The Ghost Ball Myth... And A Potting Robot

[Nic Barrow]

Hi Guys
The four year wait is nearly over - now days away from the Aim Frame launch!
Let me know what you think to these videos - they form the foundation of how the Aim Frame works...
I will endeavour to reply to the comments on this thread until Monday...

The Ghost Ball Myth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMtMTD0P9-g

My Potting Robot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGsXQ1MvO9Q

[markz]

On the angled shots showed I would adjust my aiming point for the biggest margin of error Nic. I know pretty simple but works for me. I agree on the throw from black spot, see many players play it thick and missing on near jaw. I spent plenty of hours working out biggest margin on most shot. Nice robot by the way. Is it Ronnie the Robot lol

Sow how much is the aim frame?

[golferson123]

i dont know what to say! htf does this improve anything! you either believe it or you dont, putting this contraption on the table does what exactly? it either confirms what you say or does not, then what?. the friction between two balls is hardly a ground breaking revelation what are you trying to achieve here?

[tedisbill]

Hi Nic.

Well surely even of the Aim Frame shows me the correct potting angle for any given shot, I still need to play a thousand of them before my brain is completely comfortable with that shot?

I mean, I'm really interested to see how this will help somebody like Alabadi. He says he really struggles with 'high blacks' off the spot. I think he said he always catches them thick. So how would the Aim Frame help here? Surely he plays a lot of snooker and could just aim fractionally thinner, and over time his brain would become comfortable with that shot? How does the Aim Frame help this process?

Also, what about playing shots with side? You still need to get the correct contact point, but now the cue ball path is a lot more complicated.

Thanks.

[Byrom]

Helping side dot com ?

[alabadi]

blimey , that contraption is bloody massive . who is going to carry that around with them to the snooker club. i thought it was going to be a little gizmo one could place next the the OB to confirm the contact point.

also i'm with Ted here , yes this device might show you the aim line but still you have to learn it yourself. i've been practicing the blacks by putting an OB on the far knuckle so i can get use to aim thinner.

i also think playing virtual snooker can help too the view from behind the cueball is very realistic.

i wouldn't dare take something like the aim frame into a club, i get enough glances when i set up the lineup. maybe this would be useful for coaches to help students during a coaching session.

[Byrom]

I think he means its based on the principle guys -


Well at least I hope so or he not going to have a lot of orders - cept from Terry

[denja]

Blimey!!! Thought I was back at school having one of those science lesson demos with Mr Summers ! a real nutter tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows, hair and a beard a werewolf would die for.

[denja]

Only my opinion for what its worth ! There is no short cut to being able to pot and learn the angles, its a case of lots of practice and potting angle memory, you already have a built in super machine called your BRAIN, BETTER THAN ANY MACHINE INVENTED you can put a telescopic sight on a rifle but that does not mean you will hit center target every time you have to learn to control your breathing and body, You can be a real ace on the speed ball or heavy bag but you are not going to be world boxing champ over night, You could buy one of those super Tennis or Cricket ball delivery machines but it wont turn you into a great Cricketer or Tennis player WITHOUT THAT MAGIC WORD PRACTICE.

[tedisbill]

That's not the Aim Frame. That's just a potting machine that Nic used as part of his research.

I just meant in my post, that even if this new Aim Frame shows me where to aim, surely my brain still has to learn to recognise that potting angle.

[golferson123]

I had to check the date!

[bolton-cueman]

oh my days.... wait 'til Sidd sees this

all this is irrelevant if you cant regularly cue straight in the first instance.

[vmax4steve]

I think Nic is on to something here, there is a difference between the contacts made between phenolic resin balls and super crystalate balls.
Quite a few of the old guard dropped away quite quickly when the phenolic resin balls were introduced to the game in the late 80's early 90's, I myself found a quite distinct difference between the balls, having learned with and being so used to the supers, when playing at new clubs that had Aramith balls I was terrible, even though their new tables had bigger pockets.

Over a period of time, the brain will have the correct angle implanted into it, as super crystalate is a superior material and can be polished to a greater degree there will be less impact throw on them than with balls made from phenolic resin which cannot be polished as highly and therefore have a greater contact friction, we all know they kick more often, and my belief is that this is the reason for it.

I would like Nic to get hold of an old set of supers, clean and polish them up a bit, and try them out with his potting robot to see if there really is a difference. I know I was cynical at the start and took the p1ss a bit, but I would take it all back if this was proved to be true and I could play better if I aimed thinner, might just try it anyway.

[golferson123]

The Ghost Ball Myth... And A Potting Robot

here we go again with the helping side thread

[Terry Davidson]

I think he means its based on the principle guys -


Well at least I hope so or he not going to have a lot of orders - cept from Terry

So you just had to get that dig in there huh? I doubt I'll be buying any of these devices unless my students want one and would rather order it from me. I mean after all you only need one don't you?

The only problem I have with this is Nic has not shown the device on here nor said what the price (incl shipping) is going to be. I have an idea on what the device is and I have to agree the robot sort of confused me as I'm not sure what it's value is because I have always thought the brain has to get trained and once that's done a player (as long as he uses the same technique) will learn how to aim properly and the brain will automatically compensate for any 'throw-off' caused by cloth friction.

Give the brain a chance and it will resolve everything with the one exception of a player who changes his technique all the time.