"Matt, what is the one shot that gives your pool students fits? What is the stroke they find the hardest to master?"
Bar none, beginning and intermediate pool shooters (and not a few experts) are stymied shooting a straight shot, one where the cue ball and the target object ball rest along a straight-in path to the pocket.
The issue here is about one-half psychological, one-half physical, for most players. On the psychological plane, it seems the straight shot should be the simplest to aim to the pocket, and therefore should be made with ease compared to other strokes. The player feels embarrassed if they miss a "simple" straight ahead stroke.
The mental aspect of the straight shot is often in error as few shots indeed are perfectly straight. The next time you have a "straight shot" facing you, check the pro aim line and ensure it is truly a straight shot rather than an optical illusion of a straight shot.
The physical reasons for missing straight-in strokes are related to flaws in the player's stance (usually not in their technique to make a straight stroke) that take the otherwise straight shot off line. Check these two physical factors carefully:
Factor 1: Place the head and eyes accurately. Placing The Head First And Right For The Coming Stroke
Factor 2: Releasing the cue to make a straight stroke instead of fighting a straight stroke by physical tension. How To Make A Straight Shot Straighter - Anyone Can Do This
If your classic pool stroke is working for you and your head is aligned well, all systems are a go for a straight shot. Here's how to improve on them:
Solution 1: Look for small amounts of angle on the shot.Even a subtle angle will be on most of these, and narrow your mental focus as you align the shot more accurately. Psychologically, this also reduces the old "only an idiot would miss this straight shot" buzz in your head. It's probably not a straight shot at all.
Solution 2: Avoid the trap of having your head directly atop the cue stick.
Most pros have their head slightly to one side of the stick, to see the hit on the object ball and the pocket beyond it. This factor is so important, I set my head first and then adjust my body and cue stick while standing before I even bend down to shoot.
My shotmaking has vastly improved ever since making this adjustment. I feel I can make anything I can see, or even close my eyes before making a shot, but I can never make a shot I cannot have aimed with clarity, first.
Solution 3: Don't do added aiming with the cue stick. Take the same amount of time you would for any other stroke.
Don't be concerned with making a hyper-straight stroke, be concerned with releasing the cue stick fully.
I prove this point by shooting straight-in strokes in clinics and letting the cue go after both balls into the same pocket. Let 'er fly straight and you'll avoid tensing then twisting the cue off line.
Solution 4: Explore our classic techniques section here at About.com if you need to enhance your fundamentals to improve your straight shots.
Solution 5: BONUS SHOT DRILL TO IMPROVE YOUR POOL STROKE - Drill by playing straight-in shots only over a variety of ball distances. Vary your focus between feedback on your stroke elements and your efforts to increase your shotmaking percentage.
Shooting straight shots for hours at a time will enhance your skills, and especially if your fundamentals are decent to begin with.
