Straight in shots
- Thread starter zach12345
- Start date
For most people it's nearly impossible to sight dead down the center of the cue to get a straight on look at your target. So unless you sight with only one eye like a rifle, you are not going to get a clear view of the dead center of your target down the cue. This means you are going to have to get used to what "looks" like you are aiming right at the ball, and when it actually is. Just keep shooting them and adjusting until you are hitting them square. Keep hitting them square until you get used to what that needs to look like so you can reproduce it consistently.
This will help your game all around. Every shot has a target you need to hit, and if you figure out how you need to sight to actually hit it, your entire game will improve.
This will help your game all around. Every shot has a target you need to hit, and if you figure out how you need to sight to actually hit it, your entire game will improve.
Sounds like u pull your stroking arm in as ur shooting.. a good solid technical stroke will help a ton. Get someone to shoot u as u stoke from all angels. . Just my two cents
don't disagree with Russ.. but another possibility is stroke. As an experiment try shooting a long straight in with just a touch (1/4 tip or so) of left (or just left of center).
If they start to go or come closer it has nothing to do with "English" it has to do with the fact that when aiming normally you are hitting slightly right of center and by attempting to hit slightly left of center you actually make contact closer to center.
Although as a right handed player it is not the norm to have a stroke error of left to right (just the opposite) but it can happen especially if you happen to "tuck" your right hand inside of the elbow.
(I am not an instructor nor do I play one on TV :grin: just my two cents)...
If they start to go or come closer it has nothing to do with "English" it has to do with the fact that when aiming normally you are hitting slightly right of center and by attempting to hit slightly left of center you actually make contact closer to center.
Although as a right handed player it is not the norm to have a stroke error of left to right (just the opposite) but it can happen especially if you happen to "tuck" your right hand inside of the elbow.
(I am not an instructor nor do I play one on TV :grin: just my two cents)...
First, you have to figure out what the cause of your symptoms are.
There are two likely causes to missing straight shots. First, you may not be hitting the cue ball where you intended. Second you may not be aligned correctly. A combination of those two problems may also be the cause of your misses.
If you aren't hitting the ball center, you have to figure out why you didn't hit center. It probably has something to do with your mechanics. Twisting the wrist, having too much elbow movement jumping up before the shot are some of the usual culprits. What ever your problem is, you should figure out what it is by hitting extremely slow shots and a striped ball as a reference to where you are striking the cue ball (by looking at the chalk mark). A slow shot will help you realize your body is doing when you are shooting and allow you to fix whatever you need to to make your stroke straight.
If you are misaligned, you may want to get a friend to look at how you line up with the shot abd give you feedback on how you are lined up. Misalignment is a difficult problem to self diagnose, so it helps to have a second set of eyes to help you out.
There are two likely causes to missing straight shots. First, you may not be hitting the cue ball where you intended. Second you may not be aligned correctly. A combination of those two problems may also be the cause of your misses.
If you aren't hitting the ball center, you have to figure out why you didn't hit center. It probably has something to do with your mechanics. Twisting the wrist, having too much elbow movement jumping up before the shot are some of the usual culprits. What ever your problem is, you should figure out what it is by hitting extremely slow shots and a striped ball as a reference to where you are striking the cue ball (by looking at the chalk mark). A slow shot will help you realize your body is doing when you are shooting and allow you to fix whatever you need to to make your stroke straight.
If you are misaligned, you may want to get a friend to look at how you line up with the shot abd give you feedback on how you are lined up. Misalignment is a difficult problem to self diagnose, so it helps to have a second set of eyes to help you out.
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This is what I found that works...
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=4495919#post4495919
Good Luck
1. Relax your wrist and your grip, allow the cue to do the work
2. Take one last look at the the CB before switching your eyes to the OB
3. Stay focused on the OB when you stroke
2. Take one last look at the the CB before switching your eyes to the OB
3. Stay focused on the OB when you stroke
You may be gripping the cue too hard, but its best if you start out with slow shots and gradually build up speed so you can figure out exactly what you are doing differently at high speeds and fix any problems that arise as you go along.
I took some time off a while back recently rebuilt my entire stroke from the ground up to correct for problems exactly like what you're experiencing. The main culprit for this was hitting the cue ball slightly off from where I had intended. Incorrect alignment by letting my elbow float away from my body and no pause at the back of my stroke.
I loosened my grip, slowed my final back swing, added a very short pause and focused on accelerating through the cue ball. I also spent hours or so shooting straight in shots from corner to corner on 9' Diamond tables.
I almost never miss straight in shots. For me I see them as just shooting the cue ball into the pocket and the object ball is like an obstruction. I pretty much just try to cover the object ball with the cue ball. and they just go in. You could have a problem with where your head is over the cue.
In other words, if you think you are going to make the ball and it seems to go somewhere other then where you think you are aiming, there is definitely a problem with alinement, stroke or what you are seeing. You probably have the same problem on cut shots as well but it is not as evident as on a straight in shot. On cut shots you are spinning balls in or using other english that effects the shot while playing position so you may make or miss shots and not really realize you are lined up so badly.
Straight in shots are good indicators as to how well you line up and your stroke.
A real good player once told me how to never miss another straight in shot.....
Don't cut it!
Don't cut it!
You are steering the cue ball to the left, actually i will bet you are missing the same way other shots if you hit them the same way you shooting the straight shot, you over cut shots where cb is to right of line of aim and under cut shots where cb is left of line of aim. It is possible that throw of OB is hiding your steering for some angled shots. Actually if a survey is held, i'd bet 90% of players have this issue, it is natural.
Solution: There are many solutions to this issue, but 1st find out if the same thing is happening to other shots, then and only then look for answers. For a quick fix, shorten your follow through to only about 3 to 4 inches, sure you will not be able to shoot hard, but something for now.
Narrative is in a strange language, but you may get the idea :grin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lsqkKuIP7M
An even stranger language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAXIS9NYdIA
Set up a Video camera for a head on shot (or a mirror) - you will see exactly what your cue is doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lsqkKuIP7M
An even stranger language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAXIS9NYdIA
Set up a Video camera for a head on shot (or a mirror) - you will see exactly what your cue is doing.
Straight shot
This Simple drill can help. (Good practice drill)
1-put the cue ball on the spot
2-place an object ball down table so you are creating a straight
Line between the cue ball and object ball and corner pocket.
3-follow thru the shot with your cue tip resting on the table after striking the cue ball.
If you are dead center over the spot odds are you will make the shot.
I have noticed the balls I miss usually to the left the cue veers left throwing the
Cue ball right. Meaning the shaft Is not finishing right down the middle of the spot
I try and do this 50 to 100 times when I am in a practice session first 15 in the left corner
Then 15 in the right and so on.
MCP
This Simple drill can help. (Good practice drill)
1-put the cue ball on the spot
2-place an object ball down table so you are creating a straight
Line between the cue ball and object ball and corner pocket.
3-follow thru the shot with your cue tip resting on the table after striking the cue ball.
If you are dead center over the spot odds are you will make the shot.
I have noticed the balls I miss usually to the left the cue veers left throwing the
Cue ball right. Meaning the shaft Is not finishing right down the middle of the spot
I try and do this 50 to 100 times when I am in a practice session first 15 in the left corner
Then 15 in the right and so on.
MCP
Several good suggestions here. I've done the twist the wrist thing and didn't realize I was doing it. I also have an optical illusion when I look at the cue ball finding the center. I have to actually look as though I'm putting right english on the cue ball to hit the center. Shortening you bridge and stroke may help a lot.
Good luck!!
Good luck!!