Line of sight turns to hitting in the dark

[pinguS]

Hi all,

Ok this is a bit of weird one, and hope you understand and can help. When I've done everything, and am down on my shot, ready to strike. I have the big feeling that I'm not lined up straight and will miss. But I'm finding I'm not missing, and the shot is perfect. For example, if I do the line up, I can clear about 8-12 reds, with colours, but I am not convinced I was lined up right on more than half. Feels like more luck than anything else.

It feels like once I'm down, I'm just hitting in the dark, and the angle looks about right, but my mind is not sure, could this be a confidence thing?

Oh yeah, I'm not talking about sitters, but more shots like pink to middle with slight angles, or even black to corner. Worse thing is, I'm getting angry that I don't think the pots lined up right, but when I play it, it drops heart of the pocket.

Cheers for any enlightenment!!!

[Terry Davidson]

I wouldn't complain if they're dropping in. It definitely sounds like a confidence thing to me and as you practice more and make more and more pots you will soon gain the confidence in your technique and the shots will start to appear correct to you

Terry

[Manny101]

I have this problem too a few times...I second guess myself on the shot. I think I have got the wrong potting angle...and half heartedly go for the pot...make it...and due to the fact that I second guessed myself, my positioning is off and then I struggle to pot the next ball that I should have been prime on. Definitely a confidence issue in my humble opinion. Hope this helps.

[tomw]

What can also be the case, is that your "master-eye" is not correctly over your cue...
I have had that problem in the past, but since I sorted this out (made myself something like the SightRight device and then corrected my head position) the problem has disappeared.
Maybe worth considering ;-)

[pinguS]

What did you make? Like sight right?

Also I find putting my dominant eye over cue, strains my eye. So i like centre chin approach. Also if I put my dominant eye more central over cue, the angle seems worse in my head.

I think I have a confidence issue, 2nd guessing myself, then being suprised it dropped. Not always though, sometimes when I'm confident its in, I miss!!!

[tomw]

It's pretty easy to make something like the SightRight, using a 5 or 6 cm high box and a 2 pieces of paper (one with a line on, to put behind the box, and one to cover that line when trying out your aim).
The only thing you have to be sure about, is that the line you draw is 100% straight.

Such a simple thing did miracles for me...

Before, I played with my cue under my chin. Seemed to work in the beginning, because my brain corrected the image, but after a while my eyes/brain got tired and I couldn't see a ball anymore (especially when lying down)...
Since I made the correction (in fact, I play exactly like Neil Roberston now), my eyes never get tired anymore and I can pot ANYTHING that's more or less pottable :-)

I hope for you this helps, if it's a mental issue it could be a bit harder to cure....

Greets
Tom

[pinguS]

On my lunch, decided to make this. Just wondering, what is the box section for, is it to set distance of cue from cue ball? Basically trying to work out how to best use. Sorry SightRight guys...

[nrage]

Have a look at this image:
http://www.sightrightuk.com/images/snookeraid180.jpg

Notice how the line on the upper (box) part does not appear to line up with the line on the lower part. This is because the camera is off to the side of the line(s), and not directly behind it. The idea is (I guess, as I've not tried it myself) that you'll see something similar when you're down on the shot and slightly off to the side.

[tomw]

nrage, that's the case indeed...

[rimmer10]

out of curiosity, just wondering if you also having the problem using the rest?