Ever notice how the pros and top players on this forum don't respond to aiming threads?
Just sayin........
Just sayin........
You either shoot straight or you don't...
- Thread starter 1on1pooltournys
- Start date
haaahaa you are right to much about what you said in the beg of this thread.
i cant tell you how i aim i just do it.
it would mess most people up.
lol
Very well stated.
yes cause they are dumb threads.
I dropped into a pool hall the other day that I don't usually go to. When I walked in I saw an old friend I hadn't seen in probably 10 years or more. he7s a former JPBA pro, his name is Sawano in the event anyone wants a name with it. Anyway, he stopped playing professionally about 10 years ago, about the same amount of time I hadn't seen him, but he still shoots every once in a while. I was watching him play and his pocketing ability and his cue ball control were still fantastic. He said he shoots about once a month now, and I have no reason not to believe that. Anyway, I was still impressed with a lot of the shots he made and his cue ball control. Being able to sit that close to the table and watch, I was sitting right above the table at the counter, I noticed one thing. For the most part, he wasn't using any spin on the ball and when he did he used it sparingly. I think that may be one problem with amateur players, we use spin way too much.....and way too much spin. I'm willing to bet when you get up to the pro level you'll see less and less english, except from the Philipinos.
MULLY
going back to the basics
MULLY
going back to the basics
I agree, some try to make it way too complicated. You either hit the contact point or ya don't lol. It is like some people try to make it a secret mathematical formula to pocket balls. A pro in any sport is usually a pro....due to the fact he has an amazing natural talent at his sport. Not saying he does not work hard with practice and such....but most of it comes down to you either have it or ya don't. There is people who will practice a lifetime at a sport and still only end up mediocre at best. That is life!
That reminds me of a quote by Leonoardo Da Vinci -
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Or was that Leonardo Andam? I forget.
Either way, its one thing to keep it simple, and its another thing to keep it simple and to be doing it the right way.
The "right way" will vary from person to person. When you find things getting complicated, just avoid complicating it further. To stop the "wrong way" momentum, you need to first realize you're going the wrong way. Many players are blind to that - and stubborn about it, too. You can't always get what you want - that is unless you set your standards as low as possible. There is a valuable lesson in there somewhere, hopefully you're one of those players that can see that lesson clearly.
I've shot over a million balls - easily - quite possibly I have shot a few million balls. Trust me, I haven't made all of them. What I do (aiming-wise) is not fail proof, nor is anything else. There are systems out there that make things easier. They may work for you, they may not. Nothing in pool is one size fits all.
It took me a while, but I managed to find a way to make most shots by utilizing center ball. I adjust tip placement from shot to shot, and I adjust for speed. All of that depends on where I need to put the ball, and where the CB needs to go after the ball hits the back of the pocket. Its simple, its easy to remember, and it works. Yay me.
My little system works for my eyes and my stroke, and I am happy to report that I have been blessed with the ability to make more shots than I miss. I attribute that more to my work ethic and my extreme dedication to playing my very best - no matter what kind of negative junk my own brain is throwing at me during that process. That's the big battle, and I make sure I am well prepared, have a battle plan, and that I am well stocked with ammo.
Also, the process of knowing what the hell you are doing is highly under-rated in the game of pool. If you watch very closely, you can actually see some players running away from competence at an alarming pace. Try your best not to be one of those players and you'll have a much easier life.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Or was that Leonardo Andam? I forget.
Either way, its one thing to keep it simple, and its another thing to keep it simple and to be doing it the right way.
The "right way" will vary from person to person. When you find things getting complicated, just avoid complicating it further. To stop the "wrong way" momentum, you need to first realize you're going the wrong way. Many players are blind to that - and stubborn about it, too. You can't always get what you want - that is unless you set your standards as low as possible. There is a valuable lesson in there somewhere, hopefully you're one of those players that can see that lesson clearly.
I've shot over a million balls - easily - quite possibly I have shot a few million balls. Trust me, I haven't made all of them. What I do (aiming-wise) is not fail proof, nor is anything else. There are systems out there that make things easier. They may work for you, they may not. Nothing in pool is one size fits all.
It took me a while, but I managed to find a way to make most shots by utilizing center ball. I adjust tip placement from shot to shot, and I adjust for speed. All of that depends on where I need to put the ball, and where the CB needs to go after the ball hits the back of the pocket. Its simple, its easy to remember, and it works. Yay me.
My little system works for my eyes and my stroke, and I am happy to report that I have been blessed with the ability to make more shots than I miss. I attribute that more to my work ethic and my extreme dedication to playing my very best - no matter what kind of negative junk my own brain is throwing at me during that process. That's the big battle, and I make sure I am well prepared, have a battle plan, and that I am well stocked with ammo.
Also, the process of knowing what the hell you are doing is highly under-rated in the game of pool. If you watch very closely, you can actually see some players running away from competence at an alarming pace. Try your best not to be one of those players and you'll have a much easier life.
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Learning how to aim correctly for every shot, even for a beginner can be done in a few weeks. What's more important is cue alignment, and having a straight stroke to keep you aligned IMO.
Your Quotes are spot on
I don't shoot straight. Hey you wana play some cheap...I'll even play off hand.
I don't shoot straight. Hey you wana play some cheap...I'll even play off hand.
use english when you need it.
nothing wrong with that.
amateurs need to learn how to run out play the right angles thats what pool is about.
learn that and to control white boy you will play just fine.
dont worry about some magic aiming system there is not one.
get the cue ball on a a string most important thing in pool.
Being a "C" player on a good day, I can tell you that the reason we use spin way too much.....and way too much spin is because we do not have the ability to put the cueball exactly where it needs to be. We overrun/underrun our position often and have to use English of some sort so that if we make our shot, we can get some chance of a shot on our next ball. I probably run a rack about every 14-15 racks I shoot (B&R), and on almost all of them I've had to bail myself out of trouble position-wise by using spin.
I've always been of the opinion that SPEED of the cueball is the most critical factor for positioning the cueball for your next shot. But sometimes too much or not enough speed on my shot is going to require me to spin my way back in "line".
Maniac
On the other hand, there are many more players that regardless of the time and dedication that they put in, will NEVER make it to being even an "A" player.
People with natural-born great hand-eye coordination AND that have the smarts to know how to analyze racks properly CAN become an "A" player or better -- but unfortunately for the vast majority of players -- that will NEVER be possible.
In my experience, the vast majority of players vastly overrate their own capabilities as well as their "potential" capabilities as well. All IMHO.
This is a good point. I've seen many players that have played for years and are still the same player they were 20 or 30 years ago. It's not just a matter of hours on the table, or number of balls hit. It is equally the quality of the time put in and whether you've given proper introspection to how you've hit all those balls.
For some guys, as far as improving goes, they've just been killing time.
Lou Figueroa
Me thinks that Get_A_Grip has "got a grip" on this subject. I am one of those that although I play EVERYDAY for several hours, study books, video, stream matches, take instruction courses, etc., I will never be an "A" player. Heck, if I ever became a "B" player I'd be happy as hell.
And, a vast majority of players DO overrate their capabilities! I've seen APA 4's and 5's win a match and strut around the bar/poolhall like their "caca don't stink" and at that point in time they could beat anyone on the planet. It's sickening. They're not even a wart on a real pool player's ass.
Good post Get_A_Grip, as well as many others on this thread!!!
Maniac
A good instructor can teach you a lot of valuable things, but after nearly 70 years of pool playing I'm convinced that you can either find that sweet spot or you can't and no instructor can teach you that.
Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson
I often wonder about this. As I'm in the middle of nowhere (actually way off to the north and east of nowhere) I only see the locals play. Some are very, very good, but I wonder how they really stack up. Conversely, I wonder exactly how good many of the posters are here on the site, what with their "I run racks this often" proclamations. Personally, I'm one of those SL4's, though I know I ain't much and likely never will be. I understand a bit of the game, but actually making it happen is another thing entirely. Though many of our local "really good" players make those shots happen most of the time, with the appropriate leave, and so on.
I'm looking forward to playing in our state league tournament in June, to get a better idea of how our good players stack up, at least at league level. I know, League is nothing, etc, etc, yada yada. I think pretty much most of the better players in our little rural part of the world play at least some league, so I'll have an idea of the better players "out here", at least.
I do think it's funny to see how folks represent themselves sometimes. Maybe they are "all that". I'd love to see it, or hear some other folks perspective.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one. Any person who has the desire can get to a low pro level IF they have proper instruction, adequate dedication (read SIGNIFICANT DEDICATION), and adequate time. It is not rocket science; but the demand for precision is way more significant than many realize. If you disagree, you should be first in line for Mark Wilson's book when it is released; as he has spent his life working to overcome the common misconception that high level pool requires some kind of magical natural ability. He discusses this very subject in great detail, and I am confident that most reasonable readers will be quite convinced by his exposition. There has never been a pool book like this one.
To me, it is almost an insult to the pro's to say that they are there because of some gift they were born with; they are there because they spent huge numbers of hours at the table to develop the repeatability and precision necessary for high level pool. They should be admired for their achievements not envied for their "gifts." JMO
The thing that bugs me most when watching the average bar player is how many of them put draw on the ball on almost every shot, even when draw is totally the wrong thing to do!
Drives me nuts. Stop drawing that god-damn ball!!
I suck as a player, but I'm at least free of this affectation
Another good point. I think, for every player, there is one ideal, perfect setup that can take them to be as good a player as they can be. An instructor can show you how they think it should be done, but it is still incumbent upon the player to keep experimenting and working to discover their own personal "sweet spot" that they can reliably reproduce.
That sweet spot can be somewhat elusive
Lou Figueroa