Aiming without Aiming Part II – How I really aim a billiards shot
My article on Aiming without Aiming has been one of the most read articles on this site. It received a lot of mixed reactions. The people who liked the article were those who found the concept interesting and tried it, or veterans who already used this principle without realizing it.
A lot of people however missed the point the article was trying to make.
Aiming without aiming isn’t the magical solution to pool mastery. A person who has never played pool before won’t start playing like a professional by trying to trust his subconscious mind after reading the article. Any player will need to learn to shoot using a basic technique like the ghost ball system and build a sufficiently large “shot memory” that his subconscious mind can use (by practicing and playing hundreds of shots). After that, learning to let go of conscious control and trusting the subconscious mind also takes a fair amount of time (working on inner game and learning to let go of outcome).
Take the example of driving with subconscious competence – A driver who has been driving for several years may be able to reach his destination on automatic pilot without paying attention to the steering wheel or where he needs to turn. He might even be able to multitask – eating or talking on the phone while driving. However a beginner trying to do the same thing will end up driving into the first large object nearby. A beginner needs some driving lessons and a fair amount of driving experience before he or she can start “driving without driving”.
So the fact is, when I am “Aiming without Aiming”, its not that I don’t aim; I just no longer have to consciously think about the steps involved in aiming because I have drilled the steps into my head over a period of time.
During practice today, I started paying attention to these steps. I did everything in slow motion and stopped at significant points so I could note what I really do when I aim my shots.
Here is what I do broken down as best as I could describe it. (While this system works great for close shots, I use a slightly more complex aiming system for long distance cut shots.)
Ghost Ball Aiming System
2. Extend the line past the object ball and imagine where the cue-ball needs to hit the object ball (using the ghost ball system). Draw a line from the cue ball center to the ghost ball center.
3. Align both my feet and the cue along the line of the ball and then go down on the shot. Ideally, if I am lined up correctly I don’t even have to adjust my aim any further. I should be able to make the shot most of the time.
4. Look at both the pocket and the shot image (the cue ball and object ball). After years of shot memory built in, I usually get a gut feel that tells me whether or not I am going to make the shot. If my aim/alignment is off, I will get a feeling that I am going to miss, in which case I usually stand up and realign myself until I feel confident that the shot will go in. Once I am lined up correctly, I usually get a “YES” signal that tells me the shot will go in. This is an intuition/gut thing that takes time to develop after making a lot of shots.
5. Shoot the ball using a good stroke with a smooth follow through. Watch the ball roll into the pocket and the cue ball stop for the next shot. In case the shot is slightly off, make a mental note and calibrate future shots accordingly. If your stroke isn’t perfectly straight yet you might find it useful to practice the bottle drill.
The idea is, over time these five steps become so automatic that you don’t even have to think about them and can focus on the other aspects of the game.
Hopefully this explanation will make it easier for people to understand what I meant in the first article on aiming without aiming.
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P.S. I recently discovered a better aiming system that works well even for making long distance cut shots effortlessly.
If you are having trouble with the ghost ball system or are uncomfortable of long cut shots, then give the parallel line aiming system a try.
P.P.S. If people are interested, I can share a series of drills that I use to teach complete beginners how to aim and shoot subconsciously. I taught a friend some basics just a few days ago and she made some amazing cut shots during a game about fifteen minutes after going through the drills. Its no substitute for years of practice, but these basics should give any beginner a jump start and have them playing very confidently in less than 30 minutes.
Please leave a comment below if you would find that useful.
I would love to see your drills. I have just started studying with tony robles and am working on cue ball control. My shot making ability has improved significantly since reading the talent code and doing “deliberate practice.” Tony tells me that the only aiming method he has ever used is the ghost ball, which he can clearly see on every shot. I have tried for five years to see an image of the object ball but have been unsuccessful. I use an edge to edge and pivot to edge to center method that I have been refining for several years but he insists that if I keep on visualizing an image of the ghost ball it will eventually materialize. I would appreciate any suggestions and advice you could pass along. Maybe we could communicate now and then? Thanks. Jeff Litfin
Jeff,
I totally agree with Tony’s suggestion on sticking to the ghost ball system. Once you get the hang of it, you will be amazed at how easy it is to use. You will no longer need any systems to locate the aiming point, and your aiming point will remain the same (the center of the ghost ball) no matter what angle the cut shot is. It will make the aiming a lot easier and allow you to focus on other details in your game.
My suggestion would be to stand so that you, the object ball and the pocket are in a line. Then imagine the ghost ball and align/aim at its center. Have a friend put a ball there a few times if you find it hard to visualize. Then shoot a few times. Its ok if you miss initially since your brain will need some time to recalibrate to this new system. However once it gets used to it, your subconscious mind will draw the ghost ball and line you up perfectly even as you walk up to the shot.
The drills I personally use vary from most of Bert Kinisters videos to “The Lesson” by the Monk to varied stuff I picked up over the years. Check out this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6zBTXwTHGs for a quick summary of his 60 minute workout.
The drills I mentioned in the post are for complete beginners who have never played before. Considering you have been working with Tony, I am guessing you outgrew the needs for those drills about five years ago.
However this is briefly how to get a beginner playing decently well in just half an hour.
Drills for Beginners
1. I first get them to learn a good stance and make sure their cue-ing is reasonably straight (using the bottle drill if a bottle if available)
2. I then show them how to line up a shot so that they don’t have to aim once they get down on the shot and have them practice hitting a cue ball into the opposite corner pocket.
3. Once they can hit a target with reasonable consistency (surprisingly few can….), I try to give them a crash course on the essentials of a good billiards stroke
4. I then start training their eye for aiming (using the ghost ball system) by giving them simple cut shots. I usually place a second object ball as a ghost ball and ask them to use it to line up. Once they do so, and are down on the shot, I remove the ghost ball and let them shoot. After doing this enough number of times, I make them repeat the shot without a ghost ball. In case they start missing, I bring back the ghost ball and let them shoot a few more shots.
5. I then try to give them the gist of the aiming without aiming concept of just getting down on the shot and trusting that it will go in. Surprisingly, complete beginners are able to pick up the system a lot faster than people who have been shooting for a while.
6. Obviously, for a quick crash course, I ignore the basic elements of position play. For people who come back for a second lesson, we go over the stun shot, the 90 and 30 degree rule and how to apply them for simple position play.
This takes any person from barely able to hold the cute to playing at an APA 2-3 level in just under an hour.
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PS: I would love to stay in touch. Please feel free to email me using the contact me page or by adding me on Facebook.
Hi,I just started learning the game of pool and have been coached by experienced pool players. Because they are experienced and their aim is natural, they do not understand why I am having a difficult time sighting my line of aim. So I decided to research it on line and came across your site. I would really appreciate it if you could share your drills with me. I have read all the methods and am still having difficulty in making my shots. Any information or knowledge would be awesome. I look forward to your advice.
Nina,
When you say you have difficulty aiming shots, what exactly do you mean?
Do you have a problem with finding the exact point or line to aim at? (AIMING SYSTEM)
Do you have a problem with hitting the point you are aiming at? (ALIGNMENT and STROKE)
Do you have a problem with consistently making the same shot? (STROKE)
Depending on which point you are stuck, a minor fix should help you improve your game rapidly. I envy beginners because even teeny corrections make incredible improvements in their game
I haven’t had the time lately, however I am working on a series for training beginners into pool that has a set of drills that should help you.
Adi