Why do they do?

[Jude Rosenstock]

It's not that I can't pocket balls. I just want to run more racks
Maybe there's a golf book that describes this technique how to visualize the shot. I've already heard that golf pro's can "see" the shot hapen before they hit the ball so clear like they would watch a film on tv. Sounds very interesting.

I think you're making this out to be more complex than necessary. This is a simple concept. Prior to shooting, you imagine what will happen. That's it. It's no different than when I'm sitting in bed, trying to fall asleep and I see myself walking to the kitchen and making a sandwich. Then suddenly, I'm on my feet, spreading the mayo.

 

[PoolBum]

I think you're making this out to be more complex than necessary. This is a simple concept. Prior to shooting, you imagine what will happen. That's it. It's no different than when I'm sitting in bed, trying to fall asleep and I see myself walking to the kitchen and making a sandwich. Then suddenly, I'm on my feet, spreading the mayo.

How appropriate. Around here we refer to a player who is in dead stroke as one who is "spreading the mayo."

 

[VonRhett]

Sooo, the Lesson of the Day is:

If you wanna go home with the Cheese, ya gotta learn to spread the Mayo!!

Oddly enough, I totally agree with that!!
-von

How appropriate. Around here we refer to a player who is in dead stroke as one who is "spreading the mayo."

 

[supergreenman]

Sooo, the Lesson of the Day is:

If you wanna go home with the Cheese, ya gotta learn to spread the Mayo!!

Oddly enough, I totally agree with that!!
-von

Mayo is Jelly like is it not

 

[AuntyDan]

Enter the Chalk Zone

I know I've seen this in an article somewhere but I can't find it right now to acredit it to the right person.

Anyhoo it's called "The Chalk Zone" - The concept is you begin your shot routine standing away from the table, chalking your cue and examining the shot. As others have mentioned you can use this time to visualize the shot execution in detail, to physically align yourself on the cue ball, to gather your concentration or simply to ensure you always chalk your cue before you shoot! Another component you will see some players use in this routine is to stroke their cue in mid air.

Then once you have all that mentally locked in you put down the chalk, step forward, lower yourself onto the shot and make it.

You may notice some players who have such consistent routines that if they decide to get up from the shot before shooting it they will go through this entire routine again, stepping right away from the table and chalking the cue again even though it's already chalked, because it is part of their routine.

 

[cplayermagic]

a good strategy i found is if you're at a tournament and there is no time limit, you can take a really long time between each shot. this increases your chance of not making stupid mistakes, and gets in your opponent's head. you have to keep him/her on the edge.

 

[Tristan]

One of the things that the pros are doing when they stand up behind the cue ball before getting down on the shot is aligning their feet and their bodies with the aiming point. As alluded to by a previous poster, the aiming process does not begin when you get down and do your warmup strokes. They begin in the process of surveying the table and the shot. You will notice, perhaps, that many of the pros and top players go over and look at the line from the object ball to the pocket. This helps to mentally fix the aiming point. Then, when they go in line with the shot, they visualize the shot and they get their feet in position so that when they fall into their stance, they will already be in line with the desired aiming point. Corey Duel and Efren Reyes epitomize this version of the pre-shot routine, and C.J. Wiley has an excellent section on it in one of his tapes.

Very true. Pre-shot routine is invaluable when it comes to completing a winning run. It's a little different in my game (Bumper Pool), though. A lot of top level Bumps players don't stand up between shots at all, preferring to remain in a bent over position for the duration of their inning. When I was learning the sport, an old gambler told me this was because remaining that close to the balls gives the impression of 'living in the game.' All I know is, playing bumps will either give you a strong back or back surgery!

 

[Pinocchio]

???????????

I don't really know but I bet its none of the following: squirt, swerve,
swarf or deflection. A fellow told me when I was in my early teens he
said you're making pool way to tough. He said all you gotta do is shoot all the balls off the table an you win. I never could never master that but
I'd guess thats what the pro's are trying to do the majority of the time.


Pinocchio

 

[rc11]

My first post! =]

After a certain amount of time, a player will generate habits even without knowing they're performing it. They learn the feel for it, and instinctively know what to do without thinking about it.

Its like driving a standard car instead of an automatic.

spreading the mayo, going on auto pilot and what not...

plus it looks good

 

[Island Drive]

I mean the pro's. After pocketing a ball they don't go to the next ball, go down and shoot. They stand behind the cue ball and look at the OB or something. What do they do there? Do they aim? Do they find out an particular aiming point?

Someone told me some great players like Efren Reyes divide the cue ball into parts. So does it mean he is searching for a specific aiming point when he stares at the object ball chalking his cue?

Walking up to each shot and getting down is your approach. When your down on the shot and taking your warm up swings your confirming your decision that your weight distribution is good thus allowing your pendulum swing to be straight...this is critical in hitting the chosen contact area on the object ball.

By being repetitive its much easier to figure out if your aim is accurate by the results), too much left, too much right or in the pocket. Its a good thing to commit and learn from the results to improve.

If you shoot a shot and hit it differently each time your fundamentals need work, a good instructor will notice your problems quickly. Hope this helps.

 

[TATE]

I mean the pro's. After pocketing a ball they don't go to the next ball, go down and shoot. They stand behind the cue ball and look at the OB or something. What do they do there? Do they aim? Do they find out an particular aiming point?

It is like golf. Golfers don't align their body right at the pin. They align it to the path the ball will travel on. For example, if they plan to fade the ball 10 yards to the right, they align 10 yards to the left.

When you're setting up for a pool shot, you should set up to the actual line of aim, which is the path you want the cue ball to travel on. This is best seen standing up behind the shot. Even the approximate speed and english you intend on using should be taken into account before getting down on the shot. This gets you in the right position to make the shot properly.

Chris

 

[cuetechasaurus]

The simple truth is that the pro's miss about as often as anyone. The difference is where a beginner misses making a ball, the pro misses his cue ball position slightly which will effect how he had planned to hit the second, third, or later ball. He may be just standing there verifying all is still right in his world or he may have "missed" and be remapping everything left on the table.

Hu

I definately disagree with you here. When watching a pro run hundreds in straight pool, they rarely get out of line. Same thing when they have an open table in 9ball.

 

[Cameron Smith]

a good strategy i found is if you're at a tournament and there is no time limit, you can take a really long time between each shot. this increases your chance of not making stupid mistakes, and gets in your opponent's head. you have to keep him/her on the edge.

That would be hazardous to your health.

 

[ShootingArts]

I watch a pro run hundreds on tape regularly

I definately disagree with you here. When watching a pro run hundreds in straight pool, they rarely get out of line. Same thing when they have an open table in 9ball.

I watch a pro run hundreds on tape regularly. One thing that he mentioned was keeping multiple options open for when your leave isn't perfect. Another was taking risky shots while you still have easy shots on the table to fall back to if the tough leave doesn't happen. He also acknowledged over and over that he "missed" his shot in the manner I am speaking of; he didn't get exactly the shape he wanted. Don't feel too bad for this poor pro that misses so often though, he did manage to win the US Open nine ball recently. The reason was simple, other pro's missed more often than he did!

Hu

 

[Island Drive]

Bizzy, another thought:

Executing a shot in pool is all about visualization. By seeing whats happened once you pull the trigger (strike cue ball) the results give you 'instant' feed back.
If your game is at a beginning level you will first need to understand the mechanics of shooting and ball collisions before you're able to understand your makes and misses.

 

[bizzy]

Bizzy, another thought:

Executing a shot in pool is all about visualization. By seeing whats happened once you pull the trigger (strike cue ball) the results give you 'instant' feed back.
If your game is at a beginning level you will first need to understand the mechanics of shooting and ball collisions before you're able to understand your makes and misses.

I don't think I'm a beginner. I can run one or two racks of 9/8-Ball and my straight pool high run is about 30. But I can't visualize the shot perfectly. I only can imagine what will happen with the balls but not enough and the picture I see is also not that clear like I see it when it happens when I shoot. When golfers use such techniques than it means to me that they learned them. That's why I was asking where I can read something about that stuff.

 

[Island Drive]

I don't think I'm a beginner. I can run one or two racks of 9/8-Ball and my straight pool high run is about 30. But I can't visualize the shot perfectly. I only can imagine what will happen with the balls but not enough and the picture I see is also not that clear like I see it when it happens when I shoot. When golfers use such techniques than it means to me that they learned them. That's why I was asking where I can read something about that stuff.

Are you 'for sure' looking at the object ball last on every shot?

 

[Snapshot9]

It's not hard ...

It's not that I can't pocket balls. I just want to run more racks
Maybe there's a golf book that describes this technique how to visualize the shot. I've already heard that golf pro's can "see" the shot hapen before they hit the ball so clear like they would watch a film on tv. Sounds very interesting.

Just 'dream' how to do it, with your eyes open! Kind of like daydreaming about a girl that you like!!! ..... lol Seriously, I see an imaginary line of where the cue ball will go, determine how to shoot the shot to get it to follow that line. I consider what I have to do (with english, speed too) to get the cue ball to go an 'unnatural' angle path (finesse shots). So, I guess you could say I consider the natural angles first, then make adjustments to it for a path that my cue ball needs to travel.

Visualizing is an abstract method of designing something in your head with your eyes open, and therefore, with your conscious mind. Dreams are similiar except done by your subsconscious mind motivated by your feelings. When I designed large scale computer systems, I always started in my head with the basics, but had to put it on paper to cover all the details contained within it. When I designed a new home, when I was married, I knew what I wanted, and I could visulaize it to a point, but had to sketch it out on paper to get the overall effect of it.

How do you think 3-D Cad programs came about? They were a vision for someone that then committed to making it a reality. Visions are nothing more than ideas with a goal.