Where do your eyes look?

dakaratestar

dakaratestar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
for a long time, i had trouble shooting long draw shots, near the rail jack up shots. recently i discovered that if i only focus on the cue ball at the moment of the final stroke, i can pretty much pocket anything, any distance, at any speed. i was amazed, and kinda dissapointed why i didnt discover this earlier:D . but anyways does it really make a difference whether it is the object ball or the cue ball our eyes should land on last or not? does it only work on certain shots? tell me about your experiences and opinions.
 
For years I've focused on the cue ball at the time of impact, (I had no formal instruction) but lately I've tried looking at the object ball and it seems to make me a little more accurate on long shots as long as I have a good accurate stroke. If I had to pick one way or the other I would say look at the object ball. At least that's what I'm gonna try, but it will take some getting used to. I'm only a C player so I'd like to hear what some higher level players think about this subject.
 
Warm up, and the stroke

I get down on the shot and line it up correctly!

Then I do my warm up strokes looking at the cue ball and making sure that I am hitting where I want to hit.

Then I look to the object ball and fire away!

If I do this correctly I am a ball pocketing machine!!!! LOL
 
im the exact opposite........when i get down in my stance i focus totally on the object ball. I will focus briefly on the cueball for a few practice strokes and then i look at the object ball as i shoot. Ive found if i focus on the cueball as i hit i have the tendency to raise up at the shot, almost like in golf where you raise your head on a teeshot to see where its going.
 
most will tell you that you should look at the object ball last. i dont necessarily agree with that myself. some will also tell you their preference is the cue ball.

however, it seems to me that if you are setup properly, aligned properly, aiming correctly, and stroke straight through the line then it doesnt make any difference what you are looking at. like a top level instructor told me once, "You can be looking at the blonde in the 4th row and if you do all of the above you will achieve shot success!"

DCP
 
scottycoyote said:
Ive found if i focus on the cueball as i hit i have the tendency to raise up at the shot, almost like in golf where you raise your head on a teeshot to see where its going.
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Scotty, I think you might have hit the nail on the head! It makes sense that you are going to look where the cue ball goes after you hit it, thus possibly raising your head and moving. IMO the key to everything is following through and remaining perfectly still until the ball drops.
 
i tilt my head to line up both eyes along the cue and stare at both at the same time. it took some practice and i have problems reading the paper and make sense out of it but a poolnut is a poolnut.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
like a top level instructor told me once, "You can be looking at the blonde in the 4th row and if you do all of the above you will achieve shot success!"

DCP
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It is true that if one's mechanics, aim and alignment are perfect then one can still pocket the OB while looking at the blonde in the 4th row.

IMHO, however, looking at the blonde in the 4th row unnecessarily deprives oneself of vital perceptual (i.e., visual) input on the shot. There is much more to executing a good shot than shooting straight and pocketing the OB. Speed control, for example, is obviously crucial when playing position, and I believe that looking at the blonde as one strokes the shot can adversely affect speed control, since the visual perception of a shot is a crucial element not only in the execution of the current shot, but also in the building up over time of muscle memory. Visual memory is absolutely vital to hand-eye coordination and to how muscle memory is built up over time through repetition.

In short, there is a very practical reason why so many top players will "visualize" the execution of a shot before shooting it, and that is because the visual input itself is a crucial element in the overall successful execution of a shot.

On 'normal' shots I subtly shift back and forth between the CB and the OB during my practice strokes, but I look at the OB last. On 'special' shots, like jump shots, masses, and shots where I'm jacked up on the rail, I look at the CB last (that is, unless sunnyday walks into the room, in which case I will be looking at her and will no doubt wildly miscue and leave a gaping gash in the cloth.)
 
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Focus point

I always think of it this way: If you're playing basketball do you look at the ball or the net when you're shooting? Try looking at the object ball and focusing on the contact point. Hit that point! :)
 
txplshrk said:
I get down on the shot and line it up correctly!

Then I do my warm up strokes looking at the cue ball and making sure that I am hitting where I want to hit.

Then I look to the object ball and fire away!

If I do this correctly I am a ball pocketing machine!!!! LOL
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Me too, except the part about being a ball pocketing machine.:)

However there are some shots, like jacked up or jump shots, that I look at the cue ball last.
 
I asked Sigel about this when I was working with him as a translator during one of his stays here in Japan, and he told me some really interesting things. The first thing he told me was that "put a random dot on the edge of a piece of paper, and the tip of your pen about 7-8 inches away from the dot. Now, draw a straight line from the point of your pen to the dot on the sheet of paper............................................now, when you do that, where are you looking? And that's the answer to your question."
There's more to it than that, and even Mike said at the time that everybody has a different way that works for them, but I thought it was a really easy to understand explanation.
dave
 
look here

if you can't make every shot without looking at it,
your eye patterns need work.

After you line up on the cue ball you already know how hard to hit, where to aim, and what the results should be.

If you don't know when to look where, you need to consult a professional.

This is one of the best things I've ever learned.

Spend an hour to learn it and the rest of your life trying to get it right.

This topic is one of the most under rated fundamentals of the game.

Cheers,
cOOp
 
Tokyo-dave said:
I asked Sigel about this when I was working with him as a translator during one of his stays here in Japan, and he told me some really interesting things. The first thing he told me was that "put a random dot on the edge of a piece of paper, and the tip of your pen about 7-8 inches away from the dot. Now, draw a straight line from the point of your pen to the dot on the sheet of paper............................................now, when you do that, where are you looking? And that's the answer to your question."
There's more to it than that, and even Mike said at the time that everybody has a different way that works for them, but I thought it was a really easy to understand explanation.
dave
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So Sigel looks at the blonde in the 4th row too, huh?
 
coopdeville said:
This topic is one of the most under rated fundamentals of the game.

Cheers,
cOOp
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I totally agree. Personal Eye Patterns is possibly the second most important concept we teach in pool school.
Steve
 
I've heard a few world class snookerplayers saying, always focus at the CB when shooting, because if you have alligned the patron and you hit the CB 100% correct, the CB will always do the thing what you're hoping for. It's the contact between the tip en CB that does the job. Looking at the OB only gives you an astimate where to shoot. I would say, play a few times snooker, and you will know why it's more effectively to look at the CB. It's way to difficult to shoot a long range shot with snooker, if you look at the OB when pulling the trigger.
 
Let me ask you a question.

I tried Souquet's looking at the Cue ball when breaking, and it is okay.

But for regular shots:

Do you look at the road ahead or your steering wheel when driving?
 
cyrex said:
I always think of it this way: If you're playing basketball do you look at the ball or the net when you're shooting? Try looking at the object ball and focusing on the contact point. Hit that point! :)
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but when your playing golf, do you look at the ball you are hitting, or the target (fairway/green/flagstick)?

it just seems teetotally illogical to me that one would look at the object ball last.

DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
but when your playing golf, do you look at the ball you are hitting, or the target (fairway/green/flagstick)?

it just seems teetotally illogical to me that one would look at the object ball last.

DCP
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Man, you need help! Hope Scott is on the way....SPF=randyg
 
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