Shooting a Pool Ball Part 2: How to shoot straight

 Shooting pool well required the following 8 steps. This is what the Pros do, and separates the amateurs from the professionals.

Prep:

1. (1) Aim
1. Aim while standing up; walk around and visualize everything about your plan: Cue Tip position, how hard you are going to hit it, and where the cue ball will end up.
2. (2) Align
1. Get everything into position on your aim-line and Vision Center. Head, Shoulder, Elbow,  Back Foot, Cue - all should be aligned around the aim line.
3. (3) Down
1. Lock your eyes on the Object Ball and get down on the shot, moving your cue into position (no warmup strokes yet)

Check

1. (4) Check Cue and Cue Ball
1. Look at Cue Ball and make sure that cue tip and shaft are aligned and in the right position.
2. (5) Check Aim
1. Look at object ball and make sure aim looks right. Look back and forth from Cue Ball is and as needed until confident.
3. (6) Warm Up Strokes
1. Only now should you do any Warm Up Strokes, watching the Cue Ball as you do them. 
1. Or alternate looking from Cue Ball while forward and Object Ball while backward if that works better for you.

Shoot

1. (7) Lock
1. Lock eyes on Object Ball Target
2. (8) Shoot!
1. Follow thru, stay down.