Visualize BOB

[tedisbill]

I love posts stuff like that.

Go and tell Del Hill and Griffiths they're wrong then lol

You could not possibly pick the contact point on the object ball, to the degree of accuracy required, while just standing up.

Are you saying that you actually play snooker without aiming once you're down on the shot?

[bolton-cueman]

well I look at the object ball and the cue ball prior to delivering the cue.

But my line, therefore my aim, has been selected when I stand in line with the shot. This has been said by Del Hill, Griffiths, Barrow and even Frank Callan.

How else /why do you get down on a shot if its not the correct line? Get down then move about abit until you're aim is right? No, you get down on your line of aim. Then deliver the cue. On a line.

Its all about lines - b*ll*cks to all that ghost ball and points of axis and 'BoB' nonsense.

@Terry care to give the coaches 'stance' on when aiming is done

[tedisbill]

You pick the line, whilst standing up, this line will be pretty accurate, probably 90% of your aiming. This is also very important because it allows a consistent approach to the shot, makes sure your feet are always in the same place, your weight distribution is consistent, all things like this. Consistency is very important in snooker. Then once you're actually down, you make sure that you're hitting the exact point on the object ball that's required. This last bit of aiming whilst down, is your fine tuning if you like. Nobody would actually be able to see that you've moved at all once you got down. We're talking tiny fractions here. But this last bit of aiming is very important.

This is my last post on the subject. Good luck.

[Terry Davidson]

Aiming is done while standing up behind the shot. The head and eyes (I use my nose) is placed on the line of aim and then the straight leg foot is placed on that line of aim. Then the head drops straight down and you assume the address position.

In the address position you SIGHT along the cue. First is when you initially get down when there should be a slight pause (I call this the Preliminary Pause), then you feather and stop the cue at the Front Pause and check that everything is what you think it should be. Backswing, deliver.

When you get down into the address position there should be no lateral movement of the upper body or hips and if you feel you have assumed an incorrect line of sighting you should get up rather than fine tune it. Now the question becomes, WHY shouldn't you move? The answer is a player gets the best perspective on the line of aim while standing above the shot so it is the most correct. Changing that while in the address position, where you don't have the most accurate picture, shouldn't be done.

HOWEVER, virtually every player I've ever seen might make small 'micro-adjustments' (especially with the hips) on long shots for the most part. I'm not saying this is right but even I find myself doing this every once in awhile when the correct action is to stand up again and re-select the correct line of aim.

To differ with tedisbill, I believe the line of aim selected when standing up is 100% right and it's the getting down into the address position which usually screws things up and causes the player to do the adjustments. If a player doesn't drop his head (eyes) straight down perfectly he will end up on the wrong line of aim and the sighting will look wrong.

Aiming is to select the correct point of contact but sighting is to check that the cue is aligned with that predetermined point of contact.

Terry

[rimmer10]

You pick the line, whilst standing up, this line will be pretty accurate, probably 90% of your aiming. This is also very important because it allows a consistent approach to the shot, makes sure your feet are always in the same place, your weight distribution is consistent, all things like this. Consistency is very important in snooker. Then once you're actually down, you make sure that you're hitting the exact point on the object ball that's required. This last bit of aiming whilst down, is your fine tuning if you like. Nobody would actually be able to see that you've moved at all once you got down. We're talking tiny fractions here. But this last bit of aiming is very important.

This is my last post on the subject. Good luck.

Don't go just yet. Are you saying it's ok to make micro adjustments when you're down on the shot? I was always led to believe that's a big no no. I'm genuinely curious.

[pcb]

can somebody answer my question, do i cue along the line of aim with my cue when down on the shot thanks

[tedisbill]

Don't go just yet. Are you saying it's ok to make micro adjustments when you're down on the shot? I was always led to believe that's a big no no. I'm genuinely curious.

You wouldn't actually be able to see me moving at all once I'm down on the shot. The fractions we're talking here are so small. But once you're down on the shot, your eyes are checking that your aiming is about to be absolutely pinpoint, and this allows you to send the white to that exact, very precise location. Maybe this is what Terry is calling sighting? Not sure. But it's the last part of aiming.

[tedisbill]

can somebody answer my question, do i cue along the line of aim with my cue when down on the shot thanks

Yes you do.

[itsnoteasy]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O8voW0HM6qs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=afuj43Y6J9I
I found these two videos sum it up really.

[Byrom]

Well I will throw my hat into the ring and agree with tedisbill - I think snooker is a game of lines too - I simply imagine a line or a corridor through the object ball to the pocket - as I think Steve Davis once described - and I try to send it down that line or corridor - I think using this method eventually helps you recognize the angles quicker and trust your stroke - experience tells me how to make a half ball - quarter ball - three quarter ball shot is because I have done it before millions of times and the angles repeat themselves all over the table. The only time I use this ghost ball thing is when I am taking say a cut back into a blind pocket the only time I look at the BOB is on a straight shot - I have tried all the methods on this page and more - like most people who love snooker I have experimented and it almost seems I have tried and tried too hard and 'tongue in cheek here -read almost every coaching book and video's known to mankind - looking hard and searching high and low for the 'secret' to snooker - still do mess because fact is you never stop learning and everyone wants seeks that perfection and key consistency at snooker that is simply not obtainable - I realize that and after going into it for years I always come back to keeping it simple.

I find the line when up get down on the line and 'obviously' you aim when down or 'fine tune' on the shot -I mean that is what your eyes are for lol - by this I don't mean move off the line but I mean feather and pick out the contact point perhaps whilst still being aware of the line and try and I try to settle into my regular rhythm to cue - I have a pause at the back - and I drive through and try to time the shot consistently - This is more important I think and like another thread mentioned with you guys on here - I too wished I had worked harder on the basics and routines to develop a better technique and focus on consistency when I was younger rather than pot random balls play negative players and set myself no targets.

There are a few aiming guides that others like see here in the link below - this might be useful to some folk - My aiming method is listed here - it is 'hit a million balls' - you will all improve that way without a doubt - no secrets - just practice and find your own way.

Maybe there are a few tips that might help some people who have difficulty with picking out this BOB ghost ball stuff and it might help some on here or it might confuse others - don't blame me - and I'd stay away from that pivot bollocks mentioned on here if I was you - but what does not works for one player might work for another - and there are a few players on here that use this ghost ball method to good effect - so what do I know?.

I am just saying after trying all this stuff I still prefer my original method 'keep it simple' find the line and try and send the ball down it!

When I am playing at my best the white is just a consequence, my focus is just on the OB so its hard to explain what I do or how I see the line. I say best way to improve first is to practice your technique and the basics rather than study these aiming things that the Americans especially seem obsessed with - as it can throw your game right off to over think it - I am yet to meet a pro who has a degree in geometry - so it is not necessary to mess so much with this stuff and my advice to anyone who is already natural is do not read the link - but many others looking for a short cut do research snooker in depth eventually I suppose - don't worry I have read lots too and so if this is you enjoy - but reading does not make the player - practice does. Personally I wish I had not bothered with any of it but hay ho.

For me the secret to snooker - is that there is none.

Want to confuse yourself buy a few books look on the web pick out a few things to experiment and mess with your head to your hearts content -

Eg read the section on aiming and watch a few video's -

http://billiards.colostate.edu/pool_secrets_gems.html






Don't blame me if it does yer head in - but thank me if it helps.

[tedisbill]

Another good post Byrom

[vmax4steve]

I'm a great believer in leaving things up to the short term memory in regards to getting your feet, body, hands and therefore cue on the line of aim. But first of all of course you have to give the short term memory something to remember and that means finding (looking at or visualising) the contact point on the object ball, BOB, ghost ball or whatever you wish to call it, before you get down into your stance.

Once this is done the short term memory can take over and some players, like myself, can take their eyes off the contact point on the object ball once the feet are in place and look to the cue ball when getting down.
Some don't use the short term memory like I do, some keep their eyes on BOB all the while they are getting down, keeping the cue ball in their periphery vision, some flick their eyes from cue ball to object ball when getting down.

It's horses for courses and whatever works for you as an individual, but you absolutely must find the contact point on the object ball before you start to get down into your stance and not try to find it as an afterthought.

On thin cuts I like to walk around to a point straight behind the object ball to look at the contact point and then walk back to the cue ball. This puts the full contact point into my short term memory instead of trying to find it on the edge of the object ball, and subconsciously I find I will stand in the correct place if I do this; I have seen Jimmy White also do this so it's quite a valid thing to do.

Then you must also focus on or visualise the contact point on the object ball as you strike the cue ball because as we all know this is a game of hand and eye co-ordination and the hand will follow wherever the eyes are looking.

Sounds like a lot to remember but it isn't, let look at the target first and last be your mantra.

[Byrom]

Another good post Byrom

awww thanks -

[Wayne G]

I'm a great believer in leaving things up to the short term memory in regards to getting your feet, body, hands and therefore cue on the line of aim. But first of all of course you have to give the short term memory something to remember and that means finding (looking at or visualising) the contact point on the object ball, BOB, ghost ball or whatever you wish to call it, before you get down into your stance.

Once this is done the short term memory can take over and some players, like myself, can take their eyes off the contact point on the object ball once the feet are in place and look to the cue ball when getting down.
Some don't use the short term memory like I do, some keep their eyes on BOB all the while they are getting down, keeping the cue ball in their periphery vision, some flick their eyes from cue ball to object ball when getting down.

It's horses for courses and whatever works for you as an individual, but you absolutely must find the contact point on the object ball before you start to get down into your stance and not try to find it as an afterthought.

On thin cuts I like to walk around to a point straight behind the object ball to look at the contact point and then walk back to the cue ball. This puts the full contact point into my short term memory instead of trying to find it on the edge of the object ball, and subconsciously I find I will stand in the correct place if I do this; I have seen Jimmy White also do this so it's quite a valid thing to do.

Then you must also focus on or visualise the contact point on the object ball as you strike the cue ball because as we all know this is a game of hand and eye co-ordination and the hand will follow wherever the eyes are looking.

Sounds like a lot to remember but it isn't, let look at the target first and last be your mantra.

I've always been confused by this(as many others are I'm sure).

If your hand follows wherever the eyes are looking, shouldn't your eyes be on the line of aim, not the line of sight to the contact point on the BOB?

[jonny66]

As far as I'm concerned the contact point will be off the line of the cue ball on 99% of shots, you need to visualise it before you're down on the shot. See the shot, get down, cue straight. If you miss you've done one of those things wrong and you need to practice the shot till you get it right.

I see this is a hotly contested topic and if we disagree then we disagree, don't just say I'm wrong because the jury's still out on this one and it's difficult to prove either way.