What’s the easiest way to ensure the cue tip is aligned with the center of the cue ball?
First, it is very important that your vision center is aligned with the cue so the tip will look centered when it is centered. It also helps to position the cue tip as close as possible to the CB in your “set” position to minimize any perspective perception problems resulting from not being aligned with your vision center. It also helps to deliberately focus on where the cue tip is relative to the CB center for a deliberate amount of time during the “set” position, with quiet eyes. It can also help some people to key off the resting point of the CB on the cloth or the very top of the ball. This can help you more accurately visualize the vertical centerline of the CB.
The drills suggested and demonstrated on the MOFUDAT page can also be very useful to diagnose and help correct alignment and stroke flaws. Joe Tucker’s Third Eye Stroke Trainer can also be helpful to some people. Here are other useful techniques to help verify center-ball-hit tip-position accuracy:
Some players address the CB lower than they intend to hit the ball to help better visualize the center of the ball. See cue tip height on CB for more information.
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