Correcting eye alignment with cataracts causing off centre vision

[PaulH]

Hi All,

I decided to try and correct a problem I have when trying to find the centre of the cue ball and also with finding the line of the shot.

The problem:

I have cataracts in my eyes which have been getting progressively worse. The one in my right eye is worst than the left causing my vision to be very much in favour of my left eye.

I tested my alignment with a mock up of something similar to the sight right system which showed that I basically need to be cueing directly under my left eye.

Worse than that is that I could not see the real centre of the ball. My brain/eyes were telling me that it was about 2mm to the left of the real centre. I know this because I could hit the cue ball straight if I deliberately hit it 2mm to the right of where my vision told me the centre was (Hard to do consistently because I was forcing myself to hit it in a place my brain was telling me was wrong)

I know some coaches teach you to sight the cue ball centre straight on and then keep the cue in position and view from above to check if you really are in the centre. This wouldn't work for me as I couldn't see the centre of the ball when viewed straight on or from above.

So to pot a straight ball I was having to cue under my left eye and hit the cue ball 2mm to the right of where my brain was telling me the centre was. You can imagine how difficult that made potting balls at an angle.

The 'solution'

As an engineer, this really annoyed me and I have had some spare time over lockdown so decided to try and overcome the problem.

I built myself a simple practice table at home

IMG_20200617_093250.jpg

And I also designed and 3D printed a device which the cue ball sits in and the pointer shows you where the real centre is.

IMG_20200617_093316.jpg


I then spent days knocking in straight balls, cueing as described above, hoping that my vision/brain would eventually compensate and see the centre. After a few weeks nothing had changed.

I then draw a line with a black marker directly down the centre of the table and spent several hours, the same day potting straight balls again.

Then overnight, the strangest thing - the next morning I could see the real centre of the ball and my vision had corrected so that I need to cue in the centre of my chin ! The human brain is amazing and I can only assume that drawing the line down the table forced my brain/vision into realising where the real centre was and adjusting. I can't quite believe it happened over one nights sleep, but there you go.

It's a very strange thing to explain and I don't know if my ramblings will help anyone else but when I was struggling I couldn't find and posts about people having similar vision problems of not being able to see the centre of the ball when viewed from the front and above, so thought I would my post my findings in case they are of use to anyone.

[fkhan]

Nice little aid that. Also, these can be helpful. The balls by Chris Henry.

https://www.chrishenrysports.com/

[PaulH]

Nice little aid that. Also, these can be helpful. The balls by Chris Henry.

https://www.chrishenrysports.com/

Yeah, I'd seen those but my practice table with its mdf base is not quite flat/level enough to be using super light balls. Would be interested to try them on a real slate bed table though

[vmax]

I find it hard to understand that you can't see the centre of the cue ball yet you can see the centre mark on the device it sits in as well as a line drawn on the cloth
One of those spotted cue balls would surely have helped, set one of the spots dead centre of the cue ball and address your tip to it, or can you not see that either ?

[PaulH]

I find it hard to understand that you can't see the centre of the cue ball yet you can see the centre mark on the device it sits in as well as a line drawn on the cloth
One of those spotted cue balls would surely have helped, set one of the spots dead centre of the cue ball and address your tip to it, or can you not see that either ?

It might be something that you can only understand if you have had cataracts or similar eye vision problems. I believe it is to due with the curvature of the ball and the reflections it causes. I have real trouble seeing objects against a white backround when thee is too much ambient light (computer screens are a particular problem).

It is hard to find the centre of a spherical object but is easy to see the pointer of the device I made because it is small and flat.

I tried a spotted ball and it doesn't work for two reasons. Firstly the reflection issues I just mentioned and secondly, if you can't tell what is the centre in the first place how do you ensure that it is placed on the table with the dot facing dead centre ? That is why I made the ball holder instead because it does not rely on mu judgment of the positioning of the cue ball.