• Can I Shoot Pigeons
• How To Shoot Pool Game Pigeon

You don't aim a shotgun; you point it, as if it were an extension of your index finger. Before the clay flies, note the hold point (the spot along the clay's path where you first point the. Use two-way shots where possible when faced with a difficult shot (e.g., a bank). The 30° rule is very useful in safety play (see 30° rule examples). When playing a safety in 9-ball, try to leave the OB away from a cushion (see “big ball” effect). Come into the line of blockers when hooking your opponent. I downloaded the app but can’t play games. If you have downloaded Game Pigeon and you can’t access or play games, simply follow these steps. Open any message thread on iMessage and at the bottom left, tap the 4 dots. Once you do this, you should see the game. Select your game of choice and an invite will be sent to your friend.

– Fundamentals
– Aiming
– Cue Ball Control
– Speed Control

– English (sidespin)
– Position Control
– Safety Play
– Strategy

– Break
– Jump
– Massé

See also:
Top 100 Maxims/Sayings/Quotes
Top 100 Myths

Most of the secrets of pool are revealed in the Video Encyclopedia of Pool Shots (VEPS). Specifically, all of the VEPS “gems” are useful and important to know to be a good player. Here’s the complete list of shots and gems presented on VEPS. Below is a categorized summary of some of the most important “secrets” and “gems” of pool, with links to additional resources, including video demonstrations and well-illustrated instructional articles.

The biggest tip and “secret” of them all is: Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Dr. Dave keeps this site commercial free, with no ads. If you appreciate the free resources, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to show your support:

Fundamentals

1. A session with an experienced and qualified instructor can be very helpful to players at all levels.
2. Make sure your stance is stable, provides clearance for the stroke, and is comfortable.
3. Keep your grip relaxed during the entire stroke (see grip technique advice).
4. Make sure you bridge is stable and still during your stroke (see bridge technique advice).
5. Use a bridge length appropriate for you and a particular shot (see bridge length advice).
6. Keep your cue still and eyes quiet when checking your cue alignment and aim (see reasons for pauses).
7. Don’t rush the transition between the final back stroke and forward stroke (see stroke technique advice).
8. Don’t drop your elbow during the stroke into the ball (see elbow drop).
9. Stay down on the shot … don’t move your head or body during the stroke (see stroke technique advice).
10. Don’t use more speed than is appropriate for a given shot.

Aiming

11. Use a consistent and purposeful pre-shot routine.
12. Make sure your vision center is always aligned properly.
13. Ghost-ball aiming can be a useful visualization tool.
14. The contact-point-to-contact-point or parallel-lines system can be a useful visualization tool.
15. The double-the-distance or double-the-overlap aiming system can be a useful visualization tool.
16. Your cue can be used to help you aim (see NV 3.2 and NV D.9).
17. Make sure you are sighting shots consistently and purposefully.
18. Be leery and suspicious of exaggerated claims concerning some cut-shot aiming systems. Having said this, these systems do offer benefits to some people.
19. With good technique, HAMB (“Hit a Million Balls”) is the best “system” for aiming success.

Cue Ball Control

20. The 90° rule predicts the CB heads down the tangent line for stun shots.
21. The 30° rule predicts a rolling CB heads in the natural-angle direction.
22. The Dr. Dave peace sign can be very useful in applying and making adjustments to the 30° rule.
23. The 3-times-the-angle (trisect) system predicts the angle the CB direction changes for a good-action draw shot is 3-times the cut angle.
24. For a fairly full hit, with a ball-hit-fraction greater than 3/4, the CB will deflect about 3-times the cut angle (see where the CB goes for different cases).
25. For a fairly thin hit, with a ball-hit-fraction less than 1/4, the CB will deflect about 70-75% (about 3/4) of the angle between the aiming line and the tangent line (see where the CB goes for different cases).
26. With all shots, more speed shifts the cue-ball farther down the tangent line before curving to the final direction (see CB path speed effects).

Speed Control

27. The optimal tip height for speed control is 20% of the radius above center (see optimal tip height for speed control).
28. With a full-hit rolling CB shot, the CB travels about 1/7 the distance of the OB after impact (see ball travel distances).
29. With a rolling-CB half-ball hit, the CB and OB separate at close to same speed and same angle (see speed control article).
30. With a 45° stun shot, the CB and OB separate at the same angle and distance (see speed control article).

Draw Shot

31. Make sure your tip is well chalked, keep your grip relaxed, keep your cue as level as possible, accelerate smoothly into the ball (see draw shot technique advice).
32. In general, for best draw distance control, use more spin with less speed (see physics-based draw shot advice).
33. For a stun-back shot, with a small and controlled amount of draw, a firmer hit closer to center offers better CB distance control (see physics-based draw shot advice).
34. Elevate the cue only when you need quick draw.
35. Don’t push the miscue limit so much with long power draw shots.
36. The 3-times-the-angle (trisect) system can be used to predict final CB direction with a good-action draw shot.
37. Draw is a lot easier on slicker cloth (or with a CB treated with Silicon spray) and with a lighter CB.

English (sidespin)

38. The miscue limit is half of the cue ball’s radius from the center, which is the width of the stripe on a striped ball (see “tips” of english articles).
39. A solid understanding and feel for squirt, swerve, and throw effects is critical to being able to use sidespin effectively.
40. back-hand english (BHE) and front-hand-english (FHE) can be used to compensate aim for squirt and swerve when using sidespin.
41. Outside english can be used to eliminate throw, and this can be useful in clingy conditions (see gearing outside english).
42. Running english can greatly reduce the difficulty of rail cut shots.
43. Going ball-first or cushion-first with sidespin on rail cut shots makes a big difference in CB control (see NV B.72).
44. A drag shot can be used to increase the effect of sidespin off a cushion (see maximum sidespin effect).

Position Control

45. It is important to know various useful CB-control reference lines when planning position.
46. It is much easier to control CB travel distance with natural-rolling follow shots (see follow shot accuracy).
47. Always try to leave an angle and come into the line of a shot.
48. When you leave yourself straight in, there are still options for position control (see NV B.30).
49. Pocket cheating can help create an angle.
50. Rail cut shots offer many position control options.
51. Coming off a cushion can increase your margin for error when targeting a position close to a rail.
52. The 45° rule, that predicts a ball rolling into an end cushion at close to a 45° angle heads close to the center of the table, if very useful for position play.
53. Practice positioning the CB to the center of the table. This comes in handy in many game situations.

Safety Play

54. Always play safe when it increases your chances of winning a game.
55. Use two-way shots where possible when faced with a difficult shot (e.g., a bank).
56. The 30° rule is very useful in safety play (see 30° rule examples).
57. When playing a safety in 9-ball, try to leave the OB away from a cushion (see “big ball” effect).
58. Come into the line of blockers when hooking your opponent.
59. With ball-in-hand, try to be strategic with combos, clusters, and problem balls (see 30° rule examples).

Strategy

60. Follow “best practices” concerning how and when to play safeties (see general safety advice).
61. Don’t bump into or disturb other balls on the table if it isn’t necessary.
62. Keep the CB away from the cushions to enable a wide range of tip positions without cue elevation.
63. Pocket or move balls that clear the way for other balls as early as possible.
64. Break out clusters and deal with problem balls as early as possible.
65. In 8-ball, choose stripes or solids wisely and identify key balls for the game (see 8-ball strategy).
66. In 8-ball, if you can’t run-out, play a safety early in the game.
67. In 8-ball, break out clusters when an insurance ball is available.
68. In 9-ball, break out clusters and problem balls at the right time (see 9-ball strategy).

Bank and Kick Shots

69. To bank and kick effectively, it is important to understand and have a feel for all of the bank and kick effects.
70. For rolling-ball kicks or banks, the through-diamond aiming system is very reliable.
71. Faster speed can help bank shot accuracy and consistency (see advantages of fast speed).
72. With shallow-angle kicks, the contact-point mirror system can be very effective.
73. For cross-corner bank shots, it is very important to know how to detect and avoid double kisses.
74. Sidespin can be used to alter bank shots (see spin transfer bank shots).
75. For aiming two- and three-rail kicks off a short rail, the Plus System is very useful.
76. For aiming two-, three-, and four-rail kicks off a long rail, the Corner 5 System is very useful.

Carom and Kiss Shots

77. The 90 and 30° rules are very useful for aiming carom and kiss shots (see carom and kiss shot aiming).
78. When two OBs are frozen, the combination direction can be changed quite a bit with throw (see frozen-ball throw).
79. Bob Jewett’s two-times-fuller and ten-times fuller systems are useful to aim frozen carom and kiss shots.

Throw

80. A solid understanding and feel for throw effects is important, expecially for combos and small-gap shots.
81. Maximum CIT, with no sidespin, occurs with slow speed at about a 1/2-ball hit (see maximum throw).
82. Maximum SIT occurs occurs with slow speed and about 50% sidespin (see maximum throw).
83. Maximum throw, under typical conditions, is about 1 inch per foot of OB travel, or 1/2 a ball per diamond on a 9′ table, which is about 5°.
84. When the CB is fairly close to the OB, SIT can be used for a “hold” or “kill” shot to limit cue ball drift.
85. When balls are frozen, it is very easy to achieve maximum CIT of the 2nd ball (see frozen-ball throw).
86. Gearing outside english can be used to eliminate throw, but this might not be the best approach for all people and situations (see using outside english to prevent throw and cling).
87. Transferring spin from the CB to the OB is an important effects with some shots (see spin transfer for examples).

Break Shot

88. The optimal tip height for a lag shot is 20% of the ball radius above center (see lag shot).
89. Follow the “best practices” for an accurate, consistent, and effective break (see getting a tight rack and break technique advice).
90. Knowing where different balls tend to go in a 9-ball rack can be useful to know (see pattern racking strategy).
91. In 8-ball, a 2nd-ball break from side can be used to make the 8-ball on the break.
92. If you use a break cue with a natural pivot length well matched to your bridge length, stroking errors will not affect your accuracy (see pivot-length article).

Jump Shot

93. For best results, follow all of the recommended “best practices” (see jump shot technique advice).
94. For best jump results, aim between the center of the CB and resting point on the cloth (see jump shot article).
95. To jump higher and shorter, elevate the cue; to jump longer, use more speed and less cue elevation (see jump shot article).
96. With more cue elevation, the dart stroke will be more comfortable and effective for most people (see jump shot technique advice).
97. Jump shots are often over cut due to the CB hopping in the OB (see jump shot over cut effect).

Massé Shot

98. For best results, follow all of the recommended “best practices” (see massé shot technique advice).
99. The Coriolis aiming system for massé shots can be very effective.
100. After-collision massé shots can be very useful when you need to curve the CB path after contact with the OB.

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Eleven years ago we moved into a new house just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and we had our first, in-ground pool installed. The whole family has spent most of every summer jumping in it, shooting basketballs at the hoop, playing volleyball and trying out various toys that float, shoot water, and travel underneath.
The one thing we haven't enjoyed? The messy disaster constantly left by the birds who stop by every few minutes to drink from the spillway between the hot tub and the pool itself.
I've been searching for how to keep pigeons away from my pool for YEARS - and FINALLY found a pretty solution that's cheap, quiet, and safe.
It took quite some time to get to this point, though. I'd try something, it wouldn't work, I'd try something else, it wouldn't work - and so on. In fact, I'd given up a couple of years ago and just become used to hosing off the patio surrounding the pool several times a week.
We did train our Chihuahua to run after the pigeons and bark to scare them off. He's not much of a barker but if you say 'Go get the birds!' he's off and running and sharing his specific 'get out of my yard' bark. That certainly wasn't 100% reliable as it only worked if the dog and an adult were on the patio.

Can I Shoot Pigeons

Then new neighbors moved in behind us and hung a reflective owl from a chain attached to the peak of their roof. I work on my back patio most of the year (it's a pleasant at-home office - most of the time - I'll have to do a separate post on how I stay cool outside when temps reach 110+!).
I admired them giving it a shot but that owl hanging from the chain became annoying. It sounded like a loud, clinking, unpleasant wind chime. I began to detest that owl as it distracted me from my work whenever the slightest breeze blew. It did, though, seem to keep the pigeons away - for a bit.
Not a few days later, we had a day with stronger winds and that owl blew up under the eaves, became stuck, and stopped doing its job as a pigeon deterrent.
Bye-bye owl. He disappeared the next day and I can only assume the neighbors realized that was not going to work and probably also hated the clanging noise of the chain.
Several people had suggested a plastic owl but, based on everything I'd read, most people see results like this person in the following video. It works a bit but either not for long or not 100%.

How To Shoot Pool Game Pigeon

But the fact that the neighbor's owl was reflective got me thinking and I went back online to see why the reflective piece seemed so important. It seems that pigeons do not like things that are shiny and reflect sunlight.
I immediately whipped out a piece of tin foil and weighted it down with a rock across the spillway of the pool. Surprisingly, the pigeons would swoop in for water and then - like a plane that decides to divert their landing at the last minute - the bird would swoop up and away, never landing on the patio.
Unfortunately, a large chunk of tinfoil flailing about on the patio near the pool didn't seem a very attractive solution (and while I want the pigeons gone I wasn't ready to give up a nice looking patio!).
That led to some more research and a test of something surprisingly simple - and pretty! And SAFE!
I got some reflective kids' party pinwheels and some galvanized metal buckets that I thought were attractive enough for the patio. I put two pinwheels in each bucket and filled the bucket with rocks from the yard.
I wanted the two pinwheels to stay back-to-back but even with the rocks in place they shifted in the wind. I then taped the stems of the pinwheel wands together to hold them in place and that has done the trick.
The rocks keep the buckets weighted so they don't blow over in the wind - although hubby is waiting for the day a more severe wind comes along and dumps rocks and all right into the pool.
Either way - as long as the sun is shining on the pinwheels so they're reflective, the pigeons stay away. They still try - coming in for the swoop - but fly off without landing as soon as they catch a glimpse of the pinwheels.
In fact, they're not even landing on the neighbors' houses anymore which makes me think the only reason the neighbors had to worry about pigeon mess was our pool. I think I'll keep that little fact to myself....
What I particularly like about this effective method of keeping the birds away from our pool and patio is that it's such an attractive solution. I love the bright colors, the pinwheels move with even the slightest breeze, and they don't make any noise. No batteries to worry about, either, and it won't hurt the birds or our dog.
The one thing I'm going to try next, though, is to get a deep pot for planting succulents and put the pinwheels in the pots so I'll have an even prettier sight around the various edges of the patio and pool.

Supplies Needed

Set of Mylar Rainbow Pinwheels
Set of 3 Tapered French Style Galvanized Buckets
Small to medium sized rocks to weight the bucket
Tape to hold pinwheel wands together

Step by Step Instructions

This is so easy you don't really need instructions but here's what I did:
1. Tape the wands of TWO pinwheels together so the pinwheels are back to back
2. Put 2 inches of rocks into the bottom of the metal buckets
3. Place the taped pinwheel wands into the bucket and hold them in place while you surround them with rocks
4. Place the bucket with the pinwheels near where the pigeons land most often
I did end up using all three of the metal buckets and I put one at each of the two spillways between the pool and the hot tub and one at the corner of the hot tub where it meets the pool.
The reviews of the buckets mentioned above said they were difficult to separate but I had no trouble at all - once I realized they were wrapped in a very thin, yet sturdy, plastic. I removed the plastic and had no issue separating the buckets. They're pretty and well made.
The pinwheels are GORGEOUS. They're a great size and the colors are rich and vibrant. They spin easily, the wands are sturdy, and the pinwheels catch the sun beautifully.
I'd love to do a whole row of these along the one edge of the pool just to have a field of these spinning color wheels to keep me entertained all day while I work.
If you're sick of cleaning up pigeon mess from your patio I encourage you to give this a try!