Weak eye sighting

dedstroke38

dedstroke38

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I know there has been multiple threads about the eye dominance and sighting but nothing that quite answered my question. I am fortunate enough to have high quality cameras available to use at the University that I instruct at. This was the first time I was really able to see my set up and stroke from all angles. First thing I noticed was that I sighted straight down my right eye similar to Earl. The only thing is I know according to the tests I've done I'm left eye dominant. It seems to make sense that since I set up in this way my right eye takes over but for those of you with the knowledge, would it be beneficial to switch my setup so my shaft is running down my left eye since it seems to be stronger? or even down the middle? Or does eye dominance not really matter once you are sighting down one whether dominant or not?
 
dedstroke38 said:
I know there has been multiple threads about the eye dominance and sighting but nothing that quite answered my question. I am fortunate enough to have high quality cameras available to use at the University that I instruct at. This was the first time I was really able to see my set up and stroke from all angles. First thing I noticed was that I sighted straight down my right eye similar to Earl. The only thing is I know according to the tests I've done I'm left eye dominant. It seems to make sense that since I set up in this way my right eye takes over but for those of you with the knowledge, would it be beneficial to switch my setup so my shaft is running down my left eye since it seems to be stronger? or even down the middle? Or does eye dominance not really matter once you are sighting down one whether dominant or not?
Click to expand...

Eye dominance matters if you use both eyes when setting up the contact point on cue ball and if you shoot the shot with both eyes open. The easiest solution for you might be to close the dominant eye and just use the right eye. You could adjust your stance to use the dominant eye but you may not be able to get it right or it may throw your whole game off. Experiment with both on some straight in shots and see if one works for you.
 
interesting stuff....forego the Dom eye and see what happens when lining up with the weaker eye.

This summer I have been working with video, the written word....youtube....and any other media I can muster. My findings are after 6 months of testing theory from snooker style to pinoy style is this........

I went back to the tried and true sidearm crooked stroke that I have had since learning the game at 8 yrs old.........WTF it worked for a few guys like an unknown dude named "Quake" :)


I guess 30 years of the same muscle memory.....I'll just give in and go with what brought me to the dance....heres to the upcoming "pool season"


See you guys at the open!


G.
 
I'm lucky enough to have a left eye that goes "lazy" when I'm down on a shot. Sort of takes the options off the table. Probably has something to do with years of telescope and camera work. Same thing happens when I'm reading for any long stretch.

I say fortunate, because two of the better players I know only have one eye :)

Damn thing has caused me problems before when my week eye suddenly "turns on" during a match. I find myself all of a sudden disoriented and unsure about every line. I have to back away from the table and reset :(
 
The dominant eye supplies the information you need to line up a shot. If you are aiming a gun at a bullseye, you sight it with your dominant eye because you want to align both the gun and the bullseye. In pool, you similarly want to align your stroke with the contact point on the cueball to pocket the object ball. However, this is different from a simple bullseye because the balls and table must be considered 3-dimensionally. That is, you need data on depth, such as the distance and angle of the balls. Depth information is not so important with a bullseye; whether it is 1 foot or 100 yards away you still need to simply align them in a 2-d manner.

What does this mean for the game? When you are picking your shot and alignment prior to getting down, you use both eyes to judge the best way to shoot the shot. When you are down on a shot, generally speaking you only need your dominant eye to align the cue with the contact point, but usually people make minute adjustments that factor in depth information, hence viewing the shot with both eyes. If you are the type of player that sights purely with your dominant eye, that won't hold you back, but since you will not be getting the whole picture when you are down on the shot, you need to be sure that you selected the correct alignment prior to getting down, and not second guess yourself.

There are certain shots that call for a greater amount of depth information, such as when the cueball and object ball are very close together, or on a jump shot or masse where the path of the cueball will deviate from your alignment slightly. In these cases, it is to your advantage to stand more erect and get a better sense of the depth of the balls. IN contrast, on a dead straight shot, proper alignment is all that is needed without worrying about depth information (distance), much like shooting a bullseye.
 
I've seen it about 200 times at least in the last 2 years...

dedstroke38 said:
I know there has been multiple threads about the eye dominance and sighting but nothing that quite answered my question. I am fortunate enough to have high quality cameras available to use at the University that I instruct at. This was the first time I was really able to see my set up and stroke from all angles. First thing I noticed was that I sighted straight down my right eye similar to Earl. The only thing is I know according to the tests I've done I'm left eye dominant. It seems to make sense that since I set up in this way my right eye takes over but for those of you with the knowledge, would it be beneficial to switch my setup so my shaft is running down my left eye since it seems to be stronger? or even down the middle? Or does eye dominance not really matter once you are sighting down one whether dominant or not?
Click to expand...

Hi there,

You have just discovered on your own one of the pheonoms that baffled me for about a year. With my teachings of perfect Aim it is neccessary to know which eye is dominant. About 6 months ago I figured out a way to find everyones pool shooting dominant eye. I use these bigger balls when i have the player aim. I can identify the dominant eye with these with 100% accuracy. That's right 100%

This has been one of the biggest downfalls with learning Perfect aim from the video. Players are thinking they are a certain eye dominant when they are actually the other eye dominant. In order to teach them how to make their aim perfect they need to know which way they need to adjust.

The eyes take turns shooting shots. The dominant eye does not shoot every shot even though it might seem so. The chore of aiming is split between the 2 eyes. 1/2 of the angle shots are shot with one eye or the other. They kind of take turns. Those of you that have learned Perfect aim know what I'm talking about.

The secret is that the dominant eye shoots totally different from the non dominant eye. Once a person masters this and can see how well this works they almost can't believe it.

Once a person figures this out and knows how to correct their aim they are getting the right info to the brain so the arm and the cue can shoot the shot correctly. Pretty soon you won't be missing the same shots over and over again.

Once you learn this you will never get down on a shot and it not look good. And if it does you know how to correct it.

I have personally worked with about 50 players that bought the perfect aim video and thought they were the other eye dominant. Once they knew for sure and knew which way to adjust it was a whole new ballgame .

I don't know if the players that have the wrong eye as dominant just flunk the normal eye dominant tests but I do know this that your dominant eye is what it is and you can't change it. Your kind of stuck with it.

But like yourself these players pass every test that says their the opposite.

Anyway, I do have it figure out and I'm not just blowing smoke.

This is one of the main points that will be stressed in the new Perfect Aim video. How to find your pool shooting dominant eye positively.

Once you looked at a video of yourself you could see that you were right eyed when you shoot. Many player it isn't as obvious because the cue is closer to the center.

When your down there move your head to the right and make your left eye do on the left side of the ball what your right was doing on the right side. That's how it would look if you were right eyed dominant. It probably doesn't look very good and you couldn't shoot that way.

I show players how to make each eye dominant so they can make a choice and they can see for themselves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they know which eye is dominant.

Seeing is believing.

Us pool players can be kind of hard headed sometimes. That's why when I teach Perfect Aim there is no time limit. I make sure that each player understands and sees it for themselves.

Many of the players I show this to it just blows their mind.

Goodnight. I got 2 lessons tomorrow in Winona,Minn.

Got any questions send me a PM. Be glad to help.
 
Neil said:
You left out a little piece that seems like it just might be a little important.....is the way you are working for you now??? If it is, don't worry about it, if it's not, well, you know the answer already!
Click to expand...

I guess thats the hardest part to figure out is what I consider working or not. It's that part where I think any pool player or athlete second guesses and wonders that if they change things will the time it takes to adjust be worth a long term improvment if it even comes or is simply practicing and mastering HOW I PLAY the best way to go. I mean I don't have a lot of players in my area to play on big tables so it's hard to know where I stand but I usually beat the ghost in 9 ball race to 7, 3 out of 5 times. So what do you think? At the age of 20 do I just keep practicing and gaining knowledge and experience with the fundamentals and style I've used or is it worth a jump to switch it up.
 
I wonder about it too...seeing the variety of eye positions of pros in so many pics.

No way they all sat down and analyzed/ modified their perspecticves, at least not in a sscientific way. And they all play good, btw.

Given those, is it possible that the whole search for a change from what God gave you is worth little?

To make a shot you have to line the cue/ ball/ pocket within a few degrees' margin of error. One's eyes and the (shot?)orientation that comes naturally may result from different perspectives, but the end result is the same: pocket the ball. (Who knew it was so ez?)

So, whether you are off by your ear-those 2 guys are warped!- or dead center of nose- those can be trusted with your money!-your brain still percieves the shot optimally for your eye/ brain/ hand connection.

I think.
 
henho said:
The dominant eye supplies the information you need to line up a shot. If you are aiming a gun at a bullseye, you sight it with your dominant eye because you want to align both the gun and the bullseye. In pool, you similarly want to align your stroke with the contact point on the cueball to pocket the object ball. However, this is different from a simple bullseye because the balls and table must be considered 3-dimensionally. That is, you need data on depth, such as the distance and angle of the balls. Depth information is not so important with a bullseye; whether it is 1 foot or 100 yards away you still need to simply align them in a 2-d manner.

What does this mean for the game? When you are picking your shot and alignment prior to getting down, you use both eyes to judge the best way to shoot the shot. When you are down on a shot, generally speaking you only need your dominant eye to align the cue with the contact point, but usually people make minute adjustments that factor in depth information, hence viewing the shot with both eyes. If you are the type of player that sights purely with your dominant eye, that won't hold you back, but since you will not be getting the whole picture when you are down on the shot, you need to be sure that you selected the correct alignment prior to getting down, and not second guess yourself.

There are certain shots that call for a greater amount of depth information, such as when the cueball and object ball are very close together, or on a jump shot or masse where the path of the cueball will deviate from your alignment slightly. In these cases, it is to your advantage to stand more erect and get a better sense of the depth of the balls. IN contrast, on a dead straight shot, proper alignment is all that is needed without worrying about depth information (distance), much like shooting a bullseye.
Click to expand...



What type of gun are you refering to?....SPF=randyg
 
dedstroke38 said:
I know there has been multiple threads about the eye dominance and sighting but nothing that quite answered my question. I am fortunate enough to have high quality cameras available to use at the University that I instruct at. This was the first time I was really able to see my set up and stroke from all angles. First thing I noticed was that I sighted straight down my right eye similar to Earl. The only thing is I know according to the tests I've done I'm left eye dominant. It seems to make sense that since I set up in this way my right eye takes over but for those of you with the knowledge, would it be beneficial to switch my setup so my shaft is running down my left eye since it seems to be stronger? or even down the middle? Or does eye dominance not really matter once you are sighting down one whether dominant or not?
Click to expand...

IMHO - you absolutely should try sighting with the shaft under your left
eye.

Many years ago, I was in a similar situation as you. I was a fair player
with quite good Cue Ball control but mediocre, at best, pocketing skill.

I switched to an alignment that had my dominant eye directly over the shaft.
The improvement was stunning - and immediate. Over night I could pocket balls with ease -
shots I would have thought way too tuff for me became commonplace.
Especially thin cuts and severe 'back cuts'. Off angle, no problem.
I even fired in the dreaded, long straight ins.
I got to the point that anytime I missed a ball that could go, I was disapointed.
FWIW - the other aspects of my game moved up also.
And by more than just the result of improved confidence, tho there is no doubt that helped also.

I'm sure that not everybody will have the same results I did,
but IMHO - it surely is well worth trying.

Dale
 
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Can't tell if you are joking Randy, any gun will do.

The point is, when aligning two points, you don't really need the depth info supplied by the non-dominant eye. This is what happens in lining up a gun with a target.

If the two points are not on a straight line, and particularly when the objects you are concerned about are 3-d colliding spheres, then you need a good sense of depth, and hence the info that is supplied by the non-dominant eye.

An example I've previously observed in cuesports is the difference in technique between 3-cushion billiards players and snooker players. Snooker players get very low on the shot since the small balls and pockets and long distance put a premium on accuracy when lining up. 3-cushion players must estimate the course of the cueball over long distances and must have a good sense of the spatial layout of the table, so they tend to stand more erect on their shots, and use the depth info they are getting from both eyes more than a snooker player down on a shot.
 
Actually in shooting you align three points. Rear sight, front sight,target (unless you mean a shotgun??). Both eyes open being preferred for various reasons. Right handed rifle shooters who are left eye dominant tend to close the dominant eye. Right handed, left eye dominant pistol shooters usually adjust their stance to use their dominant eye. And vise versa for left handed right eye dominant.
 
henho...Randyg is not joking. Shooting a gun is entirely different than shooting pool. Dominant eye only works within hands reach, and many times we are shooting at object balls that are many feet from 'hands reach'. Also not everyone has a dominant eye (regardless what some may have you believe...up to 20% of us have no dominant eye). Lastly, the dominant eye (if you have one) receives visual information 10/1000ths of a second prior to the nondominant eye...far too quickly for the eyes not to work together (binocular vision). Our eye triangulate on the aim point, both on the CB and OB...in other words, they work together to get the accurate picture. You cue should be lined up where you perceive a straight line...whether it is directly under your dominant eye, or not.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

henho said:
Can't tell if you are joking Randy, any gun will do.

The point is, when aligning two points, you don't really need the depth info supplied by the non-dominant eye. This is what happens in lining up a gun with a target.

If the two points are not on a straight line, and particularly when the objects you are concerned about are 3-d colliding spheres, then you need a good sense of depth, and hence the info that is supplied by the non-dominant eye.

An example I've previously observed in cuesports is the difference in technique between 3-cushion billiards players and snooker players. Snooker players get very low on the shot since the small balls and pockets and long distance put a premium on accuracy when lining up. 3-cushion players must estimate the course of the cueball over long distances and must have a good sense of the spatial layout of the table, so they tend to stand more erect on their shots, and use the depth info they are getting from both eyes more than a snooker player down on a shot.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
henho...Randyg is not joking. Shooting a gun is entirely different than shooting pool. Dominant eye only works within hands reach, and many times we are shooting at object balls that are many feet from 'hands reach'. Also not everyone has a dominant eye (regardless what some may have you believe...up to 20% of us have no dominant eye). Lastly, the dominant eye (if you have one) receives visual information 10/1000ths of a second prior to the nondominant eye...far too quickly for the eyes not to work together (binocular vision). Our eye triangulate on the aim point, both on the CB and OB...in other words, they work together to get the accurate picture. You cue should be lined up where you perceive a straight line...whether it is directly under your dominant eye, or not.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for your input Scott! Definitely the most reassuring which is what I was hoping for. I suppose since it is the most natural for me I should stick with it. Also, when dissecting my game I realized that my ball pocketing probably needs the least work in my game. Thanks for the help, hopefully I can be to the U of M what you were for that other school in this state :grin:
 
Scott Lee said:
henho...Randyg is not joking. Shooting a gun is entirely different than shooting pool. Dominant eye only works within hands reach, and many times we are shooting at object balls that are many feet from 'hands reach'. Also not everyone has a dominant eye (regardless what some may have you believe...up to 20% of us have no dominant eye). Lastly, the dominant eye (if you have one) receives visual information 10/1000ths of a second prior to the nondominant eye...far too quickly for the eyes not to work together (binocular vision). Our eye triangulate on the aim point, both on the CB and OB...in other words, they work together to get the accurate picture. You cue should be lined up where you perceive a straight line...whether it is directly under your dominant eye, or not.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

2 big questions:

1. "You cue should be lined up where you perceive a straight line"

This sounds good - but I don't quite understand exactly what you mean.
Could you expand a bit please?

2. "Dominant eye only works within hands reach"

Not so good - I may be wrong - but it seems to me my dominant eye
is working hard at distances well beyond the longest possible shot
on a 6 x 12.
Again, can you provide some corroborating evidence?

Dale<always willing to learn, just not very willing>
 
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pdcue said:
Scott Lee said:
"You cue should be lined up where you perceive a straight line"
Click to expand...
This sounds good - but I don't quite understand exactly what you mean.
Could you expand a bit please?
Click to expand...
I call this the "vision center." This is how I define it:

The head alignment that allows you to see a center-ball straight-in shot as straight, with the tip appearing to be at the center of the CB.​

For more information, along with a procedure you can use to find your vision center, see:

Regards,
Dave
 
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