laser used by Steve Davis during one of his training spots in the World Championships

[swest]

Like I said before, I really don't go in for gimmicky solutions to problems. It's just that this one thing - straight-in shot alignment - has plagued me, and I don't know for sure where my problem lies.

Here's the thing. If I have a 3/4-table shot (this is 9' pocket-billiards, by the way), and I have a small angle (say, 5 degrees), then I will make that shot 90+% of the time. If I have a 3/4-table straight-in shot, I make it 50% of the time...

If this device shows me that I'm dropping on the shot line correctly, then I know it's my stroke. If this device shows me that I'm always dropping on the line a little to the left or right, then that will help me immensely.

Don't get me wrong, if I find out that this thing costs $150, then I'll probably forgo. But if it can be had for $60-$70 then... maybe.

Anyway, thanks for the comments.

Later.

[tcollick]

I think you're being a bit hopeful there mate...it looks like an expensive piece of kit.
I'm hoping Terry's 70GBP is the ball park but even that sounds too cheap.
But I am the same as you. Sometimes long corner blue shots I get 7/8 out of 10, but sometimes only 2/3.
When it 2/3 and I'm playing a frame, it puts my whole game out of whack as I know I'm cueing badly.
This is why I'm interested in this product. Saying that, a thin white line made from tape below line of aim might work just aswell, but its a bit low tech and I'm a sucker for gadgets

[Terry Davidson]

I've had no joy contacting Nic as he was in Australia for a family thing and then he was going to climb a mountain!...so I hope he didn't fall off!

I used the laser thing like I said and I don't remember Nic's exact price but I remember it wasn't too awfully expensive and this device will tell you if you're lining up to the shot correctly for sure but it's a bit finicky to set up and get right, but it has 2 laser lines so for instance potting a long blue from the yellow spot you have to set it up on the end cushion rather than over the pocket so one of the lines is shining right along the line of aim of the cue, and you also have to raise it a bit to get over the cueball. Much better to set it up for potting an angled yellow.

That said, remember most misses are caused by not delivering the cue straight down the desired line of aim, whcih almost everyone can pick out correctly after a little experience. Try potting a few blues off the spot from the yellow spot but close your eyes and concentrate on what your grip hand is doing. Also try a few pots normally with the eyes open but with no feathers.

These two drill should be able to help you determine if you're wselecting the correct line of aim

Terry

[tcollick]

Thanks for the info and advice Terry. Yes, it does sounds like something you'd buy, use once and then put away never to be seen again! (unless you were a coach of course).

[swest]

Thanks for trying, Terry.

[Terry Davidson]

swest:

OK, Nic is finally back home and with no broken bones no less. The laser device is called the 'Angle Buddy' and if you can't find it email Nic at 'nic147(at)thesnookergym(dot)com' and he can tell you where he got his or maybe even sell you one

Terry

[tcollick]

Hi Terry...glad Nicks OK!
Unfortunately its not Angle Buddy. The one SD used is like an lamp that you put on the table and a green laser line beams down on the table (controlled by a remote).

[BaconLad]

I saw something like this on "The Gadget Show" a few months ago but it was designed for pool...
It was called Augmented Reality Pool or AR Pool for short.

[Terry Davidson]

It must be out of the USA or something. The only thing I can't figure out is how you can get the laser pointing down the line of aim accurately except for a very carefully set up straight in pot.

As an example, let's say blue on spot, cueball in hand on the yellow spot. Simple 3/4-1/2ball pot but you would have to place the laser somewhere on the top cushion to get it shining down your cue when on the line of aim and then who can say whether that point you picked on the top cushion is the guaranteed 100% accurate aiming angle of the cue. Plus you have to have it high enough to get over the cueball

But I do think a laser would have value if only you have a person line up his cue in the address position, turn on the laser so it's shining accurately down the length of his cue and then have him do a regular feathers, backswing and delivery and see if the laser remains on the cue throughout the whole action. With someone there (like a coach of course!) to watch the laser then he could tell the players exactly where in the action he is taking the cue off-line.

But now someone needs to take that information and find the cause of taking the cue off-line and get it corrected.

Terry

[nrage]

Doing a google for "Augmented Reality Pool" gave me this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AENJxqR0g48

Which looks kinda cool. At one point in the video the lasers are reacting to the person cueing. In another the lasers are fixed on the correct path and the person can use them as a guide to cue.

What would be quite useful, for diagnosis would be to have a combination camera, like in the xbox kinect, where one camera sees laser light guides which are invisible to the player. Then you could film the player playing a shot, play back in slow motion and overlay the laser guides. It would show you whether the player got down on the line, and if so where they went off line.

Hmm.. sounds like another reason for me to get an xbox with kinect and start some kinect hacking

[Redphex]

It might be handy to build a DIY version of something like the Bosch line laser level (see pics at http://www.bosch-professional.com/de...ageimage/24717) - the professional tool is too expensive, but line lasers alone are quite cheap (https://secure.picotronic.de/laserfu...0er278rqqicrh5)

An issue would be the over head mounting - as usually lamp & shade would be in the way.