Actually, John, you are misquoting me. Those folks that responded with 70 and 100+ runs were Gerry Williams, Stan Shuffett, and Duke (DTL). These are existing straight pool players who were already playing at a high level. Where I was trying to target that comment -- but you're opportunistically taking it out of context -- was at the general aiming system "connoiseur" who posts here, who 1.) plays just short-rack rotation or 8-ball on a daily basis, and 2.) thinks that one must keep the intricacies of aiming "front-loaded" into his/her conscious memory *at all times*, *on every shot*.
Let's be clear: the challenge (if you want to call it that -- but it's also echoed by Shaun Wilkie, and I included a video link that was link-cheated to the exact spot where Shaun offers this challenge) was issued to your average everyday short-rack rotation player who can get away with "front-loading" the intricacies of aiming into their conscious/analytical mind on every shot, and gets to "rest" or "mentally reset" on every break shot. So wildcard breakshot, 8/9/10 balls, and rest. Another wildcard breakshot, 8/9/10 more balls, and rest. Etc., etc. It's a test to show people that in order to run a lot of balls *consecutively* -- where the breakshot into each rack is itself a *called shot* -- you have to sink that aiming stuff into your subconscious if you want to maintain any hope of having mental capacity to analyze patterns correctly and execute them to have any hope of getting "on" the next rack, breakshot-wise. There is no "rest" or "mental reset" time in straight pool.
And the challenge still hasn't been met, btw. I'm talking your average "exclusively short-rack rotation or 8-ball" player who never has to worry about long-term ball pocketing without a miss. That challenge of 29 is still out there, and hasn't been met.
Does that help clarify it?
-Sean
You said you wanted to see people consciously AIMING and running a lot of balls. THEN you said just 29 referring to Shaun's challenge. Well, the long run with conscious attention and calling out of the aiming has been met admirably.
Please don't play word games. Just don't. Duckie is COMPLETELY wrong here and you know it and you are supporting him and Allen.
The POINT is that people are reporting improvement and SHOWING it.
Duckie can't handle it and it's DAMN shame that DTL has to even say that he won't mention "aiming" when talking about his run in the 14.1 section.
I was run off the one pocket board because I excitedly tried to talk about how better aiming helped my one pocket game.
I don't get it. I don't understand the flat out opposition to someone saying that they learned to aim better and them giving that credit for improving.
It's like it's pathological in some people that they have to find EVERY OTHER POSSIBLE reason for improvement than aiming. So what if a person was already a good straight pool player?
When an already good straight pool player shows improvement then you can assume that he already knows the patterns, already has a decent stroke and that IF they tell you it's because of the aiming then it's because of the aiming. In fact when a good straight pool player says I broke my own personal best three times in the last couple weeks all over 100 then that should be an even STRONGER testimonial than seeing a rotation player run 30 balls.
Edit: You have me thinking that I can't remember anything.
So here is what you said: Relevant part bolded and red.
1. "
Additionally, what would be truly interesting -- and to me, the "acid test" -- would be someone posting a high run in 14.1. The highest run I've seen by a known pivot-based aiming user, is Landon Shuffett's 140-ball run last year (or was it the year before? Can't recall...).
Don't get me wrong -- pocketing balls is pocketing balls regardless of the aiming system used -- but I do think aiming system aficionados spend entirely too much time thinking about this.
Straight pool is about getting into a rhythm, where you DON'T THINK ABOUT AIMING, and instead focus on patterns as you pick the balls off the table. The way I see most aiming system aficionados here, it's like every shot involves the conscious mind -- "thought" is placed into aiming -- rather than let the subconscious take that task and do what it does best: repeat/playback a repetitive task.
While you can get away with that in short-rack rotation -- "think" about aiming on every shot, and then "reset" yourself with the breakshot for each rack -- if you do that in straight pool (i.e. "think" about aiming) you set yourself up for a MISS. If not now, then on the next shot. Or the next. Or, you fubar your patterns because you used the wrong part of your brain to do this repetitive task. Straight pool's long term shot-making longevity will GET YOU if you are not forcing that aiming into the background.
I'm probably going to catch flack for this, but I do think there are certain parts of the game, certain skills, where you need to take the harnesses off and just flap your wings and FLY.
-Sean "
And 2. "Ok, for *this* one, I'll bite. I'll stick my neck out, and say you have it backwards. Shooting a shot in pool, fundamentals and aiming included, is a repeatable task. Do you think about aiming when throwing a baseball? I would venture to say you don't. You just throw the ball -- your subconscious takes care of the aim part.
Put it another way. For *how long* can you think about everything? For how long can you have your conscious mind engaged in the minutiae of shooting pool? A couple/three racks, or maybe even a set of 9-ball? Sure. But 50/60/70...100 balls in straight pool? I Don't Think So(TM). At some point, you are going to HAVE to relegate all those repeatable things into your subconscious. Do you really think the very best players that compete in the World 14.1 championships are "thinking" about the aim on every single ball, during the course of a 100-ball run? Do you think Oliver Ortmann "thought" his way through aiming every ball in his two 100-and-out and another 150-and-out in the World Championships a couple years ago?
Like I said, you can probably get away with "thinking your aim" through every single shot in a couple/three racks or even a set of 9-ball. Your mind gets to "reset" and rest during every breakshot, and I can see why you'd adopt the stance of "but what's so hard about that?". But try that during, say, a 50-ball run in straight pool. Try keeping your conscious mind engaged in all that minutiae of aiming on every single shot.
If you can do that, you're a better man than I."
3. "From the talk I see on these threads -- other than the instructional threads, of course -- it's like everyone's thinking about all the steps on every shot. And to THEM, I offer the challenge of trying that while running 50 or more balls in straight pool. Heck, dispense with the 50 -- with the way everyone talks on here, it's like misses once an hour are the norm -- let's see a 70/80 ball run (I won't be unfair and throw triple digits out there,
because that can't be expected from folks who don't normally play 14.1 -- and even experienced 14.1 players don't run those kind of numbers regularly either). This will prove the endurance and longevity aspect, and drive home the point of aiming needing to be a subconscious activity.
I'm not trying to be unfair, but rather trying to demonstrate a point -- by offering self-demonstration.
-Sean "
AND finally:
4. "I would ask you, how do your runs usually end? Do they typically end with a miss? Or because of a botched pattern where you fubar'ed your position on your keyball and breakball? Or because of lady luck -- i.e. you made your breakshot, but you had no shot afterwards?
This actually touches upon a root principle I've been trying to convey -- that straight pool "ain't" all about shot-making "because you can shoot at any ball you want." Those that think this way, I CHALLENGE to do a run of 28 -- just two racks. In fact, Shaun Wilkie offers the same challenge:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3-9YVwUv-_k#t=25m15s
The point is, you're one of the ones to get it -- it's ain't about shot-making, nor is it one of those things where "if you miss, it's because you didn't execute your aiming system correctly."
For the last sentence I disagree. It's certainly about the shot making. Don't make the shot you don't get to keep shooting. And part of making shots IS getting position for the next shot so that is a given. Runs end because people either put themselves into an impossible position OR they miss a makeable shot.
With a good aiming method the number of misses is reduced which results in higher runs for ALL level of players whether they know 14.1 patterns or not.
