Why Look at the Object Ball Last?

C

cuetechasaurus

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I look at the object ball last when I hit the cueball. Today I was experimenting with looking at the cueball last, focusing on the spot I want my tip to hit. I found that I was controlling the cueball slightly better and my pocketing was a little cleaner. It wasn't that big of a difference, and I don't know if I'm going to change to doing this.

From what I hear, the majority of pool players look at the object ball last. Most instructors teach this too. What I want to know is, why does it matter? Once you are down on the shot, and you keep your body still like you are supposed to, you should be able to close your eyes and make the ball, right? What advantage does looking at the object ball last give you? I can understand it as using it for a learning process, i.e. seeing if you are sending the cueball to where you are aiming, but you can do that AFTER you make contact with the cueball.

Is it ok to look at the cueball when you strike it, but quickly shift your eyes to the object ball to make sure it goes where you hit it? Or should you completely focus on the object ball *all* throughout your final forward stroke?

Who here looks at the cueball last, and who thinks that you shouldnt, and why?
 
I look at the objectball last. Mainly cause that's what the snooker pro's do (except Hendry, he watches both balls??) and secondly cause it seemed logical to me.
Otherwise you're only aiming an inch in front of your tip instead of a foot/feet, which can't be good for potting imo.
I have a pause in my backstroke that I use for switching my eyesight to the OB, if you don't have a pause then I'd say, switch before you're final backstroke.

gr. Dave
 
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Double-Dave said:
I look at the cueball last. Mainly cause that's what the snooker pro's do ....
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No they don't. You must be thinking of pro dart players. They don't look at the dart last either.

Boro Nut
 
Boro Nut said:
No they don't. You must be thinking of pro dart players. They don't look at the dart last either.

Boro Nut
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OOPS! Typo, I edited it. You can see from the rest of my text I meant the OB, sorry for any confusion. I look at the objectball last.
 
Object ball last in most situations. Stops my head from jumping up and allows my brain to interpet the collision....randyg
 
Boro Nut said:
No they don't. You must be thinking of pro dart players. They don't look at the dart last either.

Boro Nut
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That is a very poor comparison. The cueball is stationary before it's sent on it's trajectory, the dart is not.

Your comparison would be valid if I were asking about looking at the cuestick last, but I'm not.
 
randyg said:
Object ball last in most situations. Stops my head from jumping up and allows my brain to interpet the collision....randyg
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Makes sense. But what is wrong with looking at the spot on the cueball you want to hit WHILE you strike the cueball, and then shifting your eyes to the object ball, as the cueball is travelling forward? That would accomplish the same thing.

In my experience, I've found that looking at the object ball while I strike the cueball makes me jump up way more than vice versa.
 
How about when shooting over a ball or if the CB is on the rail?

I believe that concentrating on either the spot on the OB or the spot on the CB works equally well because it keeps us concentrating. It is most likely just a preference of which way a person learns since once you get down on a shot it doesn't matter which you are looking at as can be shown by closing your eyes and taking the shot.

At least that is what Phil says.

Jake
 
Tom Rossman, aka Dr Cue, a BCA master instructor explained this to me as follows: if you are aligned up properly, if your aim is correct, and you stroke straight you can be looking at the blonde in the 5th row and you will have success on that shot.

its called Burning Focus. from what i have gathered its a personal preference thing, whichever feels best for you. personally i look at the cue ball last, but thats just the way i have always done it.

DCP
 
jjinfla said:
How about when shooting over a ball or if the CB is on the rail?

I believe that concentrating on either the spot on the OB or the spot on the CB works equally well because it keeps us concentrating. It is most likely just a preference of which way a person learns since once you get down on a shot it doesn't matter which you are looking at as can be shown by closing your eyes and taking the shot.

At least that is what Phil says.

Jake
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True, but focusing on where you want your tip to strike the cueball will help you do that more accurately, IMO. That's where my question stems from. Why look at the OB if there is nothing you can do about it when you are down on the shot. Alot of people have a tendency to steer their cue or shift their weight side to side to fix bad alignment, and I think that causes alot of misses too.

I am not saying that looking at the OB last is bad, I am just sort of playing devil's advocate, and questioning why looking at the CB last is considered bad by so many players/instructors.
 
randyg said:
Object ball last in most situations. Stops my head from jumping up and allows my brain to interpet the collision....randyg
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That is probably the best and cleanest reasoning I've ever heard. If you haven't yet, it should be in your instruction manual :)

I'm not big on the "what do other sports look at last" since no other sport is comparable to pool in its targets, focus, and objectives.

Fred
 
cuetechasaurus said:
Makes sense. But what is wrong with looking at the spot on the cueball you want to hit WHILE you strike the cueball, and then shifting your eyes to the object ball, as the cueball is travelling forward? That would accomplish the same thing.
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I don't disagree with you, but the "keeps me from jumpin up" is the reasoning that addresses that. Not that you can't accomplish staying still, but if you weren't shifting your eyes during the cueball's approach to the object ball, you'd have .... a better shot at not lifting your head.

I think most people will look at the cueball last on several types of shots. For me, object ball last has more to do with the cueball path & speed (cueball reaction off of the object ball) as opposed to pocketing the object ball. I think we all can pocket the object ball blindfolded once we have the aim line correct.

Fred
 
Capelle touches on this in his new book "Practicing Pool".

I started wearing glasses and found that I need to lock into the shot when I land on the table for long shots. I have a hard time glancing back and forth without moving my head so I just concentrate on the CB on long shots. Seems to work OK for me.
 
I'm looking at the object-ball last, except when breaking.
Anyone else doing the same..?

-- peer
 
Chuck Norris looks at them both, does a Walker Texas Ranger roundhouse kick above the table and cue ball immediately responds hitting the object ball at the correct point of contact, pocketing the ball cleanly. The cue ball then rolls into perfect position for the next shot. He is one bad mofo.
 
Ready when you are CB...

Like most I was taught to look at the OB last. Mostly I think that is to see the results and associate them with the stroke, to "interpret the collision" as noted earlier.

One exception though - when I'm shooting jacked up (over a ball). In that case, there's an extra premium on precisely striking the CB dead center (so as not to impart unwanted swerve / curve). In that case, I line up the shot as always, but focus on the spot I want to hit on the CB.
 
Here's my take on it:

So what happens when your alignment is a tiny bit off? There are 3 anchored points to define your alignment: your bridge, your desired tip placement on the CB, and your point of aim on the OB. The cue is anchored at your bridge and has to point through the desired point on the cue ball at the desired point of aim in order to be "correctly" aligned.

So what happens if your bridge isn't perfectly placed? That means when your cue is pointing from your bridge to the point on the CB, it's pointing in a slightly different direction than when it's pointing from your bridge to your desired line of aim.

So when I'm off, I'm stroking in a slightly different direction depending on whether I'm looking at the CB or OB. I'll practice stroke looking at the CB and then look at the OB and adjust my aim. Then I'll look back at the CB and find my tip is no longer in the right place.

If I look at the OB last, I'm more likely to pocket the ball because my aim is closer to correct, but I'll get the wrong english. If I look at the CB last, I'll get the english I wanted, but am more likely to miss.

When my alignment is just right, it doesn't matter where I look (as many instructors and posters have pointed out ad nauseum), and I gain all the confidence in the world, but when I'm not perfect (which is very frequent for me) the results are less disastrous looking at the OB last.

Now if I could only figure out how to achieve perfect alignment on every shot, I'd be good to go.

-Andrew
 
An important distinction has to be made here:

Not looking at the OB last does NOT = Not Staring hard at the OB during the shot set up.

If people have their bridge set and have decided on where they will strike the CB, and want to stroke along this line, then looking at the OB on delivery is superfluous, if not distracting.

But fact is most players do not 100% commit to their shots during set up. By habit they swipe left or right or swoop down for a bit of swerve to make the shot instinctively based on the feedback they are getting from focusing on their target, the OB - and it's line to the pocket.

It's arguable that this second guessing method is the best possible, but it is what most players do instinctively and they can learn to do it with high accuracy, even though few are aware they are doing it.

I see value in disciplining oneself to pre-allign, pre-imagine the stroke dynamics before the final stroke, while focusing intently on the OB, its line to pocket and imagining / predicting the path of the CB with the desired stroke.

Once set like this, excecute with the eyes wherever they feel most comfortable, or distract the least.

I can play both ways. I look at the OB on delivery moreso when I am playing a bit lazily, not taking time with pre-alignment. If I'm very focused and taking time with pre-alignment, then looking the OB can send false signals causing the occassional reflective adjustment on delivery, causing a miss.

I think most will struggle if they look away from the OB during delivery, as they probably have been aligning incorrectly for these shots for years and making minor swipes left or right (triggered by their focusing on the OB) to clinch the pot.

edit: As to where I look when focused on pre-allignment, it can be on the CB or at a point in the distance on a rail or wall, or often it is just a non-focused vision of the entire shot, envisioning all the lines and with a clear intention as to my line / stroke method of delivery.
 
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