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**cyberheater** · 12 January 2014, 09:45 PM

Yes. I've noticed that Higgins does this from time to time as well. I'm surprised he pots so often.
From what I've learnt from the good folks on this board and various books etc... At the point where you finish your rear pause. Your eyes are meant to be firmly locked on the contact point on the object ball and your eyes should not deviate from that point until you've fully completed the stroke.

**Terry Davidson** · 13 January 2014, 01:07 PM

As long as you have your eyes on the object ball at the exact time of strike and are focused on that object ball it's usually OK. Also, it's considered proper technique to have your eyes on the object ball as you get down into the address position however it's VITAL to drop the head straight down.

As cyberheater says above it's ideal to move the eyes to the object ball and lock them on at the rear pause however I've found for older players (say above 50yrs) it helps to lock onto the OB at the front pause, especially if they don't have any rear pause (like me).

Terry

**TornadoTed** · 28 January 2014, 01:09 PM

I've been playing pool 25 years and it was only 5 years ago that I noticed that I looked at the cue ball at the moment I struck it. I have tried to train myself to look at the object ball but still do it from time to time.

**mickm147** · 28 January 2014, 01:50 PM

If you stay still on the shot as your about to strike the cue ball, it won't matter......Some pros in exhibitions can turn their head way whilst striking the ball & still pot the ball. once your lined up on the shot, just keep your body rigid & head very still.....

**TornadoTed** · 28 January 2014, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by mickm147 View Post

If you stay still on the shot as your about to strike the cue ball, it won't matter......Some pros in exhibitions can turn their head way whilst striking the ball & still pot the ball. once your lined up on the shot, just keep your body rigid & head very still.....

Yes I can pot 50% of the balls with my eyes shut as I can when they are open!

**rightoncue89** · 28 January 2014, 03:17 PM

eyes on object ball

i tried this the other night because my friend was getting frustrated and said he couldnt tell if he was looking at the ob or not, so i told him not to think about it and focus more on making sure he walks into the shot on the right line of aim and said to him basically if you do that and cue straight on that line then in theory you cant miss.
then set up a small line-up and demonstrated, i walked into each shot with my right foot on the line of aim, and on my back pause i closed my eyes and just tried to make sure i cued straight.
i did 4 reds, 2 blacks, 1 pink and a blue.
then got slightly out of position and missed.

but he was looking at me like it was witchcraft or something, and i really had to drill it in to him that he wasnt walking into the shot properly, once he started doing this and had a better pre shot routine he started knocking pots in so much easier.

i know you should really look at the ob on back pause through impact, but i think the most important part of the game, if you are set up on the wrong line of aim and cue straight then you simply cannot make the pot, whether you are looking at the ob or not.

i do look at the ob, but sometimes i dont, not on purpose, but sometimes my eyes naturally glance away, especially if im playing a deep screw or something, i tend to glance down at the white to make sure i cue where i need to and get the right contact.

if you really struggle to look at the ob then start with short pots, like a ft from the pocket and white a ft from the ob and do it over and over looking at the ob, then gradually make the pot and distance between balls longer, or increase the angle of the pot.

i dont feel like i ever miss because iv looked at the cue ball though, when i take my eye off the pot and miss its when iv glanced completely away to where i want the white to finish, although luckily i dont do it that often! lol that is more anxiety that takes over and something im trying to learn to control and just trust myself

**TornadoTed** · 28 January 2014, 04:00 PM

I am not surprised that you could play so well with your eyes shut. As I said before it took me 20 years to notice I wasn't looking at the OB. I still don't sometimes if I am cueing with the white tight on the rail.

**mickm147** · 28 January 2014, 05:47 PM

Stephen Hendry used to glance at the pocket then the cue ball then back to the object ball.....as long as your body movement is minimal as your about to strike the cue ball, thats all that matters. I have played with alot of pros & they all had different ways of striking the ball.............One thing they nearly all had in common was how still they were on the shot...........there was some exceptions i.e: Alex Higgins........But he was cut from a different cloth, may he rest in peace.

**pcb** · 28 January 2014, 10:48 PM

could you be so kind to explain the line of aim an the walk in thanks

Originally Posted by rightoncue89 View Post

i tried this the other night because my friend was getting frustrated and said he couldnt tell if he was looking at the ob or not, so i told him not to think about it and focus more on making sure he walks into the shot on the right line of aim and said to him basically if you do that and cue straight on that line then in theory you cant miss.
then set up a small line-up and demonstrated, i walked into each shot with my right foot on the line of aim, and on my back pause i closed my eyes and just tried to make sure i cued straight.
i did 4 reds, 2 blacks, 1 pink and a blue.
then got slightly out of position and missed.

but he was looking at me like it was witchcraft or something, and i really had to drill it in to him that he wasnt walking into the shot properly, once he started doing this and had a better pre shot routine he started knocking pots in so much easier.

i know you should really look at the ob on back pause through impact, but i think the most important part of the game, if you are set up on the wrong line of aim and cue straight then you simply cannot make the pot, whether you are looking at the ob or not.

i do look at the ob, but sometimes i dont, not on purpose, but sometimes my eyes naturally glance away, especially if im playing a deep screw or something, i tend to glance down at the white to make sure i cue where i need to and get the right contact.

if you really struggle to look at the ob then start with short pots, like a ft from the pocket and white a ft from the ob and do it over and over looking at the ob, then gradually make the pot and distance between balls longer, or increase the angle of the pot.

i dont feel like i ever miss because iv looked at the cue ball though, when i take my eye off the pot and miss its when iv glanced completely away to where i want the white to finish, although luckily i dont do it that often! lol that is more anxiety that takes over and something im trying to learn to control and just trust myself

**itsnoteasy** · 29 January 2014, 09:38 AM

PCP my tuppence worth is I keep my eyes on the ob all the way down and don't check the white until in the initial pause position, my thinking behind this is(could be wrong) it's very important to drop straight down, flicking your eyes off the target may cause slight movement. You have to get your bridge hand on that line, so a hand eye connection to the target is needed for that coordination to click.
There have been many debates over cue ball or object ball on this forum at the time of delivery, and I don't know the answer but what I have observed is not one coach teaches cue ball, it's all object ball.
I don't think you have had an answer on the line of aim because all the good players and coaches have been worn down by it lol, I think every single new player who comes on here , me included, asks about the same three or four question lol. Try doing a search on the forum I bet hundreds of threads will pop up under "the line of aim" heading all good stuff, try typing in Alan Trigg, on on you tube or Jack Karnehm, or watch snooker pro tips all these are great sources.

**alabadi** · 29 January 2014, 09:51 AM

we had a cup match yesterday with a team three divisions above us, i didn't have a game but was very interesting watching these better players close up how they get down and go about there break building.

what i did find interesting they take there time and they keep their eyes on the object ball longer than i do. they looked slow when playing although because of their accuracy the frames didn't last that long.

i sometimes when playing feel rushed, and may play shots that i am not 100% ready for, it sometimes stems from pressure i think i put on myself to be a faster player, i get comments sometimes from others i play that i am slowish so this plays on my mind.

well from now on bugger them, i'm going to play a game that suits me. so i think for the next few weeks i'm going to slow it down and make sure that i don't push the cue through until i am positive and my eyes are locked on the OB.

Alabbadi

**CoachGavin** · 29 January 2014, 10:01 AM

eyes on object ball

I think that is common proper but some times players also get a false impression of their speed anyway. I used an app I have to work out the shot time of a player I was coaching and he was down to about 11 or 12 seconds and I explained that most professionals were twice that. He started playing at HIS natural speed and imediately his potting improved as he was no longer rushing himself.

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