Aiming

[poolqjunkie]

I was reading some material about aiming recently by some Americans. It was said that most pros do not actually know how to explain how they aim--according to this writer they do not go by ghost ball, back of balls, or quarters but a special way to "feel" the shot, which they cannot really explain clearly to other people.

I am always under the impression that aiming is a matter of memory and pattern recognition, i.e., you memorized the angle and when that angle comes up you correctly recognize it and aim to hit it accordingly.

I always feel that I can explain how I aim to other people if I have to. Aiming is not that hard, is it?

In this article I was reading, the writer also talks about something very strange. He mentions about aiming at the edge of the object ball and pivot one's back hand...which according to him is the secret aiming method most pros are using...???

Does any of you do that?

[Terry Davidson]

pqj:

I believe everyone starts out with some version of the ghost ball and then as they learn the various shots it becomes memory and recognition.

There are 2 factors which are basically 'guessing' (but an educated guess) when playing any shot other than full-ball because of the friction of the cloth and also of course the cue is not aimed at that 'spot' or 'arc' on the Back-of-the-Ball (BOB). There is always a difference with any cut shot because the leading edge of the cueball must make contact with BOB and not the centre of the cueball.

Not sure what he's talking about as aiming at the edge of the object ball will give you an exact 1/2-ball cut and then doing something with the wrist just doesn't seem to make sense as it would take the cue off the line of aim (or perhaps to the line of aim, but every cut would be different).

I'm pretty sure the original statement is correct and those a lot of pros cannot explain clearly how they aim, and to my mind it's just a matter of practice and memory.

Terry

[Acrowot]

In my younger days, nobody ever talked about ghost balls and I still am not quite sure what it means.

After playing for years regularly, aiming just seems to become auto and you do not really think about it. Now after such a long lay off, just wish that feeling would return.

Some days it is quite ok, then another it all goes haywire (all to pot .. lol). Sorry for the pun.
:snooker:

[GravityCue]

I was reading some material about aiming recently by some Americans. It was said that most pros do not actually know how to explain how they aim--according to this writer they do not go by ghost ball, back of balls, or quarters but a special way to "feel" the shot, which they cannot really explain clearly to other people.

I am always under the impression that aiming is a matter of memory and pattern recognition, i.e., you memorized the angle and when that angle comes up you correctly recognize it and aim to hit it accordingly.

I always feel that I can explain how I aim to other people if I have to. Aiming is not that hard, is it?

In this article I was reading, the writer also talks about something very strange. He mentions about aiming at the edge of the object ball and pivot one's back hand...which according to him is the secret aiming method most pros are using...???

Does any of you do that?

Hi Airin.

I could understand the cocking of the wrist bit if the player's objective was to achieve a neutrally positioned grip on the cue as part of a pre shot routine, even so, and as I'm sure most players on this forum would already know, this is something that should generally be implemented from the beginning of the shot process, and certainly not recommended (IMO) as a formula for accurate alignment.

Although, Liang Wembo does something similarly quirky when down on the shot.

As you say, very strange.:snooker:

[Theguywithaplan]

when americans talk about center to edge aiming, they are talking about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij38h...eature=related absolute rubbish.

[andy carson]

to be honest when i play i aim where feels right on the shot, more often than not its right, if i look at a shot too long and try and dissect it, i end up either over or under cutting it, where as if i went for te same shot just going down from first lookand where i feel is right, it works out usually with a pot

[hotpot]

From a personnal perspective , i dont use ghost balls or any other method i just rely on my brain picking up the angle that probaly relies on memory from the angle of the shot that has been played thousands of times .

All the shots have similar angles just on different parts of the table .

[checkSide]

The best way to aim is with the subconscious.
Call it memory, feel, instinct, etc.
That is how all good players aim.

If you try and define the pot in words, you just end up cluttering your mind with constant chatter...
"that looks like half ball. nah it's a bit thinner... Let me look for bob .... if I just aim at that part of the cloth...."

Of course some awkward pots require consideration, but 90% of pots are best aimed by simply trusting your brain to select the right angle. IMHO

[poolqjunkie]

Thank you everyone for your valuable and knowledgable input. Really appreciate it.

I did a bit more digging and this is (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqcQm...eature=related) basically what the "secret aiming system" was about from my basic understanding: it involves aiming at the edge of the object ball then pivot one's cue to make the shot.

I must say I find this very strange, and hard to comprehand. Not only that, I cannot accept that this is what the pros are using when they aim.

Does anyone use this? Does anyone really understand this?

This is another video explaining the system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z7GwMArK40

Please note he is not cueing straight--the pivot is required in order to make the pot--and his sight line (when standing up) and is not the same as his actual shooting line.

I am just curious if any of you actually use this, or at least understand it.

It is call CTE--center to edge.

[Acrowot]

checkSide
My thoughts, exactly.

Also, as hotpot says, it becomes engrained in the brain after doing it for lots and lots of times over a long period.
:snooker:

[cantpotforshíte]

In response to the aiming system, poolqjunkie, as I'm sure you know, Americans that play on nine-ball tables have a whole host of daft aiming methods. Most of which claim to be some sort of holy grail.
The reason that these theories predominate in the American game is because of the massive margin of error that is possible in potting on a nine-ball table.
None of them work at snooker.

[jasond28]

Aiming

It does astound me that the amount of American pool players are obsessed with aiming "systems" such as ghost ball, Centre To Edge, Pivotting the body, aiming at the reflections on the object ball, etc etc.

What good is the "worlds best aiming system" if your cue action isn't delivering the cue in straight line?

Cuesports is all about repetition. Try potting a half ball black off the spot and you brain and muscle memory will tell you how recognise the shot anywhere on the table.

[poolqjunkie]

It does astound me that the amount of American pool players are obsessed with aiming "systems" such as ghost ball, Centre To Edge, Pivotting the body, aiming at the reflections on the object ball, etc etc.

What good is the "worlds best aiming system" if your cue action isn't delivering the cue in straight line?

Cuesports is all about repetition. Try potting a half ball black off the spot and you brain and muscle memory will tell you how recognise the shot anywhere on the table.

Agreed, some of them even advocate aiming on a spot on the cushion, a spot on a wall...or even the light reflection on the balls!!!!!

[poolqjunkie]

In response to the aiming system, poolqjunkie, as I'm sure you know, Americans that play on nine-ball tables have a whole host of daft aiming methods. Most of which claim to be some sort of holy grail.
The reason that these theories predominate in the American game is because of the massive margin of error that is possible in potting on a nine-ball table.
None of them work at snooker.

I have not tried it (i dont really understand it to begin with) on a snooker table, but when I watched the video I noticed that the object ball quite often hit the jaws of the pocket before it dropped--if it was a snooker table it would not have dropped.

The only reason I bought this up is because it was claimed that this is what most(or all) pros use when they aim...even if this is only for pool I serioulsy doubt pro 9 ball players aim like that...but just thought I would ask anyway.

[Mike P]

The CTE system has had many heated debates on American forums. I have a hard time accepting movement after you are down on the shot. I have never understood the Americans fixation with aiming systems. They consider snooker players to be the best potters, yet they seem to want to reinvent the wheel, so to speak.

I always thought that shots were played by memory and to a certain extent some are. Watching videos of profession snooker players, I think they are often aiming at a spot on the ball. In the shot preparation, they often start behind the shot line (for positioning purposes?), then move to a position behind the object ball (find the exact contact point?), then return to behind the cue ball to start their shot.

Mike