What are your eyes and brain seeing at

[Koop]

It does sound weird but it's definitely possible. I do more or less the same thing. I'm aiming at an imaginary point in space.

Maybe I can expand it a little... my stick is always visible in my peripheral vision and it's pointing along a certain invisible line. The stick itself is part of that line so it makes it easy to visualize the rest of it.

I see the contact point, and keep tweaking the stick line until I know the CB will hit the contact point. I'm glancing at the contact point while seeing the correct stick line out of the corner of my eye. Once I know the correct stick aiming line, I don't look at ball anymore. I just make sure it stays on.

Thanks man. I see what you're saying but you can understand why I get a little confused when I see: "I'm aiming at an imaginary point in space."

Are you around the Boston area?

 

[Ponytail]

Not sure I follow. How are they different?

I am just trying to figure out what ghost ball aimers are looking at just before pulling the trigger.
Aren't you still lining up a certain spot on the CB to a certain spot of the OB?
Or am I way off?

Thanks,
Koop

Koop-

I aim using a ghost ball type method. I can visualize where the cue ball will be sitting on the felt, when it's in-line with the object ball and pocket, and that's what I aim at. A spot on the cloth. I then roll my cue ball across that spot, and magic happens.

Some people are not able to visualize this.

 

[Koop]

Koop-

I aim using a ghost ball type method. I can visualize where the cue ball will be sitting on the felt, when it's in-line with the object ball and pocket, and that's what I aim at. A spot on the cloth. I then roll my cue ball across that spot, and magic happens.

Some people are not able to visualize this.

Thanks for the explanation.
So do you spot the cloth or do you find a spot on the OB and then figure out the ghostball from there?
Making more sense to me now.

 

[Ponytail]

Thanks for the explanation.
So do you spot the cloth or do you find a spot on the OB and then figure out the ghostball from there?
Making more sense to me now.

For me..

I see a line that I want the object ball to roll on coming from the pocket, under the object ball and past it. I then see where the cue ball would be on that line if the cue ball were up against the OB. I don't actually look for a spot on the OB, just the line under the OB.

This may help.

 

[mikepage]

OK, suppose you have a 30 degree cut shot. The contact point on the object ball would be 1/4 ball, but when you line up the shot, your cue would be pointing on a line through the center of the cue ball to the outside edge of the object ball, not toward the contact point. The contact point is 1/4 ball, but the aim point is the edge. So where should your eyes be locking in?

Steve

For Steve's example, note that the "sight point," i.e., the object ball's edge, is exactly twice as far out as the contact point (ball quarter). This is a general result, and the generations-old aiming approach based on this idea is called the "Double the distance" method.

Dave A. has a good description here

http://billiards.colostate.edu/threads/aiming.html#double

 

[Chi2dxa]

I see the ball in slices and not a contact point.

The moment you strike the cue ball? This has been discussed many times before and it seems that most good players see the cue ball contact the ob. The question is are you seeing the spot on the ob, the cb, the shaft, the pocket or some combination of all? This is an area that seems to change for me and I have no picture that is consistently repeatable. Is your brain anticipating the exact hit on the cb, the hit on the ob, seeing the ob to the hole or some other combination. I realize a lot of good players cannot answer because they do not know. I asked Earl the question some time ago and his response was "ya either got it or you don't." I asked Allison the same question and she invited me to her pool school (always the business woman). I understand the focus should be on the ob but what else is in your field of vision and what are you thinking when you are playing well. Please do not answer "nothing" as that is a non-answer. Also, please do not tell me to take lessons because I have from Scott Lee and that too is a non-answer

A little while back but not long ago a guy on here introduce the Double the Distance aming method in a very easy to see diagram and from there on I started seeing the ball in slices and not points. For example centerball on the ob is 12:00 to 6:00 just to the right of there is the next slice 1:00 to 5:00 and just to the right of there is 2:00 to 4:00. I see a thin razor sharp line going from the top to the bottom of the ob and on to the felt of the table and after I find the 12:00 to 6:00 relationship from the cb to the ob by standing in front of the cb and looking at the ob I go to where I need to hit the ob to make it go where I want it to go. For example if hitting the ob ball at the razor sharp verticle line from 1:00 to 5:00 will make it go into the pocket I know that I need to aim at the razor sharp verticle line from 2:00 to 4:00. Now I can completly turn my back and walk away from the balls because I know I need to aim and hit the ob at the line that runs from 2:00 to 4:00. Who needs spots and dots when you have the face of a clock with lines. Now if your stroke is straight...MAN you can close your eyes and still make the shot.

I felt your frustration a while back asking the same questions you are asking right now. I once asked Earl about a How to video that he made years ago on pool because I wanted to buy a copy (It is next to impossible to find now) and he told me that instructional videos on how to play pool were nothing but junk and not to waste my time with them. I still would like to have it though. I met Allison Fisher told her that she was one of the best kickers that I have ever seen and asked her what system she uses and her answer was that she does not use one. Now this maybe true and it was an answer but just not an answer that I was looking for. Thank God for this forum and its members.

 

[genomachino]

It all starts with the preshot routine. Standing up tall is where you can envision how much of the object ball you are going to hit naturally.

When you are down aiming you need to look at the cue ball and the object ball as a pie hitting a pie. How much of this pie needs to hit the other pie. Your eyes have to be in the right position or it won't look right no matter what you do.

When you finally stroke you need to be looking at the object ball.

Kind of like a mechanic that looks at a wrench and wants the 1/2 inch. He looks at it knowing it is a certain size and eyeballs it and just grabs it without reading what it is..

There is no peticular spot to aim at as many players already know by trying to do it. We know the spot is there but it would be hard for someone to put an X on it.

Kind of like saying to hit the contact point. You know it's there but can you put an X on it. It's like when someone says, just aim at the contact point. That doesn't really help you at all.

The secret is to have your eyes in the proper position so you can naturally see how much of the pie is hitting the pie. It's fairly easy once you know how to do it.

That's all there is to it.