Eyes Wide Shut

[sixofclubs]

Maybe something that Terry can expand upon - I was practising straight pots today as I have been cueing round corners during the last two matches that I've had. What I discovered was that my success rate rocketed upwards when I delivered the cue with my eyes shut...........

Very curious, and I wonder what it means. I have been doing a lot of hard work on my cue action and my coach says it's massively improved, yet I still find myself missing too many when practising straight pots - until I shut my eyes and in they go....

I played a practice solo frame delivering the cue with my eyes shut and I did alright.. Not sure I could do it in a match however....

Any theories?

[Chris Bedford]

Eyes Wide Shut

It's a well known exercise once you can light yourself up to a shot you should be able to shut your eyes and deliver the cue straight. I was taught this many years ago and found Nick Barrow teaches this too. Can't give you any advice on how to correct with your eyes open but you just need to train your brain to deliver straight like you do with your eyes shut.

[DandyA]

yes, I have a theory or, at least, sort of one ...

most coaches will advise you to do all the aiming standing up, they'll explain how to carefully drop into the address position keeping on the line of aim you've chosen ... and then, quite amazingly, they'll tell you to focus on the object ball as you deliver the cue ...

why, oh why?

it makes no sense ... if you're lined up correctly, you really don't need to look at the object ball ... just try to deliver the cue straight either with your eyes closed or by looking at the cue and the cueball only ...

the big danger with looking at the object ball is you tend to steer the cue - so you can get away with incorrect lining up and correct it during delivery ... this is bad news!

in your case sixofclubs, it sounds like you are lining up correctly but then steering the cue as you deliver with your eyes open - it's a natural thing to do, I remember an interview with Ronnie from a year or so ago discussing his poor long potting and he said much the same ...

I've never tried playing a match with eyes closed but I did switch about a year ago from looking at the object ball to looking at the cue ball during delivery ... specifically, I feather as normal switching eyes between OB and CB but then at front pause, I focus on the CB (my cue is also in focus) and try to draw it back and deliver it straight ... if I've lined the shot up correctly I'll get the pot, if I haven't I won't ... oh, and if I deliver the cue poorly, I won't get the pot but can see it cos I'm looking at it ...

it takes a little while to get used to and I certainly spend a few extra seconds whilst standing up getting myself lined up properly but I think that is good news ...

IMHO, there is no need to look at the object ball during delivery and good reasons why you shouldn't (steering, poor line-up, pressure of the shot) etc ...

try it peeps! you might enjoy it if only because it simplifies the game ...

[Sidd]

well your theory has a point there, it does make it simple. When I first took up the game and played for a few initial years i used to look at the CB and at that time I also scored a 50 break once. However, i shall attempt to answer your WHY to look at the OB question.

All coaches preach this- all pros do this- all coaching books including that of Steve Davis and even others narrate the same thing over and over again- eyes on OB during delivery. Hmmmm why to do so if you are on the line of aim as you put it; you know where the CB will go and then why risk a bad final backswing? well the whole world does it the harder way only for this reason: It is very very easy in this game to get drifted away in thoughts and to loose focus in this game happens in matter of seconds. Therefore, having eyes on OB helps in keeping that spot fixed in mind so that extra thoughts do not divert the attention from potting... psychologically its the same thing if you are down on line of aim you will hit it same but then keeping eyes focused on the spot (line of aim) sends a strong signal to the mind to follow where the eyes are. You are right I have observed Ron looks at CB sometimes but well he is Ron not a normal human being a genious so nothing to compare there. The real problem happens while in the middle of a big break there is excitment, then you take a hard pot and then feel so confident that you take a baby pot for granted and wallah you miss.... now if you keep looking at the CB i assure you that your attention will divert to where you intend to hit the CB for example:

break score 47, nice chance I can make it big now: just need to stun this quarter ball red with a little bit of right hand side in order to cannon the other red above side cushion and stay on black.... hmmmm got me line of aim i went down right cueing perfectly NOW if everything is correct then you keep looking at OB CB OB CB and then during last backswing-delivery only CB hmmmm you will start concentrating more on where you are hitting the CB and might hit a fraction of a milimeter wrong and miss the pot...

If your theory is correct then the game should be played with eyes shut but it isnt- and then if you are on correct line of aim and the only thing is to deliver straight then why to even look at CB ? why not keep looking at the cue ? so it goes straight back and comes straight forward eh another way indeed ? but I must conclude that this thing is more psychological than physical, believe me:

Final word- well you can play any way you desire last image in eyes could be cue, CB or OB or even the pocket but the only way to higher consistency is the OB trust me on this; one way of improving this could be that if you eyes do not take longer to refocus then you can keep looking at the CB until the backswing and even till the end of the back swing and then halt for a fraction and go to the OB and then deliver.

Hope this helps!

[sixofclubs]

Thanks for the replies so far everyone, there is much food for thought here. As usual, I can see the benefits of all three points made here. Perhaps I just need to try them all and see how I get on. I'm sure the cue ball/object ball debate will rage on for ever!!

[Ambsl]

Eyes Wide Shut

A truck I have found to cueing straight is to place 2 balls with just enough room to cue through on the table with the cue-ball on the other side of them and try to play the shot . If you are cueing off before during or after the shot you would then move the balls you are cueing through.

[vmax4steve]

yes, I have a theory or, at least, sort of one ...

most coaches will advise you to do all the aiming standing up, they'll explain how to carefully drop into the address position keeping on the line of aim you've chosen ... and then, quite amazingly, they'll tell you to focus on the object ball as you deliver the cue ...

why, oh why?

it makes no sense ... if you're lined up correctly, you really don't need to look at the object ball ... just try to deliver the cue straight either with your eyes closed or by looking at the cue and the cueball only ...

the big danger with looking at the object ball is you tend to steer the cue - so you can get away with incorrect lining up and correct it during delivery ... this is bad news!

in your case sixofclubs, it sounds like you are lining up correctly but then steering the cue as you deliver with your eyes open - it's a natural thing to do, I remember an interview with Ronnie from a year or so ago discussing his poor long potting and he said much the same ...

I've never tried playing a match with eyes closed but I did switch about a year ago from looking at the object ball to looking at the cue ball during delivery ... specifically, I feather as normal switching eyes between OB and CB but then at front pause, I focus on the CB (my cue is also in focus) and try to draw it back and deliver it straight ... if I've lined the shot up correctly I'll get the pot, if I haven't I won't ... oh, and if I deliver the cue poorly, I won't get the pot but can see it cos I'm looking at it ...

it takes a little while to get used to and I certainly spend a few extra seconds whilst standing up getting myself lined up properly but I think that is good news ...

IMHO, there is no need to look at the object ball during delivery and good reasons why you shouldn't (steering, poor line-up, pressure of the shot) etc ...

try it peeps! you might enjoy it if only because it simplifies the game ...

This is why your high break is only 31 DandyA, you are doing it wrong.
The reason why sixofclubs can pot with his eyes closed is because he doesn't always look at the contact point on the object ball when his eyes are open. He, like everyone else sometimes looks at the cue ball, the pocket, or some other variable contained within the shot he is trying to execute. The hand follows the eye which is why when the eyes are closed this doesn't happen and pure muscle memory comes into force and the cue can come through in a straight line.
To absolutely ensure the cue comes through in a straight line the eyes must be locked onto the target, which is the contact point on the object ball and nothing else.
The contact point of the object ball must be looked at and focussed on when you line up the shot before you get down into your stance, don't wait until you are already down.

If you don't believe me then belive this :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoLMRENLBCM

[frazz]

When you shut your eyes on the shot you are basically feeling the shot and have to trust yourself, when you are looking at the shot you can put yourself if you notice the cue wobble slightly when cueing the backswing.

[pottr]

Whatever the theory behind it you MUST look at the OB.
I have flirted with CB aiming before and although it can produce results, I attribute this to the same feeling of abandonment Frazz mentions as with the 'eyes-shut' shot.

I found that aiming with the CB is exhausting and that you can't pot a ball over 6 feet.

OB is the only way to go.

[sixofclubs]

This is why your high break is only 31 DandyA, you are doing it wrong.
The reason why sixofclubs can pot with his eyes closed is because he doesn't always look at the contact point on the object ball when his eyes are open. He, like everyone else sometimes looks at the cue ball, the pocket, or some other variable contained within the shot he is trying to execute. The hand follows the eye which is why when the eyes are closed this doesn't happen and pure muscle memory comes into force and the cue can come through in a straight line.
To absolutely ensure the cue comes through in a straight line the eyes must be locked onto the target, which is the contact point on the object ball and nothing else.
The contact point of the object ball must be looked at and focussed on when you line up the shot before you get down into your stance, don't wait until you are already down.

If you don't believe me then belive this :

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoLMRENLBCM

Thanks for the reply vmax,

The interesting thing is that I DO always look at the contact point on the object ball once down on the shot, but not necessarily as I slide down onto the cloth. But when playing the shot I never look at the pocket or the cue ball, just the object ball, as everyone seems to think this is the way to do it.

I am open minded about it and accept that looking at the cue ball may work for some people and that the logic for doing so is just as sound as for not, albeit for different reasons.

I just find it fascinating that I get such a difference when cueing with my eyes shut.

[CoachGavin]

One disadvantage with looking at the ob though is that if the hand follows the eyes then you will miss cut shots. This is because on cuts the middle of the white will actually not strike the ob so looking at the ob contact point can lead to you striking too thick if your hand indeed follows the eyes. Just a thought.

[RGCirencester]

Aren't there some pros that look at cue ball? I could have sworn John Higgins at least at times does it abd Chris Henry seemed to agree with me when I spoke to him once. Could have both been making things up though.
I don't personally think you HAVE to look at the object ball but I do believe most people need to in order to play at their best.

On the subject of eyes closed, a trick that seems to work for me is pretending the white doesn't exist in my head.
Basically standing up decide on your line of aim, pace and where you are going to hit the white. Then get down feather as normal but on the final backswing I lock eyes on the object ball, and simply concentrate purely on pushing the cue through to the chest at the pace I've already decided, towards that point in the object ball.
It's hard to explain I just think sometimes you can get so lost in trying to make things happen on the table and trying to move the white that you miss the pot. If you've hit the ball at the right pace and at the right height it will end up where it needs to go.

Maybe I'm talking gobbledegook here as I know others that have posted are a lot better than me but whenever I'm struggling that's what I try and do and it seems to work for me.

[CoachGavin]

I know that Hendry looks at the white when playing long pots as I saw video of him when I went to Terry Griffiths' Club. Im sure there are others.

[DandyA]

One disadvantage with looking at the ob though is that if the hand follows the eyes then you will miss cut shots. This is because on cuts the middle of the white will actually not strike the ob so looking at the ob contact point can lead to you striking too thick if your hand indeed follows the eyes. Just a thought.

it's a lot worse than that CoachGavin !

apart from a dead straight pot, with any angle on the pot, whether 3/4 1/2 or 1/4 or anything in between ... the line of aim the cue needs to be on is *not* the line of sight from the centre of the cueball to the contact point on the object ball - you'll always hit the object ball too thick if you follow that principle exactly ...

object ball sighters will tell you (I think) that their brain subconsciously adjusts for the difference ... that's fair enough, I wouldn't argue, I used to be one ... and I'm not suggesting it's wrong or they should change ...

what I am saying is cue ball sighting works just as well in my opinion ... it works differently ... you have to put a lot more effort into getting the line of aim right but once you've done that the shot becomes a lot easier ... all I have to think about is delivering the cue smoothly and straight ...

[DandyA]

Aren't there some pros that look at object ball?

typo? I think you mean cue ball RGC ... although I'm not aware John Higgins does it ... I seem to have a feeling Peter Ebdon might although I wouldn't be sure ...