Aiming

The bulk of Angle Detective aiming was covered in the Theory section, but I will add a bit more to the subject before moving on.

We learned about the Angle Detective reference labels and how they link reference rectangles, friction-adjusted reference angles, and fractional reference aims. The reference aims were locations on or near the object ball as viewed from behind the cue ball’s center. Shooting the center of the cue ball toward a reference aim would result in the object ball releasing from cue ball collision at the corresponding reference angle.

Here are the reference aims using all 1/8-ball and several 1/16-ball divisions of the object ball for cue ball center aiming.

Aiming the center of the cue ball has its advantages, but when the aim lies beyond the object ball’s edge it can become difficult to pinpoint its location. This would be the case for all aims above ‘E.’ For this reason, players may choose to aim the inside edge of the cue ball rather than its center.

The advantage of aiming the inside edge of the cue ball is that it always results in an aim that lies within the horizontal boundaries of the object ball’s left and right edges. The disadvantage is that the sighting line is always to one side of the cue stick’s line.

Here are the reference aims using all 1/8-ball, all 1/16-ball, and four 1/32-ball divisions for cue ball edge aiming.

The reference labels remain the same whether you choose to aim with the cue ball’s center or its edge. You may even choose to practice both methods and apply one or the other depending upon the situation. It is your choice.

The aims shown for both center and edge aiming should be seen as starting points for your reference aims. Once you begin practicing these aims, you may find that they require personal adjustments.

For example, although the aim for ‘E’ is shown to be the object ball’s edge, under your playing conditions you may find it necessary to aim the center of the cue ball beyond the object ball’s edge in order to match the 27° ‘E’ shot angle.

The Training section will offer you several ways to accurately test everything for yourself.