The "I"(EYE) FACTOR

By Roy "Sensei" Yamane,
Master BCA Certified Instructor

You're getting into position to shoot an easy shot but it looks unusually strange. On most days this shot can be pocketed with ease, but today you're not sure. How do you adjust to this uneasiness? Ever shoot a shot aiming center ball hit on the cue ball and wondered why you missed? You may: (1) have taken your eye off the shot and began looking at the pocket before the cue ball contacted the object ball, as a baseball player looks out into the field before the bat strikes the baseball. (2) May not be aiming cue straight at the cue ball, or hitting the cue ball dead center, or a combination of both. You may be continually aiming off center and subconsciously adjusting your aim without knowing that you have been doing this instinctively from the first day you picked up a cue. (3) Your focus on the game is not very important and your concentration is directed on other matters of more importance.

Let's begin by setting up the same exact shot every time. The old method of marking the table by wetting your finger tip or using chalk to mark the location of the shot is not as accurate, unsanitary and creates dirty ball and table syndrome. The owners of the billiard rooms will appreciate your consideration on all the above by using this following method. I have been informing players and instructors to use what I call my "POOL REINFORCEMENTS" or 'DO-NUTS" since the 80's which can be purchased at any stationary stores. They are pressure sensitive label "Reinforcements," 1/2 inch round with 1/4 inch hole, which are used to reinforce holes in notebook paper manufactured by Avery (#05729-Polyvinyl, #05721-paper) Dennison or Universal (#37102) or Office Essentials (ETD- 909 #06649-polyvinyl.) Stick the do-nuts on the felt and place the ball on top, the labels can be relocated or reused as necessary. I prefer the polyvinyl plastic to the paper because they're thinner. If you can't find this product in the stores, call or write to American Billiard Academy (See Ad) and I will send a pack out to you.

Your eyes are the visual aiming mechanism that tells you if your alignment is truly straight or off. If your eyes focus on a shot a certain way, and if you readjust or change, you could be missing shots for this reason. Ever try shooting a shot with center ball hit on the cue ball and found out you hit off center and resulted in applying an unusual amount of spin which might have caused you to miss a shot? You may not be aiming your cue straight at the cue ball, or hitting the cue ball dead center. This is more apparent and amplified on longer and more difficult shots. How do you correct these irregularities?

Are you aware of your dominant eye factor and how it may affect your aiming? Do you know which is your dominant eye? Do you shoot with your dominant eye directly over the cue stick or center your nose or chin directly over the center of the cue? Either is acceptable, but there are exceptions to any rule. I have found players, even after adjusting their aiming, who are continually aiming off center and subconsciously shoot without knowing that they have been doing this instinctively from the first day they picked up a cue. How do you correct this irregularity? First you need to know about your dominant eye factor and if you are sighting you're shot in one of the recommended styles. Here is a way to check which eye is dominant over the other. Align a long shot with the object ball about a foot from the pocket and the cue ball in a straight shot to the corner pocket, diagonally across the table where you can comfortably bridge on the table. Now set up on the shot as if you're going to shoot it and alternate shutting one of your eyes, and then switch closing the other eye. After closing one eye, the eye that is affected less than the other is the dominant eye. The one that feels strange is the non-dominant eye.

Another way is to place an object ball on the far end of the table and stand facing the ball. Place your one hand on top of the other, face down, cupping and form a open hole about one inch in diameter between your two thumbs and index fingers. Resting your arms down in front of you together with the formed hole. While keeping your eyes on the object ball, start raising your arms in front of you 'till you bring the hole up to your eye level observing the ball through the hole. The eye that is looking through the hole formed by your hands is your dominant eye. If at this point you can't decide, you may be ambidextrous, using both eyes equally. Knowing which eye is dominant, do you shoot with your dominant eye over the cue stick or center chin over cue? Either is acceptable but there are exceptions to any rule.

Now let's see if your aim is as good as your judgment. Place an object ball against the center (middle diamond) of the end rail (furthest rail opposite and away from you), and place a cue ball directly in the middle (center) of the pool table. Lay your cue stick down on the pool table starting with the tip aiming towards the object ball as if you are going to shoot the cue ball straight at the object ball from the opposite end. The butt end of the cue stick should be lying over the top of the opposite end rail. Now lean over the cue as if you're going to shot leaving the cue resting on the table. Place your bridge hand on top of the cue and grip the butt end of the cue with your stroking hand, but do not lift the cue. Move by sliding the tip, or butt end, or both ends of the cue stick from side to side until you feel your cue is aiming straight at the object ball on the opposite end rail. Once you think you are sighting the cue straight, back off, bend down and get right behind the cue stick and look where your cue stick is aiming. You may be surprised to see that; (1) the tip of the cue may be aiming to the left or right of center of the cue ball; (2) the butt end of the cue may be aiming left or right of center; (3) or both (1 & 2). At this point remove the cue ball and see where your cue stick is aiming. Is it straight? Even a slight offset from center could alter all your shot in direction of cue ball travel, deflect off and squirt. Try it again if you happen to be off!

There are people that shoot with their non-dominant eye directly over the cue and/or partially in between. A good way to find out is to find a poolroom, or dresser that has a mirror on the wall across from the table and view yourself as you face towards the mirror with cue in position. Aim your cue at the mirror as if you're shooting straight at your cue in the mirror. See which eye or chin is directly centered over the cue. If you have a difficult time finding out which is centered above your cue, draw a perpendicular vertical line on the mirror with an erasable marker, or use a string with a weight on the end as a plumb bob at table height to head height (approximately two feet high). Repeat the same alignment with the cue centering on the line and get into position to shoot at the line. Take note of your eye alignment.

If you vary your location of your eye from shot to shot, you may miss your shot because of the change up. Be conscious of your alignment and know what the difference may cause by trying both methods. The change may throw you off as any new variation or you may surprise yourself by pocketing more balls. Try it or you'll never know! To center your eye over to chin over, or the reverse is a slight movement of the head position in either direction depends on which you're trying. Remember... what ever you try, you may find the change difficult to adjust to but do not stop progress. It may improve your game.

Let me tell you, it is not easy to rigorously correct yourself constantly shot after shot. Normally making a change may take approximately three weeks, depending on what the change is. When any new changes are made in your stroke or posture, for example, the conscious mind has to over-ride the subconscious constantly from shot to shot or you will slowly revert back to your old habits. I see a quite a few students that revert back to their old habits because they neglect to constantly check back and review.

If you never have been video taped in any sport, especially a pool lesson, you should try it! Ask someone who has been taped what they learned about themselves. A picture "speaks a thousand words." While playing pool, you can observe what you are doing with your Bridge, Grip, Stance, Head elevation, especially your Stroke, and Post-Stance. I video tape myself every 3-6 month to constantly check on my game. This visual aid vividly points out old habits that seem to creep back into my game and I immediately know what needs to be worked on. If you have a bad habit you're trying to correct, whether it may be a physical motor function, a mental disturbance, or just a shot error; video taping yourself during practice or a match will expose vast amounts of information to you.

The error that most players are not aware of is that one may aim different from the next person. Ask your playing partner or competition how they aim the cue stick to the cue ball, and the object ball relationship. See if it is different from your style. Most of us aren't aiming or cannot hit directly in the center of the cue ball, which is surprising. Test yourself by getting your hands on a set of "Practice Training Balls" manufactured by Elephant Balls or other similar practice balls which visually and physically show you what you are doing with your cue stick to cue ball contact. I carry one set with me at all times and I'll be glad to pull them out to test you when I travel through your billiard room.

Here is a test for you. Draw an imaginary line from two diagonal corner pockets. Set the object ball back near the foot spot (about two diamonds back) from the pocket on the imaginary line and the cue ball diagonally from the opposite corner on the imaginary line at the head string (on the breaking line.) Shoot the shot ten times and check if you're missing or pocketing the shot on one specific side of the pocket. If the object ball is partial to one side of the pocket on both diagonal tests, then I suggest a private lesson with an instructor to work on your basic mechanics to correct any errors. Another test, is setting the cue ball on the foot spot and a solid ball on the middle diamond resting against the opposite end rail. Center the "Practice Training Ball" contact point in the middle horizontal plane and the vertical stripe straight up and down towards the object ball on the opposite side of the table. Now, chalk up and shoot the center of the cue ball to the center of the object ball. Notice how the cue ball contacts the object ball and rebounds back. Which way did the cue ball rebound after contact? Straight back or did it come back towards the right or left side? If the cue ball rebounds to the right or left, then you may be aiming: (1-visual) off-center on the contact or hit. (2-visual) Off-center on the aim of the cue ball to object ball relationship. (3-physical) Off on your stroke. (4-mental) Losing concentration and interest because you are not totally focusing on the shot. (5-both) Or a combination of the above. Check for accuracy from remnant chalk residual left on the cue ball. If you are not directly concentrating on the shot, get up and restate your aim and readjust your focus. Don't just let it slide!

Adjusting to correct errors in judgment is easily corrected by checking and readjusting your aim and must be done frequently. There are so many ways to adjust your aim to make you center focus through your stance configuration, grip alignment, bridge, eye adjustment, stroke and finally head alignment. They are all connected to each other to affect the aim of your shot. Learn by practicing drills to improve your aim more and not just by aiming at shot after shot. As I watch other player's, I tend to study what they do and try different methods to see if it helps my game. You can learn quite a bit from watching better players. There may be one adjustment or a combination of things that you can do to rectify the problem through the keen eyes of an instructor and with the assistance of a videotaped analysis of your mechanics. Shooting shots that are difficult, or require precise position, have a high degree of failure. "PRACTICE TO YOUR LIMITATIONS ONLY! K. I. S. S. = Keep It Simple Student!" (Not Stupid!) "AIM ON" and enjoy pocketing balls!

 

All copyrights are owned by Roy Yamane. No duplication is allowed without his permission.