Aiming/Sighting Consistency

[GeordieDS]

Ted IS Bill

That's bogus

[GeordieDS]

You have to try and cut out the micro-adjustments (which are usually you shifting your hips around). Lock the hips when in the address position but also ensure your stance is solid and COMFORTABLE for you, as it has to be stable for you to lock it.

To explain (and in line with what is posted above)...you will ALWAYS get the best look and line of aim on a shot when standing up behind the shot. As has been said literally EVERYONE can pick out exactly where they want to have the cueball contact the object ball (call it BOB) and can also pick out the correct line of aim of the cue. (This is the AIMING function)

When you drop down into the address position it is vital you do just 2 things, the first is while dropping down KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE OBJECT BALL and secondly DROP THE HEAD ABSOLUTELY STRAIGHT DOWN - called the SIGHTING function because you are sighting along the cue, through the cueball to the object ball (BUT NOT TO THE POCKET), do not even look at the pocket when getting down or in the address position.

You must develop the confidence and believe you are selecting the correct line of aim while standing behind the shot and if you drop down straight with no lateral movement AT ALL and keep the eyes locked on the object ball until you are in the address position you have to trust you are on the correct SIGHTING line of aim.

If, as you say above, when you get down into the address position things don't look right to you and you consciously mini-adjust then you are beat already and the good book tells us to stand up and do it all over again (how many players actually do that? I've seen Steve Davis and a few others do it a few times).

My suggestion would be for you to decide what shot on the table is generally the most difficult for you and which you miss the most frequently then place the yellow ball in the plant position on the object ball, return to behind the cueball and look at the line of aim, get into the address position and check and see if the cue is aligned with the exact centre of the yellow ball. If it is then you're good but if it isn't then you have dropped down into the address position incorrectly and from one side or the other. Experiment and try your micro adjustments here but read again what longbomber said about the actual backswing and delivery cancelling out those micro-adjustments. Hopefully when you do the micro-adjustment the shot will appear to be aimed wrong, which would be progress for you.

BUT, there is one fact you must remember...(this is my own personal take on the matter and some might disagree)...99.99% of pots (barring kicks) are missed because the player DID NOT DELIVER THE CUE STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE OF AIM. Believe me, it is a very rare player who can say 'I deliver my cue straight 100% of the time, I know because I can shoot the spots at any speed and the cueball always comes back to the centre of my tip even after 4 lengths'. That statement in quotes is ABSOLUTE BS and not even Ronnie or Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry cue perfectly 100% of the time, just a higher percentage than any other players in the world.

Amateurs can't cut out the micro adjustments or we would all be knocking in hundreds like it was nothing

[rimmer10]

Amateurs can't cut out the micro adjustments or we would all be knocking in hundreds like it was nothing

Why do you think that is? Is it because we're not cueing straight and our subconscious tells us to re-adjust or is it because we don't recognise the angles. Again, not trying to get too technical, just really intrigued about the whole thing.

[Byrom]

How can Ted be Bill and Ted at the same time?

easy -

[rimmer10]

easy -

to put my feeling into song

[GeordieDS]

Why do you think that is? Is it because we're not cueing straight and our subconscious tells us to re-adjust or is it because we don't recognise the angles. Again, not trying to get too technical, just really intrigued about the whole thing.

I just think and this is my own personal experience is that bad/average players which I am overthink which means we will micro adjust most if not all of the time because we feel that we are doing something wrong.

I'm intrigued by it myself Rimmer because if I wasn't I would have stopped playing fifteen years ago

[GeordieDS]

to put my feeling into song

That video has had tears running down my face its that funny

[Leo]

You can normally spot a player that overthinks his game from a mile off to those who are natural players with alabaldi on the other thread being one who really overthinks his game. playing should be pretty much like walking up the stairs at home where you are so used to doing it that it comes naturally without even thinking where you are stepping.
When I approach a shot I'm not thinking about how I'm standing or technique as it's automatic I'm just thinking purely on where to hit the object ball and that's it. Like I say if you're spending so much time worrying about your approach and technique then my advice is youre miles off to a decent level you want to play at.

[alabadi]

hey who mentioned my name...lol

Leo with me you are right that i think too much, but its not technique , stance bridge or stroke. its that doubt i am going to make the pot or position. and that makes me hesitant in my shot.
its a bugger trying to stop doing that, i'm getting better but still way off having the confidence to just go with the flow.

[Byrom]

You can normally spot a player that overthinks his game from a mile off to those who are natural players with alabaldi on the other thread being one who really overthinks his game. playing should be pretty much like walking up the stairs at home where you are so used to doing it that it comes naturally without even thinking where you are stepping.
When I approach a shot I'm not thinking about how I'm standing or technique as it's automatic I'm just thinking purely on where to hit the object ball and that's it. Like I say if you're spending so much time worrying about your approach and technique then my advice is youre miles off to a decent level you want to play at.

Yeah I agree I mentioned this on another thread - seeing players practice knocking in great long blues always makes me laugh when they cant string five to ten simple pots together in the balls - I know they are working on the wrong thing.

[DeanH]

Just to add to the discussion I found the following two articles from the old magazine Billiards & Snooker, the first is an article by Mr W. Moncrieff, from June 1961 concerning Sighting, the second as a reply by Mr Ronnie Harverson (son of Cecil) from August 1961 on Aiming.

So it appears that this is not a new point of discussion

[Catch 22]

Why do you think that is? Is it because we're not cueing straight and our subconscious tells us to re-adjust or is it because we don't recognise the angles. Again, not trying to get too technical, just really intrigued about the whole thing.

Up until recently I micro adjusted on every shot . I would stand behind the line , visualise the shot etc and carefully get down on the shot . Once down ,the shot either felt too thick , too thin or just perfect . If it felt perfect and I played the shot then it usually went in . If it felt thick or thin then I would micro adjust while feathering until it felt right and then play the shot . The shot would still usually go in but under pressure in a match it would usually not go in .

Micro adjusting wasn't something I wanted to do but had to . A couple of weeks ago I was thinking back to when I was potting my best and as most folk it was when a frame was already won and the pressure was off but also I get most my breaks in practice when talking to someone and just hitting he balls for fun . I also remember that I was a better ball potter before I took the game seriously ( when in the club as a newbie with no idea how to stand, cue , aim etc ) I could pot better but no position etc .

Long story short ..... I believed I was overriding my brain with finding the line . So a couple of weeks ago I went to the club and put the white on the yellow spot . I then put a red 10 or so inches infront of the red making it roughly a 3/4 pot into the black pocket . I stood behind the white and without any kind of aiming I just dropped my head and hit the shot with no feathers or anything (whole shot took less than 2 seconds ). I made 3 out of 5, the 2 I missed hit the jaws . I set up some reds and stood behind the line ROUGHLY and instead of picking out the exact line I though was right I would walk into the shot and slowly get down letting my brain just automatically put me where it wanted . Once down the shot FELT right , so no micro adjustment needed ....played the shot and in they went

For the last couple of weeks my game has improved a lot . I walk round to behind the cueball , make sure I'm on the line , look at where I want the white to finish , decide where I'm going to hit the white and just get down without overthinking it .. When I'm down if it doesn't feel right I stand up and drop back down . I usually find I'm on the right line 80% of the time with no micro adjustments .



My cueing has also improved because my body drops to a more natural position this way too

I had a league match last night and although I lost , I played better than I have in ages under pressure .


Bottom line for me is .....get behind the shot as normal and as I walk in , let my brain pick out the line subconsciously

[vmax4steve]

Two very interesting articles there DeanH.

[ace man]

By Byrom:

Yeah I agree I mentioned this on another thread - seeing players practice knocking in great long blues always makes me laugh when they cant string five to ten simple pots together in the balls - I know they are working on the wrong thing.

This is why I have stopped applauding when some of my club mates pot incredibly difficult long balls. When a guy scores a break of 1 due to horrible position or shot selection or snookers himself after a pot, I find it very hard to be impressed.

[OmaMiesta]

easy -

ROFL! just took in that was Keanu Reeves, hilarious.