Have you ever missed a shot and thought, "How did that not go in?" You are not alone. Every player misses. But if you want to know how to aim in pool better, start here: many misses come from the same few aiming mistakes.
I have played pool for over 50 years, and I have played in leagues and tournaments for over 38 years. The trick is to know these mistakes, so you can fix them fast.
Here are five aiming mistakes and what to do about each one.
This is the big one. A new player sees the spot on the object ball they want to hit. Then they point the middle of the cue ball right at that spot.
On a straight shot, that works. On a cut shot, it does not. The cue ball is a round ball. The side of it touches the object ball first. So if you aim the center at the contact point, you will hit the object ball too full. The ball will miss on the "thick" side of the pocket.
The fix: Aim at the ghost ball, not the contact point. Picture a pretend cue ball touching the object ball at the contact point. Send the real cue ball to where that pretend ball sits. Our new how to aim in pool page explains the ghost ball step by step.
Many players walk up to the table, bend over, and then start looking for the line. The problem is that once you are down, it is hard to see the whole shot. You make small changes with your arms and shoulders. Before long, your body is twisted and your cue is off line.
The fix: Aim while you stand. Stand behind the cue ball and look down the line to the ghost ball. Then step in and drop straight down into the shot. Keep your eyes on the line the whole time. This one change can help a lot.
You can read more about building a good routine on our pre shot routine page.
Where are your eyes when you hit the cue ball? Some players look at the cue ball at the moment of contact. Others look at the pocket. Both can pull you off line.
The fix: Most players do best when their eyes are on the object ball as they stroke. Look at the cue ball during your practice strokes. Then, on the last stroke, let your eyes settle on the contact point of the object ball. Try it both ways during practice, and see which one helps you make more balls.
Sometimes your aim is fine, but the cue ball still goes the wrong way. That happens when the stroke is not straight. A tight grip, a jerky arm, or jumping up early can all push the cue ball off line.
The fix: Check your stroke before you change your aim. Set up a straight in shot. If you miss a straight shot, the problem is almost always the stroke, not the aim. Keep your grip loose, swing from the elbow, and stay down until the ball drops.
Our billiards fundamentals training covers grip, stance, and stroke.
Side spin, also called english, changes the path of the cue ball. It can also push the cue ball off the line you aimed at. Many newer players use english on shots that do not need it. Then they miss and think their aim was wrong.
The fix: Hit the cue ball in the center, or just above or below center, until your aim feels solid. Learn to make balls with no side spin first. Then add english a little at a time, on purpose, when you need it to get shape for your next shot.
Fixing these mistakes takes practice. Here is an easy plan you can use for 20 minutes:
Want more? Our billiard drills page has more ideas. You can also sign up for my free pool drills and training by email on the pool tips page.
Good aim helps you make balls. But winning at 8 ball takes more than that. You need to know which group to pick, when to play safe, and how to plan your run. That is why I wrote 8 Ball Winning Strategies. It is a guide to playing smarter 8 ball. You can see what is inside on the 8 Ball Winning Strategies page.
Let us go over the five mistakes one more time:
Pick one mistake to fix this week. Work on it until it feels natural, then move on to the next one. Small fixes add up to a lot more balls in the pocket.
For more help, visit our pool lessons page or our how to play pool page.