In this example, the 9 is frozen to the CB. The line of allignment is the yellow line. If you hit the CB with no English, that is where the 9 will go, to point "A". If you put 11 o'clock English on the CB, and allign your cue to the pointing at the pocket, the 9 will travel the green line. I can tell you this works, but how much "offset" travel the English will cause depends on the factors I mentioned above (how much depends on how much English, the friction between the balls (dirty balls tend to throw more) and the table cloth's friction).
Whenever you use English, it causes some "throw". How much depends on how much English, as I mentioned earlier...The main thing to remember:
IF you use English on a shot to position your CB for the next shot, don't forget the throw effect on the current shot. If you are using, for example, Right English, it will throw the OB Left so to compensate you will need to aim at the OB, slightly Left to get the OB to go back to the Right, thus offsetting the throw. (depending on English and distance OB has to travel to pocket).
Remember, to compensate for throw, aim opposite English side (Right English, aim more left on OB, and visa-versa). In reality, on a short (1ft) shot, this throw/aim compensation technique may not even need to be used...but on a longer shot it must be considered or you will invariably miss the shot and not know why.
This might sound complicated but it is not that hard to remember if you go through it and understand and remember "what you need to do" on a shot to improve your odds for success!
There are many examples one could use to show variations in this technique but they all basically have the same characteristics. What is important is that you learn these techniques and make them an integral part of your game.
So as you can see, Aiming and aim points is a bit more complex than it appears to be..........ever wonder why that shot you thought you had dead stroke on missed? Maybe you used English and caused "throw" you didn't intend or maybe didn't know "throw" would cause.......certainly something to think about, and better yet practice so you get to know the various effects.
