phil in sofla
06-17-2004, 03:01 PM
I have heard some, Mark Wilson I think and others, say, 'if you are tired of missing shots, try aiming!'
I found this hard to understand at first, thinking, 'who shoots pool without aiming?' With more experience in the game, I heard people saying that they had missed easy shots because they hadn't bothered to aim, thinking the shot unmissable, or thinking they were on the proper line and shooting the shot it without verifying that was true.
Margins of error vary from shot to shot, how close to the pocket it is, etc., but many or most shots require the cue ball hit the object ball within the width of a penny, or the shot will not go. More precision yet may be required for off angle combination shots. As even easy shots are missable if one doesn't aim, I think everyone should aim all shots.
I am considering, however, that once the line is confirmed, and aim taken, that one should stop consciously doing that aiming, and instead focus on how the stroke feels, and 'see' the result of the shot, as the last two things at the end of the stroke process. That doesn't mean one shouldn't keep the eyes on the aim point (or the cue ball, if you look at that last), just that 'aiming' as a process of confirming the line should end.
I think this has two benefits. One, once 'aiming' is ended, and the line trusted, last second adjustments to the line of aim can be eliminated, and I think such last second second-guessing of the line one thought was right is one key reason for missing. The other benefit is that by moving the focus to a heightened awareness of the sensation of the stroke, while imagining the speed and action of the shot, greatly enhances the touch one has on the stroke, e.g, to follow or draw a precise amount, or to get a more exact length of roll on the cue ball to achieve more perfect position.
This is something I interpret CJ Wiley's tape series to recommend, although in an oblique way that is hard to pick up on. He's a system aimer, as he explains, lining up 1/8ths of the cue ball to either the center or edge of the object ball. He says once he has that line, and is practice stroking down the line once he's confirmed it, he doesn't 'pay much attention to the object ball.' He jokes that since the object ball will soon be off the table, he doesn't want to get that attached to it. Reinterpreted by me, I think he's saying that once he's done his aiming, that phase is over, he trusts the line he chose and trusts his stroke to be on that line, and aiming gives way to shooting.
I'm not sure of this, and wonder how others feel about it. For me, it seems to have both enhanced my pocketing, and just as or more importantly, greatly enhanced my feel for getting precise shape.
I found this hard to understand at first, thinking, 'who shoots pool without aiming?' With more experience in the game, I heard people saying that they had missed easy shots because they hadn't bothered to aim, thinking the shot unmissable, or thinking they were on the proper line and shooting the shot it without verifying that was true.
Margins of error vary from shot to shot, how close to the pocket it is, etc., but many or most shots require the cue ball hit the object ball within the width of a penny, or the shot will not go. More precision yet may be required for off angle combination shots. As even easy shots are missable if one doesn't aim, I think everyone should aim all shots.
I am considering, however, that once the line is confirmed, and aim taken, that one should stop consciously doing that aiming, and instead focus on how the stroke feels, and 'see' the result of the shot, as the last two things at the end of the stroke process. That doesn't mean one shouldn't keep the eyes on the aim point (or the cue ball, if you look at that last), just that 'aiming' as a process of confirming the line should end.
I think this has two benefits. One, once 'aiming' is ended, and the line trusted, last second adjustments to the line of aim can be eliminated, and I think such last second second-guessing of the line one thought was right is one key reason for missing. The other benefit is that by moving the focus to a heightened awareness of the sensation of the stroke, while imagining the speed and action of the shot, greatly enhances the touch one has on the stroke, e.g, to follow or draw a precise amount, or to get a more exact length of roll on the cue ball to achieve more perfect position.
This is something I interpret CJ Wiley's tape series to recommend, although in an oblique way that is hard to pick up on. He's a system aimer, as he explains, lining up 1/8ths of the cue ball to either the center or edge of the object ball. He says once he has that line, and is practice stroking down the line once he's confirmed it, he doesn't 'pay much attention to the object ball.' He jokes that since the object ball will soon be off the table, he doesn't want to get that attached to it. Reinterpreted by me, I think he's saying that once he's done his aiming, that phase is over, he trusts the line he chose and trusts his stroke to be on that line, and aiming gives way to shooting.
I'm not sure of this, and wonder how others feel about it. For me, it seems to have both enhanced my pocketing, and just as or more importantly, greatly enhanced my feel for getting precise shape.