numerous drills and exercises to help you adjust to your ‘sightright’ center of vision.

I will say that I don’t believe just giving someone something that replicates the pocket sightright, or even the sightright device itself, will result in that person figuring out how best to make use of it or apply it their game. I had the joint attachment two years ago. I used it a few times and just put it away. I used the pocket sightright with the resources for 15 minutes and instantly saw the benefit. It’s not just about what you see, it’s about using the knowledge to approach the shot on the correct line. Your high planar and low planar alignment may be different. For example, when i’m standing above the shot, my sightright center is slightly to the right of my navel. When I’m down on the shot, my sightright center is almost dead center of my face. He talks about all these things.

I mean, I’m not shilling these guys. I have nothing to do with them. I was just blown away, after almost 25 years of playing cuesports, that something so simple combined with some knowledge could demonstrate something so dramatic.

In the pool world. it’s easy to dismiss things as useless gadgets because there are so many of them. Remember that this method comes from snooker, where they still use a single piece of ash wood and mainly elk master tips, and the biggest revolution in technology in 40 years has been the introduction of Taom chalk. And the list of names that have found sightright useful is very real; Williams, Ronnie, Bingham, Gilbert, Allen, etc. If you have any interest developing your game, that in itself should be enough to convince you that it’s more than just a straight line with a step in it.
Click to expand...
I was intrigued enough I built a little clone to play around with. You are right that the tool itself isn't much good without the videos. It confirmed that my vision center was in the same spot as I found with other methods. And that if I'm not careful getting down on the ball it's easy to get off center.

The camera photos don't show the impact well as there's only one lens.

1654895781135.png
1654895797286.png
 
Shuddy said:
I was just blown away, after almost 25 years of playing cuesports, that something so simple combined with some knowledge could demonstrate something so dramatic.

In the pool world. it’s easy to dismiss things as useless gadgets because there are so many of them.
Click to expand...
I like the fact that it is so simple. I'm suspicious of gadgets that promise a high tech solution, they seem designed to appeal to those looking for shortcuts and magic pills.
 
kling&allen said:
I was intrigued enough I built a little clone to play around with. You are right that the tool itself isn't much good without the videos. It confirmed that my vision center was in the same spot as I found with other methods. And that if I'm not careful getting down on the ball it's easy to get off center.

The camera photos don't show the impact well as there's only one lens.

View attachment 645803View attachment 645804
Click to expand...
Nice 👍 Try the little drill I demonstrated in my video. It’s not about where the cue goes under your chin. It’s about getting comfortable with your cue in front of your body on the correct center of vision. Of course, when standing above the shot, cue on the sightright line, in order to keep your cue on the correct line, you’ll have to step left or right depending on your dominant hand as you get down on the shot. I’ve found it really useful for helping get on the correct line in my preshot. Honestly, I don’t even process it like that. I just know that after doing that little drill for 5 minutes, I feel I’ve been knocking in long balls for 30 minutes.
 
7stud said:
I use a string to align a diagonal corner pocket to corner pocket straight in shot. Then I put stickies directly under the string for the object ball and the cue ball, where the target pocket to the OB and the OB to the CB are equidistant. The string extends off the table, and I put tape under the string down on the floor to mark the shot line for my feet. Ordinarily, I straddle the shot line while standing and put the tip of my cue behind the CB and line up the straight in shot with my cue. I move my eyes from CB to OB then to the target pocket imagining the line the CB and OB will travel. Then I get into my stance, drop down and confirm my aim before shooting. However, the paper version of the SightRight says my head needs to move further to the right. How does the shot line help me to know where my head should be?
Click to expand...
I would say to the student, "Does the shot look perfectly straight now? Because it is aligned that way," and then they or I can adjust their head position until the shot looks correct. Instead of viewing a line as unbroken, they would view a straight shot as perfect straight.
 
Shuddy said:
Nice 👍 Try the little drill I demonstrated in my video. It’s not about where the cue goes under your chin. It’s about getting comfortable with your cue in front of your body on the correct center of vision. Of course, when standing above the shot, cue on the sightright line, in order to keep your cue on the correct line, you’ll have to step left or right depending on your dominant hand as you get down on the shot. I’ve found it really useful for helping get on the correct line in my preshot. Honestly, I don’t even process it like that. I just know that after doing that little drill for 5 minutes, I feel I’ve been knocking in long balls for 30 minutes.
Click to expand...
I can stand up behind the shot and it looks straight. It's getting down on the shot that moves my head one side or the other. I had to fiddle with the getting down process to find out what i needed to do to be lined up after I was down. Part of any error can be the foot placement, and part of it can be the bending over, bending your knees, etc., and it can also be your head is tilted or twisted to one side. There are good players who have crooked heads or twisted bodies, so you can adapt to that, but finding out how you can be comfortable with your bodies particular twists etc., goes a long way to being able to shoot straight.
 
Shuddy said:
Nice 👍 Try the little drill I demonstrated in my video. It’s not about where the cue goes under your chin. It’s about getting comfortable with your cue in front of your body on the correct center of vision.
Click to expand...
So, are you saying that while standing behind the cue you move a little right or a little left of the cue until your vision lines up with the SightRight tool, but then when you get down on the shot, you don't care where you head is relative to the cue--you just do what feels natural? I don't see what the point is of lining up your vision while standing behind the cue, but then not duplicating that alignment with your chin on the cue. Anyone can use a piece of string or a laser to line up a straight shot, then put stickies on the cloth for an object ball and a cue ball, or even draw a diagonal straight line between two corner pockets on the cloth. Put your cue along that line, and that is straight in. Why do I need the SightRight tool for that?

I don't understand your statement, "It’s not about where the cue goes under your chin." I thought the whole purpose of lining up your vision while standing was so that you can determine where to line up your chin with the cue when you are down on the shot.
 
Last edited:
7stud said:
So, are you saying that while standing behind the cue you move a little right or a little left of the cue until your vision lines up with the SightRight tool, but then when you get down on the shot, you don't care where you head is relative to the cue--you just do what feels natural? I don't see what the point is of lining up your vision while standing behind the cue, but then not duplicating that alignment with your chin on the cue. Anyone can use a piece of string or a laser to line up a straight shot, then put stickies on the cloth for an object ball and a cue ball, or even draw a diagonal straight line between two corner pockets on the cloth. Put your cue along that line, and that is straight in. Why do I need the SightRight tool for that?

I don't understand your statement, "It’s not about where the cue goes under your chin." I thought the whole purpose of lining up your vision while standing was so that you can determine where to line up your chin with the cue when you are down on the shot.
Click to expand...

I don't know the proper way to use it, but with my test version I can see it when down on the cue ball or even as I'm moving to get down. The later is helpful as you can tell when you are going off center as you move from standing to bent.

There are 99 reasons why I miss shots, and maybe only 10 relate to alignment, so this tool might be better for players who have already solved their major stroke problems (like shuddy).
 
middleofnowhere said:
I don't know if this thing works but I'll tell you something from a zillion years of being in the pool room and a lot of those years sitting behind a counter watching amateurs and beginners play.

Players not being lined up on the shot is so prevalent, you can sit there and predict when they're going to miss. I've even seen it with experience players that for one reason or another they approached the shot and you can turn to the person next to you and say this guy's going to miss this shot.

You can just see the guy is not lined up on the shot from your vantage point and sure enough the guy misses. Sometimes I think the player doesn't see what he thinks he sees.

I remember a funny thing one time we are at a tournament and Steve mizerak was playing. He was shooting at a corner pocket right in our direction, and my wife says out of the corner of her mouth he's not even going to come close to this shot.

She says he doesn't even look like he's aiming at the pocket. Sure enough he hit the ball about 2 in into the rail from the corner pocket. And this was the great Steve mizerak.

A lot of lining up on a shot has to do with how you actually move around the table and approach the shot so that you end up in the right position every time.

I used to see this with Danny D all the time. He has kind of a stumbly type of walk like Groucho Marx and he would sometimes approach a shot come down on the shot and literally twist his body to get lined up.

I used to wonder how he was such a good player as he was sometimes the way he played.
Click to expand...
Do you know Danny, I miss seeing and listening to him on the mic, He was a treat to pool games... Guy
 
Guy Manges said:
Do you know Danny, I miss seeing and listening to him on the mic, He was a treat to pool games... Guy
Click to expand...
Yea, I just did the math I have known him about 56 years. We have played a lot. It's funny, if you play with a player that has quirks you can pick them up.

I used to run around with a guy, a good player. He commented I was beginning to play like Danny. I was stroking and beginning to stand like him. It was not for the better.

I am very smooth and play mostly effortless. Danny plays kind of intense. I had to make an effort to shake it and be myself.
Here is a pretty good video of him. You will see what I am talking about.

 
7stud said:
So, are you saying that while standing behind the cue you move a little right or a little left of the cue until your vision lines up with the SightRight tool, but then when you get down on the shot, you don't care where you head is relative to the cue--you just do what feels natural? I don't see what the point is of lining up your vision while standing behind the cue, but then not duplicating that alignment with your chin on the cue. Anyone can use a piece of string or a laser to line up a straight shot, then put stickies on the cloth for an object ball and a cue ball, or even draw a diagonal straight line between two corner pockets on the cloth. Put your cue along that line, and that is straight in. Why do I need the SightRight tool for that?

I don't understand your statement, "It’s not about where the cue goes under your chin." I thought the whole purpose of lining up your vision while standing was so that you can determine where to line up your chin with the cue when you are down on the shot.
Click to expand...
Ok, to answer the first part. This was in relation to the drill I showed in the video. I don’t think anyone would argue against having your head in the correct position when lining up a shot. The point of the drill is to get comfortable with what that position is, confirming that position using the sightright, then shifting over to actual shot, replicating that feeling, and reproducing it. This particular drill isn’t about the cue under your chin. It’s about getting comfortable with having your cue on the correct line.

As I mentioned, the resources that come with the sightright also make a distinction between high planar and low planar center of vision. They may be different for each player.

To the second part, re. using a piece of string and donuts and a gear system powered by steam. Sure, if you feel you can replicate that with all those things, I’m not going to stop you. I’m not going to stop anyone doing anything. However, in all things I’ve sought to excel at in life, I’ve found the most convenient method of effective practice to yield the best results. The pocket sightright can literally fit in your pocket, and no one would even ask if you’re happy to see them. Got 5 minutes to work on your preshot routine? Pull out the sightright from your cue bag, or spend 10 minutes setting up a pulley system for a similar yet less effective solution. By the way, your solution doesn’t actually show error as well as the sightright.
 
middleofnowhere said:
Yea, I just did the math I have known him about 56 years. We have played a lot. It's funny, if you play with a player that has quirks you can pick them up.

I used to run around with a guy, a good player. He commented I was beginning to play like Danny. I was stroking and beginning to stand like him. It was not for the better.

I am very smooth and play mostly effortless. Danny plays kind of intense. I had to make an effort to shake it and be myself.
Here is a pretty good video of him. You will see what I am talking about.

Click to expand...
Thank you Mid for that, Thats about the last time I listened to a game being called. I don't listen to the games anymore, mainly because I don't watch pool to learn. This is why the production is so important to me because I can get into the game with the players. I watched Danny's YouTube about him needing help a while back but I had no money to send him for help, I prayed he would be okay and didn't hear back from them one way or another. If you see him tell him for me that he is one of my favorites, I pray you guys on and on... Guy
 
kling&allen said:
I was intrigued enough I built a little clone to play around with. You are right that the tool itself isn't much good without the videos. It confirmed that my vision center was in the same spot as I found with other methods. And that if I'm not careful getting down on the ball it's easy to get off center.

The camera photos don't show the impact well as there's only one lens.

View attachment 645803View attachment 645804
Click to expand...
I guess thats why pool is such a game of adjustments for the individual, so many adjustments... See those little squares on the blue cloth, have you ever counted them on a 9 ft table and how many times would a ball set on one of those squares, ball placement has to be in the hundreds of millions, adjustments wow...
 
Tennesseejoe said:
Can SightRight be useful for a player blind in one eye?
Click to expand...
I think Steve Feeney actually mentioned players with sight in one eye. I can only imagine it would be useful because it will still help you establish your true vision center while approaching the shot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top