Why pool players can't aim ;)
- Thread starter Straightpool_99
- Start date
The feet are the foundation of the stance.
I agree strongly with the OP's post. This main sentiment is iterated at length in Richard Kranicki's ode to alignment, "Answers To A Pool Player's Prayers". In the book he describes how your back foot should be oriented on the shotline in various ways (depending on your personal preference for eye dominance or vision center), giving several examples for each. Many people don't realize that the act of getting down on the shot disorients your alignment, even if you have it correct in your standing position.
After I identified my dominant eye and the proper foot position which best sets up my stance and "getting down" procedure, aiming became mostly intuitive and natural. I don't advocate everything he touches on in the book, but I would recommend it to all whom are curious about improving their alignment.
After I identified my dominant eye and the proper foot position which best sets up my stance and "getting down" procedure, aiming became mostly intuitive and natural. I don't advocate everything he touches on in the book, but I would recommend it to all whom are curious about improving their alignment.
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I've made a thread on stance and alignment in one of my 'fundamental' threads. The issue with releasing a DVD on the matter is that alignment isn't that easy to teach to the masses as a persons anatomy and physical abnormalities have a lot to do with it. Basically all they can do is set out broad guidelines in a DVD for people to use and work on their own to achieve results as I did in my post...not a very long DVD and wouldn't be worth buying. All alignment is, is getting the elbow, grip, vision centre and V of the grip all on a vertical plane. Things like having the back foot or a certain part of the foot are completely different from person to person so no definitive statement can be made on things like footwork. If you strive to have all the mentioned parts on the same vertical plane as I stated, cueing straight becomes a whole lot easier.
I know Ekkes has an Alignment and Sighting system soon to be released that I have been trialing and this is the closest I have seen to specifically combining both sighting and alignment in written and video forms. Keep a look out for it!
I go over this in my 'Ultimate Pool Secrets' DVD........
I vaguely remember an idea (maybe posted here) about reverse engineering your ideal foot position. Something like this:
1. get into a comfortable shooting stance without a cue ball or object ball - just point the cue in the most comfortable way directly along your line of sight
2. get your torso, shoulders, head and arms into the most comfortable, natural position for stroking straight along your line of vision
3. check your foot position by looking down and seeing where they are in relation to your stick (the aim line)
4. start your stance with that foot position
pj
chgo
1. get into a comfortable shooting stance without a cue ball or object ball - just point the cue in the most comfortable way directly along your line of sight
2. get your torso, shoulders, head and arms into the most comfortable, natural position for stroking straight along your line of vision
3. check your foot position by looking down and seeing where they are in relation to your stick (the aim line)
4. start your stance with that foot position
pj
chgo
Buddy Hall Alignment
It seems to me I saw a video that Buddy Hall did and if anyone has a lot to align around it would be him and that is very close if not exactly how he did it. He stepped in a certain way and situated around his feet.
It seems to me I saw a video that Buddy Hall did and if anyone has a lot to align around it would be him and that is very close if not exactly how he did it. He stepped in a certain way and situated around his feet.