Gold Crown IV

Gold Crown IV
FastMikie's Fun House, Del Mar, California

Monday, February 07, 2011

Notes: The shot, some important "points".




Imagine the shot in your mind.  See in advance the path of the cue ball after it hits the object ball(s), see the object ball move to and drop into the pocket.   See the cue ball move into your next intended position, the full path sometimes 3 cushions or more.  See it come to a stop.   If you imagine troubling results, then adjust your thoughts and re-imagine the shot coming out perfectly.  Proceed only if you see the shot.


Commit to the shot.  Confidence is essential.


Sense the shot in your body.  Sense how strong you need to stroke the shot.  Sense the sounds of the shot.  Sense the follow through.  See the path of the cue ball as you sense the shot.


Now move from the fantasy world to reality...


Now look for the line between the center of the pocket opening and the place on the object ball that is farthest from the center of the pocket.  


This line is a very fine line, thinner than a human hair, and therefore the point on the object ball will be very, very small.


The point where the line exits the back of the object ball is Point A. 
The more clearly you see Point A, the better the shot.
Stand directly in line with the object ball and the pocket.
See Point A on the object ball.


Keep your eyes on Point A.


Move to the table to approach the cue ball.


There is another point of interest, the point on the cue ball which is the only point that can touch Point A.  This is Point O.


You will need to change your focus away from Point A, to the cue ball to align where you will stroke through with the cue tip (Point T).  Your vision will switch from Point T to Point A as you take warm up strokes.


When the warm up strokes are complete, the focus returns to Point A.


Point A is where to focus prior to, during, and after releasing the stroke.  That is the ideal.  This consistent focus helps follow through.



Execute the shot so that points A and O meet with enough force to drive the object ball to the pocket and the cue ball to arrive at its intended destination.


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Footnotes:


The pocket opening is judged from the perspective of the object ball, not the widest point as measured at the pocket. 


Allowances must be made for any english applied.
  


(top)

4 comments:

Bob Probst said...

That's a hell of a footnote Mikie. It needs it own book!

Bob Probst said...

Really good post on using positive imagery in the warm up though. Most intermediate players have a very tough time envisioning where the cueball is going to go. I play a little game where I put a single ball on the table and see how many times I can scratch off it in a row. Following a successful scratch, I shoot from the opposite end of the table from where the OB is. Fun drill for getting a feel for how the CB moves after a shot and very useful in 9B (& 8B) for knocking in hangers. My current record is 8.

Pool Cues said...

Great post. In my opinion, the best pool cues are pretty much useless, unless you have the focus and visualization to plan an entire frame, from beginning to end.

If you think you won´t get a ball into the pocket, you won´t.

On the other hand, if you desire and aim for it, you´ll make it!

gamerooms said...

That was a brilliant note FastMikie. Well written about the factors that influence a shot the most. Thanks for your article.