The game of Billiards is an interesting indoor sport that anyone can play. Billiards can refer to the American game of Pool or English Billiards. One of the main differences between the two is that the size of the balls are different. The U.S. version of pool is the most popular version of the sport.
For both of the games, the main skill that players need to be good is shooting. Shooting Billiards is an important skill because players need to be able to make shots at many different positions on the table. Cut shots are the majority of shots that need to be made in pool. Making shots is easier said than done. Some players will just use a trial and error method to learn how to hit the cue ball at the right angle to pocket the object balls. Other players will use an aiming method that will help them line up their shot at the right angle. Some of those methods include the CutShots Method, the Ghost Ball, Method, Center to Edge, and Fractional Aiming.
The CutShots Shooting Method
In Billiards, a good way to develop accuracy in making billiards shots is to use a method that will help you develop consistency when aiming. The CutShots Method is a new and revolutionary shooting method that helps Billiard players find the right spots to hit on the object ball and the cue ball. The method was developed by Bill Herbert after years of having trouble making cut shots.
The method uses a geometric concept called equal and opposite to help players find the right locations to hit on the Billiard balls.
How it Works
Players line up with the spot (spot 1) that would sink the object ball into the pocket by directly hitting the ball on the equator. While remembering the location of that spot, players then move to the cue ball and line up in the position that is pointed in the direction of the object ball. The Billiard player then moves to the location that is directly opposite (mirror image/spot 2) from spot 1 while looking at the object ball from the cue ball. The player then lines up with spot 2 and then shifts to the center of the cue. From the center of the cue, the player takes the shot. The result is that the object ball will be hit at the correct angle and it will enter the pocket.
CutShots has developed an innovative training billiard ball that helps players learn the method and become better at Billiards quickly. You can learn more about the method and the billiard aim training balls on this page.
Ghost Ball Method
The Ghost Ball method is one of the popular methods that pool players use to aim shots. The method is fairly easy to use as it just involves players visualizing an invisible ball directly behind the object ball in the direction that would sink the ball into the pocket. A person then just has to aim toward the ghost ball and the object ball will be hit at the angle that will sink it into the pocket. The method is easy to understand; however, it is a little hard to get used to on a billiards table. A player has to visualize an imaginary ball that is behind the object ball, which can be hard to do. One way to help with the “visualization” is to put the cue an inch or two behind the object ball and then pivot the cue toward the cue ball. The player then moves the cue back to the cue ball and takes the shot. The only issue with this method is that you could lose the angle during the transition to the cue ball. Also, you are still aiming the cue toward the ghost ball, which you can’t see.
The Ghost Ball method is simple to understand; however, when putting it into play it can be easy to make errors in lining up with the ghost ball.
In comparison, the CutShots Method does not have a ghost ball to hit and all of the spots can be easily visualized. Other methods like Center to Edge and the Fractional methods also do not have a ghost ball that needs to be hit.
Center to Edge Aiming Method
The Center to Edge method is an interesting way to aim shots in Billiards. Center to Edge is a simple method on the surface; however, it is more complicated once you start learning more about the method. Players start at the cue ball and aim their cue toward the edge of the object ball (the edge that they need to hit). The cue is then pivoted toward the center of the cue ball and the shot is taken. The method is simple; however, when players start learning more about the system, it starts to become complex. The cue ball can be split into three spots that players start at to make a shot. A player then selects the appropriate spot that is closest to the edge of the object ball. In some versions of the method, there are 5 spots that can be aimed toward. Since players start moving toward using preset spots, there is a reduction in accuracy. In addition, explanations of how the method works are hard to understand.
Center to Edge can be a simple method to use; however, it is much harder than it looks. Also, accuracy can be reduced when using preset spots. Those spots are similar to the fractional method, which is covered next.
The CutShots Method can sometimes be called a modified version of the Center to Edge method. It is not; however, as it uses a concept called equal and opposite, which reduces the complexity of understanding how it works.
Fractional Aiming Method
The Fractional Aiming method is one of the primary systems that are used to aim and shot Billiard balls. The fractional system is simple to understand as the ball is just split into fractions. The main version of the method splits the ball into three fractions, ¼, ½, and ¾. Players hit one of the fraction points on the cue ball that correspond with the angle that they need to hit the object ball. In other versions of the method, the cue ball is split into additional fractions so that there are more angles to work with. The downside to the method is that players have to remember all of the fraction points and also know which angle corresponds to each fraction. Also, there only a limited number of angles, so some shots can not be made with full accuracy.
Compared to the CutShots Method, the fractional aiming method is more limited in angles and requires players to remember the locations of fraction points, which can be complicated. The same also applies when comparing it to Center to Edge or the Ghost Ball methods.
We of course are behind our new method, the CutShots Method. Please feel free to visit the other pages to learn more about the method.