Do I need to change my aim stance?
1/4/2010 9:55:25 PM
Do I need to change my aim stance?
I am new to this forum and English is not my native language, please tell me if you see any mistake in my post.
I have been playing pool for 20 months, my skill improved a lot over the last 20 months. But I find it very hard to improve any more. I put my jaw very close to cue when I aim and shoot, I learnt that from snooker videos. I have seen a lot other professional pool player not putting theirs very close to cue, so they have better view on the target ball and the whole table.
Don't you agree that not putting jaw close to cue will help me improve?
hanasamoDo I need to change my aim stance?
Replies & Comments
quickshot on 1/5/2010 9:05:56 AMBasic Tips for Playing Consistent Billiards
If you have improved as much as you say you have then I would say your aiming is working for you. As in all sports, one reaches a level of competence that would indicate a certain level of skill. When one reaches that level it is time to realize that in order to continue to raise the level it will depend on two things. Practice and the mental approach to practice. We all have one or two shots that give us grief time after time. If you are aware of one, go to the table and practice it until it is imbeded in your game plan.
Having said that, you may be a point where you should have someone, a better player or teacher, take a look at your mechanics. One or more may need a little tweaking.
Raising a skill level is like trying to lose weight. The first few lbs come off fast and then it be comes a slow tedious process. And lastly, do not change anything that is working for you. Your aim has gotten you this far....trust it.
Mitch Alsup on 1/5/2010 10:47:39 AM
If you watch the girls play (WBPA) you will see that they place their chin on the cue stick. With this head position, you are looking right down the line of sight. While getting ready to and whil shooting nothing maters except placing the cue ball on the line of sight (assuming you know what line of sight you want to put said CB on). After stroking the CB down the line of sight keep your head down so you can watch the "physics" of the CB-OB contact and determine if the OB rolled down its chosen line to the pocket.
The reason some of us older people don't get down so low is back issues--we are either old enough that the back no longer goes that low without pain or if we went that low we could cause back spasms. So, after decades of being "that low" we raise up so we can continue to play, not because it is optimal for our game.
Rayal on 1/11/2010 10:53:34 PM
I do believe that getting your head as low as possible improves your aim.
However, there are other factors involved dealing with your eyesight. If you wear regular eyeglasses they will correct your eyesight to 20/20 vision. So that when you are looking down the stick to the CB you can either center your sight, sight with the left eye, or sight with the right eye. If you don't wear glasses, then you have to determine if you have one eye stronger than the other. Then lets say your right is stronger, when you aim you will need to center your right eye over the stick. There are plenty of people though that have perfect 20/20 vision in both eyes. Some are near sighted and some are far sighted, so you have to determine which sight ability that you have.
Eyeglasses: The reason I mention this is because if you wear glasses, then when you get down that low to the stick it causes your eyesight to be aimed out over the top of your glasses thus defeating the purpose as you will be looking at a blurry mess. So for around $100-$200 you can purchase billiards glasses where the top of the lens is extended up to your eyebrows. This way the closer your chin gets to the cue stick your eyesight remains 20/20 behind the lens.
Depth Perception: Everyone's brain is different and so goes it for your eyesight when aiming. Your eyes are feeding information to your brain in an instant. The brain processes that and feeds the information to all the muscles that you use to aim with. For some players they need to raise their heads up or down to get the depth perception right. So it is possible that someone that puts their chin right on the stick could actually be hurting their aim by not getting the depth perception just right. Raising your head feeds more aiming information to the brain and could effect a change in how you aim.
The important thing is to be repetitious once you have figured out your best aiming stance, and try to duplicate it over and over again until it becomes second nature. Once there you really no longer have to mentally think about it as much and becomes your natural style. That should improve your game, and you then can concentrate on other areas of stance, bridge, stroke, and shot selection.
tedmauro on 2/18/2010 2:48:45 AMI never could play with my chin touching the cue. Believe me I have tried about everything at least once and most things twice. lol
I think it's however you train your mind to line up and execute your shots. I also have to agree with the old guy back pain. Make sure you are comfortable and balanced in your stance.
Do I need to change my aim stance?
- Title: Do I need to change my aim stance?
- Author: hanasamo (Han Mo)
- Published: 1/4/2010 9:55:25 PM
