Snooker Aiming Technique

[danyalqazi]

I used to think that the line of aim is the same as the point of contact on the object ball. I used to aim the tip on my cue on the place where I want to strike the object ball. Somehow, this used to work.

Recently, I realized the the line of aim is not the same as the point of contact. So I adopted a more scientific approach to my aiming. Now, I estimate where I want to strike the object ball and decide where the tip of my cue should be aiming towards the object ball i.e. if I want to hit a half ball shot my cue tip should aim for the edge of the object ball.

My potting has plunged and my game has taken a severe setback. Is this technique correct? or should I revert?

[vmax]

You should consider the cue ball as part of your cue, like your cue has a 2 and 1/16 of an inch wide tip on it; that way you'll see that the contact point isn't where your tip is pointing at all except when dead straight, the contact point can be anywhere along the front 180 degree circumference of both the cue ball and object ball according to the angle of the shot.

You are playing the cue ball to make this contact point and all you need to do is look at the contact point on the object ball to determine the corrrect line of aim, the tip of your cue at the centre of the cue ball (forget side for now) propells the cue ball along this 'line of aim' to make the correct contact.

Subconsciously your brain knows all this because you are playing snooker and what you're looking at tells your brain what your intention is, so all you have to do is remember to look at the correct contact point on the object ball before you take that step forward into your stance; this puts it into your short term memory and enables you to look at the cue ball half way down into your stance with your feet in the correct place to address your tip to it and stay on the line for that split second it takes to do this.

This is the natural hand/eye co-ordination that we all possess to a certain degree, overide this and and start thinking and you're asking for trouble; just remember to look, this is what concentration is all about, remembering to look.

Worked for me last night with a lightening fast 48 break that ended when I forgot to look at a red over the pocket that I had saved in case I got out of position. |It wasn't quite in the jaws, about three inches up the side cush and an inch off the cushion, but still a sitter and I forgot to look at the contact point and missed it, pi55er!

"Somehow it seemed to work" means to me that you weren't aiming your tip at the contact point but subconsciously aiming the cue ball at the contact point, in other words hitting what you were looking at, doing it correctly so revert back.

[chrisg]

I used to think that the line of aim is the same as the point of contact on the object ball. I used to aim the tip on my cue on the place where I want to strike the object ball. Somehow, this used to work.

Recently, I realized the the line of aim is not the same as the point of contact. So I adopted a more scientific approach to my aiming. Now, I estimate where I want to strike the object ball and decide where the tip of my cue should be aiming towards the object ball i.e. if I want to hit a half ball shot my cue tip should aim for the edge of the object ball.

My potting has plunged and my game has taken a severe setback. Is this technique correct? or should I revert?

This video may help you...

https://youtu.be/QfTvTrJ3ifc

Or, if you visit Nic Barrow's channel, he says the majority of people who think they have an aiming issue, actually have a cueing issue.

Barry Stark also infers that in a video saying it's important to groove your cue action.

For me, if your eyes are able to see the line of aim, and you get down on that line - and miss - then chances are it's a cueing issue...