sighting

[throtts]

I only look at the CB to check tip position. That last about 1 sec..

[vmax4steve]

What many fail to understand is that there is a miniscule amount of eye movement between cue ball and object ball as they are both on the the same plane of vision when down in the stance. That eye movement after the strike is to take in the whole field of vision that includes the pocket to see if the object ball is on target, and if position has been achieved, that's why the brows move up as well.

You can't see it on a normal tv shot, even in slow motion, you have to be right beside a player like Higgins, who flicks his focus to the object ball right on the delivery stroke, to notice it.
There are many pro players who do this, and these are the ones who can lose their timing, go off form for long periods sometimes, the likes of Ronnie, Selby, Robertson, Ding who have a long focus on the object ball are more consistant.

For long shots I notice that many players are looking at the object ball on the strike, but then switch to the cue ball as it travels towards the object ball. Some safety shots are played looking at the cue ball as it's the cue ball that subconsciously becomes the target when trying to get it in a certain position; remember that for safety shots you can be two feet out of where the ball is intended to go and it's still dead safe, potting requires finer accuracy than safety hence the target is the object ball.

What itsnoteasy and myself and many others suffer from is a lack of focus and concentration, we can slip into it subconsciously and play great for a short while, try to muster it up deliberately and our timing goes out the window. Pottr is right that you must play and let it all happen on its own, but for those who don't look at the correct target at the right time like he does, or don't even slip into it occasionally like itsnoteasy and myself, the really poor players who struggle to knock in a twenty break, this is something that needs deliberation, inject a mechanical eye movement/timing into their cue action, otherwise they will never be any good.

As for pottrs' video, all well and good, I can do that on a sitter of a straight ball, and our stances all change when the table is in the way, but what about setting up a tricky cut and deliberately looking at the pocket on the strike.
No cheating now, no looking at nothing and using your muscle memory deliberately like Robidoux does on that trick shot, and that's always a dead straight one, focus on the pocket, or even on the other side of the object ball, on the delivery stroke of a tricky 1/4 ball cut.

[cantpotforshíte]

I look at the CB too!

Me too. A lot of the better players seems to do it, seems to be about 50/50. There are three reasons that I can think why it helps:
1: To stop yourself from trying to pot the ball as you deliver the cue.
2: To make sure that you hit the cue ball where you intend to.
3: To time the shot well.

Ronnie said in a recent newspaper interview (an American newspaper I think) that he has come to the conclusion that the game is all about what happens in the split second that the tips is in contact with the cueball. If his thoughts are there then his eyes will follow naturally. He has said on one of his recent Eurosport programs that he finds himself sometimes looking at the cueball, - that's the key - 'finds himself looking ...' He's not doing it consciously.

I've only had one 147 made against me and the player was definitely looking at the cueball at the time of strike on nearly all his shots. Although I had asked him previous to this where he is looking and he told me definitely object ball. Good players simply don't know a lot of the time where they are looking, nor care.

Ronnie has also said in a short BBC coaching video years ago that you should look at the object ball before shooting, although he was probably just in coaching mode here and reiterating what a coach had told him.

My belief is that players only stare and focus at the object ball when a coach or somebody has told them to do so.

[cantpotforshíte]

I look forward to it Cantpot.

Here you go, I didn't have much time and this was the best I could do. I'm a little disappointed with the clarity of it, I think a lot is lost with the software compression.
I've gone with Ronnie for this first one, because he is a handsome big-eyed boy, and it's easier to see where he is looking with Youtube's poorer quality.
Believe me, it is much clearer watching it live on the BBC. Actually, don't believe me, have a look for yourself next time he's on.
Most of these shots are long shots, as that's the only time the cueball and object ball are in different fields of view. No chance of seeing the eye movement on Youtube quality for shorter distance pots because the eyeball hardly moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZxE...ature=youtu.be

[Terry Davidson]

Me too. A lot of the better players seems to do it, seems to be about 50/50. There are three reasons that I can think why it helps:
1: To stop yourself from trying to pot the ball as you deliver the cue.
2: To make sure that you hit the cue ball where you intend to.
3: To time the shot well.

Ronnie said in a recent newspaper interview (an American newspaper I think) that he has come to the conclusion that the game is all about what happens in the split second that the tips is in contact with the cueball. If his thoughts are there then his eyes will follow naturally. He has said on one of his recent Eurosport programs that he finds himself sometimes looking at the cueball, - that's the key - 'finds himself looking ...' He's not doing it consciously.

I've only had one 147 made against me and the player was definitely looking at the cueball at the time of strike on nearly all his shots. Although I had asked him previous to this where he is looking and he told me definitely object ball. Good players simply don't know a lot of the time where they are looking, nor care.

Ronnie has also said in a short BBC coaching video years ago that you should look at the object ball before shooting, although he was probably just in coaching mode here and reiterating what a coach had told him.

My belief is that players only stare and focus at the object ball when a coach or somebody has told them to do so.

In my experience it's nowhere near 50/50. More like 5/95 with the 5 being looking at the cueball at the time of strike. This is where a lot of learning players get taken off-track and get screwed up forever.

[Leo]

Another thread that's going to mess with people's head. You should flick your eyes between the CB & OB then when you decide you're ready you then flick your eyes to the OB bang good pot. If anyone play different to this or it's helped you then it's up to you but this is what came natural to me.

[tetricky]

I agree (for what it's worth).

You look at the cue ball to check that you are cueing at it correctly (correct position on the ball, so that you mind gets a map of it's position for timing). Then you look at the object ball because your arm follows your 'long' aim and goes through the white better. You can pot if look at the cue ball.....but your mind will be 'hitting the cue ball' where you aim at it, not the object ball contact point.

[cantpotforshíte]

In my experience it's nowhere near 50/50. More like 5/95 with the 5 being looking at the cueball at the time of strike. This is where a lot of learning players get taken off-track and get screwed up forever.

People get taken off track when a coach tells them to do what is not natural. You really should not be thinking about what your eyes are doing.

[cantpotforshíte]

Another thread that's going to mess with people's head. You should flick your eyes between the CB & OB then when you decide you're ready you then flick your eyes to the OB bang good pot. If anyone play different to this or it's helped you then it's up to you but this is what came natural to me.

It's the advice given to people to tell them where their eyes should be looking that is going to mess with people's heads. Nobody should be doing anything other with their eyes than what comes naturally.

[throtts]

I have said this before, so forgive me.

When you screw up a piece of paper to chuck in a bin you do not look at the piece of paper balled up in your throwing hand, you look at the bin because thats the target.

The only time I look at the CB is when I do the up and down the blue, pink and black spots to check my cueing. And thats for about 1 sec to check I am not parting side on the CB..

[itsnoteasy]

Here you go, I didn't have much time and this was the best I could do. I'm a little disappointed with the clarity of it, I think a lot is lost with the software compression.
I've gone with Ronnie for this first one, because he is a handsome big-eyed boy, and it's easier to see where he is looking with Youtube's poorer quality.
Believe me, it is much clearer watching it live on the BBC. Actually, don't believe me, have a look for yourself next time he's on.
Most of these shots are long shots, as that's the only time the cueball and object ball are in different fields of view. No chance of seeing the eye movement on Youtube quality for shorter distance pots because the eyeball hardly moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZxE...ature=youtu.be

Watched first four, all object ball.

[pottr]

Once more:

"Your brain does this for you"

[itsnoteasy]

Was just going to add this in above post but it won't let me.
I'm not trying to tell anyone they are right or wrong, I'm just asking for anyone to show me any evidence they have of a pro that is a consistent cue ball watcher as they come through on the shot.
So far all I have seen is two pictures by Ramon that he says one is showing Higgins looking at the cue ball, when clearly neither do, and that the pictures are one second appart ,which they obviously aren't , then he went on to say something about half seconds which I didn't have a clue what he was on about. When I asked him to explain his pictures I never got an answer. catch says he has an app, that goes frame by frame so there should be hundreds of pictures to prove the point, and then Cantpot puts up a video that the first four shots show Ronnie clearly looking at the object ball. My point is I could show you hundreds if not thousands of pictures where any of the players mentioned are looking at the object ball, but I haven't yet seen one where they are looking at the cue ball, doesn't that prove that at worst the vast vast majority of the time they look at the object ball, and maybe on the odd occasion ( which has yet to be proven) they look at the cue ball, to me this makes them object ball lookers.
Most importantly do what ever you want , if you think it's the best way for you.

[Leo]

Once more:

"Your brain does this for you"

Very true indeed, trouble is way too many people on here over think their game way to much and don't give their brain anymore room.

[Ramon]

Was just going to add this in above post but it won't let me.
I'm not trying to tell anyone they are right or wrong, I'm just asking for anyone to show me any evidence they have of a pro that is a consistent cue ball watcher as they come through on the shot.
So far all I have seen is two pictures by Ramon that he says one is showing Higgins looking at the cue ball, when clearly neither do, and that the pictures are one second appart ,which they obviously aren't , then he went on to say something about half seconds which I didn't have a clue what he was on about. When I asked him to explain his pictures I never got an answer. catch says he has an app, that goes frame by frame so there should be hundreds of pictures to prove the point, and then Cantpot puts up a video that the first four shots show Ronnie clearly looking at the object ball. My point is I could show you hundreds if not thousands of pictures where any of the players mentioned are looking at the object ball, but I haven't yet seen one where they are looking at the cue ball, doesn't that prove that at worst the vast vast majority of the time they look at the object ball, and maybe on the odd occasion ( which has yet to be proven) they look at the cue ball, to me this makes them object ball lookers.
Most importantly do what ever you want , if you think it's the best way for you.

the problem is, Ramon told you < < you gonna need slow motion to see what realy happens > > and you do'nt want to understand or accept it.
I mean, my English is poor (but I can also translate it in Chinese if you want).
What you see in that picture is the position of his head (NOT HIS EYES). Could be someone looking up while his eyes re looking down. which direction you head stance, has nothing to do with your eyes direction . We are talking here about a difference of a few millimeters which goes very fast. you re not able to see that with your eyes. ( You need slowmotion or standing right bhnd the player ).
A pro does'nt move his head, (only his eyes).
I would say, ( as already mentioned ) do'nt think about it . just play the game.
and wish you goodluck with it.