Which Variable Is the Cause of Most Missed Shots

C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
For a relatively experienced player, assuming your aim is correct and your stroke is straight, in your opinion, which of the 3 variable miscalculations causes the most missed shots when applying spin to the Cue Ball?

1) Misjudging Cue Ball Squirt / Deflection?
2) Misjudging Cue Ball Swerve?
3) Misjudging CB to OB Spin Induced Throw

For myself, I think 3 causes my most misses if I’ve spinned it slightly more or less than planned. 2 is the second most likely cause of my misses, particularly if it’s bottom inside or outside, if I’ve elevated my cue slightly and if I don’t stroke the shot quite at the pace I planned especially if I decelerate and the swerve invariably gets me. Misjudging the cue ball deflection is the least likely of these 3 variables causing misses, at least for me.
 
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easy-e said:
I'd say a jerky or inconsistent stroke. I believe most people aim pretty well, but their timing gets wonky or they decelerate during their shot.
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Agreed that imperfections in mechanics is the most common reason for a miss.

Experienced players know where to aim and, as Chris points out, even if you get the aim right, you can get other things wrong that will cause a miss. On very firm hits with english, Chris is right that misjudging squirt and/or swerve often causes a miss, but those shots are not very numerous. Chris is also right that for softer shots played with a whole lot of english, misjudging the throw can cause a miss., but these shots are also not very numerous.

I believe that inaccurate follow through is the most common reason for a miss and it is usually caused by imperfections in stroke mechanics.
 
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With the given premise of correct aim and straight stroke, along with your 3 options, I think it is 3 on half ball or less cuts, 1 on less than half ball cuts and 2 on longer cuts. And, of those three situations, I would guess 1 on less than half ball cuts occurs more often.

But as usual, I could be wrong.


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Biloxi Boy said:
Mid-shot attention lapse. "thinking" the shot is over before it is -- failure to fully "follow through". Does this make any sense?

"Following through" insures mental presence for all aspects of the shot.
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Makes a lot of sense.
 
Given the strict parameters of the premise, I’d say 1 then 2 then 3. I feel like deflection is the easiest thing to misjudge. Swerve is situational on speed and usually people shoot with spin firm enough to mitigate it a bit. And object ball throw is angle dependent for taking effect but it’s also speed dependent and again it’s common to shoot sidespin shots firm enough to give the object ball less opportunity to take the throw. So to me I think #1 is a clear winner.
 
Fewer places seem to care about keeping balls and tables as clean as they used to. Dirty table and balls, long shot that needs to be hit hard or soft… my kryptonite.
 
most will often steer the shot and miss it for some reason.

but for me most shots i miss are ones my opponent cant make and may quit if i make them. never ever make a shot your opponent cant make.
unless you want to play by yourself.
 
Mark V said:
Fewer places seem to care about keeping balls and tables as clean as they used to. Dirty table and balls, long shot that needs to be hit hard or soft… my kryptonite.
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welcome to what we played decades back. table might get brushed once a day after hours if lucky.
and balls might get wiped with a damp cloth while in the rack once a day.

yet more guys in town could run a hundred balls than now.
 
ChrisinNC said:
For a relatively experienced player, assuming your aim is correct and your stroke is straight, in your opinion, which of the 3 variable miscalculations causes the most missed shots when applying spin to the Cue Ball?

1) Misjudging Cue Ball Squirt / Deflection?
2) Misjudging Cue Ball Swerve?
3) Misjudging Cue Ball to Object Ball
Spin Induced Throw?

For myself, I think 3 causes my most misses if I’ve spinned it slightly more or less than planned. 2 is the second most likely cause of my misses, particularly if it’s bottom inside or outside, if I’ve elevated my cue slightly and if I don’t stroke the shot quite at the pace I planned especially if I decelerate and the swerve invariably gets me. Misjudging the cue ball deflection is the least likely of these 3 variables causing misses, at least for me.
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Lack of talent, even if somebody thinks he's an experienced player. Really talented and practiced players don't do any of the above.
 
The biggest mistake I see beginners make when missing shots if failing to realize that with two round balls colliding, aiming the center of the cue ball at the shot line is going to result in a miss.
 
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