Sticking to a technique

[mhughes34]

I've been playing for 5/6 years now, and I seem to struggle to find a technique to stick with, I always seem to find problems or what I perceive to be problems in my game. I used to get down on a shot (looking at the whiteball), then when delivering the cue looking at the whiteball aswell. Then I discover that I should be looking at the whiteball, pause then the objectball. I then discovered that when I get down to cue I should be looking at the objectball. I've tried doing this recently and it's a nightmare.

When I get down (looking at the objectball) I then look at the whiteball and the tip is not close to the whiteball, sometimes it's half a foot away!! When I got down originally (looking at the cueball) I knew where the tip was cause I was looking at it's target. This is really causing a problem for my game!! Help!! Do I stick with looking at the objectball when getting down, or revert to my original procedure??

[nrage]

I've been playing for 5/6 years now, and I seem to struggle to find a technique to stick with, I always seem to find problems or what I perceive to be problems in my game. I used to get down on a shot (looking at the whiteball), then when delivering the cue looking at the whiteball aswell. Then I discover that I should be looking at the whiteball, pause then the objectball. I then discovered that when I get down to cue I should be looking at the objectball. I've tried doing this recently and it's a nightmare.

When I get down (looking at the objectball) I then look at the whiteball and the tip is not close to the whiteball, sometimes it's half a foot away!! When I got down originally (looking at the cueball) I knew where the tip was cause I was looking at it's target. This is really causing a problem for my game!! Help!! Do I stick with looking at the objectball when getting down, or revert to my original procedure??

I think, ideally, you should get down looking at the object ball. I tend to keep the white in the bottom edge of my vision. I think the trick is to walk into the shot from the same position, in the same manner, on every single shot. If you practice this enough, you could even walk into a shot with your eyes closed and get the tip within 1/2 inch.

Nic Barrow has a good video on walking into the shot but I can't find it at the moment. Basically you want to walk into a shot with 2 steps, if you're right handed you walk in right foot first, then left. The right lands in exactly the correct position first time, and the left comes past and into the correct position as well. No shuffling, no movement. If it feels wrong, adjust and figure out why, then memorise the new position and get up and start again. Eventually you can do it almost all the time, and all without looking at the white.

The reason to do it, is so you can concentrate on looking at the object ball, and therefore getting down on the line of the shot first time, every time, and without any adjustment play the pot perfectly.

That's the theory anyway

[snooks1000]

firstly, when i comes to tinkering with your technique your not alone! Have you considered a couple of hours with a coach? It Might be what you need to get things clear in your head then you no what to work on. From experience, if your not 100% confident in what your trying is the correct thing to do for your self it can play havoc with your timing and confidence. A decent coach can often give you the confidence that what your working on is the right way forward...

[sprogbasket]

I'm with nrage on this one - you should be sighting the pot / shot and then "walking into the shot " stance wise, So that you are aligned and ready to play the shot when you get down.

This does mean that you should have your eyes on the object ball in the first instance and where you wish to hit it ( which may involve taking into account the affect of sidespin if you are intending to apply it to the cue ball for the shot).

This all sounds quite easy and it is....but only with practice - it all comes down to repitition and "muscle memory" but is worth the effort.


It may well be worth seeking out a coach in the first instance just to advise and get the fundamentals right....thereafter repitition, repitition and repitition.

[Terry Davidson]

mhughes:

I'm afraid all the responders here have it exactly correct as far as the 'ideal' technique goes. I would advise you to see a coach for a short 2hr session to get the basic fundamentals correct, since that is what you're missing.

To start you out, place the cueball about 1ft in front of the brown spot and rest your cue on the cushion so that the tip is right at the cueball and the aim is sort of near to straight down the table towards the black spot.

Hopefully your cue will balance and remain still on the table and if it will then just leave it sitting there and then stand behind the cue without touching it.

Now, you're going to take JUST 2 steps into the cue but without touching it. Place the laces of your right foot (or the arch of the foot if you have no laces) directly under the spot on the butt of the cue where you normally hold the cue, and STILL STANDING UP place your left foot somewhere near parallel with your right foot and about a shoulder-width from the right foot.

Now, with your eyes on the top cushion where the cue is aimed, drop into the shot and take up the cue WITHOUT MOVING IT.

This is the action you have to master and it will take a little patience. Make sure you look at the object ball when standing behind the shot then WHILE STILL STANDING UP place the right foot in line and directly below the line of the cue near the end of the butt and then place the left foot to the side in a comfortable position. All this while still standing up behind the shot.

Moving the left foot will have taken your head off the line of aim and now you have to bend the left leg and swing the hips to the left to get the head back on the correct line of aim (there is another option here as some players keep their nose (head) on the line of aim throughout the set-up).

Now drop into the shot but keep your eyes on the object ball until your bridge hand hits the table and then you can flick to the cueball. If you feel the set-up is wrong, STAND BACK UP, and repeat it until you get it right and the tip of the cue is 1/4" or less from the cueball

Terry

[vmax4steve]

Or you could do what I do, stand behind the shot on the line of aim, walk into the shot looking at the object ball, place right foot still looking at the object ball, place left foot while still looking at the object ball, then once left foot is in place, get down and address the white while looking at the white.