Aiming

[tetricky]

i posed a similar question to a coach once during a coaching session. i said if i can pot most balls i go for i would be happy , once i am confident that i can pot i can then work on positional play.

he then said next time you come to a shot just focus on the pot don't think where you want the white don't think of the next ball just pot the OB. i then started potting most of the shots i went for.

he explained most times when i miss is because i am trying to do something with the white, and sometimes im trying to create angles that are just too difficult which is making the pot more difficult.

this is why now i try and make all the decisions standing and try not to think about anything than the pot when i am down in the address position.

don't get me wrong i still miss, from either miss judging the angle, or cueing errors, however i am much more consistent. and as VMax said it takes a lot of energy and focus to do this , and you can get tired very quickly and your mind starts to wander without you realising it.

I think that's a great point. One of the things I've done in remodelling my game, is to consciously play without trying to move the white ball so much, and 'over-wrangle' position. Just take the plain ball potting line, and do the least possible to have a chance at the next shot, without trying to use side and power to get optimum position (if it's not really on).

I pot a lot more than I did.

[alabadi]

Yes tetricky that's what I try now once I've picked the height power etc , I just concentrate on the pot and let the rest take care of itself.

I have found that I am more relaxed on a shot now than I use to, which helps me just cue smoother rather than jabbing at it , this has improved my potting no end

[Terry Davidson]

When you reach the conclusion that THERE ARE NO EASY SHORTCUTS then you will find out it takes tons of practice BUT as long as you use just one method of aiming and sighting, especially sighting. AND yes most pots are missed for one of 2 reasons, not delivering the cue straight as intended or taking your eyes off the object ball somewhere in the delivery.

No matter how you sight, ghost ball, sector, pinpoint or other just keep using the same all the time and DON'T expect instant miracles where all of a sudden you start potting well one day. That happens to all of us and doesn't last very long.

[throtts]

It's about contact point for me, focus on the contact point of the object ball before you get down into your stance and 99% of the time you will be on the line of aim; get down without really looking and you'll be struggling.

This works for me on all balls except the brown, can't see it clearly for some reason, I really struggle on the most simple of browns to actually focus on the contact point, even when a couple of feet away and dead straight, so eyesight and reflection of light from certain colours will effect your ability to focus clearly. I love the pink BTW, hardly ever miss it, see the contact point on it clearly from all angles.

But you do hit what you're looking at IMO, it's basic to effect a straight cue action of six to eight inches in length, as the op says he can shoot straight up and down the spots, but if your eyes wander off target when getting down into your stance then you will not be on the line of aim, and if your eyes wander off target on the strike your hand will follow to whatever you're looking at for that split second.

So stay stood up behind the cue ball until you actually see that object ball contact point, don't look for it on the way down, find it and move you feet into position while looking at it, half way down flick focus to the cue ball and address the centre of it and then find object ball contact point again and keep it there on the strike.

This is what all the best players do subconsciously; some will tell you that they don't (they're wrong) or not to think about it, but if this isn't a natural subconscious thing for you then think about it you must.

I managed it in yesterdays practise for about ten minutes out of two hours, cleared the line up once, and again with only one miss the next time (yes it was a 1/2 ball brown), could hardly string five balls together the rest of the session. When that starts happening I think I'm still doing it, but I'm not, start missing, get anxious and move on the shot and it all gets worse.

I really can't emphasise enough that a coach cannot help you with this, he can point it out but he can't make you do it, it's all about you in the end.

I totally agree with vmax. He is very correct.

[throtts]

[QUOTE=Terry Davidson;872536]When you reach the conclusion that THERE ARE NO EASY SHORTCUTS then you will find out it takes tons of practice BUT as long as you use just one method of aiming and sighting, especially sighting. AND yes most pots are missed for one of 2 reasons, not delivering the cue straight as intended or taking your eyes off the object ball somewhere in the delivery.
[QUOTE]

Quite right, Tel.

There is that 3rd reason, movement on the shot. So many players think they are being still on the shot when they are not.

[cally]

Hence the saying ' he took his eye off the ball'

[Crixus]

I also have astigmatism but was kind of hoping that the contact lenses I wear for this problem would solve this issue. Do you wear lenses sealer?

[Crixus]

Oops I was trying to reply to sealer

[sealer]

No I don't. I also have a double astigmatisim in one eye.

[armstm]

I believe my main error is taking eyes off the line of aim as I am getting down on the shot. This is massively underestimated I believe. Your head wanders in and out of the line of aim on the way down. Amazing that one doesn't realise it but it is very common I believe especially for <50 break players. I think cueing is massively overestimated as to why < 50 break players miss.

[vmax4steve]

I believe my main error is taking eyes off the line of aim as I am getting down on the shot. This is massively underestimated I believe. Your head wanders in and out of the line of aim on the way down. Amazing that one doesn't realise it but it is very common I believe especially for <50 break players. I think cueing is massively overestimated as to why < 50 break players miss.

Like Terry has said on many occasions, eye on the contact point of the object ball and then drop straight down. Watch Neil Robertson, has a very deliberate process of feet movement and drop down, although it happens quite quickly through years of replication.
It's this we need to find, the process that puts us on the line of aim, once found replicate it all the time, and realise that if it suddenly stops working that something else is going on like movement on the shot or taking your eye off the object ball.
So many natural things that happen in the shot making process that consciously doing them all is really quite impossible, but there are certain basics that need to be adhered to, do them and the learning process can begin.

[Terry Davidson]

Like vmax says

DROP THE HEAD STRAIGHT DOWN, keeping your eyes on the object ball as you do. If you dod this correctly you will automatically be on the correct line of aim (or at least the line you've chosen).