Aiming/Sighting Consistency

[SamWood9_]

I've watched plenty of videos on YouTube about ways of getting used to the aiming of a shot.

Tried the dummy ball, ghost ball..

The way that seems to work best for me is visualising lines on the table etc.

However sometimes I go through all this visualising and still manage to miss the shot by hitting the cushion nowhere near as close as I'd like to be to the pocket.

Anyone got any fool proof way of making sure I at least rattle the jaws of the pocket each time.

Seems to be the shots wanting a thinner cut of the ball that I struggle with the most.

Thanks in advance!

[jonny66]

Possibly a cueing problem, try putting the white down the table and back along the spots, it should come back to meet the tip of your cue. When you can do that, try some thin cuts remembering how you delivered the cue along the spots. If you're not cueing right you can easily miss by a mile on a lot of shots.

[svendh]

Or perhaps you are over thinking on the shot? Keep practising and you will pick the contact point subconscious. From that point it's down to you cue action

[cyberheater]

Anyone got any fool proof way of making sure I at least rattle the jaws of the pocket each time.

Nope. There is no fool proof way. Which is why even the greats miss relatively simple balls.

The only way to get better is to practice. If you miss the ball, replace the balls back to where they were and pot the ball 3 times in a row before you move on. Eventually your brain will start to remember the angles.

Good luck.

[svendh]

And I found it easier in the beginning to use the "3 cut system"

[cyberheater]

And I found it easier in the beginning to use the "3 cut system"

And what is that?

[itsnoteasy]

3/4, 1/2, and 1/4, maybe?

[svendh]

3/4, 1/2, and 1/4, maybe?

Yes http://www.dsbat.com/three_cut.php#axzz3MNZ4dPlY

[cyberheater]

How about this:-

[Alba_]

Yeah i would suggest using the 3 cut system too. 1/2 ball 3/4 and 1/4 ball cuts. Ingrain the angels in your head and you will gradually get better and better. Go down the club and practice potting these angles over and over at different distances over and over and i can't stress over and over enough Then when you get decent at that and are getting the hang of it go in between them angles and train on them too and over time you will be potting like a champion. You will start to figure it out and will know what cut needs what to pot it. There is no short cuts or secret techniques just repetitive actions to ingrain the knowledge into your head. I had to do this after like a 8 year break from the game.

[svendh]

How about this:-

Can't see me potting a single ball on a snooker table with that kind of cue action

[Pedantic Stroke]

I use the fractions as references. Full ball, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4. The a bit of BoB.

For example...

I look at the potting angle and decide what ita closest to out of the previously mentioned angles. So, a cut to the left and I decide its closest to a 3/4 ball pot. I'll stand behind centre cue ball so its pointing at the right 1/4 on the object ball. Then I look at the pocket, then the BoB and pick a spot on it. I then step in towards this spot and I sort of subconsciously make the necessary adjustments as I step in.

Sounds complicated in text, but in reality it's quite quick and simple.

[j6uk]

hi sam,
maybe you could stick up a vid of you at the table? this way you'll get a more in depth response as to where you are with your question and technically

I've watched plenty of videos on YouTube about ways of getting used to the aiming of a shot.

Tried the dummy ball, ghost ball..

The way that seems to work best for me is visualising lines on the table etc.

However sometimes I go through all this visualising and still manage to miss the shot by hitting the cushion nowhere near as close as I'd like to be to the pocket.

Anyone got any fool proof way of making sure I at least rattle the jaws of the pocket each time.

Seems to be the shots wanting a thinner cut of the ball that I struggle with the most.

Thanks in advance!

[sharkster63]

Pot lots of blue's off the spot doing a gradual circle around it, keep trying to make it in the corners, change pockets as required, this will help you visualise the angles and spot to hit, try and cue straight ensuring you hit the white in center consistently at the same pace, you should be able to tell if its the contact or cueing that is giving you problems, It as helped me allot.. Hope it helps you... Cheers

[RoryM147]

Can't see me potting a single ball on a snooker table with that kind of cue action

Lol I agree. With all due to respect to pool players and each to their own. Being a snooker man, I hate watching pool players, The vertical wobble of the cue, the loop bridge hand, the cheap look and feel of the table also how small the table is, not fully going down on the shot, the way they grind the chalk into the cue. It irritates me lol.

However this video was informative as this is probably why I hit balls too thin. Very interesting I shall try this alternative line of aim next time.