Comments on: Aiming without Aiming – How to shoot pool like a pro

By: frank

frank — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:04:59 +0000

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.

By: Frosty

Frosty — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:15:26 +0000

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!!

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:55:51 +0000

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!

By: Fay Kelley

Fay Kelley — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:18:30 +0000

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 !!!

By: Adi

Adi — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:25:49 +0000

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.

By: Harry

Harry — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:37:12 +0000

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

By: Mikhael

Mikhael — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:06:49 +0000

this article is DOPE!

By: Adi

Adi — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:53:24 +0000

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.

By: brian

brian — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:47:47 +0000

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.