eyes where

[winging pom]

Hi all.
I have read a lot of posts on this site about where to look on the object ball.
using a half ball shot as an example, a lot of what I have read has given me the impression
that I should point my cue through the centre of the cue ball to the outside edge of the object ball
and then while feathering I should keep my eyes on the contact point (or collision point) on the
object ball which is around half inch in from the edge of the object ball. we are also told that the cue
will follow the eyes,if so what stops us from hitting the object ball too thick if the cue moves from the
edge of the object ball to contact point which is about half inch difference.

thanks for bearing with me
it is not easy to always follow what people are trying to say,I hope I can be understood.

[Terry Davidson]

You are over-thinking this aspect and allowing your mind to be rules by unimportant details. Just lock your eyes on the object ball itself and not one specific point on the object ball or if you cannot do that then lock onto the back of the ball (BOB).

[vmax]

Hi all.
I have read a lot of posts on this site about where to look on the object ball.
using a half ball shot as an example, a lot of what I have read has given me the impression
that I should point my cue through the centre of the cue ball to the outside edge of the object ball
and then while feathering I should keep my eyes on the contact point (or collision point) on the
object ball which is around half inch in from the edge of the object ball. we are also told that the cue
will follow the eyes,if so what stops us from hitting the object ball too thick if the cue moves from the
edge of the object ball to contact point which is about half inch difference.

You don't point your cue at a point on the object ball. Your brain knows you're playing snooker, that you're playing one ball onto another in order to send the second ball into a pocket, it knows that because you're looking at the balls and giving it the information it needs to work it out without conscious interference. It also knows that the cue ball is the same size as the object ball and that the tip of the cue is a lot smaller but it can work out the trajectory of the cue ball onto the contact point on the object ball all on its own as long as you don't overide it by looking at something other than the target and/or pointing your cue elsewhere.

I have just finished reading The Inner Game Of Golf and in it the author tells us that we are two selves; self 1 is your conscious mind, self 2 is your subconscious mind that naturally learns physical processes through experience from the information of the senses. Overide self 2 with conscious thought from self 1 and self 2 fails to function as the senses are then negated by self 1.
Trust self 2 to do what your senses are telling it, just look at the target/s and self 2 will do what's needed. You may think that self 1 can remind self 2 to look at the target/s but that will only result in a meaningless glance in the right direction other than actually seeing the target/s; losing oneself to self 2 will mean you'll actually be seeing what you're looking at without knowing it.

Now if I was physically coaching you for the first time I would start by watching you play and concentrate only on your eye movement, seeing where you're looking at each stage of the potting process. If you looked at the right target at the right time I would say nothing to you about it as it would then enter your conscious mind and fail to work.
If you didn't look at the right targets at the right time then I would tell you so and then we would have to work through a process of learning to play snooker like you were taught to tie your shoe laces.

I tried to coach a friend once who developed the yips on screw shots to the point where he couldn't play a screw shot without miscueing as he moved so much. I watched his eyes and noticed that on every shot but screw shots he looked at the object ball while lining up the shot and again on the strike, on screw shots he knew he was needing to play one and approached the table looking only at the cue ball so was off the line of aim when he got down, looked up at the object ball which told his self 2 that he was off the line, then looked at the cue ball on the strike while self 2 knew he was off line and tried to compensate with a lot of body movement.

I told him this and he refused to believe me saying that he always looked at the cue ball, but he in fact didn't when playing run throughs and side spin shots, which he played very well, and could run through to a 50 break with no problem.

I've been playing snooker for nearly forty years now and only very rarely have I gone into the realm of frame winning breaks, but each time I have I've remembered that I wasn't thinking and could actually see what I was looking at, and each time I've tried to consciously get back into that zone by deliberately staring at the contact point on the object ball I've been unable to do so.
You'll see when you really want to see, you won't if you're only going through the motions with little real care about what you're doing. Concentration through relaxation is the key to this, don't force anything and don't get anxious about failure just play and let self 2 take over like it did when your dad let go of the bike without telling you and you were riding on your own for the first time until you turned and self 1 saw him no longer behind you and then you started wobbling again.

[howardlax]

You don't point your cue at a point on the object ball. Your brain knows you're playing snooker, that you're playing one ball onto another in order to send the second ball into a pocket, it knows that because you're looking at the balls and giving it the information it needs to work it out without conscious interference. It also knows that the cue ball is the same size as the object ball and that the tip of the cue is a lot smaller but it can work out the trajectory of the cue ball onto the contact point on the object ball all on its own as long as you don't overide it by looking at something other than the target and/or pointing your cue elsewhere.

I have just finished reading The Inner Game Of Golf and in it the author tells us that we are two selves; self 1 is your conscious mind, self 2 is your subconscious mind that naturally learns physical processes through experience from the information of the senses. Overide self 2 with conscious thought from self 1 and self 2 fails to function as the senses are then negated by self 1.
Trust self 2 to do what your senses are telling it, just look at the target/s and self 2 will do what's needed. You may think that self 1 can remind self 2 to look at the target/s but that will only result in a meaningless glance in the right direction other than actually seeing the target/s; losing oneself to self 2 will mean you'll actually be seeing what you're looking at without knowing it.

Now if I was physically coaching you for the first time I would start by watching you play and concentrate only on your eye movement, seeing where you're looking at each stage of the potting process. If you looked at the right target at the right time I would say nothing to you about it as it would then enter your conscious mind and fail to work.
If you didn't look at the right targets at the right time then I would tell you so and then we would have to work through a process of learning to play snooker like you were taught to tie your shoe laces.

I tried to coach a friend once who developed the yips on screw shots to the point where he couldn't play a screw shot without miscueing as he moved so much. I watched his eyes and noticed that on every shot but screw shots he looked at the object ball while lining up the shot and again on the strike, on screw shots he knew he was needing to play one and approached the table looking only at the cue ball so was off the line of aim when he got down, looked up at the object ball which told his self 2 that he was off the line, then looked at the cue ball on the strike while self 2 knew he was off line and tried to compensate with a lot of body movement.

I told him this and he refused to believe me saying that he always looked at the cue ball, but he in fact didn't when playing run throughs and side spin shots, which he played very well, and could run through to a 50 break with no problem.

I've been playing snooker for nearly forty years now and only very rarely have I gone into the realm of frame winning breaks, but each time I have I've remembered that I wasn't thinking and could actually see what I was looking at, and each time I've tried to consciously get back into that zone by deliberately staring at the contact point on the object ball I've been unable to do so.
You'll see when you really want to see, you won't if you're only going through the motions with little real care about what you're doing. Concentration through relaxation is the key to this, don't force anything and don't get anxious about failure just play and let self 2 take over like it did when your dad let go of the bike without telling you and you were riding on your own for the first time until you turned and self 1 saw him no longer behind you and then you started wobbling again.

I've got to a point that I've tried to use sleep manifesto to teach subconscious mind to push that damn cue. I've read this book as well. And I instantly knew my self 1 was that strong that he created so much unsolicited 'instruction', leaving the doubts and negative self-talk. No good with this mate at all. As you said, snooker is about the 'relaxed concentration'. Look at Stephen Hendry/Ronnie's face expression, fully let self 2 do the work...

[inevermissblue]

Make sure you're looking at the right ball on contact. (Cueball). 😉

[tedisbill]

Make sure you're looking at the right ball on contact. (Cueball). ��

Don't you start

[narl]

Be more interested in knowing what a winging pom is. ��

[winging pom]

Hi narl
Here in Australia the poms( I am a pom, not a winger) have a reputation for complaining about Australia when they first arrive
most of them settle in ok after a while.

[narl]

Hi narl
Here in Australia the poms( I am a pom, not a winger) have a reputation for complaining about Australia when they first arrive
most of them settle in ok after a while.

Ahhh Whinging, lol.

[winging pom]

Hello narl.
I have not been on the forum for a while I have only just noticed your comment.
It is good that someone can spell I did not realise I had spelt my forum name wrong.
I will have to change it sometime soon.
I wondered why you had never heard the saying before: very common in Australia.
I do not remember ever hearing it my self whilst living in England.

[EP_PRO]

There are multiple methods that work, however they all have the same thing in common - looking at the object ball on impact. What I do is when I am feathering, I focus on the object ball on my backswing and cueball when swinging forward.