potting point

[tofushop193]

Hi

recently i have gone back playing snooker..use to play pool a lot. now when i play snooker i will imagine a ghost ball or take the potting point like what i am doing in pool.. is that a correct way or is there some other better ways as it isnt looking good..

[DeanH]

I use a mixture of both, both can be correct depends on you the player and the shot in play.
If the angle is shallow, i.e. more full ball, then I use the Potting Point/Spot (or Back of Ball "BOB") method.
As the angle become more acute, i.e. more clip, then I use the ghost ball methods.

I see the line from Object Ball to pocket, this defines the Potting Point/Spot/BOB, this defines the line for Cue Ball to BOB.
If that is too acute I then imagine the Ghost Ball and aim the Cue Ball to replace the Ghost Ball.

[hotpot]

Personally i dont use a method apart from using an imaginary line on distance shots . I suppose i just rely on my brain memorising the angles .

[tofushop193]

I use a mixture of both, both can be correct depends on you the player and the shot in play.
If the angle is shallow, i.e. more full ball, then I use the Potting Point/Spot (or Back of Ball "BOB") method.
As the angle become more acute, i.e. more clip, then I use the ghost ball methods.

oh mine is excat opposite from you maybe i should try it..btw what is bob?

[tofushop193]

Personally i dont use a method apart from using an imaginary line on distance shots . I suppose i just rely on my brain memorising the angles .

wow thats a lot of angle to remember

[hotpot]

wow thats a lot of angle to remember

Not really muck , the angles are just duplicated but on different positions on the table .

[DeanH]

btw what is bob?

(or Back of Ball "BOB")
As previously said BOB = Back of Ball, i.e. the point/spot of potting on the back of the object ball that you aim the cue ball to hit.
Have a search on the Coaching forum as there is many threads about this subject (some get a tad anal - so beware )

[tofushop193]

hmm true i can remember quite a few which i pot with confidence..but i do hope theres some method in case some real hard angle come

[Terry Davidson]

In reality 'ghost ball' and 'BOB' are exactly the same thing with just the (imaginary) visualization a little different.

In explanation...when you use the ghost ball method the point where your imaginary cueball is touching the object ball is actually BOB and you are trying to get the real cueball to replace the imaginary cueball or in other words have the leading edge of the cueball make contact with BOB.

If you asked all the top pros how they aim most of them will not know and not have a method. With all of us, as we gain experience our brain will unconciously memorize the various potting angles just like hotpot has said. Most pros will say they aim through experience and they are correct for them. The difficulty comes when you attempt to teach someone without any experience how to pot a ball but most people will pick up on the ghost ball method right away.

Then the trick becomes getting them to deliver the cue straight so the actual cueball replaces the imaginary one

Terry