Aiming without Aiming – How to shoot pool like a pro
When I first started playing pool (billiards), I considered myself an average player. I could never be sure if I would make the next shot, and running two or three balls in a row was a big achievement for me. I read books on aiming systems like the ghost ball system, and different drills. However I still saw a clear difference between “easy” and “difficult” shots and trying advanced things like position play would make me miss my shot.
Some time back I heard the term “subconscious-competence” and about the subconscious mind. This is the same thing that allows us to walk without having to logically plan every muscle that needs to be raised to take each step – We just look at where we want to go, decide we want to go there, and then automatically end up there. It is also responsible for the times when we might get distracted while driving, thinking about all kinds of other stuff, and suddenly realize that we have reached home without remembering any of the turns, traffic lights or other cars on the road.
I don’t think that we were ever really meant to be conscious learners. The conscious mind can handle about 5-9 things at a time after which it zones out. The subconscious mind can apparently keep track of EVERYTHING, including things the conscious mind wouldn’t even dare try.
The only thing the unconscious mind really needs is
1. The initial desire or thought from the conscious mind – Creating the goal
2. Trusting signals from the subconscious mind – following your instincts
3. Allowing the subconscious mind to learn and train itself for the goal – Allowing mistakes to happen without labeling or judging them and not getting frustrated by them
4. Getting out of your own way – Letting the subconscious mind do everything instead of trying to take over the wheel while it is doing its work.
Three months ago, I wrote down in my notebook, a thought addressed to my subconscious mind – “I refuse to aim. You do it otherwise we both miss”. For three whole months, I did not aim.
Three months ago, I wrote down in my notebook, a thought addressed to my subconscious mind – “I refuse to aim. You do it otherwise we both miss”. For three whole months, I did not aim. I just looked at the pocket I wanted the ball to go, and just shot the cue ball without aiming with any system… Talk about a crazy, unrealistic, leap of faith…
A few days after I began, when the first difficult shot went in without aiming, I was pleasantly surprised. I assumed it was just luck. Over the next few days as more and more people started noticing my consistent shooting “luck”, I started getting an ego. If I did miss, I forgot rule 3. I didn’t realize that when I missed, it wasn’t that my plan wasn’t working, it was just that my subconscious mind hadn’t trained itself for that particular shot yet. It took several days just to accept any misses and not try to control with my conscious mind.
Now days every shot is “easy”. I spend exactly 0 seconds planning the shot. I just look at the pocket, look at the ball, wait for that “YES” signal in my head, and shoot. It goes in on its own. I don’t aim or shoot. My subconscious mind does. I don’t take credit for the shots since I never really shot them. I saw it shooting some amazing shots which blew my mind. It was almost like my subconscious mind was a different person, who was shooting through me. And as it overtook me with its skills, it earned my trust and respect. I no longer dared to compete with it or try to take over the steering wheel again. I knew, that as long as I stayed out of it’s way, it would do the job better than I could have ever hoped to.
But this wasn’t the real shock. Now that I could shoot without shooting, I wanted to see how far I could take it, and what limits my mind had. My next goal was to run a table (run all 7 balls, and the 8 ball in one go without giving my opponent a turn).
Again, I wouldn’t plan it or think about it, just make a goal and trust my subconscious to do whatever was needed. Over the next few days, I found myself wanting to shoot one particular ball versus another, without any logical reason. I would just look at the table, see a particular ball and think to myself- “I like that one, that is what I will shoot next”. Trying to logically decide which was the best ball to shoot actually messed things up.
One week later, I broke and ran the entire table when playing with my team captain – or rather my subconscious mind did. Now days, running 4-5 balls is almost a regular occurrence. Three months ago, I would have laughed at that possibility.
I don’t even have to be paying attention to the table while I am shooting. I can be thinking about taxes or some movie I watched. In fact, anything OTHER than aiming the shot.
The funny thing is, I don’t even have to be paying attention to the table while I am shooting. I can be thinking about taxes or some movie I watched. In fact, anything OTHER than aiming the shot. The balls just go in on their own. I seem to get so zoned out, I lose track of time and place. I can now play entire pool games and not remember shooting even a single shot. Sometimes I don’t even remember the face of the person I was shooting with.
With the success in pool, I had to push things further. I now started setting broad goals for all areas in my life, just trusting my subconscious mind to handle it. Since then, I’ve had more synchronicities in my life than I can count. Accidentally finding about just the book I needed to read, talking to the one person who can help me with a project. All I have to do is stop wanting my goal or trying to get it. Just do what I feel like doing. My subconscious mind seems to take care of ensuring that I feel just what I need to feel to achieve my goal. Every few days I have to adjust my goals to make them harder and bigger. Frankly, I don’t think the subconscious mind has ANY limits.
I think some people call it being in the zone. Some people call it instinct. Some people call it muscle memory. Some call it trusting a higher power. Whatever you choose to call it, trusting your subconscious mind can let you live life the way it was always meant to be – effortless
–
PS: Based on a lot of feedback that I received, I wrote a follow up article – Aiming without Aiming Part II – How I really aim a billiards shot. For people who think that “this aiming thing can’t work” or would like more details on aiming technique, the extra explanation might help.
PPS: Almost a year after I started my experiments with aiming without aiming and the subconscious mind, I discovered the book The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey. This book talks about the same concepts of subconscious learning applied to the game of tennis and is without doubt one of the best descriptions of how to achieve subconscious competence. I found myself agreeing with almost everything the author said, and was amazed by the new ideas that I would have probably taken a long time to discover on my own. I guess there had to be a reason this book is already consider a bible for inner game and has sold millions of copies worldwide. If you found this article interesting and would like a more detailed explanation of the principles, I would strongly recommend taking a look at this book. You will find that the concepts can be applied to any game or sport that you wish to.
Of course, aiming without aiming isn’t a magic pill solution to billiards mastery. This is just one teeny piece of the puzzle. In fact trusting your subconscious mind is useless if you don’t practice and develop the perfect billiards stroke. You can test to see if your stroke needs improvement by using something simple like the bottle drill.
Of course, there is a lot more to pool than just aiming or running tables. Once you get good at aiming, bigger things start affecting your game and become more important – learning to control and use your emotions to get more focus and being in the moment, playing against more experienced players with defensive play or learning to face new experiences and situations that you haven’t faced before (in which case past experience and your subconscious mind can’t help you).
Since I improved my aiming, I find myself spending almost as much time on “inner game” as on “outer game”. I am still trying to figure it all out. But every time I discover another piece of the puzzle, I try to share it.
If you have any suggestions for books or resources that helped you in your own pool journey, please do leave a comment and share.
this is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard in my life. i am an accomplished billiards player and for one if it did actually work youve taken all of the fun out of the game. the learning of the game the competition between two people and truthfully the getting to know and understanding of the other shooter. just going through the motions on a pool table as well as in life is just playing boring and honestly wreckless. maybe you should take a look at why you actually play pool it simply to win or is it to learn and have FUN.
It’s funny you should say that… I talk about the motivation behind playing in this article on motivation for playing billiards.
Aiming without aiming is just one teeny piece of the puzzle. There is a LOT more to pool than just aiming or running tables. Once you get good at aiming, bigger things start affecting your game – choking and controlling your own emotions, playing against more experienced players with defensive play or learning to face new experiences and situations that you haven’t faced before (in which case past experience and your subconscious mind can’t help you).
At the professional level, its no longer about just skill, but also the mental game of billiards. Professionals start paying attention to and practicing a lot more subtle things that amateurs don’t even notice.
The difference between a nascar driver and a regular driver isn’t that a regular driver can’t drive subconsciously. It is that the professional driver’s subconscious mind has experience in situations that the regular driver has not faced. When put into these situations the regular driver panics and tries his best to flail around, while the professional handles it with a smooth confidence that comes from years of experience.
The fact is, even after learning to aim well, there is still so much for me to learn and do, I have no chance of getting bored. Better cue ball control, better position play, better safety play, better kick shots, better bank shots, learning breakout shots.
It depends entirely on your own journey and motivation behind playing pool.
If you consider learning to aim consistently the final step in playing pool, you might prefer not to reach it and enjoy where you are.
If you consider it a stepping stone in a longer journey, you might find that it isn’t as boring as you imagine it.
this article is DOPE!
Adi,
I think your articles are well written and on target. I’ve had the same experiences with my game. When I’m in stroke I don’t miss anything. I use to look at each shot to get my aim point. Now the only time I check the aim path is to see it there is an interference ball in the path. I still suffer from the demons but I’m working on controlling them.
It’s nice to have people share their discoveries.
Thanks for taking the time.
Harry
Thanks. Appreciate the kind feedback
I have been working on my inner game for some time too. One book I found really useful for inner game that you might like to check out is Pleasures of Small Motions by Bob Fancher.
Hi – I am retired figure skating coach and now play tennis for a few years. I read the Inner Game of Tennis many decades ago when I played racquet ball. Funny you should mention this … I played pool for 1 yr 25 years ago and only 9-ball. Since you didn’t have to call shots I found that I played best when I just played unconsciously. Now that I play 8-ball at the Sr. Cntr and have to call my shots I don’t play so well. I didn’t know how to transfer that “unconscious” free game, but you mentioned just looking at the pocket you want to get to and trusting your unconscious. I totally agree that the unconscious know WAY more than our conscious mind. Thanks for your great article !!!
Well put!
I live most my life letting my sub-conscious(God given instinct) do the work. The conscious mind is a mess as all the great philosophers and masterminds know. You doubters out there are missing an ancient secret that only a few of us know and use.
Us un-thinkers are the most confident people in the world. We use our hidden powers and sit back and laugh at you that work so hard to be the best.
You all waste my time too. How long does it take you to make a damn shot. Hurry up already!
Hi I am a trap shooter,I shoot by instinct. If i keep my head down,an have a smooth follow thru & the right stance my subconscious mind does the rest. I,m a good shot, not the best but a good shot.I can,t tell you where i aim my subconscious pull the trigger. Iam trying to put this to use in my pool shooting. It works!!
This is a very interesting artical, but I don’t understand how I this method would possably work for me. I am a very young pool shooter, I am 18 but I have been in a league for five years now. I do run the table maybe about 1 out of 5 games but my main problem is once I start to think about running the table I get careless and stop focusing and miss. I also aim on almost all my shots I know it is not recomended to do this, but it is the only way I know how to shoot, although my mind (or subconcious ) automatically adjust for point of contact and the only time I do miss is when I don’t aim or aim but forget my point of contact thus making me good but inconsistent, meaning I can run a very dificult table and screw up on a perfectly wide open table.