The truth about aiming systems

Posted on April 11, 2012 by mohrt

Aiming systems, regardless of which one you use, are about creating a consistent repeatable pre-shot routine. You have to back up any aiming system with solid fundamentals, that is a given. The greatest of players (those that have already HAMB and are very comfortable with their ball pocketing) may have no use for a system to change what they already do very well. Continue reading →

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Aiming Fundamentals

Posted on April 9, 2012 by mohrt

I’ll call this fundamentals as opposed to an aiming “system”, as it is more about what to do after finding the aim line. Continue reading →

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8-ball: cluster break with strong safety

Posted on March 22, 2012 by mohrt

Breaking clusters in 8-ball is an important part of winning, and there is more than one way to do it. One way is to simply the run the cue ball into them and continue your run. Another way is to break them up by playing safe. Look at the following example: Continue reading →

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8 ball: play smart to win

Posted on March 15, 2012 by mohrt

So you are a solid shot maker in your own right, maybe one of the best in your league. But one thing plagues you: your 8-ball wins are just not up to par. Why can’t you win more of your games with such good shooting skills? Continue reading →

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8 ball tip: insurance balls

Posted on March 12, 2012 by mohrt

8-ball, you are solids. What do you do? Continue reading →

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Controlling whitey: hit it low!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by mohrt

If you pay close attention to the top players, you will notice that many use draw on a large percentage of their shots, even shots that don’t call for any draw, or even follow. Why is that? There are couple of factors at play here: addressing the cueball low (aim) and striking the cueball low (control.) Continue reading →

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Eye Dominance

Posted on February 3, 2012 by mohrt

You visualize the shot. You step in and line it up. It looks right, but when you pull the trigger it misses. What happened?

Ever have that problem? I did until I learned about eye dominance. Everyone has a dominant eye. If you don’t get that eye over the shot, an illusion happens and shots are missed. Continue reading →

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Avoiding the scratch

Posted on January 30, 2012 by mohrt

Scratching the cue ball, we’ve all done it. What can we do to avoid it? Here is a simple way to help you avoid scratching: Anytime you are going into a rail, try to go as close to a 45 degree angle as possible with natural running english. Continue reading →

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Offset and Pivot Aiming Systems

Posted on January 27, 2012 by mohrt

CTE, Pro1, 90/90, Shishkebob:  each of which are close cousins of one and other and all share common elements.  These techniques are all referred to as “offset and pivot” systems.  Whether it be Hal Houle’s Center-to-Edge, Stan Shuffett’s Pro1 or Ron Vitello’s 90/90, offset and pivot systems afford players objective and repeatable methods of ball-pocketing (without the guesswork of ghost ball or other traditional methods.)

This is my attempt to explain a hybrid method that combines some finer points of Stan’s CTE/Pro1 and RonV’s 90/90 system:

  • The use of two reference lines to acquire perfect eye positioning (CTE/Pro1)
  • Three object ball reference points (90/90)
  • Single direction pivot (1/2 ball hybrid, this system)

This system was taught to me by Dave Segal, whom has taken many hours of instruction from Hal, Stan and Ron. I’ll cannot thank this guy enough for is vast knowledge of pivot aiming, and how it has changed my game. Thanks Dave! Continue reading →

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Straight pool is the game’s best teacher

Posted on January 18, 2012 by mohrt

If you want to improve your overall game skill in pool, straight pool is probably one of the best games you can play. If you have any type of weakness in your game, straight pool will find it. Straight pool is also one of the easiest games to play solo, just keep track of your high run and always try to better your score. Straight pool forces high precision, solid stroke, mental focus, pattern play, cluster breaking, break shot control, and countless other nuances that make a great pool player. If you play 8 ball, straight pool is about as close as it gets since there is a lot of short shot control, cluster breaking and an end pattern for a key ball. If 9 ball is your game, straight pool will be teaching you control of one, two and three rail routes for shape. If you want to get better at pool, there is no better teacher than straight pool.

That said, if you want to get better at banking and kicking specifically, throw one-pocket into the mix! Watch LOTS of one-pocket and straight pool matches, you’ll learn far quicker than just banging balls around.

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