Time to shoot..what is your focal point?

Thunderball

Thunderball

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I hesitate to ask..really.
Probably shouldn't.No kidding.

A few years back a guy on my team and fellow coworker asked "Whats the last thing you look at before hitting the cue?" Simple enough.
For whatever reason this question blew my game, really.

I could not answer it when it was asked and up till then had never considered it.But BY GOOD GOLLY DAM did it ever ruin my game lol.Weeks worth of ruin.Really.

Whatever I was "looking at" or "saw" was natural and without consideration.When I tried to figure it out I was screwed...and I wish I were lying cause its pathetic...But its true.

So in an effort to ruin my slightly better then average game I ask:

The last thing you focus on before "loosing" the cue stick is what?
 
this is going to start a fundies war

Thunderball said:
I hesitate to ask..really.
Probably shouldn't.No kidding.

A few years back a guy on my team and fellow coworker asked "Whats the last thing you look at before hitting the cue?" Simple enough.
For whatever reason this question blew my game, really.

I could not answer it when it was asked and up till then had never considered it.But BY GOOD GOLLY DAM did it ever ruin my game lol.Weeks worth of ruin.Really.

Whatever I was "looking at" or "saw" was natural and without consideration.When I tried to figure it out I was screwed...and I wish I were lying cause its pathetic...But its true.

So in an effort to ruin my slightly better then average game I ask:

The last thing you focus on before "loosing" the cue stick is what?
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Questions like this always start a proper fundamentals war on AZ.

Some people say that you should look at the object ball as you stroke and some people say you should look at the CB and some people say you should focus half way between. Is there really a correct way?

Who knows. If you're lined up correctly and you stroke straight through the ball and your aimline is correct, it doesn't really matter.
 
Thunderball said:
I hesitate to ask..really.
Probably shouldn't.No kidding.

A few years back a guy on my team and fellow coworker asked "Whats the last thing you look at before hitting the cue?" Simple enough.
For whatever reason this question blew my game, really.

I could not answer it when it was asked and up till then had never considered it.But BY GOOD GOLLY DAM did it ever ruin my game lol.Weeks worth of ruin.Really.

Whatever I was "looking at" or "saw" was natural and without consideration.When I tried to figure it out I was screwed...and I wish I were lying cause its pathetic...But its true.

So in an effort to ruin my slightly better then average game I ask:

The last thing you focus on before "loosing" the cue stick is what?
Click to expand...

A few months ago I would have said the contact point on the OB. Now it's the rail behind the contact ball on the OB
 
I have tried both ways and usually look at the cue ball last depending on the shot and I think Earl Strickland is one of a very few pros that concentrates on the cue ball after lining up from what I have heard or seen. Leonard
 
Same as above, after lining up my shot the last thing i focus on is where my tip contacts the cue ball and follows through. Helps me concentrate. Although where ever you look i think would be just as effective as long as you're stroking straight and where you intended... maybe?
 
PKM said:
I think the "conventional" view is to look at the object ball.
Click to expand...

Screw convention. I look at that cutie in the skirt on the other side of the room.
 
Drew said:
Screw convention. I look at that cutie in the skirt on the other side of the room.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, the all-too-effective cleavage sharking technique.
 
For me it has to be the OB, I can't imagine it being anything else. Any game I've played involving hand/eye coordination is that way. Can you even imagine a darts player looking at the dart in his hand before throwing it? No. If your H/E coordination is good you go for the OB, your arm & hand should be in the right position without thinking, almost second nature.
 
Wow, nobody else looks at the rail behind the OB...I would have thought this was more common.
 
poolcuemaster said:
I have tried both ways and usually look at the cue ball last depending on the shot and I think Earl Strickland is one of a very few pros that concentrates on the cue ball after lining up from what I have heard or seen. Leonard
Click to expand...


Ralf Souquet also focuses on the cueball last. I decided I didn't need to change anything when I heard that's what he does also.
 
You ever see a player just put his head down after lining up, aiming, and just pray? This one person I shoot with does that on long shots- kinda funny to watch.

ob for me.
 
Object ball

I used to glance back and forth while I went through my practice strokes, CB - OB - CB - OB, pull the trigger. Then I attended an entire weekend of the WPBA when it came through here. What I saw was surprising. The best players played like this; They set up on the shot, made sure their cue was on the CB where it needed to be, then went through their practice stroke drill. The initial setup was the last time they looked at the cueball. Their gaze never wavered from the OB throughout the rest of the pre-shot routine.

I was a little surprised, but I tried it, and it made a noticeable improvement in my pocketing skills.

Ken
 
Truthfully, I think it depends on the shot, distance, force, and amount of english needed. So, on the centerball shots without much force, I find myself seeing the contact point on the object ball last, while on shots that require a tip of english, I build my stance, align my cue to the aiming point, and try to remain still and focus on striking the cb properly. clear as mud. good luck.
 
Object ball always, except when elevating the cue, in which case the cue ball is last because I am shooting down a line and not at a contact point.
 
The reason why some people say you should look at the cueball last is very simple. Once you are down on the shot and lined up, nothing should move except your forearm. If you get down and line up correctly, looking at the object ball last doesn't matter. What does matter is watching the cueball make contact with the object ball. They want you to look at the cueball last to make sure you hit the cueball with more accuracy. On my final stroke I look at the cueball right before I hit it, and then shift my view to the object ball. I try to slow my eye movements down when I'm taking my practice strokes. If you look back and forth really fast, your eyes dont have time to focus, and you will get double vision. Looking at each ball longer helps you aim better IMO.
 
from Frank Callan (top snooker coach that has coached among others Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry)

"Every decent player knows this, but not every decent player does it. Never forget: eyes on the object ball when striking the cue ball!"
 
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