– Fundamentals
– Aiming
– Cue Ball Control
– Speed Control

1. Pigeon Shoots Pa
2. How To Shoot Pool Game Pigeon

I downloaded the app but can’t play games. If you have downloaded Game Pigeon and you can’t access or play games, simply follow these steps. Open any message thread on iMessage and at the bottom left, tap the 4 dots. Once you do this, you should see the game. Select your game of choice and an invite will be sent to your friend.

– English (sidespin)
– Position Control
– Safety Play
– Strategy

• If you are shooting around a farmyard, you may have checked etc and the farmer may know you are there. But if you shoot a pigeon off the edge of a barn roof and the pellet flies past it is always possible someone/thing has moved in to the area the pellet might land since you checked. Hence why I prefer a heart/lung shot.
• 20 Questions is a great game to play when you have some time to kill. Check out this video and learn the basic rules of the game. 20 Questions is perfect whether you are in the car, a waiting room or anywhere else and feeling a bit bored.
• Eleven years ago we moved into a new house just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and we had our first, in-ground pool installed. The whole family has spent most of every summer jumping in it, shooting basketballs at the hoop, playing volleyball and trying out various toys that float, shoot.

– Break
– Jump
– Massé

See also:
Top 100 Maxims/Sayings/Quotes
Top 100 Myths

Most of the secrets of pool are revealed in the Video Encyclopedia of Pool Shots (VEPS). Specifically, all of the VEPS “gems” are useful and important to know to be a good player. Here’s the complete list of shots and gems presented on VEPS. Below is a categorized summary of some of the most important “secrets” and “gems” of pool, with links to additional resources, including video demonstrations and well-illustrated instructional articles.

The biggest tip and “secret” of them all is: Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Dr. Dave keeps this site commercial free, with no ads. If you appreciate the free resources, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support:

Fundamentals

1. A session with an experienced and qualified instructor can be very helpful to players at all levels.
2. Make sure your stance is stable, provides clearance for the stroke, and is comfortable.
3. Keep your grip relaxed during the entire stroke (see grip technique advice).
4. Make sure you bridge is stable and still during your stroke (see bridge technique advice).
5. Use a bridge length appropriate for you and a particular shot (see bridge length advice).
6. Keep your cue still and eyes quiet when checking your cue alignment and aim (see reasons for pauses).
7. Don’t rush the transition between the final back stroke and forward stroke (see stroke technique advice).
8. Don’t drop your elbow during the stroke into the ball (see elbow drop).
9. Stay down on the shot … don’t move your head or body during the stroke (see stroke technique advice).
10. Don’t use more speed than is appropriate for a given shot.

Aiming

11. Use a consistent and purposeful pre-shot routine.
12. Make sure your vision center is always aligned properly.
13. Ghost-ball aiming can be a useful visualization tool.
14. The contact-point-to-contact-point or parallel-lines system can be a useful visualization tool.
15. The double-the-distance or double-the-overlap aiming system can be a useful visualization tool.
16. Your cue can be used to help you aim (see NV 3.2 and NV D.9).
17. Make sure you are sighting shots consistently and purposefully.
18. Be leery and suspicious of exaggerated claims concerning some cut-shot aiming systems. Having said this, these systems do offer benefits to some people.
19. With good technique, HAMB (“Hit a Million Balls”) is the best “system” for aiming success.

Cue Ball Control

20. The 90° rule predicts the CB heads down the tangent line for stun shots.
21. The 30° rule predicts a rolling CB heads in the natural-angle direction.
22. The Dr. Dave peace sign can be very useful in applying and making adjustments to the 30° rule.
23. The 3-times-the-angle (trisect) system predicts the angle the CB direction changes for a good-action draw shot is 3-times the cut angle.
24. For a fairly full hit, with a ball-hit-fraction greater than 3/4, the CB will deflect about 3-times the cut angle (see where the CB goes for different cases).
25. For a fairly thin hit, with a ball-hit-fraction less than 1/4, the CB will deflect about 70-75% (about 3/4) of the angle between the aiming line and the tangent line (see where the CB goes for different cases).
26. With all shots, more speed shifts the cue-ball farther down the tangent line before curving to the final direction (see CB path speed effects).

Speed Control

27. The optimal tip height for speed control is 20% of the radius above center (see optimal tip height for speed control).
28. With a full-hit rolling CB shot, the CB travels about 1/7 the distance of the OB after impact (see ball travel distances).
29. With a rolling-CB half-ball hit, the CB and OB separate at close to same speed and same angle (see speed control article).
30. With a 45° stun shot, the CB and OB separate at the same angle and distance (see speed control article).

Draw Shot

31. Make sure your tip is well chalked, keep your grip relaxed, keep your cue as level as possible, accelerate smoothly into the ball (see draw shot technique advice).
32. In general, for best draw distance control, use more spin with less speed (see physics-based draw shot advice).
33. For a stun-back shot, with a small and controlled amount of draw, a firmer hit closer to center offers better CB distance control (see physics-based draw shot advice).
34. Elevate the cue only when you need quick draw.
35. Don’t push the miscue limit so much with long power draw shots.
36. The 3-times-the-angle (trisect) system can be used to predict final CB direction with a good-action draw shot.
37. Draw is a lot easier on slicker cloth (or with a CB treated with Silicon spray) and with a lighter CB.

English (sidespin)

38. The miscue limit is half of the cue ball’s radius from the center, which is the width of the stripe on a striped ball (see “tips” of english articles).
39. A solid understanding and feel for squirt, swerve, and throw effects is critical to being able to use sidespin effectively.
40. back-hand english (BHE) and front-hand-english (FHE) can be used to compensate aim for squirt and swerve when using sidespin.
41. Outside english can be used to eliminate throw, and this can be useful in clingy conditions (see gearing outside english).
42. Running english can greatly reduce the difficulty of rail cut shots.
43. Going ball-first or cushion-first with sidespin on rail cut shots makes a big difference in CB control (see NV B.72).
44. A drag shot can be used to increase the effect of sidespin off a cushion (see maximum sidespin effect).

Position Control

45. It is important to know various useful CB-control reference lines when planning position.
46. It is much easier to control CB travel distance with natural-rolling follow shots (see follow shot accuracy).
47. Always try to leave an angle and come into the line of a shot.
48. When you leave yourself straight in, there are still options for position control (see NV B.30).
49. Pocket cheating can help create an angle.
50. Rail cut shots offer many position control options.
51. Coming off a cushion can increase your margin for error when targeting a position close to a rail.
52. The 45° rule, that predicts a ball rolling into an end cushion at close to a 45° angle heads close to the center of the table, if very useful for position play.
53. Practice positioning the CB to the center of the table. This comes in handy in many game situations.

Safety Play

54. Always play safe when it increases your chances of winning a game.
55. Use two-way shots where possible when faced with a difficult shot (e.g., a bank).
56. The 30° rule is very useful in safety play (see 30° rule examples).
57. When playing a safety in 9-ball, try to leave the OB away from a cushion (see “big ball” effect).
58. Come into the line of blockers when hooking your opponent.
59. With ball-in-hand, try to be strategic with combos, clusters, and problem balls (see 30° rule examples).

Strategy

60. Follow “best practices” concerning how and when to play safeties (see general safety advice).
61. Don’t bump into or disturb other balls on the table if it isn’t necessary.
62. Keep the CB away from the cushions to enable a wide range of tip positions without cue elevation.
63. Pocket or move balls that clear the way for other balls as early as possible.
64. Break out clusters and deal with problem balls as early as possible.
65. In 8-ball, choose stripes or solids wisely and identify key balls for the game (see 8-ball strategy).
66. In 8-ball, if you can’t run-out, play a safety early in the game.
67. In 8-ball, break out clusters when an insurance ball is available.
68. In 9-ball, break out clusters and problem balls at the right time (see 9-ball strategy).

Bank and Kick Shots

69. To bank and kick effectively, it is important to understand and have a feel for all of the bank and kick effects.
70. For rolling-ball kicks or banks, the through-diamond aiming system is very reliable.
71. Faster speed can help bank shot accuracy and consistency (see advantages of fast speed).
72. With shallow-angle kicks, the contact-point mirror system can be very effective.
73. For cross-corner bank shots, it is very important to know how to detect and avoid double kisses.
74. Sidespin can be used to alter bank shots (see spin transfer bank shots).
75. For aiming two- and three-rail kicks off a short rail, the Plus System is very useful.
76. For aiming two-, three-, and four-rail kicks off a long rail, the Corner 5 System is very useful.

Carom and Kiss Shots

77. The 90 and 30° rules are very useful for aiming carom and kiss shots (see carom and kiss shot aiming).
78. When two OBs are frozen, the combination direction can be changed quite a bit with throw (see frozen-ball throw).
79. Bob Jewett’s two-times-fuller and ten-times fuller systems are useful to aim frozen carom and kiss shots.

Throw

80. A solid understanding and feel for throw effects is important, expecially for combos and small-gap shots.
81. Maximum CIT, with no sidespin, occurs with slow speed at about a 1/2-ball hit (see maximum throw).
82. Maximum SIT occurs occurs with slow speed and about 50% sidespin (see maximum throw).
83. Maximum throw, under typical conditions, is about 1 inch per foot of OB travel, or 1/2 a ball per diamond on a 9′ table, which is about 5°.
84. When the CB is fairly close to the OB, SIT can be used for a “hold” or “kill” shot to limit cue ball drift.
85. When balls are frozen, it is very easy to achieve maximum CIT of the 2nd ball (see frozen-ball throw).
86. Gearing outside english can be used to eliminate throw, but this might not be the best approach for all people and situations (see using outside english to prevent throw and cling).
87. Transferring spin from the CB to the OB is an important effects with some shots (see spin transfer for examples).

Break Shot

88. The optimal tip height for a lag shot is 20% of the ball radius above center (see lag shot).
89. Follow the “best practices” for an accurate, consistent, and effective break (see getting a tight rack and break technique advice).
90. Knowing where different balls tend to go in a 9-ball rack can be useful to know (see pattern racking strategy).
91. In 8-ball, a 2nd-ball break from side can be used to make the 8-ball on the break.
92. If you use a break cue with a natural pivot length well matched to your bridge length, stroking errors will not affect your accuracy (see pivot-length article).

Jump Shot

93. For best results, follow all of the recommended “best practices” (see jump shot technique advice).
94. For best jump results, aim between the center of the CB and resting point on the cloth (see jump shot article).
95. To jump higher and shorter, elevate the cue; to jump longer, use more speed and less cue elevation (see jump shot article).
96. With more cue elevation, the dart stroke will be more comfortable and effective for most people (see jump shot technique advice).
97. Jump shots are often over cut due to the CB hopping in the OB (see jump shot over cut effect).

Massé Shot

98. For best results, follow all of the recommended “best practices” (see massé shot technique advice).
99. The Coriolis aiming system for massé shots can be very effective.
100. After-collision massé shots can be very useful when you need to curve the CB path after contact with the OB.

Dr. Dave keeps this site commercial free, with no ads. If you appreciate the free resources, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support:

When I first started playing pool (billiards), I considered myself an average player. I could never be sure if I would make the next shot, and running two or three balls in a row was a big achievement for me. I read books on aiming systems like the ghost ball system, and tried different practice drills to improve my game. However I still saw a clear difference between “easy” and “difficult” shots and trying advanced things like position play would make me miss my shot.

This is the story of my journey. How I discovered the art of “Aiming without Aiming”. If you have played pool for a while, chances are you will identify with this or at least recognize what I describe. If you have played only some pool, I suggest you read with an open mind – understanding this might change your game.

If you don’t play pool yet, but would like to start, then you can learn how to play pool well in under 30 minutes. If you already understand the basics, but would like to develop the ability to run the table, you should look at my article series on the basics of cue ball position control.

—

Some time back I heard the term “subconscious-competence” and about the subconscious mind. This is the same thing that allows us to walk without having to logically plan every muscle that needs to be raised to take each step – We just look at where we want to go, decide we want to go there, and then automatically end up there. It is also responsible for the times when we might get distracted while driving, thinking about all kinds of other stuff, and suddenly realize that we have reached home without remembering any of the turns, traffic lights or other cars on the road.

I don’t think that we were ever really meant to be conscious learners. The conscious mind can handle about 5-9 things at a time after which it zones out. The subconscious mind can apparently keep track of EVERYTHING, including things the conscious mind wouldn’t even dare try.

The only thing the unconscious mind really needs is
1. The initial desire or thought from the conscious mind – Creating the goal
2. Trusting signals from the subconscious mind – following your instincts
3. Allowing the subconscious mind to learn and train itself for the goal – Allowing mistakes to happen without labeling or judging them and not getting frustrated by them
4. Getting out of your own way – Letting the subconscious mind do everything instead of trying to take over the wheel while it is doing its work.

Pigeon Shoots Pa

Three months ago, I wrote down in my notebook, a thought addressed to my subconscious mind – “I refuse to aim. You do it otherwise we both miss”. For three whole months, I did not aim. I just looked at the pocket I wanted the ball to go, and just shot the cue ball without aiming with any system… Talk about a crazy, unrealistic, leap of faith…

A few days after I began, when the first difficult shot went in without aiming, I was pleasantly surprised. I assumed it was just luck. Over the next few days as more and more people started noticing my consistent shooting “luck”. This was actually working.

During this time, I still had to keep reminding myself to not try to aim. However as I started making tougher and tougher shots effortlessly, I started getting an ego. I started getting addicted to the idea of always making the shot. When I did miss, I forgot rule 3 and used to get angry at myself. I didn’t realize that when I missed, it wasn’t that my plan wasn’t working, it was just that my subconscious mind hadn’t trained itself for that particular shot yet. It took several days just to accept any misses and not try to control with my conscious mind.

With time, however, I learned to let go of outcome dependence while shooting and just play one shot at a time.

Now days every shot is “easy”. I spend exactly 0 seconds planning the shot. I just look at the pocket, look at the ball, wait for that “YES” signal in my head, and shoot. It goes in on its own. I don’t aim or shoot. My subconscious mind does. I don’t take credit for the shots since it wasn’t me who really shot them. I saw my subconscious mind shooting some amazing shots which blew my mind. It was almost like my subconscious mind was a different person, who was shooting through me.

And as it overtook me with its skills, it earned my trust and respect. I no longer dared to compete with it or try to take over the steering wheel again. I knew, that as long as I stayed out of it’s way, it would do the job better than I could have ever hoped to.

But this wasn’t the real shock. Now that I could shoot without aiming, I wanted to see how far I could take this idea of trusting my subconscious mind, and what limits my mind had. My next goal was to run a table (run all 7 balls, and the 8 ball in one go without giving my opponent a turn).

Again, I wouldn’t plan it or think about it, just make a goal and trust my subconscious to do whatever was needed. Over the next few days, I found myself wanting to shoot one particular ball versus another, without any logical reason. I would just look at the table, see a particular ball and think to myself- “I like that one, that is what I will shoot next”. Trying to logically decide which was the best ball to shoot actually messed things up.

One week later, I broke and ran the entire table when playing with my team captain – or rather my subconscious mind did. Now days, running 4-5 balls is almost a regular occurrence. Three months ago, I would have laughed at that possibility.

The funny thing is, I don’t even have to be paying attention to the table while I am shooting. I can be thinking about taxes or some movie I watched. In fact, anything OTHER than trying to aim the shot. The balls just go in on their own. I seem to get so zoned out, I lose track of time and place. I can now play entire pool games and not remember shooting even a single shot. Sometimes I don’t even remember the face of the person I was shooting with. It’s almost like I am a spectator in a dream like state watching someone else playing.

I think some people call it being in the zone. Some people call it instinct. Some people call it muscle memory. Some call it trusting a higher power. Whatever you choose to call it, trusting your subconscious mind can let you live life the way it was always meant to be – effortless.

If you enjoyed this article, continue on to the next article in this series, Aiming without Aiming Part II – How I really aim a billiards shot.

—
PS: Based on a lot of feedback that I received, I wrote a follow up article – Aiming without Aiming Part II – How I really aim a billiards shot. For people who think that “this aiming thing can’t work” or would like more details on aiming technique, the extra explanation might help.

PPS: Almost a year after I started my experiments with aiming without aiming and the subconscious mind, I discovered the book The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey. This book talks about the same concepts of subconscious learning applied to the game of tennis and is without doubt one of the best descriptions of how to achieve subconscious competence. I found myself agreeing with almost everything the author said, and was amazed by the new ideas that I would have probably taken a long time to discover on my own. I guess there had to be a reason this book is already consider a bible for inner game and has sold millions of copies worldwide. If you found this article interesting and would like a more detailed explanation of the principles, I would strongly recommend taking a look at this book. You will find that the concepts can be applied to any game or sport that you wish to.

Of course, aiming without aiming isn’t a magic pill solution to billiards mastery. This is just one teeny piece of the puzzle. Obviously ‘Aiming without Aiming’ or subconscious competence only comes after developing conscious competence – Learning good pool fundamentals, following a simple aiming system, practicing with drills to build muscle memory. Even after that, aiming is just a part of the puzzle. You also need to learn to control cue ball position.

The next big piece is working on the inner game of pool, learning to bounce back from bad nights and using your emotions to win under pressure.

How To Shoot Pool Game Pigeon

Since I improved my aiming, I find myself spending almost as much time on “inner game” as on “outer game”. I am still trying to figure it all out. But every time I discover another piece of the puzzle, I try to share it.