Staying down, jumping up, aiming, & alignment deconstructed

IamCalvin06

IamCalvin06

Yang "The Son of Pool"
Silver Member
Before we get started I want to say I'm not a certified instructor or pool aficionado. I don't have credentials either so if ur into all that then feel free to read another thread. I just want to express my opinion and experiences.

One of my pet peeves is when u hear bad advice or get bad advice or just bad information about pool.

So for years now you will hear someone say "hey you missed that shot bc u jumped up", "you have to stay down on your shot". Yes, staying down and not jumping up is important bc jumping up from a shot takes you to a different level in perception then that which you have already decided on.

But what causes one to jump up? I believe it's bc of our minds telling us that something's off about this shot. Our mind is telling us to move into the correct position to make the shot and every so often the timing is right and we actually jump up and hit the CB just right and the ball goes in.

I believe that aiming happens from two different positions. Standing at ball address and moving into the shot in the "set" position. Stan Shuffett refers to these two positions as BALL ADDRESS and FULL STANCE. ( if u don't know who he is, get to know him)

So if you're not lined up correctly to make the shot then there's no amount of staying down that will help you make the shot. When I see someone jump up on a shot I don't bother to correct them by saying stay down. Instead I educate them by saying u jumped up from the shot bc u knew it wasn't right. Ur mind was telling u that this is wrong and u should get the f'up as quickly as possible.

I've torn my game down many times to rebuild it, so I don't hit a plateau. So everyone knows how well I can play but they see me down swinging and have to come tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'll admit it's a little annoying. "You're not playing good anymore bc ur not staying down on ur shot." So, I should stay down here and tell myself that this incorrect alignment or aim is correct? Then wonder why I'm not making it? Of course! Thank u!

Someone's gonna say well you should stay down so ur stroke doesn't move offline. Hell if I'm jumping up its bc im not lined up in the first place, that's why I'm jumping to get in line. Do I want to? No! Can I stop it? Yes, by correcting on the next attempt. Lol

So in closing I just want to say.

1. If ur jumping up off the shot then you're most likely lined up incorrectly.

2. If you're naturally staying down on the shot without forcing it and the ball goes in. Then u have just matched what u saw at Ball Address to what you saw in Full Stance.

3. If you force yourself to stay down to see the actual collision of the balls and you see the ball miss GREAT! Now you know u didn't miss bc u weren't jumping up. U missed bc ur aim was off.

So there!

U jump up bc ur aim was wrong.

You stay down and u miss bc ur aim was wrong.

And there you have it neither of these two factors have anything to do with missing a shot! THANK YOU for reading.
 
Tou are 100% correct my friend.....

IamCalvin06 said:
Before we get started I want to say I'm not a certified instructor or pool aficionado. I don't have credentials either so if ur into all that then feel free to read another thread. I just want to express my opinion and experiences.

One of my pet peeves is when u hear bad advice or get bad advice or just bad information about pool.

So for years now you will hear someone say "hey you missed that shot bc u jumped up", "you have to stay down on your shot". Yes, staying down and not jumping up is important bc jumping up from a shot takes you to a different level in perception then that which you have already decided on.

But what causes one to jump up? I believe it's bc of our minds telling us that something's off about this shot. Our mind is telling us to move into the correct position to make the shot and every so often the timing is right and we actually jump up and hit the CB just right and the ball goes in.

I believe that aiming happens from two different positions. Standing at ball address and moving into the shot in the "set" position. Stan Shuffett refers to these two positions as BALL ADDRESS and FULL STANCE. ( if u don't know who he is, get to know him)

So if you're not lined up correctly to make the shot then there's no amount of staying down that will help you make the shot. When I see someone jump up on a shot I don't bother to correct them by saying stay down. Instead I educate them by saying u jumped up from the shot bc u knew it wasn't right. Ur mind was telling u that this is wrong and u should get the f'up as quickly as possible.

I've torn my game down many times to rebuild it, so I don't hit a plateau. So everyone knows how well I can play but they see me down swinging and have to come tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'll admit it's a little annoying. "You're not playing good anymore bc ur not staying down on ur shot." So, I should stay down here and tell myself that this incorrect alignment or aim is correct? Then wonder why I'm not making it? Of course! Thank u!

Someone's gonna say well you should stay down so ur stroke doesn't move offline. Hell if I'm jumping up its bc im not lined up in the first place, that's why I'm jumping to get in line. Do I want to? No! Can I stop it? Yes, by correcting on the next attempt. Lol

So in closing I just want to say.

1. If ur jumping up off the shot then you're most likely lined up incorrectly.

2. If you're naturally staying down on the shot without forcing it and the ball goes in. Then u have just matched what u saw at Ball Address to what you saw in Full Stance.

3. If you force yourself to stay down to see the actual collision of the balls and you see the ball miss GREAT! Now you know u didn't miss bc u weren't jumping up. U missed bc ur aim was off.

So there!

U jump up bc ur aim was wrong.

You stay down and u miss bc ur aim was wrong.

And there you have it neither of these two factors have anything to do with missing a shot! THANK YOU for reading.
Click to expand...

We jump or twist because our brain knows it doesn't look right.

Now we got what doesn't look right in the first place and a mind that isn't getting the right picture trying to help us salvage the shot.

Jump. twist of whatever. Now the shot is doomed for sure.......

You hit the nail right on the head my friend.....
 
just wanted to chime in with another reason ive found people jump up on their shot (me included) is when they get too low in their stance (especially taller players).
 
Maybe another reason that some players tend to jump up is this:

Their eye pattern is wrong. That means that in the middle of their stroke they have not focused on their object ball yet. So what happens next is normal. The eyes jump up to see what's happening.

randyg
 
randyg said:
Maybe another reason that some players tend to jump up is this:

Their eye pattern is wrong. That means that in the middle of their stroke they have not focused on their object ball yet. So what happens next is normal. The eyes jump up to see what's happening.

randyg
Click to expand...

That was my first thought when reading the original post. Maybe I saw this by you in another thread. :)
 
randyg said:
Maybe another reason that some players tend to jump up is this:

Their eye pattern is wrong. That means that in the middle of their stroke they have not focused on their object ball yet. So what happens next is normal. The eyes jump up to see what's happening.

randyg
Click to expand...

thanks to you randy, i do NOT have that problem:)
 
Most amateur players who I've observed jumping up, immediately move their head and eyes to the intended pocket. They want a good view to watch the ball go in. Of course, their body movement actually begins before they strike the CB, which is why the shot goes awry.

I used to do this all the time too. The way I conquered it was to force myself to "take a snapshot" of the CB hitting the OB. I want to watch (and remember) the exact CB-OB collision. I'm not satisfied to have a general idea of the CB-OB hit --- I want to be able to see it exactly. That requires intense focus on the area of the CB-OB hit and requires that your eyes and head stay "there" for a moment to let the image burn into your mind.
 
I see more players jump up on power or left/right english. Maybe they are trying to avoid contact with an object ball for position. Maybe they are trying to hold the cue ball for an easier shot. Most seem to stay down on straight in shots unless they are trying to draw the cue. I call it the nintendo affect. Ever watch someone playing video games and they have their whole body moving, arms stretched out. When actually they are only using there thumbs/fingers to play. I think at times it translates to pool. Some times its like playing a video game and our body wants to follow the eyes/mind.
 
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I think all body movement matters until the tip leaves the cue ball. I might be wrong but I think once the tip leaves the cue ball it doesn't matter what you do. If you have improper moving parts then how would you know if your aim was the cause or not. I would guess my aim is good 95% of the time. So 5% misses from bad aim. The other 95% of my misses are from poor stroke.
 
genomachino said:
We jump or twist because our brain knows it doesn't look right.

Now we got what doesn't look right in the first place and a mind that isn't getting the right picture trying to help us salvage the shot.

Jump. twist of whatever. Now the shot is doomed for sure.......

You hit the nail right on the head my friend.....
Click to expand...

Thanks gene it's a great compliment to hear you say that!

I still have ur original perfect aim DVD. I have some questions about the "eyes" in relation to other aiming methods. Mind if I give u a call sometime?
 
Give me a call for sure........

IamCalvin06 said:
Thanks gene it's a great compliment to hear you say that!

I still have ur original perfect aim DVD. I have some questions about the "eyes" in relation to other aiming methods. Mind if I give u a call sometime?
Click to expand...

Nursing my neck and shoulder. Have lots of time. I remember well our meeting at the Rack in Memphis. I'd like to give you the full Perfect Aim phone lesson. No Charge. I'm looking forward to it. Just be by a table........

Give me a call for sure. 715-563-8712 Talk to you soon.........
 
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