What do you aim at?

[BRKNRUN]

I was just wondering what most of you aimed at when attempting to pocket an object ball:
The contact point on the object ball.
The whole object ball.
Lights on the object ball.
The base of the object ball.

Thanks,
JoeyA

I think you will find methods for almost all you have listed above......(plus a few others that you did not think of)

Bottom line is you need to aim at (something)...The particular method you end up using will be the one your most comfortable with...

BTW...I would expect "SONIA" will be posting a reply to your post at some point...The post may or may not rub you the wrong way, but if you really are interested in Aiming Methods...I would suggest you follow up on the post.

 

[papercut]

I started a post very similar to this a few months back. I got some great advice. But the few nuggets I put to practice the most was forgetting about an aiming system all together. Rather, visualize the OB being pocketed (even hearing the collision sounds in my head), and then try to make it happen more based on feel. Anyway, I felt that it forced each shot to be a confirming or learning experience. As was put to me by Jude, we're wired based on experience and instincts and things will naturally fall into place without effort (sorry for any unintentional misrepresentation, Jude...).

Anyway, my shot making has improved, my pre-shot routine is more consistent, my focus is more on delivery of a straight stroke, and my rythym is feeling more natural.

My 2 cents.

 

[woody_968]

No sarcasm at all...just extremely strange for a pro to say that and trying to draw a comparison. It would also be like a MLB pitcher looking at the baseball in his delivery instead of the catchers mitt...or an NFL quarterback looking at the football as it's leaving his hand at release instead of the receiver 50 yards down the field. It's just flat out wild to think of that.
You guys read too much into my responses...that's why shit breaks out.

These are good points DM, but there is a difference between a pool player looking at the cueball and all the other examples you gave.

Jordan had the basketball in his hand, looked at the basket (his target)

A quarterback has the football in his hand, looks at the receiver (his target)

The pitcher has the baseball in his hand, looks at the catcher (his target)

A pool player has the cue in his hand, and while his goal is to pocket the object ball his real target is on the cueball (striking it in the right maner to make the cueball pocket the object ball).

Yes I look at the OB when I shoot. Just playing devils advocate here to get your oppinion. This is something I have thought about alot and I think an argument could be made for either side.

 

[Brickman]

I generally aim at the pocket .....it just seems to work best for me

 

[chefjeff]

Funny you should mention that. The past two days I've been reading past versions of this discussion.

The title of this thread cracks me up though. Reminds me of one of my favorite obscure movie quotes:
Cop: Come on, we're headin' downtown.
Sugar Bear: Where your warrant at?
Cop: Behind that preposition.
Sugar Bear: What?
Cop: Didn't you go to school? You can't end a sentence with a preposition.
Sugar Bear: Oh. Then, uh, where your warrant at, motherfucker?

Another one,...I aim at the object ball and my name's not "at."

Jeff Livingston

 

[Skeezicks]

I physically look at the ob's contact point,
mentally visualize the cb’s contact point and
spend most of my time mentally matching up and connecting those 2 spots.

Ditto. It's only natural.

 

[Skeezicks]

[What do you aim at?]

What do YOU aim at?

 

[JrockJustin]

No sarcasm at all...just extremely strange for a pro to say that and trying to draw a comparison. It would also be like a MLB pitcher looking at the baseball in his delivery instead of the catchers mitt...or an NFL quarterback looking at the football as it's leaving his hand at release instead of the receiver 50 yards down the field. It's just flat out wild to think of that.
You guys read too much into my responses...that's why shit breaks out.

Just call it like I see it bro...

I agree about the extremely strange part... couldn't believe it when he said it... maybe its a ploy on his part?

 

[Travis Bickle]

No sarcasm at all...just extremely strange for a pro to say that and trying to draw a comparison. It would also be like a MLB pitcher looking at the baseball in his delivery instead of the catchers mitt...or an NFL quarterback looking at the football as it's leaving his hand at release instead of the receiver 50 yards down the field. It's just flat out wild to think of that.
You guys read too much into my responses...that's why shit breaks out.

Throwing is one thing, but hitting something with a stick, bat, club (hey, for some reason I like the notion!) or racquet is totally different. Does a baseball player look where he's trying to hit the ball? Does a golfer or a tennis player? In all those games you're supposed to keep your head down and still until you've finished your follow-through.

Only twist in pool is that everything's on the level, so to speak. That's my nonanswer. Maybe it's possible to do both? See and feel the cue strike the ball while watching the path it's supposed to take to the object ball? Without jumping up?

As far as aiming, I like to stand up and make sure I see the angle, then trust my alignment. I just try to think about the path the cb would need to take to create the angle that would pocket the ball. But if I'm fairly close to a sharp cut, I'll try to see how much of the edge of the object ball I'd want the edge of the cueball to take a bite of.

 

[jazznpool]

I think Ralf might be saying that he focuses on the path the cueball should take to the rail when a ball is struck correctly. This is helpful for cuts where the object ball is near a rail or you can easily visualize what would be the natural path of the cueball to the rail (not taking into account what, if any, juice you use). Does not apply to straight in. Give it a try and see what you think.

If you didn't look AT ALL at the object ball you would have no possible way to orient yourself on any shot.

Martin

It was really interesting for me to talk to Ralf Souquet and find out that he doesn't look at the object ball at all. He focuses on the cue ball for his aiming... Amazing to me...

 

[vapoolplayer]

I think Ralf might be saying that he focuses on the path the cueball should take to the rail when a ball is struck correctly. This is helpful for cuts where the object ball is near a rail or you can easily visualize what would be the natural path of the cueball to the rail (not taking into account what, if any, juice you use). Does not apply to straight in. Give it a try and see what you think.

If you didn't look AT ALL at the object ball you would have no possible way to orient yourself on any shot.

Martin

i've never heard ralf talk about HOW he aims...........just that he LOOKS at the CUE ball LAST.

VAP

 

[drivermaker]

A pool player has the cue in his hand, and while his goal is to pocket the object ball his real target is on the cueball (striking it in the right maner to make the cueball pocket the object ball).

The overwhelming majority of ALL top pros and instructors look at the OB last while stroking and recommend that, with the exception of the break shot, a masse or jump, and possibly a rail shot.
Somebody else made a good point in here and that is if he didn't look at the OB, how could he even orient himself. I have a feeling that Ralf looks at the OB in a very focused manner along with either his cue or the CB before pulling the trigger. You HAVE to! He may be one of the rare ones that then looks at the CB last while striking, but maintaing the line in his mind's eye, whereas the rest of the poolplayers look at the line or OB and keep the spot on the CB in their mind's eye. Could that be why he isn't winning and kicking everyone's ass any more?

 

[Billiard Architect]

I paid 100 bucks for my aiming system... It is pretty cool, let me explain. First I wrote a check to this guy IMMSHARMA and he sent me two napkins. It showed two balls with lines on it and a 3 ball. Well I thought it was the 3 ball then I figured out it was just a ketchup stain. Anyway if you take the line that the cueball travels and the line to the pocket and use that as an intersection to create a triangle then you visualize another triangle right beside that one... Then to get the last part I had to wait until the summer solstice and align both napkins with the corners together and place a magnifying glass between the napkins and the sun. At around 3 o'clock the sun glared through the magnifying glass and reflected off the napkins and lo and behold a great light emitted from the napkins then the room filled with smoke... After I put the fire out and got the damn smoke alarm to shutup I was enlightened with the thought that I had just wasted 100 bucks!

JV

 

[sonia]

Sonia Aiming,

One Method Of Aim That Works Very Well Is To Define Your Own Preferred Size Piece Of Cue Ball That You Want To Aim With. The Smaller The Piece, The More Accuracy You Will Have. Aim The Center Of A Very Small Piece Of The Cue Ball At The Center, Half, And Edge Of An Object Ball. That Is A Lot Easier Than Aiming The Whole Cue Ball. Try Aiming The Center Of A Piece Of The Cue Ball As Small As 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 Of An Inch, Now That's Aiming. Your Focus Is Now Reduced To A Very Small Space. This All Takes Place On One Side Of The Cue Ball. You Only Need To Look At The Center Of The Piece Being Aimed At The Object Ball Center, Half, And Edge, For Any And All Shots On A Table.

The Piece That You Are Aiming With, Is Defined From The Edge Of The Cue Ball Inwardly.


There Are Many Methods That Perform Accurately And Consistently On Any And All Manner Of Shot, Be It Pocketing, Carom, Combination, Banks, Of Any And All Kind. There Are Many Methods That Do Not Work At All, And Methods That Only Work Sporadically. I Have Never Been Able To Physically See An Invisible Contact Point On Cue Ball Or Object Ball. In Addition, If I Look At An Object Ball To Locate A Contact Point That I Cannot See, And Then Look Back To The Cue Ball To Locate An Invisible Contact Point I Cannot See; Then I Must Constantly Look Back And Forth On Both Object Ball And Cue Ball Looking For Those Two Invisible Contacts Points I Cannot See. Doesn't The Player Lose The Invisible Contact Point On Object Ball When He Looks Back At The Invisible Contact Point On Cue Ball, And Vice Versa? He Loses Both Invisable Contact Points Every Time He Looks Back And Forth From Ball To Ball. Hell Of A Way To Play. Got A Headache Just Thinking About It. I Like Everything To Be As Visible As The Cue Ball And Object Ball Are On Every And All Shots. No Headache There.

 

[woody_968]

The overwhelming majority of ALL top pros and instructors look at the OB last while stroking and recommend that, with the exception of the break shot, a masse or jump, and possibly a rail shot.

And possibly when you are shooting directly over a ball.

Again I agree with what you are saying, and that is what I teach. But I also like to question it once in a while to see if someone has a good or different way of explaining why. In theory once you have lined up, and yes in order to do this you have to look at the OB to orient and double check yourself, but then it really shouldnt matter if your looking at the OB or cueball. An example is the close your eyes drill. A good player can pocket balls well without even looking at anything (while they shoot).

 

[woody_968]

One Method Of Aim That Works Very Well Is To Define Your Own Preferred Size Piece Of Cue Ball That You Want To Aim With. The Smaller The Piece, The More Accuracy You Will Have. Aim The Center Of A Very Small Piece Of The Cue Ball At The Center, Half, And Edge Of An Object Ball. That Is A Lot Easier Than Aiming The Whole Cue Ball. Try Aiming The Center Of A Piece Of The Cue Ball As Small As 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 Of An Inch, Now That's Aiming. Your Focus Is Now Reduced To A Very Small Space. This All Takes Place On One Side Of The Cue Ball. You Only Need To Look At The Center Of The Piece Being Aimed At The Object Ball Center, Half, And Edge, For Any And All Shots On A Table.

The Piece That You Are Aiming With, Is Defined From The Edge Of The Cue Ball Inwardly.

I have tried working on something like what you are describing here, using 3 aim points on the OB, and for a short period of time had good success with it. I have always looked at the contact point when I aim but I have always thought there should be a better way. I think some people can visualize the contact point and some cant. But your post makes a very good point, everyone should be able to see those 3 locations on the OB, although the half would be the hardest one to pick out consistently I would think.

 

[RunArak]

None of the above.
Either the edge of the object ball, the center of it, or halfway between.

But that would also be in relationship to either the CB or Cue tip...depending.

(I have used all that you mention over the years with varying degrees of success and consistency...the least being lights and whole ball...the most with base and contact point, or, "segments" which you didn't mention)

I have tried all of the aiming methods with contact point, ghost ball, parallel shifts etc.. I now, also use the system that and Cane and DM use.
Proud to be a Houligan.. By far the best system for me, and it is so simple..
JK

 

[CaptainJR]

I said I wasn't getting into this but I think I will touch on something I read in one of the replies. This would have to do with any aiming system I would thing, but who knows?

A couple of posts were talking about most missed shot are under cut. This can be explained but it is going to be tough to do in words rather than in person, I'll try. I think this will be important reading for beginners. Advanced players know this already but I know that I'm guilty of making this mistake occasionally.

When shooting a shot, regardless of if you look at the object ball or the cue ball, somewhere in the back of your mind you have a thought of where the pocket is. In that thought you have an idea of where the center of the pocket is. The problem is that depending on where the object ball is, the center of the pocket is not always in the back of the pocket. The back center of a corner pocket is only the center when shooting shot (A) (or a shot along that line). This becomes most obvious when shooting a shot along the rail. As you can see right away that in shot (B) the center of the pocket is not in the back of the pocket. When looking at a shot down the rail it is so obvious that the back of the pocket is not the center that it should force you to remember this and you hit the object ball toward the adjusted or 'true to this angle' center of the pocket. Where you are more likely to forget about this adjustment is on the in-between shots (C). The arrow at (C) is showing the 'true to this angle' center of the pocket. Shot (D) is a similar angle as shot (C), but if your mind has the indicated back center of the pocket targeted, you are going to undercut the ball and miss the shot. When I'm shooting these in-between angles I have to make sure I'm thinking of the correct spot in the pocket that I want the object ball to go toward. I think this is the reason most beginner shots that are missed are undercut. They are thinking of the back center of the pocket rather than the playable center of the pocket.

 

[pete lafond]

It was really interesting for me to talk to Ralf Souquet and find out that he doesn't look at the object ball at all. He focuses on the cue ball for his aiming... Amazing to me...

I just spoke with Ralf a few minutes ago. For clarification, I just asked him about his aiming method.

Here it is and I hope I got it right.

He sees the entire path of the OB to the pocket. He fixes in on that spot of the object ball to its path. This is done while stroking. He last looks at the cue ball just before he pulls the trigger to ensure he is still hitting the CB as he intends.

 

[Fred Agnir]

BTW...I would expect "SONIA" will be posting a reply to your post at some point...The post may or may not rub you the wrong way, but if you really are interested in Aiming Methods...I would suggest you follow up on the post.

I guarantee that JoeyA has read many posts by SONIA (aka Hal Houle).

Fred