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The Hal Houle Point and Pivot system is a billiard aiming system that uses the geometry, layout, and design of a pool table, as well as some common assumptions to help you determine the appropriate spot on the object ball to strike with the cue ball. This method may not be for everyone, as it takes an analytical mind to wrap your head around some of the theories.
To begin, lets examine some of the assumptions that are made about the pool table, the cue stick, the cue ball, and the object ball:
The Hal Houle Point and Pivot system uses these assumptions to deduce the proper angle you should take when shooting, but before we can complete the equation, there are a few more points to keep in mind here:
These two assumptions can lead us to calculate that two points on the cue ball multiplied by three points on the object ball totals six, which coincidentally is the same number of pockets on the table. From this we can reason that depending upon how the cue ball and object ball lie on the table in relation to each other, you can either pocket the object ball directly into a pocket or calculate a bank shot and sink it in any one of the remaining 5 pockets. The exact opposite is also true.
The balls may lie on the table in such a way that blocks certain shots, making a bank your only option. The Hal Houle point and pivot system takes this in to consideration. In fact, it provides that you will never have to look at any pocket or cushion while lining up the edge on the cue ball to the exact point on the object ball that needs to be struck. How can this be you ask? Well, you have only the three angles and so your only requirement at this point is to recognize whether your shot is a 15, 30, or 45 degree angle shot. This can be determined quickly and easily by aiming the edge of the cue ball to one of the three spots on the object ball. It will be obvious which object ball spot is correct, and there should be no doubt. You can be confident that any time one of the two edges on the cue ball is aimed toward any one of the three spots on the object ball, the object ball will surely be driven to a pocket.
At this point you are probably asking where these points are located, and how the heck you can find them. Good question.
On the cue ball you will find the spots on the left edge, and on the right edge. Which one you use will depend on whether you are cutting the object ball to the left or to the right.
On the object ball the three spots are the two quarters, and the center. Each of these spots face straight toward the edges of the cue ball, not facing toward the pocket.
Here is where it gets tricky so read this five or ten times so that you completely understand what is being said. When cutting to the left for 15 degrees, aim the cue ball's left edge at the object ball's left quarter. When cutting to the left for 30 degrees, aim the cue ball's left edge at the object ball's center. When you cut to the left for 45 degrees, aim the cue ball's left edge at the object ball's right quarter. When you cut to the right for 15 degrees, you aim the cue ball right edge at the object ball's right quarter. When you cut to the right for 30 degrees, you aim the cue ball's right edge at the object ball's center spot. When you cut to the right for 45 degrees, you aim the cue ball's right edge to the object ball's left quarter. Alright, now read this paragraph again.
When you aim the usual way, you will generally be coming close to these angles, but will usually be slightly off. Sometimes you'll be off enough for you to miss the shot. With this technique, you should be able to pocket any ball without looking at the pocket, or actually seeing it at all.
The hal houle point and pivot system article was posted on 10/2/2006 12:40:36 PM and updated on 10/2/2006 12:40:36 PM. The hal houle point and pivot system article was edited by Billiards Forum Webmaster.
The information for the hal houle point and pivot system article was sourced from Hal Houle.
Hal Houle Point and Pivot System pool playing tip belongs to the aiming and execution tutorials for billiards category. Billiard and pool playing tips around shot making, aiming, and execution.
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Interesting concept and it works fairly well as long as you are on the 0 to 45 degree angle. The article leaves off the rail points where one can line up to know the 15, 30, and 45 degree angle if you are on the other side of the 45 degree angle. In other words, there are two 45 degree segments. If you are shooting into the the left hand corner pocket. 45 degrees to the center, 30 degrees to the middle diamond on that same long rail, and 15 degrees at the first diamond. What about shots where the object ball is to the left of the 45 degree line approaching 60, 75, and 90 degrees. The left rail, like the right one would be 0 degrees,15 degrees would be the first diamond on the short rail at the far end of the table, 30 degrees would be the far end corner pocket, and 45 degrees would be the same line as before, corner pocket to middle pocket on the opposite long rail.
What about balls lined up in front of the middle pockets? How would you calculate a shot where the cue ball is on the foot spot and the object ball is on the head spot?
Have you considered an aiming system where a line from the designated pocket through the object ball is (looking at the face of a clock) is from 12 o'clock to 6o'clock. The object ball then is the center of the clock where the hands come together. A line exactly perpendicular to that line (the tangent line) is 3 o'clock to 9o'clock. Any shot from 12 to 3 and 9 to 12 is not possible. A shot from 4o'clock would be 60 degrees. A shot from 5 o'clock would be 30 degrees. From 6 o'clock is zero degrees or straight in. From 7 o'clock is 30 degrees, etc. The way you know that is that 1 minute on a clock is equal to 6 degrees on a compass. (360 degrees in a circle divided by 60 minutes on a clock is 6 degrees per minute.)
Now, what I have had trouble doing (especially on long shots) is to figure out what time it it because the hands are so far from the center of the clock (the object ball).
Hey John, I find your clock theory interesting, maybe it's only me, but I am having a tough time visualizing your clock theory. Is there anyway you could explain with visuals on this same thread.
Hey, I scanned documents and tried to cut and paste stuff, but was not able to, sorry. Let me try again. Imagine/draw a circle. A circle is 360 degrees. It is made up of (4) 90 degree segments. Draw a line from the top of the circle to the bottom of the circle. Next draw a line from the left of the circle to the right side of the circle. Now draw a big dot in the middle of the circle where the two lines cross. Imagine if you will that this circle is the face of a watch.
Your line at the top of the circle is 12, and as you move around the circle, you have 3, 6, 9, and back to 12. On the clock you have (3) 5 minute increments of time from 12 to 3, from 3 to 6, from 6 to 9, and from 9 to 12. Go ahead and mark a 1, 2 between the 12 and 3. Mark a 4 and 5 between 3 and 6. Mark a 7 and 9 between 6 and 9, and mark a 10 and 11 between 9 and 12. That finishes the clock. As you look beneath your clock you see that the 5 minutes between 3 and 4 o'clock is really 30 degrees on the compass. (circle = 360 degrees/ 60 minutes, = 6 degrees per minute. 5 minutes multiply by 6 degrees is 30 degrees. Now imagine a pool table. Lay the clock you just drew down on the table so that the line from 12 to 6 runs straight into the pocket you are aiming for.
Okay that sets you up to now find the cue ball. Plot the cue ball on the table onto of the clock. If the cue ball falls between 9 to 12 to 3 o'clock, the shot is not possible, unless you do a bank or cut shot. If the cue ball falls on the 4 o'clock line then you have a 60 degree shot, on the 5 o'clock line you have a 30 degree shot. Remember that from 6 back to 5 is five minutes or 30 degrees. From 6 back to 4 is 10 minutes or 60 degrees. For every minute that the cue balls is between one of the lines you add or subtract 6 degrees from your cut angle. Lets say the cue ball is 1/2 way between the 5 and 6 lines. That means that you are 2 1/2 minutes from 6. So you start at zero degrees because 6 is the 0 degree line. You would add 2.5 minutes times 6 or 15 degrees plus 0. So you have a 15 degree shot or 3/4 ball hit on the object ball. As you move away from the 6 you add degrees. As you move down from the 3 (15 minutes past the our or 90 degrees) you subtract your result. If the cue ball was on the 4 o'clock line you would subtract 30 degrees from 90 to get 60 or if you start at the 6 o'clock line you would add 10 minutes times 6 degrees = 60 degrees. So it works either way. The trick is to imagine the hands on the clock.
The Object ball is the center of the clock. From the center of the clock up to 12 (or into the pocket) is the path the object ball follows to the pocket. From 3 to 9o'clock is the tangent line. It also sets up the 90 degree limits for the shot. I hope this helps. If you draw it out I think you can follow, or send me your email address and I'll send you my .pdf file that I copied off cuetable.com. By the way, if you haven't found that site, go there. It is fantastic. Good Shootin, John
I DO find it absurd that anyone would believe that all shots are one of three angles. The only way that could be true is if you purposely "cheated the pocket" in order to keep your perfect aiming angle to fit your scenario. In addition, it would only work if you always had 6 pockets to choose from to make your shot, and as anyone who has played the game more than once knows, that is NOT the case on MOST shots. If you choose to believe there are only 3 angles to shoot in pool, then you are either a moron or a fool. It is always best to aim center pocket if the shot allows. If you always aim at the center of the pocket (when the shot allows) then you will NOT "always" have a 15, 30, or 45 degree angle to shoot. If you would like, we could always put your theory to the test for, let's say, $100,000.00 under a high-speed movie camera and have the angles calculated accurately from the center of the pocket to the object ball, and I think you will see clearly that there are MANY different degrees-angled shots (50, 64, 39, 22, etc) that come up in a game. Before you tell people there are ONLY 3 ANGLES in pool to be shot, you might want to reconsider people aren't as dumb as you may think. I am insulted that you would think you would post such nonsense.
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