That last Eye Flick onto the Object ball

[peterpackage]

Thanks to advice from Terry and other members here, i've now got a nice sexy front pause and a nice final slow pullback on the last backswing

Now the last thing i am struggling with is that final eye flick to the object ball

So i get to the final front pause, eyes firmly on cueball. I have tried

a) watching the ferrule on the final backswing, then when the cue is drawn back, switching eyes to the object ball then cueing. I have also tried

b) from the front pause, eyes firmly on the cueball, moving my eyes to the object ball during the final backswing, then cueing

Now right now, the second option b) is working better for me, but i am well aware that often you need to go one step back to go two steps forward. Is it worth perservering with a) until it become more natural (with a) right now, the final back pause whilst my eyes adjust to the object ball seems too long) or is b) adequate ?

Sorry if this sounds a bit messy and i hope it makes sense

[cantpotforshíte]

'b' is perfectly adequate. I can't think of any reason why option 'a' might be better. I don't know how old you are, but as we get past thirty it takes longer for the eyes to re-focus, and option 'b' gives you this without an unnaturally long pause as you say. It worked very well for me when I used to focus on the object ball.

[Jaymo9]

I think your fine with your option. In addition, I think if you can play fairly fluent then this helps to get rid of any doubts that can creep into your mind. As we all know....the game can be hard enough most of the time, so any option that gives your a better percentage pot rate, you should stick to it. Trial and error, everybody's different so I wouldn't what worry what you do as lond as it gets you to pot balls. Hope this helps??

[Terry Davidson]

peter:

Eye rhythm is a natural but also INDIVIDUAL thing. At my age (66) and with never having had a definite rear pause my natural rhythm works better if I really focus on the object ball at the front pause and keep my eyes there until after I deliver. This is what seems natural to me and it also works for me.

Most players will shift their eyes to the object ball either sometime during the backswing (nearer the end) or at the rear pause or even at the start of the delivery, but I suspect doing it later and in the delivery is an option for younger players only. Also, some players (Peter Ebdon for instance and Hendry says on long pots) leave their eyes on the cueball throughout.

There are also some pros who will focus on the object ball at the rear pause and then at the start of the delivery drop the eyes one more time to the cueball for a final check and then back to the object ball (this one I can't even make a pot with and again I think it's for a younger player).

Your cueing rhythm and pauses are derived from your eye rhythm and changing the cueing rhythm can sometimes be a very difficult thing. I've tried leaving my eyes on the cueball during the backswing but I found it tends to make me 'rush' the shot. Doing it at the front pause works best for me.

My recommendation would be to use whatever suits you best and doesn't throw off your natural rhythm. It sounds like you prefer moving your eyes to the object ball nearer the end of the backswing so stick with that and don't worry about it as eventually you will become more consistent using one set eye rhythm rather than experimenting with it all the time

Terry

[tommygunner1309]

Like you, I am 66. I have found that on the front pause of the last backswing my eyes are on the cue ball, making sure the tip is dead centre. As I draw back, I shift to the object ball - slight pause, and push straight through. It works for me, but as a coach, I think whatever works best for you is what you should go with.

[CoachGavin]

Just keep in mind that what it looks like does not matter. If it works for you then that is fine. Jimmy White hardly has a backpause at all while Stephen Hendry has used fairly long back pauses in the past. Keep your mind on the fact that potting balls is the final objective.

[tommygunner1309]

Just keep in mind that what it looks like does not matter. If it works for you then that is fine. Jimmy White hardly has a backpause at all while Stephen Hendry has used fairly long back pauses in the past. Keep your mind on the fact that potting balls is the final objective.

Yep true enough. Look how long Sean Murphy stays down after striking. The difficulty of coaching is when a student says 'Ronnie doesn't do it that way'. The thing is to give a good grounding and find your own style that suits you and works for you. I really only stipulate a still head and straight and parallel cue. If a regular 50 break player comes to me, I am not going to make any drastic changes - it will ruin his game. As Jimmy White said - if you can make 50 you can make anything.

[cazmac1]

If the shot is line up correctly on the walk in and you deliver the cue straight you can pot almost any ball with your eyes closed???

[tommygunner1309]

Cazmac, just for a laugh, I just tried out that theory. with a ball on the blue spot and the white on the baulk line both in a straight line to the pocket, I potted two out of three, so yeh, its all in the delivery. I wouldn't do it in a match though haha

[Terry Davidson]

I also agree with cazmac. I teach my students to pot a blue off the spot from the yellow or green spot with their eyes closed and I also teach them to pot the same shot with no feathers and their eyes closed.

In experimenting with the shot myself I found after about a week of trying 21 balls with my eyes closed and no feathering (but using the one front or preliminary pause to check everything out and then closing the eyes) I was potting the shot more consistently than with my eyes open!

This is why I have a hard time with some of the players on here who insist they're not aiming right or not seeing the shot right and missing it when I believe somewhere around 99.9% (barring kicks) of shots are missed because the cue wasn't delivered straight. Putting a video camera behind the cue butt of any player and watching for sideways movement will soon prove the theory but not a lot of players are willing to work on that

Terry

[cazmac1]

Cazmac, just for a laugh, I just tried out that theory. with a ball on the blue spot and the white on the baulk line both in a straight line to the pocket, I potted two out of three, so yeh, its all in the delivery. I wouldn't do it in a match though haha

Thats better than me with my eyes open, lol

[cazmac1]

Cazmac, just for a laugh, I just tried out that theory. with a ball on the blue spot and the white on the baulk line both in a straight line to the pocket, I potted two out of three, so yeh, its all in the delivery. I wouldn't do it in a match though haha

Thats better than me with my eyes open, lol

[tommygunner1309]

Yep Terry, spot on. I hit ball after ball off the blue spot with the white on the baulk line as a loosening up practice, and I pot ball after ball, but when I do miss I stay down on the table and look at where the cue is pointing. I notice it has strayed about 1/4 of an inch, usually to the right and the pot is missed. My conclusion is that although I deliver the cue in a straight line, the follow through is straying off that line. Frank Callan reckons that is the major reason for missing pots when you are lined up correctly. After I miss, I play a couple of shots just 'driving' the ball - in other words stopping once I have struck the cue ball (but not 'quitting on the shot'. It works for me.