At first the players that I've worked with don't like the idea of creating angles with their tip and the cue ball (without "aiming"). Then when I show them how it actually works and the precision and accuracy it generates, they quickly "open their minds" to the potential of the TOI.

I know this is "common sense," however I'll say it again "the cue ball is the target and the tip is the only direct relationship we have to the Game."
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For many pool players it's a natural tendency to want to spin shots in with outside "helping" English. This technique is very useful, especially if you're trying to change the natural angle of the cue ball after contact. There's another way to do this if you want to "master a shot" so you can hit the three parts of the pocket. To do this you must become more accurate and develop a "FEEL" for the pocket. This isn't any more difficult, it just requires you to simplify...

If you want to experience the aiming part of TOI try this:

Set up a slightly off angled shot (straight in to a spot a half diamond to the left of the corner pocket). This means you need to cut it slightly to the right, so look at the center of your tip, then get down as if it's straight in, aim at center (for your reference point and to "dial in your eyes"), then more your whole stick parallel to the shot line slightly to the right.

Hit it at the center,...

Like any advanced pool system it's challening to explain the TOI in writing without video. Even on video it took me 10 hours of demonstration and description to be satisfied that TOI is communicated properly.

Before you think it's a 10 hour video I'll put your mind at ease, it's been cut down to just over an hour. The point is there's a lot involved in explaining something that ends up being simple. I took the 3 major calculations you have to make to play pool and blended them into...

I talked briefly with Shane about a certain long, tough shot off the rail and he doesn't even connect to the actual object ball (on that particular shot), instead connects to the ball, then aims at the shadow cast by the object ball and bisects it with the center of his tip.

I don't want to try to explain what he does, I only know what I do, however, with my solid "referential index" I can understand immediately{know} how others are making their connection. It's just best...

I was at a local pool room last night hitting some balls and I kept hearing the sound of the guy on the next table hitting his shots. This seemed kind of odd, I'm usually not aware of the sound of someone hitting the cue ball, this seemed strangely different.

I watched him hit a couple of shots and he seemed to be playing very similar to how I do as far as the contact of the cue ball and the sound that it made. I approached him between games and said "you're not from around...

The "TOUCH OF INSIDE" (TOI) technique is much more than just "cuing the ball precisely," although you are correct, it is important. The Cue Ball is the target in pool, not the object ball, so the object ball just "reflects" how you hit the Cue Ball.

There are a few ways to "aim" or "create angles" in pool. The most common one is to aim a part of the cue ball at a part of the object ball and try to hit it. This is the most common and...

To do anything consistently requires some type of "system". I think players, especially in this Aiming Forum are mislead about what an aiming "system" really is and how it works. One thing you need before aiming even matters is a "system" for hitting the cue ball straight every time. If you're mishitting the cue ball there's no aiming system that could matter.

If you play well I'm sure you have some kind of pre shot routine to accomplish this with your...

I've always thought of pool as a way to express myself. Some people play music, write poems, draw/take pictures, create business plans, teach, martial arts, govern, sing, dance, etc. - I use pool to satisfy this "artistic desire".

Pool, to me, is also a microcosm of life in general with scenarios like "risk/reward", "win/win", "win/lose", "goal setting", "human nature tests", "structured rules", "honesty/dishonesty",...

I believe the grip and bridge needs to be a personal connection to the cue and everyone has their own method. With that said there's a couple of "common denomenators" your bridge must do to be effective.

First, it must be firm and stable enough to keep the cue solid though the stoke. If the bridge hand moves or is loose it will cause a lack of control that will cause negative reactions (when the cue tip deviates "off line" after contact), especially under pressure....

"Low Deflection" shafts are fine, but they still deflect slightly. I'm of the opinion that it's better to TRY to throw the shots and make the deflection process "your best friend," rather than some "evil enemy."

There's two trains of thought when playing rotation games. One is to let the table dictate what shot you hit. That would mean you look at the shot and it tells you what speed, what spin, and what angle (is the best to get on your next shot)....

I remember when, at the age of 19, "Omaha John" and I were touring around on a road trip and ended up in a small bar in South Carolina. The owner of the bar was a BIG gambler and would take the 5 and the break from anyone playing on the bar table with the Big Cue Ball.

We had been going through a tough time and I was "breaking even" with everyone. Usually I would get ahead, then start "letting up," they would come back, "get even" and quit....

ESPN doesn't have a personal opinion about pool or any other game. It's about business, nothing more, nothing less. They produce some of their own shows, but most of the major sports/games just use ESPN for their main purpose of business - supplying time slot schedules and providing "air time" for Executive Producers.

I've been in many meeting with ESPN, FOX SPORTS and Prime Sports SW when I was producing and/or working with televising pool shows. Pool to them is like any...

In all fairness, when discussing things that are "outside the norm" it usually takes a variety or combination of explanations before it's truly understood. I take it for granted since, in person I have a mental list of 3 themes of explanations - variations of specific details that are proven (in my experience) to get someone in the "understanding mode" quickly..

I know my grip has been questioned and talked about, and I did go over it in my original 'Ultimate...

If you hold a hammer in your palms then this is NOT FOR YOU. I'm talking about a grip where you hold the hammer/cue in your fingers so that you can feel the cue/hammer as much as possible.

There are MANY ways to play this game and personal preference, so if throw a ball without your fingers/wrist, throw a dart with no fingers/wrist or use a hammer with no fingers/wrist, then you have a different way of doing things than I do, and that's fine.

I'm ONLY talking to players...

There appear to be three different techniques for the wrist to assist the pocket billiards stroke. The first one is the wrists don't do much at all, the second is they cock up as you hit the cue ball and finish the stroke and the other is the wrists uncock down as the cue ball is struck and the follow through is completed.

The way I play is definitely with the wrists uncocking down as I contact the cue ball. I have been committed to this technique the last couple of days and it's...

I want to discuss what "Connection Calibration" is and how to do it before anyone assumes it is another word for pre shot routine. A pre shot routine is simply a routine you do each time before a shot when you stand a certain way, and see what type of shot you're going to hit and then go through your own personal routine for accomplishing the shot. These routines are essential to actually play the Game, and you may want to incorporate things from the Connection Calibration and anchor...

Using the Touch of Inside System you will effectively put yourself in a situation that your accuracy will improve with acceleration. If a "straight ball" hitter relies on acceleration it will only amplify the range of their misses (left OR right). Utilizing the "Touch of Inside" the scenario changes where you will be more accurate when accelerating which is adding another positive habit. Your Game is a direct representation of how many positive habits you have "packaged"....

I left the Game for many years and got involved in the nightclub business that generated a tremendous revenue and economy for staff, vendors and management.

We set a goal to be the "best in Texas" and accomplished this aspiration with Carsons Palace. It had the highest recorded TABC sales out of all restaurants, bars, and nightclubs in the state of Texas.

We managed a staff of over 120 employees and I was "on top of the world" in terms of public...

Pool is very much like Boxing, but instead of flurries of punches you have flurries of shots, or at the upper level flurries of racks. Instead of hooks and jabs you have draws and stuns, instead of knock out punches, you have knock out breaks, instead of ducking and dodging you're kicking and playing safe, you don't lose blood but you do lose pride, instead of 15 rounds you must win 15 games.... 9 Ball is the best TV Game, it's fast and easy to follow because there's always just one target for the...

I was talking to one of the younger Champion pocket billiards players last night. He said I have been seeing your "The Game is the Teacher" promotion and what can I do to promote the Game?

I said "Promote Yourself playing the game...do charity events, play to raise money for kids programs, hospitals,and other worthy causes...show the world what the Game can do THROUGH YOU....after all, it's not the Game that's alluring, it's the people playing it....I've seen a pool...

For pool to become popular quickly, the game must take a back seat at first. The primary story needs to be about the characters involved, not the game. No game has a draw without the personalities leading the way. History backs that up 100%.

When I was playing full time there were several of us that promoted in our own areas of the country (and some nation/world wide), Jeanette Lee, Vivian, Allison, Sigel, Hopkins, Hall, Miz, Archer, Davenport, Varner, West, Martin, Wilson, and of...

Specific knowledge is the only real "short cut" I've found. This means someone needs to not only explain why it works, but also how you go about doing it consistently as a human being.

Getting to caught up in the physics and complex explanations is unnecessary. I seriously have my doubts that anyone actually better by understanding spin/squirt ratios. The physics of the Game are simple, the geometry is slightly more difficult, and the mind/body/cue relationships are the...

You guys are making some impressive points about why pool's not as popular now as it was in the 90's when Millions of people watched pool on ESPN. The fact is when 1000 random people were recently polled only 2% said they would watch pool on TV, and the reasons appeared simple.

It didn't matter how much money was involved or even what type of pool game it was. On the other hand when ask if they would be interested in watching pool if they knew the player and had heard them tell interesting...

Speaking in terms of the "Game" having enough draw to create a loyal viewing audience is never going to happen. The reason I can say the with such certainly is it doesn't happen in any other sport or game. Football, Basketball, Wrestling, Hockey, Boxing and Golf have all had their periods of poor ratings. The common denominator that always saved them was PEOPLE (Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Larry B., Mike T., Jimmy C. John M., IMG Group, Don King, Barry Bonds, etc.).

Without...