What aiming system am I using?
- Thread starter Espartaco_7
- Start date
I´ve heard a lot about aiming systems but I don´t know what I use. I try to see a straight line between the object ball and the pocket and just shoot the cue ball to hit that spot.
I´ve heard of ghost ball, parallel lines, CTE, guys who aim with the tip, who aim with with the cloth.... so I´m confused. What the heck am I using?
I wouldn't call it a shooting system that you use, Id say you simply are sighting the ball witch is all you truly need to do in pool. Sounds like your already heading in a good direction.
thank you!!!!
I´ve heard a lot about aiming systems but I don´t know what I use. I try to see a straight line between the object ball and the pocket and just shoot the cue ball to hit that spot.
I´ve heard of ghost ball, parallel lines, CTE, guys who aim with the tip, who aim with with the cloth.... so I´m confused. What the heck am I using?
Contact point. With adjustment by pure feel. Essentially if you look at the back of the ball and figure a contact point without necessarily imagining a ghost ball then you have to be dropping into the shot by feel.
Lots of players do this. If you were to line up a straight on stop shot and get down with your cue pointed center to center and then note your position and then get up and line up the perfect shot line for a cut and note your position you will find that those physical positions are not far off.
So you can certainly look at the contact point and drop into the line with your brain doing the "math" quickly to allow you to get on the right shot line.
The question to ask yourself is if this works all the time or not? Do you miss balls you feel that you dead nuts in line on? Did you miss because of stroke or aim? Do you sometimes get down and are not sure IF you are on the right shot line?
Before I learned an aiming system, I shot with pretty much pure feel and some ghost ball thrown in using the put the tip on the GB center and walk it back method. I was pretty inconsistent although occassionally I could put up some pretty good pool.
I say if it's working don't "fix" it. For me there were always certain shots which I dogged no matter how much I practiced them. With the aiming method I now use I don't dog those shots any more.
I asked Klaus Zobrekis how he aims when he was here last year as we were dinking around on the table. He said he has always aimed using the edge of the object ball and then focuses on the contact point when he down on the shot. That's just a reference that he feels comfortable with.
Thorsten Hohmann also said something about focusing on the contact point after he is down on the shot.
So there you go. You're in good company.
Based on your diagram you aren't aiming at the contact point which would be on the object ball if you could actually see a point. Only based on the diagram you are aiming at the edge of the ball and you "know" as you drop into the shot where the shot line is.
We all know that in order to make any shot the cue ball MUST inhabit a certain space. That space can be dead in line with center pocket or slightly off to the left or right but NO MORE than slightly off. So based on that it's fairly easy for humans to figure out with trial and error approximately where that space is.
Aiming is simply the effort required to put your cue stick into the only physical space where you would have any chance at all of sending the cue ball to the only physical space where the shot you are facing can be made.
It's as uncomplicated as see it do it or as complicated as imagining ghost balls, doubling distances, seeing pairs of lines, etc... but the point is that given enough practice any method becomes flowing and if whatever you are doing is allowing you to be accurate then it's great.
I think that it would be helpful if people would simply make videos of themselves. Show a video of yourself running a rack and explain what you are doing. This helps you and helps the viewer/reader to be on the same page. Set up some shots and show the same shot using all variations of spin to show yourself and the audience what you are doing. Then perhaps it's a bit easier to reconcile what you think you are doing with what you are actually doing. (which may very be the same thing).
I´ve heard a lot about aiming systems but I don´t know what I use. I try to see a straight line between the object ball and the pocket and just shoot the cue ball to hit that spot.
I´ve heard of ghost ball, parallel lines, CTE, guys who aim with the tip, who aim with with the cloth.... so I´m confused. What the heck am I using?
Same way I shoot. I just stare at the contact point and let my brain figure out the rest. There was a period of time where I tried to break it down fundamentally and figure out what was going on, but that just ultimately caused me to miss more shots than I could count. Now I just "let it happen", and playing better than ever.
I´ve heard a lot about aiming systems but I don´t know what I use. I try to see a straight line between the object ball and the pocket and just shoot the cue ball to hit that spot.
I´ve heard of ghost ball, parallel lines, CTE, guys who aim with the tip, who aim with with the cloth.... so I´m confused. What the heck am I using?
There is a separate forum called Aiming Threads (or something) where aiming threads are supposed to be posted. Only geniuses post there, so beware
I´ll do the spot shot with several changes in speed, hand bridge lenght and english. Maybe I could take a chance tomorrow.
If you make much more than you mis then you are a natural shooter. One day you might become a 'player'. As log as you are making the shots you do not need anything Just keep doing what you are doing. However if you are missing 1/5 of your shots you may need to find 'something' to help.
Good Luck,
Rick
get down on the shot as if you've already made it.
The Best Aiming System is to get down on the shot as if you've already made it. If you can do this you Definitely don't want to change it. :wink:
I´ve heard a lot about aiming systems but I don´t know what I use. I try to see a straight line between the object ball and the pocket and just shoot the cue ball to hit that spot.
I´ve heard of ghost ball, parallel lines, CTE, guys who aim with the tip, who aim with with the cloth.... so I´m confused. What the heck am I using?
The Best Aiming System is to get down on the shot as if you've already made it. If you can do this you Definitely don't want to change it. :wink:
I´ve heard a lot about aiming systems but I don´t know what I use. I try to see a straight line between the object ball and the pocket and just shoot the cue ball to hit that spot.
I´ve heard of ghost ball, parallel lines, CTE, guys who aim with the tip, who aim with with the cloth.... so I´m confused. What the heck am I using?
You have the first component of aiming down - being able to see where the line "between pocket and the OB" exits the surface of the OB as a spot. You know that for for most cut shots, you can't aim directly at that spot - that only works for the straight in shot.
For a the thinnest cuts, <90 degrees, you must contact that spot on the edge of the OB with the edge of the CB. The systems here on this forum try to help you find how to aim the cut shots in between.
I like double distance aiming illustrated in PJ's thread.
Be well.:smile:
Your drawing suggests to me that you aim entirely "by feel", with only an approximate conscious sense of exactly where you're pointing the cue ball. That may be the best way for you - it is for many players.
pj
chgo
pj
chgo
You're right CJ, I don't want to change it, just to get best I can from it.:grin:
Correct, I guess that's what I do. Anyway I'll upload a video as soon as I can to get critiques from the guys who know how to play.
I don't think a video can show how you aim, but it might show us other things we can ridicule for you.
pj <- might have misspelled critique
chgo
That's the point. Sorry for misspelling "self learned english issues" :grin-square:
At the risk of posting a real aiming reply in the "non aiming" forum,
Admittedly, this only works for those who ( for some reason) see it clearly when aiming with the sides of the shaft as opposed to the center of the shaft.
here we go .... :grin:
Not all players need to do this with the sides of the shaft. I don't look at the shaft for most shots. Just sayin'.
hmmm I'll have to try this. But I tend to use a few different systems. Ghost ball, contact point, train tracks but that's just for drag
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
I understand, but .... that's what I meant by being able to see the shot. I never look at the shaft either.