The Perfect Shot

digitalcrack

digitalcrack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let's say you are the most capable player in the world. You can make any possible shot with a repeatable stroke strong enough to execute any shot with position. So, in order to make the "perfect" shot with the "perfect" position what things do u need to know about the shot before u strike it if you are fundamentally sound 100% of the time. I want to hear what everyone thinks. Here are some of my thoughts on it.

Final destination of the cue ball and the line of cueball after contacting object ball
Idea of what speed to hit the ball to get it to exactly where it's suppose to go
Cue ball aim point
Object ball aim point
 
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You've got to be confident in your abilities and relaxed and comfortable while shooting (unless those were implied in your description of 100% fundamentally sound).

Then the other 4 things you said. :thumbup:
 
Patrick Johnson said:
What does this mean? I think you need to re-word your question if you want meaningful answers.

pj
chgo
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I guess what I'm trying to ask deals with figuring out how to make the shot you have the capabilities of making. The knowledge is there. The confidence and calmness is there. In my eyes, those four things I mentioned earlier are necessary to strike that perfect shot.
 
digitalcrack said:
Let's say you are the most capable player in the world. You can make any possible shot with a repeatable stroke strong enough to execute any shot with position. So, in order to make the "perfect" shot with the "perfect" position what things do u need to know about the shot before u strike it if you are fundamentally sound 100% of the time.
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If they are that good, all they have to do is decide on what they want to do and hit it with conviction. So to me, buying in to the shot w/o any second guessing is the most important.

Dave
 
digitalcrack said:
So, in order to make the "perfect" shot with the "perfect" position what things do u need to know about the shot before u strike it
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Before addressing the cue ball you must determine:
basic shot parameters:
1) the object ball and pocket
2) the line from the cue-ball to the object ball which may curve due to massé or may deflect due to side-spin
3) the contact point on the object ball
4) the amount of cling and throw at the moment of contact
5) the amount of post contact slide due to top/bottom spin on the CB
6) the line of the OB to the pocket
7) the speed of the OB to the pocket (especially important if a rail is involved)
8) the side-spin picked up by the OB at the moment of contact
9) the energy/momentum transfer between CB and OB
Cue Ball after contact:
10) the immediate direction of the CB after contact
11) the spin, speed, and curvature of the CB after contact
12) 9-11 determine the line from the contact point forwards
13) this line should (optimally) avoid contact with other balls so the CB can achieve its desired resting point (90%+ of the time)
14) If/when a rail is involved the 11) determine the CB path after contact
15) the speed, spin, and trajectory off the rail may cause the CB to curve after rail contact.
Objerct ball after contact:
16) line, speed, and spin of the OB
17) if/when a rail is involved 16) determines the OB path after rail contact
near pocket:
18) effective width of pocket given OB closing angle
19) margin of error at CB/OB contact point
20) edge of pocket effects on aim (and margin of error)

{And I probably forgot a few.}
 
If you know the object ball path and have determined the cue ball path and final destination, then it can all be broken down to three things to execute the shot;

Speed: speed to hit the cue ball

Spin: How much the cue tip is of center at the time of impact

Cueing: How much follow or draw needs to be applied to the shot
 
12squared said:
If they are that good, all they have to do is decide on what they want to do and hit it with conviction. So to me, buying in to the shot w/o any second guessing is the most important.

Dave
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I fully agree but I think they still need to know what part of the object ball to hit and where to strike on the cue ball, at what speed, line of cue ball after contacting object ball, and the final destination of cue ball..I'm trying to figure out what is totally necessary....sure like MitchAlsup has shown there are a lot of variables. After fully understanding pool (if you were god and you could understand everything there is to pool) what things are still essential in knowing before hitting the ball.
 
digitalcrack said:
... After fully understanding pool (if you were god and you could understand everything there is to pool) what things are still essential in knowing before hitting the ball.
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That's not the way people play, of course. They hit the shot like a similar shot that they have hit well previously.

If you are asking about which things affect the shot, then a different way to ask it is "what things would have to be included in a complete computer program that simulates pool shots?" For that, most of Mitch's posting applies, but I notice squirt and ball-ball and ball-cushion penetration missing. Elevation, too. He mentions pocket openings. To be complete, you have to the shape of the facings and details of their construction. For the cushions, you have to know which are deadish and where -- not all cushions are created or remain equal. Which parts of the slate are high? How are the joints?

There are many, many physical things that can affect where the cue ball ends up if you want to get down to millimeters or affect whether the object ball goes in. How about getting the object ball to hang on the edge of the pocket for 4.5 seconds and then fall in? The perfect player could do that.

From the program point of view, you might try working with Virtual Pool for a while.
 
Bob Jewett said:
For that, most of Mitch's posting applies, but I notice squirt and ball-ball and ball-cushion penetration missing.
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I though I coverd: squirt as deflection, ball-ball as cling and throw, and ball-cushion as speed. Perhaps we are just use to different vocabularies.

I admit that the speed at impact with the cushion was insufficiently well addressed as it does interact with the angle of departure of the ball in question.
 
To keep it as simple as possible, you need to see the tangent line and you need to know how much YOUR stroke changes the path of the cue ball away from the tangent line when you strike above and below the center of the cue ball in 1/2 tip increments.
 
CharlesUFarley said:
To keep it as simple as possible, you need to see the tangent line and you need to know how much YOUR stroke changes the path of the cue ball away from the tangent line when you strike above and below the center of the cue ball in 1/2 tip increments.
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Sounds like the wagon wheel system
 
rbpwrd240 said:
As a 100% sound player i think it would go like this.

Find the Out
Pre shot routine
Shoot
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I feel no matter how good of a player you are these few things of cue ball aim point, object ball aim point, speed, line after cueball hits object ball..and final destination are important to make the perfect shot. If we don't know the final destination we cant get there. If the speed is wrong we can't get to the final destination. If we can't imagine the line we cant see the shot. If we don't know where to aim on the cue ball we wont be able to get to the final destination. If we don't have the object ball aiming point we will miss the ball. I feel these things are pre-pre-shot routine. Thats what I have been trying to figure out. If those are all that matter.
 
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digitalcrack said:
Let's say you are the most capable player in the world. You can make any possible shot with a repeatable stroke strong enough to execute any shot with position. ...
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That sounds like the answer right there. Why care? You can make any shot with position. You can make any shot with position. You can make any shot with position.
 
When playing well I see the shot fully executed in my head before I shoot. I don't think much I just see what I have done a million times before and do it one more time. It's like all the shots in a rack are pre-planned and I just keep going until something from my original plan has changed. When that happens I recalibarate my GPS and start again.
 
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