Time to shoot..what is your focal point?

[Thunderball]

Rep to CC for refocusing my bridge thinking...I had not considered the importance in a long while,

My play tonight was better because I decided to focus on it before I left for the hall.

 

[rbgarmon]

youre not shooting at the cue ball. youre shooting at the object ball. so why look at the cue ball last? makes no sense to me.the focus is on making the ball. you should already know where youre hitting the cue ball.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Rep to CC for refocusing my bridge thinking...I had not considered the importance in a long while,

My play tonight was better because I decided to focus on it before I left for the hall.

Good to hear focusing on your bridge positioning helped a bit.

If the bridge can be positioned well, potting should improve noticeably, whereever the eyes are focused. But as I have said, it does help to establish accurate bridge positioning by watching to be sure the stroke is straight.

Colin

 

[fred_in_hoboken]

My opinion doesn't mean much (I'm not a terribly consistent potter), but I tend shift my focus between OB and CB during my warm up, and focus on where I want the CB to be (eg, the ghost ball) and not the object ball, per se. However, what Colin suggests makes a lot of sense to me, and it's something I think I'll try more diligently. I have focussed more on the CB recently, and I've found it's been tremendously helpful in identifying when I'm not cueing straight (particularly in dark pool rooms where the depth of field is such that focussing on the OB means the cue is just a blur). If nothing else, in training, focussing on the CB will eliminate a few variables in the feedback loop: if your alignment is wrong, you won't pot the ball - no steering or cue adjustments will help.

That said, I think the dart and steering wheel analogies are deeply flawed.

The pool equivalent of focusing on the dart would be focusing on the cue, not the cue ball. With darts, you're focusing on where you want the dart (the thing you're actually controlling in your hands) to hit. This would imply with pool you should be focussing on the cue ball (ie, where the cue, the thing you're actually controlling in your hands, will hit), *not* the object ball. Also, with darts, you don't use warm up strokes. The dart analogy is a red herring.

With a steering wheel… well, with a car you're generally trying to avoid hitting things. So I'm not sure I'd apply any lessons from driving to pool.

 

[JoeyA]

Good to hear focusing on your bridge positioning helped a bit.

If the bridge can be positioned well, potting should improve noticeably, whereever the eyes are focused. But as I have said, it does help to establish accurate bridge positioning by watching to be sure the stroke is straight.

Colin

This is a great thread, Colin. I like the fact that people here on this forum will keep an open mind to different thinking and perspectives. While some may not agree they agree to amiably disagree without all of the crap that sometimes goes down on other forums.

By experimenting and trying new ideas one can evolve their own game. If focusing on the cue ball last helps one person with their game, then it is a good idea for that one person. For me, so far this thread gives me something else to experiment with to tweak my game and to keep my interest level in the game on red alert.

I messed around with bridge positioning a little last night and noticed that I was repositioning my right eye over the bridge path/cue path. I seem to have a little more accuracy with aiming mostly with my right eye alignment. No massive improvement or degradation so far. Will continue with the experiment in the days to follow.

Thanks for the thread.
JoeyA

 

[SirBanksALot]

Verne Petersen

Quote from NineBallArt

"But this discussion got me to thinking....Has anyone ever shot a game by lining up the shot and then turning your head and closing your eyes and and shooting and still make the ball with your eyes closed???? "

I don't want to date myself too much but when "The Hustler" came out and pool playing was buzzing, Brunswick was financing people to open rooms all over the place. When they financed you, the would send a well known pro out to play for the Grand Opening - Willie Mosconi, among others went to those Grand Openings.

One of the guys they sent out was a pro from the LA area by name of Verne Petersen. I remember him well for two things that he did.

1) He had the most beautiful "slip stroke" I ever saw. It was smooth and fluid and a joy to watch.

2) I saw him run 75 balls with his eyes shut. He would line up, set up, turn his head, slip the right hand back and voila, the balls dropped. He said he had run as many as 150 that way and would guarantee anyone that if they set up right and drive the cue tip straight thru the cue ball-their pocketing efficiency would improve.

(I was only two years old at the time ) Yea - I wish!!

 

[Colin Colenso]

This is a great thread, Colin. I like the fact that people here on this forum will keep an open mind to different thinking and perspectives. While some may not agree they agree to amiably disagree without all of the crap that sometimes goes down on other forums.

By experimenting and trying new ideas one can evolve their own game. If focusing on the cue ball last helps one person with their game, then it is a good idea for that one person. For me, so far this thread gives me something else to experiment with to tweak my game and to keep my interest level in the game on red alert.

I messed around with bridge positioning a little last night and noticed that I was repositioning my right eye over the bridge path/cue path. I seem to have a little more accuracy with aiming mostly with my right eye alignment. No massive improvement or degradation so far. Will continue with the experiment in the days to follow.

Thanks for the thread.
JoeyA

You're welcome Joey,
What would a forum be like if everyone had the same ideas and were in agreement eh ?

I've always liked to stretch ideas, try new things. Naturally offering new ideas, or ideas from different angles doesn't make everyone a convert.

I reckon that CB or Cue focus (much like closed eye execution, except you can see where the CB was hit), will teach players some very useful insights into their alignment (ie. Bridge Hand Positioning) tendencies, and also their cuing tendencies.

I really don't think I ever understood alignment and cuing mechanics and their influences until I started to approach it this way. Now it seems to me, that coaches in the past have paid far too little attention to the role of accurate bridge placement in alignment. The only drill that I have seen recommended to train it, has been the closed eye drill, but I think it is more useful to actually watch the cue action, just don't let yourself second guess during the stroke.

Colin

 

[Cuebacca]

Sounds to me like this quote has been taken out of context and brutalized on this site, and I wish it would just die.

I'm sorry but I don't have the DVD with me right now. When I get it back from loan, I'll get you his exact wording.

OK, as promised, I went back and checked. Below is a partial transcription of the interview with Ralf Souquet after he wins the 9-ball division (and Best Dressed Award, hehe) of the 2004 Derby City Classic. He's mostly talking about the break, but, notice the underlined part.

Mark Wilson: If you were to issue a tip on the break, because we all admire the great break you possess, what would you say would be a good tip, for people wanting to learn?

Ralf Souquet: Well, I mean, um, that's something I do... I... my last look, when I break, is on the cueball. I know that most other players, their last look goes to the object ball, which is the 1-ball usually. So, my last look always goes to the cueball; not only on the break; on, on most other shots too; and I don't know if, you know, if that's a secret, but I feel a lot more comfortable with that; doing that; because once I have that aiming line... I mean [for a while] I'm going back and forth from the one ball to the cueball but the last look, once I have that line, I just try to focus on that one spot on the cueball.

Danny D: and you know why you can do that... because your fundamentals are so perfect that, again, once you are lined up, you could probably look the other way, and still make the balls...

I can't be sure what he does or does not do, but I do know what he said, which is shown above. So, for whatever it's worth, there you have it.

 

[JoeyA]

OK, as promised, I went back and checked. Below is a partial transcription of the interview with Ralf Souquet after he wins the 9-ball division (and Best Dressed Award, hehe) of the 2004 Derby City Classic. He's mostly talking about the break, but, notice the underlined part.



I can't be sure what he does or does not do, but I do know what he said, which is shown above. So, for whatever it's worth, there you have it.

I really appreciate you bringing Ralph's words back to AZ for our review. They disappeared when I replied to this thread/post.

I will be watching Ralph even closer the next time I see him play. When I saw him playing 9 ball, I thought he was looking at the object ball last, not the cue ball. But like Danny said, his fundamentals may be so good that he could turn his head and still pot the object balls.

JoeyA

 

[Colin Colenso]

OK, as promised, I went back and checked. Below is a partial transcription of the interview with Ralf Souquet after he wins the 9-ball division (and Best Dressed Award, hehe) of the 2004 Derby City Classic. He's mostly talking about the break, but, notice the underlined part.



I can't be sure what he does or does not do, but I do know what he said, which is shown above. So, for whatever it's worth, there you have it.

I recall Pete Lafond from Slipstic calling Ralf a year or so ago after a similar debate, and I think his response then was that he looks at the OB last.

I was actually watching some pro-snooker today and noticed that occassionally the players looked the the CB during the stroke and then quickly raised their eyes to watch the path it took to the OB.

I think there is one thing for sure, and that is that the best potters have very accurate pre-alignment and that they would still pot very well even if they closed their eyes during the stroke phase.

My main contention is that good pre-alignment highly advantageous, and that focusing too much on the OB during the stroke can tend to distract a player from the importance of accurate pre-alignment preparation for the shot.

Colin

 

[Cuebacca]

Thanks Joey and Colin. I'm going to need to watch him more closely too. It's certainly possible that he changed what he used to do, or, who knows. Just wanted to present his exact quote to show what the rumors were based on.

Too bad Ralf himself doesn't post here. He seems like a really great guy.

 

[JoeyA]

Thanks Joey and Colin. I'm going to need to watch him more closely too. It's certainly possible that he changed what he used to do, or, who knows. Just wanted to present his exact quote to show what the rumors were based on.

Too bad Ralf himself doesn't post here. He seems like a really great guy.

Ralph has a neat website where he critques his matches with other players with unbelievable candor. If I hook back into his web site I will see if I can get him to respond.
JoeyA

 

[totbenru]

Third Eye

Good day to you all!

My left eye in on the OB, my right eye is on the CB and my third eye acts as the overhead cam!

Seriously, First, I lock the tip of my cue on the area on the CB I want to hit. Next is I look at the area where the the CB will contact the OB. Last is I somewhat look at all CB, OB and pocket at the same time.

Have a nice day!