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

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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