What am I missing? Do you know which shots you miss frequently? After learning ‘aiming by the numbers’, I found it is a good idea to make a mental note of the ‘number’ of the shot that was missed and then practice the shot immediatley after a match. I learned I frequently miss number 4 and 5. Now knowing the number it is easier to set up the same shot that was missed. I watched Thorsten Hohmann make shot after shot in a tournament and finally miss one shot. When the match was done, immediately Thorsten set the shot up several times. Learning the ‘numbers’ will help you learn which shots you are missing. The “Aiming by the Numbers” tool kit endorsed by Mike Massey and created by Joe Tucker is available on this blog from Amazon and I do make a small commission if you buy it from here.
Aiming by the Numbers – What Am I Missing?
Aiming by the Numbers – It Gets Easier
Joe Tucker’s billiard aiming system “Aiming by the Numbers” gets easier and easier as you continuously use the system. I have been using his system for almost a year. i have much more confidence in my aim now and that leads to success in making the shot. I walk up toward the object ball line to the pocket and mentally determine the aim point and the aim number. Now I walk back to the cue ball and review the aim number on the cue ball and see the sight of aim from the cue ball aim number to the object ball aim number. I mentally see the parallel line thru the center of the cue ball then get into the stance for the stroke. Now, after my 3 swing pre-stroke ritural I stroke the cue and pocket the ball more often than a year ago.
I am going out to Bank Shot Billiards today and participate in one of the most challenging weekly nine ball tournaments in the country. I will be aiming by the numbers and it will be easier to win games because of that. Wish me luck! Check out Joe’s Mike Massey endorsed “Aiming by the Numbers” tools on the right.
Building a Straight Pool Stroke for Aiming by the Numbers
I came across an article today, Cue Ball Control, that discusses the precision required to building a straight stroke. I think you will be impress with the author, Fast Larry Guniger, who holds several world records. I felt compelled to share it with you. I hope that I can talk Jeff from Bank Shot Billiards into haveing Fast Larry do an exhibition.
I have had my stroke trainer out for about two weeks and worked with it consistantly this week. I can tell a difference and my practice session this evening showed that the work is paying off. I get out the stroke trainer 2 or 3 time a year and work with it two weeks or so. This usually raises my level of play for 2 to 3 months. The old less than straight stroke gradually comes back.
Since I use the “Aiming by the Numbers” method consistently now I felt the bridge to better play would be to build a stright stroke. Without a straight stroke you are not guaranteed to hit your “Aiming by the Numbers”. I am an evangelist now about “Aiming by the Numbers” which is a tool you can buy here on this page.
FTC disclosure :I get a commission if you buy “Aiming by the Numbers” tool from this website.
Aiming by the Numbers and Pre-shot Rituals
Since adapting the aiming by the numbers technique I have come to realize that usually when I miss now is when I did not check the number prior to shooting. I simply just shot with feel or said to myself I did not need to check the number.
Rituals are part of most sucessful players in sports, whether it is in shooting a foul shot, playing tennis or getting into stance for shooting pool.
There are three parts for the aiming by the numbers technique that need to become part of the ritual routine. Part one check the number the object ball is on, part two visualize the number on the cue ball and part three visuaalize the line from the number on the cue ball to the number on the object ball. One can not guess the number the object ball is on. So make it a ritual to walk so you see the line directly from the object ball to the pocket it is to go into. Calculate the number from this position. Now walk over to the cue ball and visualize the number on the cue ball. Now as you get ready to get into your stance see the line from the number on the cue ball to the number on the object ball. Making sure these three processes become part of your ritual will help you pocket a higher percentage of balls.
If you haven’t started aiming by the numbers yet there is a link on this page that takes you to Amazon to get the material and training you need.
Billiard Aiming Systems – Skills from Drills
Drills lead to consistant steady improvement in your pool game, if you have the patience and the stamina. Most people will try a drill once or twice, get bored because they can not execute yet and give up. A friend of mine watched the PAT part 1 video and committed to doing the 15,000 balls in pocket drill that was recommended. He set a goal and completed the 15,000 pocketed balls. It improved his pool stroke.
The Aiming by the Numbers pool tool I recommend comes with a number of drills for shooting the numbered aim points. The repetition from doing the drills gives you the familiarity with the shot when you approach the table and along with familiarity comes confidence. Both Mike Massey and Joe Tucker provide drills in their books on Aiming by the Numbers. As an example, for the 4 and half shot Joe recommends putting the object ball on the spot and then shoot the object ball into corner pocket with the cue on the rail at each diamond even or above the cue ball. It is a difficult drill and some of drills in their books are easier.
About two months ago I was lucky enough to watch the “Drill Instructor” demo his drills and promo his video and books for drills at Bank Shots in Jacksonville, Fl. It was an exciting evening and I learned a lot from this promotion. But it was not nearly as much as I would learn from actually doing the drills. “Drill Instructor” Pro Skill Drills – Training Instructional Books & DVDs
To get you started on drills, I recommend you do the circle drill. Place the balls in a circle that is two diamonds wide centered on a 4 and half by 9 foot table. Now your object is to pocket all the balls with out hitting another ball with the cue ball and you can not let the cue ball touch a rail. This drill is also recommended by the “Drill Instructor” and builds the skills for alignment, pace and position play.
Throw all the balls on the table and shoot each one in with a stop shot. After shooting in a ball pick the next ball that is straight into a pocket. If there is not a straight in shot place the cue so that there is a straight in shot. This drill teaches skills for various speeds and distance to make a stop shot.
This evening I am .going to do some drills with my stroke training machine. Lately my stroke has not been as keen as I like. I usually get the stroke training machine out 2 or 3 times a year to sharpen my performance. I do this daily for about 3 weeks.
Improve your skills do some drills.
Greg
Biliard Aiming Systems – Aiming for a Saftey
Sometimes its a good idea to hide the cue ball so you can possibly get cue ball in hand when your opponent fouls. A good way to hide the cue ball is shown in the diagram. The idea is to put the cue ball at location “C”. To do this align your cue stick from point “B” to over the center of the ball that you hit first. The point “A” is on the opposite side of the object ball from the cue ball. This is your aim point with the cue. I placed a line from the cue to the point “A” with an arrow to show the aim point. I hit the cue ball with just enough speed to reach point “C” with a 1/2 tip to full tip above center and no english. Set this up and see if you can do it. Use this principle to hide the cue ball in other situations.
In a similar situation, I used this principle in yesterday’s tournament at Bankshots in Jacksonville to hide the cue perfectly behind the four ball. Unfortunately, the one ball was banked into the corner pocket and I had played a perfect safety on myself.
Shooting Pool – A Bridge Too Far
How far is your bridge hand from the cue ball? Is it a bridge too far? If you have a long bridge that is more than 8 inches, it may be too long. The long bridge provides more of an opportunity to sway your stick during the pool stroke. The sway causes the cue ball to create unintended english and/or off the line of aim. Unless you are a seasoned player with many years of play measure your bridge length to see if it needs to be shortened. Or use a stroke improvement tool such as coke bottle or Cue Track to see if you are swaying the cue when you stroke. A 6-8 inch bridge length is recommended for most players.
Pool Stroke – 3 Habits to Break?
Three common mistakes during the stroke process for most players are pulling back too fast on the backswing, raising the head/body before the stroke is finished and gripping the cue too hard.
I attended Jerry Brieseth’s Pool School in 1995 and learned the pool stroke is like a throwing motion. Imagine throwing a baseball from the outfield to home plate. You pulled the arm back slowly and accelerated into the throw to home plate. A whippy motion on the backswing jerks you off line and limits the acceleration through the cueball. When I observe a really good player missing a shot I often notice he has tried to “load up” on the shot and the flaw was he was too quick with the backswing. When I coach players I usually say “Slow down the backswings”. I tell that I will tell them this so many time that they are going to dream about “Slow down the back swing”.
Another common mistake is raising the head/body before the stroke is finished. During a match you might miss a shot that you think you should make. So being anxious on the next shot you get you raise your head/body too soon. More failure leads to more anxiousness leads to more body movement. This can lead to habitually raising the head/body too soon. Practice staying down today by setting up a shot and stay down with cue stick extended until the cueball comes to rest or crosses the path of the cue stick.
Are you gripping the cue stick too hard? You are if I can walk up behind you and hit the butt of your cue stick with the palm of my hand and it does not fall out of your hand. Grip lightly to give your wrist a chance to help with the stroke and to finish the stroke process properly. Can’t get the draw action you expect then try loosening the grip.
Billiard Books to Take Your Game to the Next Level
Here you can take your game to the next level by ordering the books Recommended Book List.
Before the Color of Money there was only one book worth reading more than once on pool Byrne’s Standard Book of Pool and Billiards”. It is still in print and is now called the Byrne’s NEW Book of Pool and Billiards. Byrne has several books on Pool and Billiards and I also highly recommend his Byrne’s Complete Book of Pool Shots.
After the Color of Money there seemed to be an explosion in pool and billiard books. Play Your Best Pool by Phill Capelle is worth reading again and again.
Gerry Kanov gave us Precision Pool and it is a great book for the intermediate to advanced player. I discovered Banking with the Beard: Secretes of A Master last year and it interweaves great pool stories with serious discussion regarding banking balls. Win at Pocket Billiards is a little known pool book and this one is recommended for building knowledge of banking and kicking and is recommended to the intermediate to advance player.
Although “The Dead Stroke Tapes” by Ryan Elliot is not a book but is a set of a dozen or so audio tapes for hypnosis. These tapes helped me win the regional APA league singles championship in 2002 and finish 9th in the nationals at Las Vegas.
Edie Robin’s books on one pocket are essential reading for the One Pocket enthusiast or advanced pool player.
I have to put in a plug for the Aiming by the Numbers aiming system developed by Mike Massey and Joe Tucker.
Here you can take your game to the next level by ordering the books Recommended Book List.
The number one book for pool players to deal with the mental side is not about pool. It is The Inner Game of Tennis.