Billiards Digest — House Pro Tony Robles

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BD House Pro
Tony Robles

A longtime teaching pro at Amsterdam Billiard Club in New York City, Tony has dozens of regional and national titles to his name, including the 2004 BCA Open Championships.

Instruction Articles:

• September 2010
Through & Through

• August 2010
Along the Rail

• July 2010
The Small Stuff

• June 2010
Three in One

• May 2010
One Ball At a Time

• April 2010
Going Thin to Win

• March 2010
Know Your Game

• February 2010
14.1 For 8-Ballers

• January 2010
Setting It Straight

• December 2009
Hanging Out, Part II

• November 2009
Hanging Out

• October 2009
Control Your Speed

• September 2009
Busting Out of a Slump

• August 2009
Easy Errors, Part III

• July 2009
Easy Errors, Part II

• June 2009
Easy Errors, Part I

• May 2009
Body Language & Breaking

• April 2009
The Break: Body Language

• March 2009
Must-Reads from Robles

• February 2009
Position: Four Square

• January 2009
Romancing the Stance

• October 2008
Look Out for Boingy Rails

• September 2008
Build a Better Break

• August 2008
Q&A: Ask the Pro

• July 2008
‘Buzz’ Kill: Stay Down

• June 2008
Stop Shots Safeties III

• May 2008
Stop Shots Part II

• April 2008
STOP-SHOT Safeties

• March 2008
How to Keep Winning

• February 2008
The Dreaded Straight-In Shot

• January 2008
Trying the Soft Break

• December 2007
The Hard Way Makes It Easier

• October 2007
Win from Your Chair

How to Sight the Cue

November 2007

THERE’S A lot of debate about whether you should position the cue stick beneath your chin or what they call the “dominant eye.” From my standpoint over all the years that I have taught, everyone is different. Your challenge is to figure out which works best for you.

I usually start off with having my students position the cue under their chins (see photo). Then I set up a simple stop shot and take a look at their alignment. If that position isn’t working for them, I’ll have them move the cue under their dominant eye or the other eye, and the next thing you know, they are lined up perfectly for the shot.

Some people have tricks to tell which is your dominant eye, but I’ve tried them before and I don’t think they work. If my students are struggling, I tell them to set up a stop shot (see Diagram 1) and then execute it 50 times with the cue in each of the three basic positions — under the chin and under the left and right eyes. That’s 150 shots total. They’re supposed to track the outcome of each shot, so when they’re done they’ll know which position gave them the most success. And in addition to sinking the shot, you can keep track of whether the cue ball drifts to the right or left after the stop shot, a sign that you aren’t perfectly aligned.

Again, I always start with the cue under the chin. But if that isn’t working, go ahead and try the exercise. You also can have a buddy check your alignment while you’re trying the stop shots; from his or her vantage point, they’ll be able to tell if your stroke is straight.

Featured Video: Harriman's Drawing
(courtesy Accu-Stats)