long game

[alabadi]

For me, it's just easier to accept that all aspects of this game can be learned and nurtured. Even if hand/eye coordination is somewhat genetically correlated, I still believe it can be developed to a high skill regardless.

lets hope you are right, there just might be hope after all

[thelongbomber]

lets hope you are right, there just might be hope after all

I just HAD to read the Wikipedia on this subject. I'm more convinced now. On a side note, VERY interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye%E2%...d_coordination

Neuroscientists have extensively researched human gaze behavior, with studies noting that the use of the gaze is very task-specific,[1] but that humans typically exhibit proactive control to guide their movement. Usually, the eyes fixate on a target before the hands are used to engage in a movement, indicating that the eyes provide spatial information for the hands.[2] The duration that the eyes appear to be locked onto a goal for a hand movement varies—sometimes the eyes remain fixated until a task is completed. Other times, the eyes seem to scout ahead toward other objects of interest before the hand even grasps and manipulates the object. Conversely, humans are able to aim saccades toward the hand without vision, using spatial information from hand proprioception.[citation needed]

[Byrom]

I am of the other persuasion LB. I think the cue action comes from the hand and eye co-ordination that evolved in human males after the invention of throwing tools for hunting.

Thinking about those indigenous tribes that still live as hunter gatherers, do all of the males on the hunt move in for the kill or the ones with the best hand eye skills who are good at it.

And would the ones who are good at it bother with trying to teach what they do to the 'Alan Carr' of the tribe ?
No, they'd leave him picking berries and gossiping with the women.

That is a good line

[alabadi]

I just HAD to read the Wikipedia on this subject. I'm more convinced now. On a side note, VERY interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye%E2%...d_coordination

Neuroscientists have extensively researched human gaze behavior, with studies noting that the use of the gaze is very task-specific,[1] but that humans typically exhibit proactive control to guide their movement. Usually, the eyes fixate on a target before the hands are used to engage in a movement, indicating that the eyes provide spatial information for the hands.[2] The duration that the eyes appear to be locked onto a goal for a hand movement varies—sometimes the eyes remain fixated until a task is completed. Other times, the eyes seem to scout ahead toward other objects of interest before the hand even grasps and manipulates the object. Conversely, humans are able to aim saccades toward the hand without vision, using spatial information from hand proprioception.[citation needed]

intersting stuff, maybe off topic a bit, but i am fascinated when i see wild cats chasing a prey, you see them lining up the one they want, usually a foal or an injured animal and fix their sights on it.

you can see as the start to accelerate they ignore all whats around them including the rest of the herd even if they are closer to them as they are accelerating, they have their eyes firmly fixed on the target until the moment of strike.

[golferson123]

long game

must be looking at the ghost foal

[Byrom]

I reckon anyone reading this thread will confuse the hell out of themselves - for me I concentrate on the line of the shot - and other things that help me stay still on the shot - drive through straight and keep still - I am one of those who keep their eyes on where I am sending the white. I have said I use bits of side close in but must mention I try and play plain ball as much as I can do these days although I still think those close in traces of side still come in useful at times for position especially on club tables plain ball on faster cloths is definitely the way forward on a match table - Anyway here are some tips I found to help find the centre of the white and practice develop that straight cueing line with no side.

[thelongbomber]

must be looking at the ghost foal

[ace man]

I need to find something that gives me a good B game as at the moment its all or nothing, and I mean nothing.
The difference between my best and my worst is vast and to be honest quite embarrassing.

When someone mentions good B game, I associate it with strong tactical ability, smart shot selection...etc...not so much with potting, certainly not long potting. But don't we all wish our worst game to be at higher level?
I think the best course of action is not to change anything. Remember WC final this year? Mr. Selby was playing awful in first two sessions and had to hang on his C game rather than B. Note that he didn't change anything in his stance, backswing, shot approach...etc for next two sessions. If he did, he'd lose badly. Even when he was missing everything, he was still cueing smoothly. I guess a guy like that probably has confidence that no matter how poorly he's playing at the moment, his normal game would surface eventually. He did not panic, not one little bit.
Now I realize that Mr. Selby isn't exactly everyone's favourite player. However, the guy really knows how to survive when things aren't going his way. One would be wise to learn something from him.

[vmax4steve]

When someone mentions good B game, I associate it with strong tactical ability, smart shot selection...etc...not so much with potting, certainly not long potting. But don't we all wish our worst game to be at higher level?
I think the best course of action is not to change anything.

I have to remind you that I'm not changing anything, I'm not introducing anything that's new, simply looking for how I get my cue on the line of aim that 50% of the time when I'm potting well and trying to turn it into 75%. Then I would be content with a 50% pot success B game as at the moment I don't have a B game at all.
Even if I grind out an opportunity for myself through some dogged safety, when the chance comes sometimes I'm so bad I can't take it.

[itsnoteasy]

I'm in a constant struggle at the moment to try and rediscover some sort of the form I had 20 years ago when big breaks came effortlessly without thought. There was no Internet then so no easy reference, I just played.

My own sort of eureka moment came recently when I twigged just how important feet placement is to the whole cue action (for me anyway). I found I wasn't very consistent with my grip hand being directly over the foot. I noticed sometimes the hand was slightly behind the foot and sometimes in front, which tells me I wasn't vary consistent in my distance to the table when forming my stance. I am convinced this is why I sometimes drop the elbow and other times don't.

I was setting up long pots, placing the cue on the table and walking into the shot with the cue on the table. When I formed my stance around the cue making sure the foot was exactly below the grip I potted almost everything and the ones I missed waggled.

In my case at least, I have been playing long enough that picking out any line is not a problem. I just have to take a lot of care of leading with the cue when getting down and looking down to make sure the feet are correctly placed.

I was in the club today GG, and was playing up and down the spots as a warm up, some good ,some up to a balls width out if hit with a bit of pace, then what you said came into my mind, so I got a beer mat and stuck it on the floor on the line, and after a couple of shuffles to make it the right distance, I put my heel on it got down hit the white and it did four lengths up and down, and I mean perfect over the spots, thinking this was just a lucky one I repeated it three or four times, then lifted the beer mat and tried it my self, low and behold couldn't do it, put the mat back down got my heel on line ,bang straight as a die again, so I think you are definitely onto something.

[guernseygooner]

I was in the club today GG, and was playing up and down the spots as a warm up, some good ,some up to a balls width out if hit with a bit of pace, then what you said came into my mind, so I got a beer mat and stuck it on the floor on the line, and after a couple of shuffles to make it the right distance, I put my heel on it got down hit the white and it did four lengths up and down, and I mean perfect over the spots, thinking this was just a lucky one I repeated it three or four times, then lifted the beer mat and tried it my self, low and behold couldn't do it, put the mat back down got my heel on line ,bang straight as a die again, so I think you are definitely onto something.

Good to hear Jim, I believe it is the key to more consistency. Has Chris ever mentioned it in any of your lessons with him?

You only have to look at that Jack Karnehm video where he shows it all starts with the feet. As soon as he put his foot in the wrong position for him, the cue went off line.

[itsnoteasy]

He drummed it into me GG, but when I got home and tried it myself even though I think I'm doing it right I must have been just out of alignment. Doing this also had a knock on effect, as it made me turn my hips and sit on my hip( if that's a proper explanation) which locked me in position much better, I definitely think being able to repeat this is very important, as the more I play the more I realise it's all about getting on that line properly.