Simple aiming system

Mensabum

Well-known member
Let me preface this by saying I've just recently started playing again after a 30 year hiatus. Relatively new member here. Many things have come out since I stopped playing, some I haven't even heard about. When I read posts about aiming systems, ghost balls, % of cue ball cuts, etc, it's like Chinese arithmetic. No wonder new players are confused!!
I post this system in the hopes that it gives new players a sound footing to start with. Works w older players as well, but most have their own way of aiming and won't change horses. Whatever works for you.
If this system has been posted elsewhere, I haven't seen nor heard about it yet, which I thot odd. I apologize if it has been and I'm simply regurgitating something. I started using this system in 1975, So, without further adieu...

Draw a line thru the object ball to the pocket.
Draw another line to the face of the cue ball from the pocket. This is where mine differs. The point on the cue ball where the line hits must contact the point on the object ball where the line comes thru. Those two points are the contact points you need to connect to pocket the ball. You can use your cuestick to draw the lines if necessary.
Once you get a feel for how this is done, and it's simple and easy to visualize, you won't need the lines anymore. You'll just know where to hit the shot by putting the spots made by the lines together. Mathematically precise and works w English as well.
As previously mentioned, I've seen many systems utilizing a line method, but never the 2nd line. That's the only reason I posted my system. It's worked very well for me over the years and I've never heard of a system that was easier, more accurate and as simple to learn as mine.
If I haven't explained this well enuf for some to visualize, I can try to upload a drawing or something, if that would help. It's pretty self explanatory though.
Forgive my explanation if it came across muddied. Not the systems fault, but my own.
My only intention here is to help people play better pool. Simple as that. Thanks for reading my post.👍🏻
 

Jaden

"no buds chill"
Silver Member
Let me preface this by saying I've just recently started playing again after a 30 year hiatus. Relatively new member here. Many things have come out since I stopped playing, some I haven't even heard about. When I read posts about aiming systems, ghost balls, % of cue ball cuts, etc, it's like Chinese arithmetic. No wonder new players are confused!!
I post this system in the hopes that it gives new players a sound footing to start with. Works w older players as well, but most have their own way of aiming and won't change horses. Whatever works for you.
If this system has been posted elsewhere, I haven't seen nor heard about it yet, which I thot odd. I apologize if it has been and I'm simply regurgitating something. I started using this system in 1975, So, without further adieu...

Draw a line thru the object ball to the pocket.
Draw another line to the face of the cue ball from the pocket. This is where mine differs. The point on the cue ball where the line hits must contact the point on the object ball where the line comes thru. Those two points are the contact points you need to connect to pocket the ball. You can use your cuestick to draw the lines if necessary.
Once you get a feel for how this is done, and it's simple and easy to visualize, you won't need the lines anymore. You'll just know where to hit the shot by putting the spots made by the lines together. Mathematically precise and works w English as well.
As previously mentioned, I've seen many systems utilizing a line method, but never the 2nd line. That's the only reason I posted my system. It's worked very well for me over the years and I've never heard of a system that was easier, more accurate and as simple to learn as mine.
If I haven't explained this well enuf for some to visualize, I can try to upload a drawing or something, if that would help. It's pretty self explanatory though.
Forgive my explanation if it came across muddied. Not the systems fault, but my own.
My only intention here is to help people play better pool. Simple as that. Thanks for reading my post.👍🏻
There are many systems that utilize this premise. It is an accurate premise.

Jaden
 

slide13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Maybe I'm misunderstanding but this doesn't seem to work to me. Here is a diagram of a 1 ball to cut into the corner pocket, a ghost ball showing where the cue needs to contact it to make it. And then the cue where it's at with a line to the pocket. The point where that line intersects the cue ball is not at all close to where the actual contact point needs to be as evidenced by the ghost ball visualization.

Have I misunderstood the premise here?


screenshot-pad.chalkysticks.com-2024.06.12-14_06_42.png
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Maybe I'm misunderstanding but this doesn't seem to work to me. Here is a diagram of a 1 ball to cut into the corner pocket, a ghost ball showing where the cue needs to contact it to make it. And then the cue where it's at with a line to the pocket. The point where that line intersects the cue ball is not at all close to where the actual contact point needs to be as evidenced by the ghost ball visualization.

Have I misunderstood the premise here?


View attachment 762458
No, you haven't misunderstood - the OP did.

It doesn't work because it's geometrically incorrect. This "system" has been debunked here more than once before.

pj
chgo
 

heater451

Registered
Welcome back to the game!

Your system is very similar to the parallel aiming system, of which example graphics can be found on Dr. Dave's site: https://billiards.colostate.edu/faq/aiming/contact-point/

I cannot think if a specific example, but my initial thought is that using the line from the pocket to the cue ball with fail in some cases, due to the angles to each ball generating a different "slice" size--slightly larger on the cue ball. But for many shots it would work well--and I like the simplicity! Also, the difference in the contact points/sections may be offset by the point to actually be a contact arc, which is what I consider the "margin of error" which is the inverse of the "cheating the pocket" concept.
 

fan-tum

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let me preface this by saying I've just recently started playing again after a 30 year hiatus. Relatively new member here. Many things have come out since I stopped playing, some I haven't even heard about. When I read posts about aiming systems, ghost balls, % of cue ball cuts, etc, it's like Chinese arithmetic. No wonder new players are confused!!
I post this system in the hopes that it gives new players a sound footing to start with. Works w older players as well, but most have their own way of aiming and won't change horses. Whatever works for you.
If this system has been posted elsewhere, I haven't seen nor heard about it yet, which I thot odd. I apologize if it has been and I'm simply regurgitating something. I started using this system in 1975, So, without further adieu...

Draw a line thru the object ball to the pocket.
Draw another line to the face of the cue ball from the pocket. This is where mine differs. The point on the cue ball where the line hits must contact the point on the object ball where the line comes thru. Those two points are the contact points you need to connect to pocket the ball. You can use your cuestick to draw the lines if necessary.
Once you get a feel for how this is done, and it's simple and easy to visualize, you won't need the lines anymore. You'll just know where to hit the shot by putting the spots made by the lines together. Mathematically precise and works w English as well.
As previously mentioned, I've seen many systems utilizing a line method, but never the 2nd line. That's the only reason I posted my system. It's worked very well for me over the years and I've never heard of a system that was easier, more accurate and as simple to learn as mine.
If I haven't explained this well enuf for some to visualize, I can try to upload a drawing or something, if that would help. It's pretty self explanatory though.
Forgive my explanation if it came across muddied. Not the systems fault, but my own.
My only intention here is to help people play better pool. Simple as that. Thanks for reading my post.👍🏻
Please post a drawing!
 

Jaden

"no buds chill"
Silver Member
Either you or I misunderstood the explanation. The way I understood it gives a very inaccurate line.
He's describing the parallel line system of cp to cp line up from what I'm gathering.

It's the same as the similar concept but less difinitively accurate numbering system that joe promotes.

Everyone knows where the cp on the ob is, it's a line intersecting the OB directly from the pocket through the ball.

A parallel line to that line intersecting the center of the CB will show the CP on the front of that CB that needs to be matched up with the OB's CP to get an aim line.

Now, once you find that line, to ACTUALLY get the aimline, you would then need to parallel shift from that line to a line through the center of the CB, but that would then give you a correct and accurate aimline.

Jaden
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
He's describing the parallel line system of cp to cp line up from what I'm gathering.
...
I don't think that's what he's describing. The way I read his post is that he has two points:

The point on the object ball farthest from the pocket.​
The point on the cue ball closest to the pocket.​

He says to send the point on the cue ball directly towards the point on the object ball.
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
He's describing the parallel line system of cp to cp line up from what I'm gathering.

It's the same as the similar concept but less difinitively accurate numbering system that joe promotes.

Everyone knows where the cp on the ob is, it's a line intersecting the OB directly from the pocket through the ball.

A parallel line to that line intersecting the center of the CB will show the CP on the front of that CB that needs to be matched up with the OB's CP to get an aim line.

Now, once you find that line, to ACTUALLY get the aimline, you would then need to parallel shift from that line to a line through the center of the CB, but that would then give you a correct and accurate aimline.

Jaden
this diagram is what you describe i think
contact  POINT TO CONTAct point 2.png
 

heater451

Registered
here is more to what @Jaden said (i think)
View attachment 762466
To me, what he is describing would be a triangle in your graphic--with the long red line connecting to the end of the yellow line, in the pocket. As I posted earlier, this is similar but not the same, and is off by difference between the point where your (long-red) line intercepts the cueball (pocket side), and where the described/triangle-leg line would intercept the cueball.

It's possible that this just gets close enough to the correct point, and the OP somewhat unconsciously accounts for the difference.
 

slide13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's possible that this just gets close enough to the correct point, and the OP somewhat unconsciously accounts for the difference.

This is precisely what I think happens with these "systems" that don't actually make sense based on the actual physics/geometry of what's going on here. It works for some people because their mind is unconsciously making adjustments to just make the ball through experience/practice with real world results.

If it works for some people that's great, but not a system that should be taught/promoted IMO.
 

bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
To me, what he is describing would be a triangle in your graphic--with the long red line connecting to the end of the yellow line, in the pocket. As I posted earlier, this is similar but not the same, and is off by difference between the point where your (long-red) line intercepts the cueball (pocket side), and where the described/triangle-leg line would intercept the cueball.

It's possible that this just gets close enough to the correct point, and the OP somewhat unconsciously accounts for the difference.
i dont follow you...sorry
and when you said HE above you mean the op not jaden ....correct?
 

nataddrho

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think the OP is describing incorrect geometry. but for him, he is correcting for the incorrectness without knowing he is doing so, and the description no longer describes the action.
 

Jaden

"no buds chill"
Silver Member
One way that helps me to visualize it is to draw a rectangle with the parallel lines and the tangent lines and then draw a line connecting the corners of the rectangle.

Or you can visualize a triangle with the tangent line and the parallel lines.

Jaden

p.s. I'll have to go back through and read the ops post to see if this is truly what he's referring to.
 
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heater451

Registered
i dont follow you...sorry
and when you said HE above you mean the op not jaden ....correct?
Yes--I actually had also typed "he" in the last sentence, and changed that reference, but didn't go back and correct the first instance.

I also probably should have used "subconsciously", and not "unconsciously". :/
 
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