How to Aim in Pool: Ghost Ball, Contact Points and Cut Angles
Aiming is the first thing every player struggles with, and there is no magic trick. But there is a simple picture that makes every cut shot make sense, and a few reference angles that make it faster. Learn these, then train your eye with our aim trainer game.
The ghost ball
Draw an imaginary line from the center of the pocket through the center of the object ball and out the other side. The spot on that line, one ball-width behind the object ball, is where the center of the cue ball needs to be at the moment of contact. Players call the imaginary ball sitting there the ghost ball.
So you aim the cue ball at the ghost ball, not at the object ball. On a straight-in shot the ghost ball is right behind the object ball, and you aim at its center. The more the shot is cut, the farther your aim moves away from the object ball.
Contact point
Another way to see the same thing: the contact point is the spot on the object ball farthest from the pocket. The cue ball has to touch exactly there. Some players find it easier to look at the contact point; others see the ghost ball. Both give the same aim. Use whichever one your eye trusts.
Fractional aiming: four reference shots
Many players learn a few fixed "overlaps" between the cue ball and object ball, and the cut angle each one makes:
| Aim (cue ball center at…) | Hit | Cut angle |
|---|---|---|
| Center of the object ball | Full ball | 0° (straight in) |
| Halfway between center and edge | 3/4 ball | about 15° |
| The edge of the object ball | 1/2 ball | 30° |
| Halfway outside the edge | 1/4 ball | about 49° |
| Just grazing the edge | Very thin | close to 90° |
The half-ball hit is the most useful one to memorize: aim the center of the cue ball at the edge of the object ball and the object ball leaves at 30 degrees. Shots between the references are "a bit fuller than half ball" and so on.
Why thin cuts are so hard
On a straight-in shot, a small aiming error barely changes where the object ball goes. On a thin cut, the same error is multiplied several times. That is why good players avoid leaving themselves thin cuts, and why the aim trainer gets harder as the angle grows.
Fixing "thick" and "thin" misses
- Missing thick means you hit the object ball too full, so it didn't cut enough. Aim farther outside the object ball.
- Missing thin means you over-cut it, so it went past the pocket on the other side. Aim a touch fuller.
- Slow cut shots go a little thicker than the geometry says because of friction between the balls, called throw. On slow, thin cuts, aim a hair thinner. See the throw shot.
- Side spin moves the cue ball off line. Learn to aim with a center hit first. See English explained.
A simple routine that helps
- Stand behind the shot and find the line from the pocket through the object ball.
- Pick the ghost ball (or contact point) while you are standing, not once you are down.
- Walk into the shot along the aiming line and get down on it.
- Take a couple of smooth practice strokes, pause, and stroke through.
Practice it: play the aim trainer, then take the practice drills to the table.