Another sighting/dominant eye question

[9outof10]

Well in my opinion dominant eye and sighting as has been said, probably isn't the problem. You miss the shot because the white ball didn't hit the spot you picked. Play Darts? Everyone can see the bullseye, but the arm just can't hit it. Snooker is no different. Contact point is the bullseye and the cue is the dart; at around the same difficulty.

When I am cueing good (nearly always now) you don't even need your eyes open to take a shot. You just cue through. I remember years a go when I saw a guy at the club run a 30 with his head turned back over his shoulder. I was amazed and I said that to him. He replied, your cueing isn't correct till you can do that. (ofcourse Youtube is full of kids that do it now)

The only way I can describe what I'm trying to say is like this: The cue being exactly on the line of aim is the biggest part of the shot!

If your back hand is off the line of aim by an inch, your bridge is half an inch in the other direction, it screws up every adjustment you make. (If adjustments are how you play) Adjustments were when I couldn't pot. Feeling as if I am cueing straight through the line is when I started to pot and put breaks together.

The line is sighted standing, the whole movement into the shot and how you do it has one purpose. Getting the cue on the line. That's why you don't have to have your eyes open, the shot was lined up and in before the head is even turned.

You gotta feel straight.

[DerekW]

Well in my opinion dominant eye and sighting as has been said, probably isn't the problem. You miss the shot because the white ball didn't hit the spot you picked. Play Darts? Everyone can see the bullseye, but the arm just can't hit it. Snooker is no different. Contact point is the bullseye and the cue is the dart; at around the same difficulty.

When I am cueing good (nearly always now) you don't even need your eyes open to take a shot. You just cue through. I remember years a go when I saw a guy at the club run a 30 with his head turned back over his shoulder. I was amazed and I said that to him. He replied, your cueing isn't correct till you can do that. (ofcourse Youtube is full of kids that do it now)

The only way I can describe what I'm trying to say is like this: The cue being exactly on the line of aim is the biggest part of the shot!

If your back hand is off the line of aim by an inch, your bridge is half an inch in the other direction, it screws up every adjustment you make. (If adjustments are how you play) Adjustments were when I couldn't pot. Feeling as if I am cueing straight through the line is when I started to pot and put breaks together.

The line is sighted standing, the whole movement into the shot and how you do it has one purpose. Getting the cue on the line. That's why you don't have to have your eyes open, the shot was lined up and in before the head is even turned.

You gotta feel straight.

Very helpful and yet more food for thought...many thanks!

[cyberheater]

The only way I can describe what I'm trying to say is like this: The cue being exactly on the line of aim is the biggest part of the shot!

I've been working very hard to get this right. I'm not there yet but I'm getting there.

[cantpotforshíte]

Well in my opinion dominant eye and sighting as has been said, probably isn't the problem. You miss the shot because the white ball didn't hit the spot you picked. Play Darts? Everyone can see the bullseye, but the arm just can't hit it. Snooker is no different. Contact point is the bullseye and the cue is the dart; at around the same difficulty.

When I am cueing good (nearly always now) you don't even need your eyes open to take a shot. You just cue through. I remember years a go when I saw a guy at the club run a 30 with his head turned back over his shoulder. I was amazed and I said that to him. He replied, your cueing isn't correct till you can do that. (ofcourse Youtube is full of kids that do it now)

The only way I can describe what I'm trying to say is like this: The cue being exactly on the line of aim is the biggest part of the shot!

If your back hand is off the line of aim by an inch, your bridge is half an inch in the other direction, it screws up every adjustment you make. (If adjustments are how you play) Adjustments were when I couldn't pot. Feeling as if I am cueing straight through the line is when I started to pot and put breaks together.

The line is sighted standing, the whole movement into the shot and how you do it has one purpose. Getting the cue on the line. That's why you don't have to have your eyes open, the shot was lined up and in before the head is even turned.

You gotta feel straight.

This is all very true in my experience. Played this way, the game is all about getting lined up right and then doing nothing but moving your cue in a straight line upon delivery. The feedback that you get from the shot when you do this is incredible, very easy to see your errors. The hard part is getting lined up, and composing yourself so that you know you're lined up correctly.
Once you've visualised the shot, got lined up correctly and reassured yourself that you are, it's very easy to cue straight.
When you see players moving their heads, cueing across, tightening the grip on the cue, moving their hips etc., in my opinion it's always because they are trying to pot the ball or get position as they deliver the cue. This simply isn't how most pros do it.
It's unfortunate but most coaches that I have seen coaching other players often have them trying to pot the ball as they deliver the cue, or trying to get position as they deliver the cue.

[vmax4steve]

Each person is slightly different to how their eyes see a straight line. Remember that you have two eyes and each eye sees a line, alternately close and open each eye and that straight line will jump around. The line of aim is a straight line that's envisaged by the brain when stood up behind the shot looking with both eyes open, therefore there are two lines, one seen by each eye. The brain will shut down one eye through head movement in order that only one eye is used to put the cue on this straight line.

Try pointing your cue at something about ten feet way with the cue right between your eyes under your nose, head facing absolutely forward. You will find it hard to do as you will see two cues, one either side of your target; you can prove this by then alternately opening and closing each eye, and each eye will have the cue pointing just outside the target.

Now is the cue right on target ? it could be, but the eyes can't see that it is, it's all a bit vague and for good aiming we need to be sure.

Now just aim your cue at that target as you normally do without forcing your head to be absolutely forward and do the same test and you will find that your brain will have turned your head to favour one of your eyes and that eye has the cue bang on target when you alternately open and close each eye.

Now we can be sure the cue is on target.

Now it may be that the dominant eye is used, or it may be the submissive eye, but either way only one eye is used when putting the cue on the line of aim and addressing the cue ball, otherwise the brain would be trying to put both the cues it sees onto one line and this just can't be done with any great degree of certainty as the target test proves.

It's not a deliberate act, it simply happens without any conscious thought, but for those who deliberately overide this natural way of sighting in order to get what is perceived as the cue in centre of chin, head facing absolutely forward classic snooker stance because they have been coached to do so, or just believe themselves it's the absolute correct way to play, then they will be forcing their brain to try to put the two cues it sees onto the one line of aim which will cause all sorts of sighting issues.

The stance must be set so that the cue runs between the two eyes in order to use only one to put the cue on the line of aim, or the head must be slightly turned to do so. You will see this in all the really good amateurs and all the pros.
Some seem to have their cue way outside of their eyeline, Jamie Jones, John Virgo, Stuart Bingham and the late Graham Miles are classic examples, Ronnie has the cue under his left eye, Neil Robertson under his right.
Steve Davis had his cue centre chin between his eyes but his stance was the classic boxer that was facing a little to the right to favour his left eye while Hendry had a square stance to favour his right eye, the same as Shaun Murphy.

Whatever is natural for you don't override it unless it isn't working, and like Terry says a sightright device should sort you out and show you where you are going wrong if putting the cue on the right line of aim is a real problem for you.

I know that this is a hot topic on this forum and there are many who don't believe that just the one eye is used, Terry says he does it purely for comfort in his stance, I say it happens as it's the only way the brain can see just one line, and surely a head turn of just one inch to favour either eye isn't too much of a problem comfort wise.

[timcunnell]

Wow this is a lengthy but interesting thread! No doubt sighting is very important - get it wrong and you've missed the shot before you've even pulled the cue back!
Sorry if it's already been mentioned, but there is a very useful trick Nic Barrow uses (others too, probably) which I think is really helpful. Its quite fiddly! But the idea is you set up the cue ball and an object ball, and another ball dead in-line with both - all lined up as a perfectly straight pot into a corner. You then use both rests to set your cue up so that is perfectly in line as well, with the tip pointing at the centre of the CB.
Then you just need to step into the shot and get your chin down onto the cue and see how it looks. This is useful because you KNOW the pot is dead straight and more importantly you know the cue is lined up perfectly. So if you get over it and it looks off-line you know you probably need to change something so it looks straight. You can then work on repeating that so your sighting is always good.
There is a video on YouTube where he does this someone - sure its easy enough to find. Has anyone tried it I wonder? I have and it was really useful.

[Byrom]

I think that - naw wont bother saying anything - I am in enough hot water giving my opinion

[GeordieDS]

I think that - naw wont bother saying anything - I am in enough hot water giving my opinion

Exactly now get off the coaching section you moderate to average hacker

[Byrom]

Exactly now get off the coaching section you moderate to average hacker

I would if i could find the door - don't know which eye to use

[roaster]

Any of you lot have what I call 'conditional vision'?
My side pocketing, usually with greater angles, has improved brilliantly but my corner pots are dreadful at times.
I have tried to isolate the causes but I line identically and the shot is also exact (Or seems it).
I have thought of trying to find corner potting drills but haven't had that much luck.

Anyone?

[chessking]

Any of you lot have what I call 'conditional vision'?
My side pocketing, usually with greater angles, has improved brilliantly but my corner pots are dreadful at times.
I have tried to isolate the causes but I line identically and the shot is also exact (Or seems it).
I have thought of trying to find corner potting drills but haven't had that much luck.

Anyone?

Yes.... Only the other way around. My side potting is dreadful.

[Byrom]

what is conditional vision? Do you mean you sight differently on certain places on the table?

[GeordieDS]

Any of you lot have what I call 'conditional vision'?
My side pocketing, usually with greater angles, has improved brilliantly but my corner pots are dreadful at times.
I have tried to isolate the causes but I line identically and the shot is also exact (Or seems it).
I have thought of trying to find corner potting drills but haven't had that much luck.

Anyone?

Yes i can pot some insanely hard shots into the middle pockets myself but break down on much simpler ones to the corner pocket, it's down to lack of concentration and not enough time spent practising this particular shot

[David Pleym]

Hi all
I used to shoot arrows and am cross dominant ( R handed but L eye dominant) Conventional UK archery wisdom says shut or otherwise obscure my left eye while shooting. It doesn't affect my depth perception funnily enough. Though South Korean archery coaches would perhaps suggest you relearn to shoot with the left hand.... and South Korea is the greatest archery nation in the world.Apparently you should utilise the hand on the dominant eye side. Just my tuppence worth though never tried potting e
one eyed!

Cheers

David

[GeordieDS]

I would if i could find the door - don't know which eye to use

Get in line with the door,open it smoothly only moving your forearm,accelerate through the open door and don't slow down until you feel the nap of the carpet change.

Now repeat that seven hours a day for thirty years and don't waste my time until you've mastered it you cant