Aiming at center of the white. Why is it so hard?

[Nott]

Lately my friend who's on the maintour (Thanks I really needed another thing to do my head in with :-) have told me that I very often aim and hit at the right side of the cueball when I'm intending a centerball hit, and that this causes me to miss quiet a few shots.

This is really frustrating. I get down ready to shoot and he tells me I'm off to the right again, and I feel certain I'm aiming dead center.

Anybody else having this problem? Any solutions? Maybe I should trick myself and aim with a little lefthandside?

Thing is. I don't think I allways do this. Its just "those days". I just have to many of "those days" nowadays if you know what I mean :-)

[MrRottweiler]

A good practice method to encourage centre ball striking is to put a chalk mark on the cushion directly begind the black spot and place the cueball on the brown spot. The idea is to send the cueball down the centre spots and make it travel back over the brown spot. Any deviation to the left or right shows you are putting spin on it and how much. If it runs back over the brown spot you are hitting it right in the centre and then you can go home and have your tea.

[Mellow Yellow]

If its only marginal you could experiment with a slightly bigger/softer tip?

[Martin76]

I actually have the same problem.

When doing the drill proposed by MrRottweiler I find that I'm either straight or I have right hand side. Never left hand side, unless I consciously try for it.
The tendency for right hand side gets even more pronounced if I apply some power.

The thing is I have a dominant right eye and I have a tendency to aim as if I'm even sighted. I've tried the last couple of times I've played to really focus on getting my right eye in line with the cue and I feel like it is improving the situation somewhat. The jury is still out on whether this is the actual problem or not, but it feels like I'm on to something.
The reasoning is that if my right eye is dominant and I am aiming even sighted, the slight angle created from the cue tip to my right eye makes me think I'm aiming dead center, when I am in fact a fraction to the right.

Just something you could try.

[Monique]

I tend to agree with Martin. Aiming as even sighted when you have a strong dominant eye is creating a kind of parallax effect. Wich is stronger when closer btw, at least for me.
No easy remedy: bringing the dominant eye above the cue (tilting head if needed? ) or practice until your brain automatically "corrects" the parallax ...

[matoski]

If you put just a touch of side it shouldn't be a problem.

[macbeth]

Interesting thread. I am right eyed myself as well and I've had that problem as well. However I know several right-handed, left-eyed players who have the same problem. That of course would put the theory of the parallax in doubt. I think it could also be a problem of alignment, e.g. as a right-handed player there is a tendency to align yourself too much too the left (seen from behind) and therefore aiming too much to the right.

[poolqjunkie]

I myself notice that sometimes it is my bridge hand which tends to get sloppy from time to time. It is also the reason why I am not good at the rail shots, when I have problem striking the center of the white repeatedly. If your bridge cannot keep the cue hitting where you aim, on power shots, you will miss more often since you are pulling back more.
I have since really try to pay attention to see if my cue is still aiming at the white on my final delivery. I turn my bridge a bit, and really work hard in making sure it is keeping the cue in the "right groove". I was very suprised to see where I was actually striking the cue ball sometimes--it scared me of how much I was off.
Another thing I have noticed is the grip hand pressure. On some days, I tend to pull the cue to one side with too much or too little pressure on my grip. I know I can shoot very straight when my grip does not apply any sideway pressure to the cue. I have tried to pot the blue into the corner from baulk as my everyday routine, and my record is 9 in a row. I know a lot of players can go to the double digits, but I am getting there...hopefully.
I am recently trying to warm up with potting short distance straight pots while paying very close attention to my cueing action and sighting. It tends to work better for me then warming up potting the blue right away. I sometimes pause a bit longer to check my tip when it is right up to the white ball, to see if it is really aiming at the center. If it is at the center, you should see the tip and the shaft dividing the white in two equal portions. I find that it is not easy, and I really need to train my eyes to see that.

[Omehenk]

I'm having the exact same problem. Right eye is dominant, and when i try to play a shot straight down the table, if it’s not coming down straight 9/10 times the ball goes to the right. I'm currently playing even-eye sighted, but I’m going to experience to play right eye. But i have a question, how do you "move" your head to play with the right eye, do you bent it or do you horizontal move your head

[Martin76]

Hi Omehenk.

I try to bend/tilt my head rather than moving it, since moving it is difficult withour moving your entire body off the line.

Watch Shaun Murphy (slight head tilt) and Mark Allen (bigger head tilt) for examples.

[Gimme Danger]

Something you could practise to ensure straight cueing and dead centre of ball. Start off with the white ball on the brown spot, and set 4 sets of "gates", two red balls about 6 inch (or closer if you wish) apart down the centre of the table.
Play the white through all four "gates, off the bottom cushion, then back through all four, ending with the white resting on the tip of the cue where it started.

[Hot.Shot.Not]

the single most important thing i found when sighting with 1 eye, (as i do,) is to make sure my sighting eye is DIRECTLY above the cue.
anything else is as good as using pure guesswork!
i played for 2 years before discovering this, and it improved my game, and confidence in my eyesight immediately, well at least once i had told myself enough times to keep doing it! ....pity bout my dodgy cueing

[Andy Evans]

I'm really frustrated that I'm cuing across the ball. I'm left eye dominant and right handed. When I play a shot my cue tends to swerve to the left, which means the object ball goes off to the left (that's right isn't it?). It seems to me that the variables I have to deal with are:
a) Foot position - I'm rather pot bellied and to get the cue to clear my side I need to step to the left at least a foot or more with my left foot.
b) Grip - as somebody said, too light and too strong are both a problem. I'm trying to guage what's ideal.
c) Sighting. I know little about the theory here - no doubt I should read up on it - any suggestions?
d) Which ball to watch - I tried looking at both the white and the object ball. Looking at the exact centre of the white ball seems to ensure that the veer to the left is less extreme
e) What sort of feathering and how many times
f) How far back do you take a backswing?
g) What's the advantage of pausing at the end of the backswing?
h) Weight of the cue - I'm trying to come down from 20 oz to 18. Maybe even a tad lower.
i) Balance of cue - I've been playing about 40.25 ins from the tip, but this may be a bit butt-heavy?

I get so worked up trying to optimise all this that I end up with half hearted, timid shots which just increase my total confusion. Talk about not seeing the wood for the trees - this is brain overload. I need to get just a BASIC correct shot I can use and then develop. I haven't even got on to white ball control yet. I've been playing about 10 years and I'm getting desperate. HELP!!!

[checkSide]

I feel for you Andy, I really do!

I have just started playing snooker again after 7 years.

I am also struggling with things like stance, grip and sighting. For the past 2 months I have just been trying to create a consistent and straight cue action.

I have a mate who has just qualified as a coach. Luckily he has been helping helping me out for free as he very few clients at the moment!

I would suggest you go see a coach once a week for a couple of months. He will help you get the basics right, then you can build from there.

[Andy Evans]

I feel for you Andy, I really do!

I would suggest you go see a coach once a week for a couple of months. He will help you get the basics right, then you can build from there.

I was just singing the Beatles in the bath:

"Something in the way I cue
Makes me miss like no other
Something in the way I play
I gotta get better
I gotta get better
La la la la la laaaaah

Definitely with you there! I just need somebody in W London who can watch me cue without bursting out laughing. Those with strong stomachs please contact me!