Poolplaya9,
You're obviously a smart guy and I think that post was well intended; nevertheless, I think maybe you lack a complete perspective of the brouhaha that's been going on for some time around here among those of us who tend to flock to the "shot-making technique" threads.
I don't want to speak for Rick exactly, and he posts much more often then I; but, our thinking is usually very similar on these issues. Seeing as how I don't think he's an insomniac who sleeps with an i -Pad under his bed, lemme chime in.
This all started when duckie clamed that shooting from a high angle caused the cue tip to remain in contact with the CB longer than if shooting from a normal angle. Tony told duckie he didn't buy it, it didn't make scientific sense, and if he was going to make such claims, he should back them up with proof provided by sophisticated, time sensitive cameras.
Duckie told Tony he didn't need to prove it...he could feel it.
Now; if this was 99% of AZ posters telling duckie this, Rick IMO would not have rushed to duckies defense so stridently. In fact, IMO, Rick is uncertain which of the two is right. Agh....but this was not any ol' AZ poster. This was Tony from M.D. Tony is part of a fraternity of like minded current, former, or "Think they should be" instructors who roam the shot-making threads like police on horseback, chastiizing anyone who deviates from the traditional, the boring, and the status - quo..
Notice....I said "like minded." There are some fine instructors who contribute to AZ. Also; I for one do not wish to see all tradition discarded with. I don't own Mark Wilson's book, but there are too many posters who have found it to be a terrificly helpful to their game, for me not to believe it must be a fine, fine, book.
So starting with C.J Wiley, along with many others, including Rick and myself - we just have a little impatience...not with those who want to preserve the traditional methods of shot-making that have proved to make rock- solid sense; but with those who wish to preserve traditional methods of shot- making that have proven to be far less effective, when more innovative approaches have been brought to light.
I recently read a magazine article by a Catholic bible scholar who likes to travel from parish to parish giving talks and conducting question and answer sessions. He said he usually receives a fine reception, but there was one incident at a parish that really shook him. It was a well - to- do suburban parish. He started his talk and while making a reference to "Adam and Eve" being a fairy tale, a mini- riot broke out. Parishioners were aghast! Some wanted to know why they were never taught this in school. He said one guy sent him angry e-mails for weeks afterward.
Some of us feel like that priest every time we enter a shot-making thread.
So poolplya; duckie probably understands your theory about how our perception can trick us. He probably would have seen the sense in a posters skepticism that the tip remains longer on the CB if that poster had also said, "You know, I'm skeptical, but you could be right." Instead, he was chased down by a cop on a galloping horse, brandishing his baton; hence, duckies retort, and; hence, Rick's further retort.
Poolplaya.....Rick is not a " pure" science guy. He's also not a "pure" perception guy. He plays things by ear like a lot of us. When he was saying he knows a fair amount about science, he was saying that he knows enough to know what he doesn't know about science, as opposed to those who have less of a science education than he has and self-righteously claim that science is the "end all" and perception, feel, innovation, novelty, and all similar qualities can't be trusted.
So Poolplaya; as I said, you sound smart and you wrote the post with good intentions. You have a whole bunch of posts, but I think, maybe you post in many different types of threads. If you were hanging out almost exclusively in shot-making threads you'd know what I was talking about. I came over to AZ twenty nine months ago. I entered a shot-making thread and found myself in a war zone....I don't think there's a cease fire in sight!
