Problems with object ball close to another ball

[Rane]

I often have problem with misjudging the potting angle, when the object ball I want to pot is lying close to another ball that is place closer to the pocket I´m aiming at. I often hit the other ball obviously misjudging the angle. I think that I somehow focuses to much on the other ball leading to a bad pot.

I would appriciate any idea to avoid this.

[mooneyy]

Well... Do you play golf?

Golf Course designers often use water hazards and/or bunkers to one side of the fairway because no matter how hard players try, they will always land in that hazard now and again.

Easier said than done is not thinking about that hazard (or the ball closer to the pocket, slightly off the line of the shot). The other thing I can think of once again is practice, practice, practice.

Maybe you could try and find some golf literature on the subject. This might help for a start: http://www.easypars.com/avoiding-hazards/

[Sidd]

Rane:

there is only one way to overcome this. And that is easy too but would need practice too. I used to have this problem but i had it in a way like if a red is near a corner pocket but I have to slip pass the pink or blue to pot it so the fear would be in my mind that i might nudge pass the pink or blue and whenever i took that shot it mostly happened that I fouled... The basic principle here I reckon is to first calculate the angle while standing up and looking by bending down to ascertain if the CB passes... If you are 100pc sure it does then trust me it would... then stand up again (after confirmation) and look for the potting angle again and then freeze your eyes on the potting spot and get down very very slowly while keeping your eyes/nose on that point of contact and then do your normal shot and nothing will come in the way and you will make that pot.... The problem is like Mooneyy mentioned, when I am taking that shot and during feathers my eyes switch perhaps 1/1000 of a second to the pink or blue and then i play the shot and would foul.... The only way is to ascertain first and then once down remove all doubt from the mind and be sure you wont hit the other ball and never to switch eyes while down to see if you are touching the other ball cuz you would that way... once sure get down have confidence and then never ever ever ever move eyes from potting angle be sure CB wont touch the other ball as you determined that while up.... take the shot and you will be surprised by the results I tell you...!!!

[Rane]

Thanks for your replies. I had an idea that this was the problem, so I just have to focus even more on the object ball.

[mooneyy]

Either this or to stay relaxed, focusing on nothing unusual. Focusing on OB more than you normally do might just as well come with some unwanted muscle tension. Similar effect like having to pot the last black in a decider - showing nerves.

Experiment to see what floats your boat. Good luck.

[Sidd]

Either this or to stay relaxed, focusing on nothing unusual. Focusing on OB more than you normally do might just as well come with some unwanted muscle tension. Similar effect like having to pot the last black in a decider - showing nerves.

Experiment to see what floats your boat. Good luck.

If this is correct then this might be from where my problem comes. I have been focusing on the OB just too much lately and my game has been bad really...!

This is difficult, you need to concentrate on OB to get unwanted thoughts away but is you focus too hard that is bad too ... hmmm... what to do then!

[mooneyy]

Awareness of good technique lets you play good for a session or two. Next session maybe you forget to do something and suddenly you can't pot a ball. Figuring out why seems impossible.

What you want is everything to become second nature. You just don't want to think about what to concentrate on and how much to do so.

As soon as you don't have to think about shot execution anymore, you can play in your natural rythm.

This is my theory on snooker and don't get me wrong: Achieving this is ones highest possible goal as this would mean perfect consistency.

So what to do? I for one think you should build up your cue action piece by piece. Concentrate on just one aspect until you do it correctly without having to think about it. Then proceed to the next step.

After all it's nothing but practice makes perfect.

[vmax4steve]

Thanks for your replies. I had an idea that this was the problem, so I just have to focus even more on the object ball.

No Rane, don't focus even more for as mooneyy says that could bring tension into your arm.

What you should do is to make certain that your eyes are focussed only on the contact point of the object ball at the moment of the strike. Everyone has a natural rhythm between hand and eye where this happens for just a second or two or even for a split second and the key to finding this natural rhythm is concentration through relaxation and this is gained through the confidence you have in the knowledge of your own ability and the fact that the object ball will pass the other ball into the pocket.
Any anxiety you have about whether the ball will go or not will make you look at the ball that you believe is in the way, even though it really isn't, and your eyes will be drawn to it.
This is known as target fixation and your only target should be the ball you're making contact with first.

[ace man]

I often have problem with misjudging the potting angle, when the object ball I want to pot is lying close to another ball that is place closer to the pocket I´m aiming at. I often hit the other ball obviously misjudging the angle. I think that I somehow focuses to much on the other ball leading to a bad pot.

I would appriciate any idea to avoid this.

You answered your own question. Don't focus on other ball, ignore it completely. Easier said than done of course.