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**nrage** · 10 June 2011, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by pcb View Post

Hi hope someone can help. when standing behind the shot looking for correct line of aim you want to send the cue ball to the correct point on the object ball, is it correct to get down on the shot looking at the line of aim along the bed of the cloth just in front of the cue ball stopping at the object ball contact point . is this the correct way to aim . thanks

I tend to draw the line with my eyes from the cue ball to the object ball, and get down with my eyes on the object ball. I see the white out of the corner of my eyes, and rely on practice and a consistent walk in to get the bridge hand position correct. If you're focused on getting down on the line you generally get the cue tip in the center of the white, without having to look directly at it. If you find it's not, get back up and try again. With practice it will become natural.

**Terry Davidson** · 10 June 2011, 11:49 AM

pcb:

As to what to actually focus your eyes on, the contact point between the 2 balls is on the waistline of the object ball so I would recommend you focus on BOB, which is the spot on the waistline of the object ball directly opposite the part of the pocket you are aiming for.

Terry

**komakino** · 10 June 2011, 04:07 PM

That sounds incorrect Terry? Ignoring any throw effect, the aiming point and the actual contact point (BOB) are only the same for a full ball contact...

**Terry Davidson** · 10 June 2011, 05:09 PM

komakino:

So you're saying with any pot which is less than 1/2-ball you can focus your eyes on a spot in thin air which is outside the edge of the object ball. If you can do that then I would really like you to tell me just exactly how you do it.

Think about this shot...place an object ball 8" from the middle pocket level with the blue spot and place the cueball on or near the pink spot. This will be a fine cut into the middle pocket. Now, how do you determine where to focus your eyes?

Do you imagine a spot in the air that is let's say .875" off the edge of the object ball. How do you determine where you should focus your eyes? I believe that is an impossible task as the brain and eyes like something concrete to actually focus on and I believe if you focus the eyes on BOB your brain (with a little bit of experience) will unconciously determine how to get the leading edge of the cueball to make contact with BOB.

If you set up a thin cut to the middle pocket or even a thin cut into any pocket I'd be willing to bet you are actually focusing your eyes on the edge of the object ball every time, rather than some molecule of air outside the edge of the ball.

But, if you feel you must focus your eyes along the line of aim of the cue then please carry on as you may feel more confident in doing it that way although I don't recommend it because I believe it's just too confusing for the brain.

This is why we have 2 eyes, to get the benefits of binocular vision and allow us to determine the spatial relationship between 2 spheres and just hwere they should make contact to correctly pot the ball. You brain will unconciously and automatically calculate what the aiming point should be to get the leading edge of the cueball to make the correct contact with BOB and pot the ball.

I have given a longish explanation of this on another string just recently, and I suggest you read that one too

Terry

**komakino** · 10 June 2011, 06:41 PM

@Terry

As a specific example, for a 1/4 ball shot, absolutely I aim to send the centre of the white down the line of the shot/cue that passes 1/4 of a ball's width outside of the object ball. Imagining a spot outside the ball is no different to aiming for a spot inside the ball to me.

Why try to aim anywhere else? The cue must be going where the eyes are looking surely??

(To clarify my visualisation though, I imagine a vertical line rather than a spot. This vertical line is on the line of the shot. Another way to visualise this would be using the Steve Davis method where the vertical centre line of the projected CB disc is on the shot line/cue line)

**Terry Davidson** · 10 June 2011, 07:10 PM

komakino:

You have just described the 'ghost ball' method of aiming, which I figure everyone uses to some degree.

So even with your explanation you are still attempting to cover an arc on the object ball and you are aiming your cue conciously at the centre of an imaginary cueball or else a set distance outside the edge of the object ball and you have your eyes focused on that imaginary spot (I'm a little amazed you can do that without looking at the object ball and having it only in your peripheral vision, unless you look at the cueball when you strike?)

I guess your brain is one of the few around that can be happy to not have a concrete target to look at. So if you're happy and if you have confidence in that method then carry on, but don't say I'm wrong or try and convince me it's correct to focus on an imaginary spot in thin air which happens to be the point of aim of the cue. BOB is real spot on the waistline of the object ball and I still need something concrete to focus my own eyes on, but since I am able to play fairly well I guess using BOB works for me. 'Different strokes for different folks'.

You should also remember, you can pot balls with your eyes closed as long as you deliver the cue straight and that is the most important point of all and also there are pros around who aim from standing up, check their aim somehow when down on the shot and look at the cueball when delivering the cue. Hendry says he does this on long pots!

So maybe BOB or a molecule of thin air doesn't matter one bit!

OH, and by the way the cue does not necessarily exactly follow the eyes since the brain has become involved in determining the difference between BOB and line of aim or the cue

Terry

Terry

**komakino** · 10 June 2011, 07:28 PM

@Terry

I understand 100% what you are describing...the variant of the Steve Davis method that I use differs...sorry about that. I don't feel the need to defend it though to be honest. It's just a method and it works for me if no one else.

I never intentionally meant to say that your way of potting was 'wrong'. Or anybody's for that matter. If that is your take on my comment then I apologise. I was merely pointing out for the benefit of the less experienced players/beginners on here that the aiming/shot line is never on the same line as the contact point between the 2 spheres (BOB) apart from full ball shots. It's important to know the difference even for a beginner.

There's a subtle difference between the Steve Davis method and the Ghost ball method you mentioned in any case isn't there guys? The first is 3D and the second is 2D in my experience/understanding (imaginary spheres and discs respectively).

Comments people? Am I one of the rare few people that can imagine a line / point in space?

**komakino** · 10 June 2011, 07:36 PM

p.s. Just remembered something I saw a couple of weeks ago and I thought at the time 'That's just like what I use/imagine!'. If you watch some of the Nic Barrow aiming videos, he demonstrates the use of a plastic aiming device with the help of a young lady that employs a vertical line of plastic that you aim the centre of the CB at. This line can appear inside OR outside of the ball. I'm not on my own after all!

**Gerry Armstrong** · 10 June 2011, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by komakino View Post

p.s. Just remembered something I saw a couple of weeks ago and I thought at the tim 'That's like what I use/imagine!'. If you watch some of the Nic Barrow aiming videos, he demonstrates the use of a plastic aiming device with the help of a young lady that employs a vertical line of plastic that you aim the centre of the CB. This line can appear inside OR outside of the ball. I'm not on my own after all!

Nic advocates the BOB method the same as Terry does if you read all of his materials.

**pcb** · 10 June 2011, 07:46 PM

Thanks for all the info but nobody has replied to question i asked . do i walk in to shot looking at the line aim on the bed of the cloth, (not bob yet) which is where i want the cue ball to travel to bob placeing my left foot on this line ,(i am left handed) walk in but looking visually at my imaginary line along the bed of the table and eventually landing and locking my eyes on bob . hope someone can help thanks

**Gerry Armstrong** · 10 June 2011, 07:51 PM

On the line of aim looking at the point of the object ball you want to hit.

**komakino** · 10 June 2011, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Gerry Armstrong View Post

Nic advocates the BOB method the same as Terry does if you read all of his materials.

So do I...sort of. It's OK for visualisation (ignoring throw) but again I must state that the contact point (BOB) is not on the line of the cue/shot apart from during full ball pots.

The BOB / contact point is certainly not on the line that I aim my cue along...and never will be.

Cue hand, chin, bridge, cue tip, centre of cue ball, centre of imaginary white next to the object ball...all in one line and aiming inside or outside of the ball depending on the pot required.

**DeanH** · 10 June 2011, 07:54 PM

When I am at the point of walking into the shot and getting down on the shot I am looking at the point on the object ball.
Before stepping into the shot I have already judged my line of aim from the cue ball to the object ball, so I focus on the "BOB" (or whatever people want to call the point where I want the cue ball to hit the object ball to get the correct trajetory to pot the damn thing!) on the object ball as I step in the shot, go down onto the line of aim with the cue.
Once down, I do a quick check on the cue ball (yes, it is still there

) - that I am going to hit it where I want, then focus on BOB, deliver the cue.
That is how I do it, may not be for everyone but it works for me

**komakino** · 10 June 2011, 08:08 PM

It's clear to me in this thread so far that there's a lot of confusion about 'aiming point'. Understandably so.

Yes, we all try to 'aim' or 'send' the cue ball so that when it contacts the object ball, the exact point where the surface of the 2 balls touch is meant to be the exact point on the object ball that is on the back of the object ball (BOB) directly in line with the pocket drop intended.

The line of aim is a different thing entirely for me. It's the line that goes through centre of the cue ball at all times during the shot (not swerve shots before someone jumps on it). The cue is also physically along this line.

Surely people can see that the centre of the white is never aimed at the contact point or BOB unless the pot is full ball?

Example: half ball pot.

Aiming point is the edge of the object ball, contact point or BOB is a good way inside the edge of the object ball.

Why do you think it's called a half ball?? Because half of the CB overlaps with half of the OB.

Half ball aiming - BOB is where white meets grey. Line of aim, through exact edge of OB.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur...w=1003&bih=592