Laser Aimer
A Device for Practicing
Ghost Ball, Bank & Kick Shots
by Mick Turner
Contents, and images Copyright 2004, Mick Turner
We have all
heard of the 'angle-in vs. angle-out' concept for shooting bank and kick
shots. I was thinking about this awhile
back, while I was really bored and needed something to do, and it occurred to
me that light travels in a straight line. (Sometimes I really surprise myself
with great insights...) Of course, most
of us already know that, but there are some clever uses for this fact, as I
will show here. I had heard of laser
cues and other devices but they are pretty expensive and I already have some
expensive cues. I wanted to somehow use
a light beam to help line up bank and kick shots and do it for as little money
as possible, so I came up with this idea to build a 'Laser Aimer'. As the idea developed and I used it, what
was most fun was discovering new ways to use my new toy.
Have you
ever seen the laser beam devices used in construction that use a laser light
line to align and measure a whole host of things? Well, as I combined my straight line light fact with the laser
device I came up with something that can be used on a pool table and will help
with aiming shots.
Curious? Read on...
How to build the Laser Aimer
The first
thing I needed was a laser light source.
I started looking at those pointer pens and discovered they would be
really hard to adapt to my uses and while looking at different laser pointers I
was really fortunate when I found a device called a "Strait-LineR Laser
Level 60" (see Figure SL-1 below) Laser Line device, and on sale for
$19.99 at Home Depot (unpaid plug). (I
really should contact the Strait-LineR folks for royalties, yea
right!) See info on the Laser Level 60 at:
http://www.strait-line.com/irwin/consumer/straitline/jhtml/laser_level_60.jhtml
The
Strait-LineR doesn't 'just' put a laser dot on something,
like a pointer would, it does something better! It has a small lens in front of the laser light source that
actually makes a red laser line between the Strait-LineR and
whatever you are pointing at. It is
(normally) used for making a line on a piece of wood or other construction
material so you can mark it then cut it.
At the end of the line is a 'red dot' so what you end up with is
a line of laser light and a 'target dot'.
How lucky is that? I found a
device that was exactly what I needed!
Note: I contacted the company that builds the
Strait-LineR and they strongly suggested
I include their disclaimer, so here it is:
Don't look into the laser light it may damage your eyes. I, also, WOULD NOT recommend getting clever
and pointing it at people, there might be a policeman around and they are
trained to beware of 'red targeting guns' with lasers. You might get an ugly surprise and get
arrested, or worse, if you put the light on someone! It is possible to shine the light off the table, and the light
goes quite a distance. Be Careful how
you use this device! You might want to
tell everyone what you are doing so they know about the 'red light'.
Now with that legal stuff out of
the way, do you remember the 'angle-in vs. angle-out' I
mentioned before? Well how do you think
a laser light can be made to show that 'angle-in vs. angle-out' concept? It's really hard to figure out...think about
it...go to the library, research it...and you will come up with this fantastic
device called a mirror. (Sorry for the
dramatics but I just couldn't resist...this was so simple even I figured it
out!)
Anyway, back to the subject...In order for this to work I needed
the laser light to go over a pool ball so it would show the path of the ball by
following the laser line. I tried
several methods until I came up with this simple solution. The Strait-LineR sits flat and is
about 3/8" too short to project the light over a pool ball, so I cut some
3/8" thick, wood blocks to fit the Strait-Line'sR footing. I used two pieces of wood because I didn't
want to block the battery door on the bottom of the Strait-LineR. I used double-sided tape (the 3M type with
the 1/16" foam space between sticky sides), and stuck the blocks to the
bottom of the Strait-LineR.
(see Figure SL-2 below, note battery door -- it uses 2, 'AA' size
batteries) The front of the Strait-LineR
is shown in Figure SL-3. Note the
'yellow' window in the center, this yellow piece slides up revealing the Laser
Light and also turns on the Strait-LineR's Laser when lifted. (There is also a sharp steel pin you can
push down with the black indented piece just below the yellow window, but I
didn't use that.)
Figure SL-1 Figure SL-2
Figure SL-3
Now I had a
device that made a laser light line over and in front of a pool ball.
(see Figure
Laser-1 below). The laser is
behind the Cueball at the top right of the picture, shining down the table to
the mirror at the bottom of the picture, then reflecting back up the table to
the 9 ball by the pocket at the top left of the picture. (Note that the laser line starts just past the Cueball's
shadow.) For this picture I changed the mirror angle slightly to put a bigger
'red dot' on the 9 ball so it would show up better. How is this done? See the
next section on the Mirror.)
Figure Laser-1
(actual laser light)
The Mirror
Next, to do
the 'angle in vs. angle out' 'V' angle, I needed a mirror sitting at 90 degrees
to the table surface, and I needed a quick way to assure it would stay in place
and be adjustable (flat) for storage. I
also needed to raise the mirror up from the table surface so it would closely
match the Strait-LineR height to provide a straight reflection path
for the laser light. In figuring all this out I discovered that there is
another neat invention called a hinge that I used (see Figure M-1). I went to the trouble of getting a long
hinge and cutting off a piece, but a good quality tight 2"
hinge would work just as well. (If the hinge wobbles it won't represent a true
vertical vs. horizontal position for the laser light.)
To attach
the mirror (I went to a Hobby Lobby store and purchased a 3" X 4"
mirror) I again used the two sided 3M tape, and stuck the hinge to the back,
bottom edge of the mirror. Then I
screwed (screws came with the hinge) the hinge to a block of plain white pine
1/2" thick and 3" X 4" in size (same as mirror) for the mirror
footing (of course the wood was sanded and painted with clear urethane to stay
clean). If you look close and notice
the way I set up the hinge, with the pin to the rear, it stops at the desired
90 degrees when fully forward which allows the back of the mirror to be placed
directly against the cushion for true positioning, and, when hinged back, also
allows the mirror to be slightly adjusted to show the laser line and red dot
better, as I did in Figure Laser-1, above. The hinge also allows the mirror to lay flat
(see Figure M-2) for easy storage. I
always wrap this mirror with a towel so it has some protection from breakage. Note: Be sure to apply the hinge and mirror
straight on the block of wood so your reflection alignment laser lines will be
accurate.
A note about the mirror; if you find
one, and in your reflection you look like you are in a fun house hall of crazy
mirrors, you might want to find a better mirror. Those cheap mirrors just won't give you a straight line. I didn't have any trouble finding a cheap
good one, but be careful to get one that isn't distorted. Hold the mirror up and look at various
angles and move it side to side slightly to see if reflections are normal or distorted.
Figure M-1 Figure M-2
How it works, how to use it
and how it helps your game
Bank Shots
To use the
laser light with the mirror for a Bank Shot:
1. You simply position the Strait-LineR
Laser behind the Object Ball, align it so it points to the far cushion
approximately at your Bank shot cushion point to make the shot;
2. Then place the mirror in line with the laser
light with the back of the mirror flat against the cushion, with the mirror
straight up at 90 degrees to the table;
3. Then go back and tweak the laser and mirror
position until the laser line goes to the mirror and reflects back on your
target...and puts the 'dot' on the pocket. So the 'angle-in vs. angle-out' is
perfect based on the light path and mirror reflection...the perfect
"V" off the far cushion back to the object pocket. (see Figure Bank-1
below).
The point
that the laser hits on the back-side of the Object Ball is your contact
point for the Cueball. This aiming system works no matter where the Cue or
Object balls are on the table or what your target pocket is, assuming you can
hit the Cueball and contact the Object Ball where the light hits it).
The mirror
reflected light shown in Figure Bank-2 shows the laser light reflected to the
target pocket at the best entry point to avoid the cushion tip. I only did one picture example for a Bank
Shot since it is so straightforward.
Figure Bank-1 Figure
Bank-2
Once you
determine where to aim and bank, remove the mirror. The laser will still be pointing to the contact point on the
Object Ball and the bank point on the cushion. You might want to remove the mirror and leave the laser in place
and shoot, or put a mark on the cushion with chalk to help remember where the
contact points are, your choice depending on the shot. I prefer to leave the
laser in place on bank shots so I can see (red)
the contact point on the Object Ball.
You can virtually put this system in place anywhere on the table
regardless of the angle or distance...the laser will reflect in a 'V' and point
to your pocket, then you hit the Cueball to contact the Object Ball at the
light point to make the shot. In case you happen to hit the device with a ball,
remember, it was designed to be used in construction and is pretty rugged --
but I wouldn't recommend hitting it too hard, you might damage the light
source.
Kick Shots
To do Kick
Shots, the process is similar but instead of putting the laser behind the
Object ball, you put it behind the Cueball, align the mirror the same way but
for kick shots you must target the actual contact point for the kicked ball to
make the pocket.
For balls
that are NOT aligned with the pocket line, you need to use a 'ghost ball' in
line with the target pocket through the Object ball, and align the laser light
on the center of the 'ghost ball'. That
assures your shot will contact the Object Ball in the correct place to make the
shot. (More on this after I describe
the shots that are lined up already.)
In
circumstances where the laser is in line with -- through the Object Ball to the
-- pocket anyway, you don't need a 'ghost ball'. This type of shot is shown in Figures Kick-1,2,3,4 & 5 below. If you follow the laser line and hit the
Cueball properly to rebound from the 'Contact Point on the Cushion, it will
kick off the cushion and contact the Object Ball at the red dot. When you
actually shoot, remember to remove the mirror, mark your kick point, remove the
laser then shoot. (see below, Figures Kick-1,
Kick-2 for a side shot, Object ball front and rear
view's; Kick-3, Kick-4 for a full table - off the side cushion; kick shot; and
Kick-5 for a full table kick shot).
Remember on cushion shots, if you come up short on the angle you hit too
hard, if you come up long, you hit too soft.
Medium speed hits work best.
Figure Kick-1
(front) Figure
Kick-2 (rear)
Figure Kick-3 (behind mirror) Figure Kick-4 (rear of OB)
Figure Kick-5
(Actual laser
light, note object ball at left.)
As I said
above, for kick shots with balls that are NOT aligned with the pocket line, you
need to use a 'ghost ball' in line with the target pocket through the Object
ball, and align the laser light on the center of the 'ghost ball'. This gives
you the correct aiming point, thus the correct kick point on the cushion, for
the shot. Below, the side shot in Figures
Kick-6a,b & c and the corner shot in Figures 7a & b show how the laser
aligns these shots.
Figure Kick-6a
(mirror) Figure Kick-6b
(ghost ball rear)
Figure Kick-6c
(aim point rear, close up)
Figure
Kick-7a (ghost ball rear) Figure Kick-7b (aim point rear, close up)
I have done
this so much that now I just line up the shot, and mentally remember where the
laser was pointing. I don't always make
my shots, but this has helped me visualize the shot after the laser is gone and
it replicates the same mental process you might use in a game...observe the
shot you want to make, think about follow up position etc., pick the bank or
kick point by observing angle in vs. angle out, line up the shot and go for it!
The only
other bit of information you need to know is that to get the 'angle-in vs.
angle-out' laser aiming concept to work, you must hit the balls at a medium
speed with no English. Depending on the
distance of the shot, slight variations in speed and/or English will affect the
shot, so be gentle. On longer shots,
you might need more speed, but avoid side-spin (English) until you get
comfortable with the effects on the Cue and Object Balls.
If you use a
device like this in practice you will get better and better at judging your
bank and kick shots. In games, as you visualize
shots, you will see the angles you practiced and know more precisely the
contact and aim points that work best for particular shots. The only down side I have seen is that it
takes anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute or more to set up shots but I feel
the knowledge gained is well worth the time.
Using the Laser Aimer with
the Ghost Ball Technique
In case you
didn't notice, since the 'Ghost Ball' technique works for kick shots, as
described above, the technique also works well if you use the 'Ghost Ball'
technique and Laser Aimer together for normal shots. In the following four pictures, you can
easily see how in Figure GB-1, the Cueball, acting as a ghost ball, is directly
behind the Object Ball on a line to the corner pocket. If you align the Laser Aimers light line on
the center of the ghost ball, then move the Ghost Ball away, and put the CB on
the aim line as in Figure GB-2, you can see the actual aim point on the Object
Ball and how the laser line is centered on the Cueball...in bright red. (Notice
how the aim point is on the right edge of the 9 ball.) I have found this technique quite
useful as it 'burns' into my memory the actual
aim points on various shots.
This definitely helps my game, especially on tough shots. You get to see where the 'aim points'
actually are on a variety of cut shots...now you don't have to guess or think
about it too much.
(Don't forget
about Throw if you put English on the Cueball, if you don't compensate
slightly, most of the time, on longer shots, you will miss. Compensating for Throw is another subject,
but in a short synopsis, to correct for Throw you aim slightly opposite your
English...i.e., Right English (on Cueball) means you aim slightly left at
Object Ball etc. The amount of aim
change depends on how much English, how hard you hit and the distance between
the Cueball and the Object Ball, and the overall distance of the Object Ball's
travel to the pocket. This is a more
advanced skill I'm not covering here, but just wanted to mention it so you
don't get discouraged if you aim at the Laser Aimer's point of light and keep
missing...maybe it's Throw that is causing it.
Remember to learn to use these techniques it is best to shoot medium
speed with no English until you learn to compensate for other factors, like
English, Throw, Deflection etc., as a more advanced skill.)
Figures GB-3
and GB-4 show a side pocket shot using the Ghost Ball / Laser Aimer
Technique. (Notice on this shot, the
aim point is about 1/4" to the right of the 9 ball.)
Note: On these pictures I
had to 'enhance' the red line of the laser because the picture came out with a
real faint line, but on the table it was very visible.
Of course,
if the Cueball is moved off the line or in a different position, you must
realign the shot with the laser, as the aim point will move depending on the
angle of the shot.
Figure GB-1 Figure
GB-2
Figure GB-3 Figure
GB-4
(In
Figure GB-4, the Cueball is moved aside to provide better visibility on
aim point)
This laser aiming device, of course is
only a practice tool, as I'm sure an opponent would have a real screaming,
stomping, cursing fit if you laid this baby on the table and started measuring
shots during a real game...funny, our league doesn't have any rules against
such a device and I intend to use it someday...just to rattle a few cages and
really tick off some of the more anal players...but that is my 'dark side' and
we won't go there right now!
Well that's it, I hope some of you can
build this 'toy', learn from it and enjoy it as I have. I use it to practice my shots so I have a
better idea of just how to make difficult shots during games. It works most anywhere
on the table, assuming you have enough room for the Strait-LineR
laser device and the mirror if you need it.
So far, I can actually say my banking and kicking is getting better...my
opponents certainly have noticed my increased skills in that area. When I use it for practice I always get
curious players wanting to know what I'm doing...I simply say, Laser Aimer,
don't you have one? That just makes
them even more curious and it's fun to explain what you can do with it and how
easy it is to build.
I also
noticed something else while working on this project. If you will note in the left picture, the laser's reflection went
straight to the pocket. If you look
into the mirror and see the pocket 'behind' the mirror, it is the same as the
right diagram. An interesting thing to
observe...if you removed the mirror and were to shoot to the 'pockets
reflection' you would go into the pocket.
Picture of Laser through mirror
to Pocket
Diagram
of Line to Pocket via Mirror
Normally I
patent and/or copyright my devices...but this one is so simple I am putting the
idea into the public domain (This article and various companies images are
Copyrighted though, see below disclaimer).
This idea set me back some time and around $25 to make. The Strait-LineR Aiming device
normally sells for $29, I happened to find it on sale, so look around for a
bargain.
Mick
Turner
Contents, and images Copyright 2004, Mick Turner
This information may be shared freely so long
as the Copyright notice is included. If
any contents or images are used in any commercial way, permission must be
obtained from either the product owners and/or at:
mick.turner@sbcglobal.net. I accept no
responsibility for the misuse of this device.
If you build it and use it the responsibility to use this device safely
is yours alone.
Credits: Strait-LineR, Trademark of Irwin Industrial Tool Company, subsidiary of Newell Rubbermaid, Hobby LobbyR, Home DepotR and most of all, Clicks BilliardsR, at 281 & Bitters Road, San Antonio, Texas for letting this crazy person in to do the pictures (even though I paid for the table and liquid refreshment -- which might explain some of the fuzzy pictures).