bulldogpool
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Can you recommend a simple aiming drill to improve my aim? I'm an absolute beginner so I find most drills to be too focused on position play when I can't even make the ball go in. :embarrassed2:
Simple aiming drill?
- Thread starter bulldogpool
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Set up a simple straight in shot. After you can make it consistently, increase the angle just a bit and do the same thing. Keep doing that and you should see some improvement. There are plenty of free videos on Youtube dedicated to aim/alignment for beginner's.
Set up a straight in shot for the side pocket. Easy shot, like 1 diamond distance between CB and OB, and between OB and pocket. Then move the CB a few inches to change the angle. Keep shooting and moving the CB a little more. Do it from both sides of the OB. You can even mark the table with donuts and keep score if you like. The more you do this, your eyes/mind/body will develop a feel for the particular shot.
As you progress, you can set up the same shots and hit them at different speeds and different spins, and relearn the shot for each variable.
As you progress, you can set up the same shots and hit them at different speeds and different spins, and relearn the shot for each variable.
You can make your own fairly easy. Since the table has diamonds, its basically just a huge grid.
Go 1 diamond out from the corner pocket, then 1 diamond down. Put the object ball here. Now either go 1 diamond below that or 1 diamond off the side of that. Practice shots with the cue ball on this diamond line from all diamond and half diamond points until you are comfortable with them all. Learn them will all types of spin. Keep leaving the object ball at this point, and move the cue ball to where you've learned every shot with the cue ball in the different positions.
Once you've master that, guess what, move the object ball over a half diamond or a full diamond......etc etc.
With the table set up as a grid you can easily keep yourself busy just practicing ball pocketing for a year or more doing only this.
I agree with this, do whats most comfortable to you in order to pocket the ball. Aiming systems will drive you crazy.
Hold on ... hold on. You say you're a beginner, then lets start at the beginning.
Put the CB on the headspot, get in your stance, shoot the CB over the footspot. Stay down on your stroke and have the CB rebound directly into your cue tip.
Do this 10 times ... report back on how many times you got it to come straight back. :thumbup:
Put the CB on the headspot, get in your stance, shoot the CB over the footspot. Stay down on your stroke and have the CB rebound directly into your cue tip.
Do this 10 times ... report back on how many times you got it to come straight back. :thumbup:
nice advice 3andstop!
Better variation of this is setting two balls on the line between side pockets to form the "gate", 2 balls distance in between. Then start to practice lag shot through the gate trying to hit the whitey on vertical axis. If you apply any unintended spin the cue ball will tell your mistake asap
Practice this until you can repeat the shot 10 times in a row. Then... narrow the gate to 1,5 balls size 
Better variation of this is setting two balls on the line between side pockets to form the "gate", 2 balls distance in between. Then start to practice lag shot through the gate trying to hit the whitey on vertical axis. If you apply any unintended spin the cue ball will tell your mistake asap
Practice this until you can repeat the shot 10 times in a row. Then... narrow the gate to 1,5 balls size Give the arrow a try. Just stroke the CB such that it's contact patch, where the ball meets the table, rolls over the point. You can use the top of the CB to kinda sight to the point.
http://books.google.com/books?id=dK...EwAQ#v=onepage&q=babe cranfield arrow&f=false
Understand one thing, learning to play pool is all about trial and error. There is no system or style of play that eliminates this.
http://books.google.com/books?id=dK...EwAQ#v=onepage&q=babe cranfield arrow&f=false
Understand one thing, learning to play pool is all about trial and error. There is no system or style of play that eliminates this.
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Try this.
Set this shot up and what you want to do is use back of the ball aiming.
Where the contact point is go straight down to the table.You focus on the table not the ball.Site to this spot and go at this shot with right, left and center at different speeds.You will start to get an understanding what makes its and what doesn't.Start changing the distance an angle .This may look very simple but it will start to teach you what you need to know..
Hope this helps You.
Anthony
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You can also check out ForceFollow's drills. Here's one to start with similar to the drill above. :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvw04nMx-I0
He has plenty of other drills that you might consider reviewing as well.
JoeyA