What should I look at on striking the CB?

[thelongbomber]

I cue through the sleeve of a swan vesta box ,it's very narrow and very good to check if your cueing straight, it doesn't replicate hitting a shot as it doesn't have that mental thing of having to hit an object, but as an exercise among other things to do I think it's a good one. So is cueing along the baulk line it's not the only thing to do but it's not a bad exercise.
For me if your not bringing the cue through straight I wouldn't be reinventing the wheel, I would be looking at my basics as it's one of those that is wrong. The front of the cue is attached to the back end, so if that's coming off line, I would be looking at what I'm doing at the back end. Flicking a slight amount of side on a ball is not that uncommon say quarter ball up and down the table( only guessing here) but if you are noticeably swerving the white that's quite a fault , I doubt you are doing that LB as it didn't look like it on your video.

Ya, I'm also a bit wary about having a lot of cue movement. I have been told I have one of the straightest cue actions around. I think it could be an issue with sighting or approach or something else. I have to do some proper video recording to figure it out.

[j6uk]

if yous pay attention to the cue of the pro's on the box, just after they've potted the ball the camera will stay on them for a moment and just watch how still the cue stays on shot completion.. this is all the hours of training as juniors off the table and, on the matchbox

[vmax4steve]

in the diagrams below one can see different lines of aim, some coming from the tip of the cue and some coming from the butt of the cue.
If one could envisage two strings attached to ones cue, one on the tip and one on the butt, these two strings should overlap and be as one when the bridge hand and the grip hand place the cue on the line of aim.
Where one is looking when lining up the shot and delivering the cue on the stroke determine where these strings are placed and indeed where they stay.

It's a no no to look at the pocket for that takes the line of aim to the pocket and the bridge hand will go to the cue ball as the cue ball will be in ones periphery vision, the grip hand will follow the eye to the pocket and therefore will not be placed on the line of aim.

It's a no no to look at the cue ball for that takes the line of aim only to the cue ball and the bridge hand will follow the eyes to the cue ball and bring the grip hand with it, but seeing as the line of aim ends at the cue ball the grip hand is not being guided by the eyes on to the actual line of aim that ends at the object ball and it could be placed anywhere other than where it should be.

It's correct to look at the object ball for that will take the line of aim to that point and the bridge hand will take the tip of the cue to the cue ball for the cue ball is in ones periphery vision, while the grip hand, guided by the eyes will put the cue on the correct line of aim so that the two invisible strings will overlap right down the centre of the cue.

Fig 1



Fig 2



In fig 1

Line 3 shows both strings overlapping with eyes fixed on the object ball.

Line 1 shows where the cue can be placed (lining up) or moved to (on delivery) by the grip hand if the eyes are only fixed on the cue ball.

Line 2 shows where the cue can be placed (lining up) or moved to (on delivery) by the grip hand if the eyes are only fixed on the pocket.

It's clear that line 1 is not the obvious place where the butt of the cue can be placed or moved to when looking only at the cue ball, it could of course be placed on line 3 or even 2 or anywhere really as the grip hand will not have a clear understanding from the information given to it by the eyes just where the line of aim ends.

In fig 2

The 13 ball shows both strings clearly overlapping on a dead straight shot, the 15 ball shows the butt string off the line of aim and clearly not overlapping the tip string.

The margins of error for these lines are well exaggerated in order to show clearly what happens, but the actual margins are quite small but significant enough to make one miss the pot when taking the eyes off the object ball both when lining up the shot and on delivery of the cue.

If we as snooker players have a clear understanding of hand and eye co-ordination, that the hands are guided by the eyes, and that this is a fact that cannot be denied, then it must be considered and believed without any doubt at all that this is the way to play snooker.

The bridge hand is guided by the #periphery vision, the grip hand is guided where the eyes are actually focussed.

It must be considered that the lines in the diagram above do not show the contact point of the cue ball and object ball, merely the line of aim down the centre of the cue. The actual line of aim is as wide as the cue ball itself for it's the cue ball that one is aiming, not the tip of the cue.

#
It must also be considered that not everyone relies upon their periphery vision when addressing the cue ball, some have a quick glance or two at it when taking their stance. This is fine as long as the main focus is on the object ball in order to guide the grip hand.

[Tiger800]

Best explanation I have ever seen, well done vmax4steve.

[mythman69]

if yous pay attention to the cue of the pro's on the box, just after they've potted the ball the camera will stay on them for a moment and just watch how still the cue stays on shot completion.. this is all the hours of training as juniors off the table and, on the matchbox

When you do the match-box training - are you looking at you cue going into the matchbox or watching a point beyond it in a straight line? Do you step into the match-box like your normal pre-shot routine and cue as you would for a normal shot or do you simply get set and watch your cue go into the hole multiple times? Thanks!

[j6uk]

yeah alright

[blinky88]

The very first thing to do is to be sure you are striking the cue ball in the center. To prove you are striking the cue ball in the center, play a shot from the brown spot and see if it returns over the brown spot. If it does not run back over the brown spot you need to correct point of contact on the cue ball .... and that's the best advise I can give you.

[Ricky2112]

in the diagrams below one can see different lines of aim, some coming from the tip of the cue and some coming from the butt of the cue.
If one could envisage two strings attached to ones cue, one on the tip and one on the butt, these two strings should overlap and be as one when the bridge hand and the grip hand place the cue on the line of aim.
Where one is looking when lining up the shot and delivering the cue on the stroke determine where these strings are placed and indeed where they stay.

It's a no no to look at the pocket for that takes the line of aim to the pocket and the bridge hand will go to the cue ball as the cue ball will be in ones periphery vision, the grip hand will follow the eye to the pocket and therefore will not be placed on the line of aim.

It's a no no to look at the cue ball for that takes the line of aim only to the cue ball and the bridge hand will follow the eyes to the cue ball and bring the grip hand with it, but seeing as the line of aim ends at the cue ball the grip hand is not being guided by the eyes on to the actual line of aim that ends at the object ball and it could be placed anywhere other than where it should be.

It's correct to look at the object ball for that will take the line of aim to that point and the bridge hand will take the tip of the cue to the cue ball for the cue ball is in ones periphery vision, while the grip hand, guided by the eyes will put the cue on the correct line of aim so that the two invisible strings will overlap right down the centre of the cue.

Fig 1

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16114[/ATTACH]

Fig 2

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16121[/ATTACH]

In fig 1

Line 3 shows both strings overlapping with eyes fixed on the object ball.

Line 1 shows where the cue can be placed (lining up) or moved to (on delivery) by the grip hand if the eyes are only fixed on the cue ball.

Line 2 shows where the cue can be placed (lining up) or moved to (on delivery) by the grip hand if the eyes are only fixed on the pocket.

It's clear that line 1 is not the obvious place where the butt of the cue can be placed or moved to when looking only at the cue ball, it could of course be placed on line 3 or even 2 or anywhere really as the grip hand will not have a clear understanding from the information given to it by the eyes just where the line of aim ends.

In fig 2

The 13 ball shows both strings clearly overlapping on a dead straight shot, the 15 ball shows the butt string off the line of aim and clearly not overlapping the tip string.

The margins of error for these lines are well exaggerated in order to show clearly what happens, but the actual margins are quite small but significant enough to make one miss the pot when taking the eyes off the object ball both when lining up the shot and on delivery of the cue.

If we as snooker players have a clear understanding of hand and eye co-ordination, that the hands are guided by the eyes, and that this is a fact that cannot be denied, then it must be considered and believed without any doubt at all that this is the way to play snooker.

The bridge hand is guided by the #periphery vision, the grip hand is guided where the eyes are actually focussed.

It must be considered that the lines in the diagram above do not show the contact point of the cue ball and object ball, merely the line of aim down the centre of the cue. The actual line of aim is as wide as the cue ball itself for it's the cue ball that one is aiming, not the tip of the cue.

#
It must also be considered that not everyone relies upon their periphery vision when addressing the cue ball, some have a quick glance or two at it when taking their stance. This is fine as long as the main focus is on the object ball in order to guide the grip hand.

That is very interesting and i have never heard aiming explained this way. Great reading and do you mind me asking where you came about this information.
Gives me something to think about, thanks for that post.

Cheers Ricky

[vmax4steve]

That is very interesting and i have never heard aiming explained this way. Great reading and do you mind me asking where you came about this information.
Gives me something to think about, thanks for that post.

Cheers Ricky

It's something I thought of myself to try to explain the simplicity of why the object ball is the target, where the line of aim begins and ends, and the need to simply focus on the target in a game of hand and eye co-ordination.

I was thinking about how j6uk teaches putting the cue along the baulk line to test straight cueing, and how that a player would need to look at the cue when doing this. To replicate that in a playing situation the player could also be looking at the cue/cue ball/tip whatever when he should be looking at the object ball. I was thinking about how I could replicate the baulk line test in a playing situation where the player could look at the actual target instead of the cue/cue ball/ baulk line/ tip in order to see his cue staying on the line of aim while looking where he should.

I thought that If a coach could attach of long length of knicker elastic to the butt of their students cues and tie that elastic to the back of a pocket they could in fact get them to cue along the length of it while moving the cue back and forth while seeing that the cue was on the right line of aim at all times, while a length tied to the tip couldn't do so as the line would end at the tip and the butt of the cue could be offline or wavering unnoticed.

So I drew some diagrams to show it and wrote the post.

[itsnoteasy]

in the diagrams below one can see different lines of aim, some coming from the tip of the cue and some coming from the butt of the cue.
If one could envisage two strings attached to ones cue, one on the tip and one on the butt, these two strings should overlap and be as one when the bridge hand and the grip hand place the cue on the line of aim.
Where one is looking when lining up the shot and delivering the cue on the stroke determine where these strings are placed and indeed where they stay.

It's a no no to look at the pocket for that takes the line of aim to the pocket and the bridge hand will go to the cue ball as the cue ball will be in ones periphery vision, the grip hand will follow the eye to the pocket and therefore will not be placed on the line of aim.

It's a no no to look at the cue ball for that takes the line of aim only to the cue ball and the bridge hand will follow the eyes to the cue ball and bring the grip hand with it, but seeing as the line of aim ends at the cue ball the grip hand is not being guided by the eyes on to the actual line of aim that ends at the object ball and it could be placed anywhere other than where it should be.

It's correct to look at the object ball for that will take the line of aim to that point and the bridge hand will take the tip of the cue to the cue ball for the cue ball is in ones periphery vision, while the grip hand, guided by the eyes will put the cue on the correct line of aim so that the two invisible strings will overlap right down the centre of the cue.

Fig 1

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16114[/ATTACH]

Fig 2

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16121[/ATTACH]

In fig 1

Line 3 shows both strings overlapping with eyes fixed on the object ball.

Line 1 shows where the cue can be placed (lining up) or moved to (on delivery) by the grip hand if the eyes are only fixed on the cue ball.

Line 2 shows where the cue can be placed (lining up) or moved to (on delivery) by the grip hand if the eyes are only fixed on the pocket.

It's clear that line 1 is not the obvious place where the butt of the cue can be placed or moved to when looking only at the cue ball, it could of course be placed on line 3 or even 2 or anywhere really as the grip hand will not have a clear understanding from the information given to it by the eyes just where the line of aim ends.

In fig 2

The 13 ball shows both strings clearly overlapping on a dead straight shot, the 15 ball shows the butt string off the line of aim and clearly not overlapping the tip string.

The margins of error for these lines are well exaggerated in order to show clearly what happens, but the actual margins are quite small but significant enough to make one miss the pot when taking the eyes off the object ball both when lining up the shot and on delivery of the cue.

If we as snooker players have a clear understanding of hand and eye co-ordination, that the hands are guided by the eyes, and that this is a fact that cannot be denied, then it must be considered and believed without any doubt at all that this is the way to play snooker.

The bridge hand is guided by the #periphery vision, the grip hand is guided where the eyes are actually focussed.

It must be considered that the lines in the diagram above do not show the contact point of the cue ball and object ball, merely the line of aim down the centre of the cue. The actual line of aim is as wide as the cue ball itself for it's the cue ball that one is aiming, not the tip of the cue.

#
It must also be considered that not everyone relies upon their periphery vision when addressing the cue ball, some have a quick glance or two at it when taking their stance. This is fine as long as the main focus is on the object ball in order to guide the grip hand.

This is great Vmax, something I don't agree with and would like to ask is when getting down on the shot, I get down all the way looking at the target ,or object ball, and I mean right down into the address position ,everything is in place and then I check the cue on the cue ball, my idea behind this is I am trying to keep that cue online all the way down, but I have read others say you look at the object ball on the way down until your hand hits the table and then you switch to the cue ball, but my hand hits the table before I'm right down and settled and switching my eyes before this seems to me to give me a chance to come offline as has been said above the line of aim kind of stops at the tip then, what do you think?

[vmax4steve]

This is great Vmax, something I don't agree with and would like to ask is when getting down on the shot, I get down all the way looking at the target ,or object ball, and I mean right down into the address position ,everything is in place and then I check the cue on the cue ball, my idea behind this is I am trying to keep that cue online all the way down, but I have read others say you look at the object ball on the way down until your hand hits the table and then you switch to the cue ball, but my hand hits the table before I'm right down and settled and switching my eyes before this seems to me to give me a chance to come offline as has been said above the line of aim kind of stops at the tip then, what do you think?

This is all about how the short term memory is used in the aiming process. Some people subconsciously rely on their short term memory more than others, such as yourself do.

I am one of those people myself as I look at the contact point on the object ball when standing up behind the shot, keep my eyes on it as I step into my stance but once my feet are in place I then switch my eyes to the cue ball until halfway down before switching back to the object ball and once down back to the cue ball, then up again to the contact point of the object ball and shoot.

This all happens very quickly and in a seamless motion and the eyes are switching for split seconds only after finding the contact point when standing behind the shot. I must stress that before switching eyes to the cue ball when getting down, the feet are in place and both hands holding the cue are already placing the cue on the line of aim while looking at the contact point on the object ball.
As a right hander my eyes switch to the cue ball as soon as my left foot hits the floor and they are back on the object ball before my chin is on my cue (figuratively speaking as I play with my chin off the cue).

It's most important in my view to find the contact point on the object ball when standing behind the shot before any attempt is made to take the stance. To look for it when already down is wrong as you will not have placed your cue on the line of aim as you haven't found the end of the line of aim to enable you to do this. Just looking at the object ball isn't enough, the contact point must be found or the ghost ball imagined. In the diagram below the contact point is not the red dot, as that is almost impossible to see, but the oval shape of the overlap of the two balls around the red dot.



Once it's found the short term memory keeps the hands on line if the eyes have moved to the cue ball on the way down into the stance. These looks to the cue ball and object ball are split second glances on the way down into the stance, but on the strike there has to be a longer focus made on the contact point of the object ball.
I do this focus on the front pause and try to keep that focus all the way through the strike until the cue ball hits the object ball. I try to keep my head down until the object ball hits the back of the pocket.

[thelongbomber]

This is all about how the short term memory is used in the aiming process. Some people subconsciously rely on their short term memory more than others, such as yourself do.

I am one of those people myself as I look at the contact point on the object ball when standing up behind the shot, keep my eyes on it as I step into my stance but once my feet are in place I then switch my eyes to the cue ball until halfway down before switching back to the object ball and once down back to the cue ball, then up again to the contact point of the object ball and shoot.

This all happens very quickly and in a seamless motion and the eyes are switching for split seconds only after finding the contact point when standing behind the shot. I must stress that before switching eyes to the cue ball when getting down, the feet are in place and both hands holding the cue are already placing the cue on the line of aim while looking at the contact point on the object ball.
As a right hander my eyes switch to the cue ball as soon as my left foot hits the floor and they are back on the object ball before my chin is on my cue (figuratively speaking as I play with my chin off the cue).

It's most important in my view to find the contact point on the object ball when standing behind the shot before any attempt is made to take the stance. To look for it when already down is wrong as you will not have placed your cue on the line of aim as you haven't found the end of the line of aim to enable you to do this. Just looking at the object ball isn't enough, the contact point must be found or the ghost ball imagined. In the diagram below the contact point is not the red dot, as that is almost impossible to see, but the oval shape of the overlap of the two balls around the red dot.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16125[/ATTACH]

Once it's found the short term memory keeps the hands on line if the eyes have moved to the cue ball on the way down into the stance. These looks to the cue ball and object ball are split second glances on the way down into the stance, but on the strike there has to be a longer focus made on the contact point of the object ball.
I do this focus on the front pause and try to keep that focus all the way through the strike until the cue ball hits the object ball. I try to keep my head down until the object ball hits the back of the pocket.

Brilliant advice

[Ricky2112]

All good stuff Vmax4steve, how good a player are you? What breaks are you hitting regular and how long have you been using this system to aim.
I love the idea of aiming thinking about the grip hand rather than where the tip is am sure it's going to improve my game, think it will sharpen my aiming up a degree or two and keep me more focused.

Thanks again and look forward to approaching the shot with a slight difference.

Cheers Ricky

[alabadi]

What's the matchbox you speak of? I have never looked at the cue before, will try.

check this out http://youtu.be/rT1b63O2er4

[mythman69]

Thanks alabadi - I will start practicing on the kitchen table every morning.