Which part of the pocket to aim for?

[paulstreetboy]

Does anyone have a diagram which shows the exact point of fall at a pocket which gives the greatest acceptance to a snooker ball. For years I just aimed at the centre of the pcoket and then realised that this was not the optimum place to aim for. I realise this changes for each shot but wonder if an optimum aim a snooker point diagram for a snooker table exists.

[hotpot]

A lot depends on the table realyy , for example two clubs where i play are totall opposite . A red off just off cush above black spot , on one table they drop off the near jaw but wont off the far and on the other table its the complete opposite .

[Terry Davidson]

The most obvious answer (and the correct answer too) is you aim for the point on the pocket which gives you the most room for error on either side. This is generally the middle of the FALL of the pocket (the drop on the slate). For instance, with a black off the spot you can't aim for centre pocket (centre of the leather anyway) as you would hit the top cushion horn first and miss the pot.

However, if you aim for the centre of the fall of the slate then this generally lines up with the edge of the leather on the side cushion jaw and that is the correct aiming point.

So, the centre of the fall of the slate is the correct answer in all cases, including pots along the cushion where there isn't much room for error, but you still aim for the centre of the fall.

Terry

[paulstreetboy]

Thank for your prompt reply which is appreciated. I am right handed and invariably miss blacks (and other pots) in both black pockets on the botton rail (thick). What am I doing wrong? I have started to compensate by hitting the balls thinner and aim for the far jaw which is helping. I am concerned about this consistent level of misjudgement. I may have answered my own question to some extent but wonder if you have any pearls to offer and add

[Terry Davidson]

I discovered somethin similar when I played on the Star tables at the Southwest Academy. The pockets were tighter than the pockets on my own table and I was consistently missing the black a little thick, but just a touch but with the lively horns and tighter pockets it was enough to miss.

How I corrected this problem was to select a potting angle to the edge of the leather on the side cushion. I did this by ensuring I was doing my aiming while standing behind the shot and then ensuring I dropped my head straight down on that selected line of aim and made sure I didn't change anything while down on the shot (small micro adjustments which I do too much).

Once I started aiming for the edge of the leather which was also the centre of the fall of the slate I had much better success.

In your case you may be doing one of two things. First of all you might have had a small glitch in your cue delivery and have compensated for that but have since corrected it and this is showing up when you are playing to a partially closed pocket.

Second, you may be selecting the correct line of aim and getting down on it and then adjusting your aim a bit when you're down as it appears too thick or thin. This is one big NO-NO. Even if you have to first stand behind the black to get the line to the edge of the leather and then get behind the cueball while keeping that spot (which is called BOB for Back-Of-Ball) and not allowing yourself to make any adjustments once you drop your head straight down on the shot when you form your bridge.

Terry

[philthoms]

I agree with Terry but I heard Willie Thorne on the WSC commentary say that it's best to aim at the far jaw but some older tables tend to refuse the pot when trying this method, I suppose it also depends on how the pockets are cut. Maybe WT is correct for the type of tables used by the professional players. In his book Joe Davis states that he chooses the potting angle and blanks the pocket from his mind.

[paulstreetboy]

Terry

I really appreciate your full detailed response. You are a star. I am playing tomorrow at my local club and will remember what you say. Keeping the line sounds easy but is really hard! What method do you use for sighting?

[Terry Davidson]

I do all my aiming while standing behind the shot since you get a better perspective from there. Then I ensure I place my right foot (and thus my grip hand when I get down) on the line of aim I've selected. Last but not least I ensure I drop my head (eyes actually) STRAIGHT DOWN to ensure I stay on the chosen line of aim.

The biggest problem I have is I have a very bad habit of making little 'micro-adjustments' when I am down behind the shot and I know I should stand back up and repeat the process from behind the shot but I'm just too LAZY most times.

The secret in a few words is 1. aim whilst standing up, 2. ensure you drop the head straight down on the line of aim of the cue, and 3. DON'T BLOODY WELL MOVE from bridge hand on the table through the feathers and right to the end of the delivery.

Terry

[paulstreetboy]

Thanks. More good advice.

[HemiRR]

Here is an aming trick that I learned 45 years ago. When the object ball is close enough to the rail, every table has what I call the 'parallel distance'. This is the distance the object ball can be from the rail, so that if it is struct exactly parallel to the rail it will be accepted by the pocket ie be potted. The tighter the table, the closer the object ball has to be to the rail to make it using this technique. I find it far easier to simply shoot the object ball parallel to the rail than try to aim at a pocket that is several feet away. It is easy to determine the parallel distance on very table. Start by placing the cue ball about 1/8 inch from the rail half way between the black spot and the corner. Stoke the cue ball exactly parallel to the rail to the corner pocket on the otherside of the black spot and see what happens. Repeat from the other side. If you make it or miss it move the ball out or in slightly eg 5/32" or 3/32" and try again etc. Repeat for the bottom and side rails. I determine the parallel distance for everytable that I play on (league play 6 venues and variances between tables at each venue so I keep notes) (in addition you will find out if there are any table rolls to certain pockets which will also help your play).

[iancafc]

Basically aim for the furtherest part of the pocket when u aim

[paulstreetboy]

I think that basically you are right. There must be scientific proof (although I haven't seen it) which proves which part of the pocket in each case you should aim for. Perhaps someone has drawn a map! showing the point of greatest acceptance. Also, the player has to take into account nap which operates differently. Am I own mo own here; I just believe that anything which increases the pot chance must increase the break chance and win chance. As a right hander I have been aiming for the left of centre on black into the top left ( yellow side) with increasing results and thus avoiding the near jaw which I was invariably hitting. Hitting thinner on both black pockets has increased my breaks and I am sure it has to do with a focus on which part of the pocket. The earlier reference to Joe Davis was interesting and true. However, he never saw Hendry play and he invariably takes an idiosyncratic look at the pocket!!

[sunny3909]

Playing on club tables you need to judge the nap effect also,some club tables tend to have a thicker nap cloth.
For example potting in the centre pocket you need to aim a bit more towards the far Jaw pocket.

[paulstreetboy]

Is that true of both sides? i.e. from the black end of the table towards the righta nd left middle and from the baulk towards both middle bags?

[sunny3909]

Yes especially when playing across the nap into center pocket.