"I have a concern about sighting an object ball, looking from behind my cue ball. I've noticed that the farther away from the object ball I am, the amount of ball I aim to contact seems less, due to the way my eyes work.
For example, if my object ball is 2 feet away on a certain shot, when aiming it looks like the cue ball, from my point of view behind the shot, should at the moment of impact "cover" 2/3 of the object ball. But, when the cue is 6 feet from the target on the same angle thick cut, the impact target seems to be greatly different. Is this a true fact or an optical illusion? What are your suggestions, Matt?"
This pool shooter has explained in a nutshell an optical illusion beginners face shooting pool, the cue ball target point on the object ball seemingly changing over distance! There is a mental construct you can make to better understand how to sight on the balls.
Basically, there are three ways of positioning your head to sight any shot.
1. Your chin is centered over the stick, your head ramrod straight on both its axes behind the target, using true binocular vision. Lucky you!
2. You have one eye directly over the cue and so are sighting over the cuestick "like a rifle". This is easily accomplished using my recommended stance acquisition method.
3. You have the challenge of some tilt of the head and/or converging lines of sight that meld from both your eyes. Perhaps one eye is higher than the other, or far to one side of every line of shot? (Most beginners and quite a few intermediate players lie here, deep in sighting trouble territory.)
To correct any deficiency in sighting, first determine to take a regular approach to setting your stance, that is, consistently come to the table the same way for each shot, so you will consistently sight each shot the same way. Using my pro stance method as diagrammed, and standing to the table with the legs approximately 45 degrees to the shot at hand, you should be able to comfortably get one eye over the cuestick.
Do this next experiment once you are certain you have chosen a consistent head placement. Stand over the shot causing you trouble or confusion, then close one eye slowly, looking fixedly at the spot or section of the cue ball you wish to contact, your aim point. Has that section of the object ball moved in your line of sight? Has it jumped to one side, even slightly? Has the predetermined section of cue ball you wish to contact moved, away from the path you plan to send the cue ball along? Try with the other eye next, starting at the beginning and reassuming your pool stance, to be certain.
Eventually, you will determine the eye you use dominantly for aiming. Yes, even if your chin is straight over the stick, most of us use one eye or the other for determining the contact point. Your dominant eye should not make your target jump when you use it alone (it may jump very slightly due to your natural limitations of sight). If the shot "jumps" using both eyes, your head position works against the best way to get your dominant eye into position.
Once you have the dominant eye determined, your next step is to close and open the other eye with the intent of not making the ball jump, that is, use the non-dominant eye for general depth perception only, not target aiming. The dominant eye will mark the spot of impact, the other eye may be used to gauge how far away your target is lcoated.
In other words,
1. Stand to the table consistently, with consistent head and eye positioning, then you may safely:
2. Learn which eye you use to sight on the target area, train the other eye to "chill out" during the shot, to be used peripherally for depth perception (distance) more so than aiming.
Watch your successful shots percentage climb once you are in "dead sight"!
