Pocket billiard training ball and method of teaching sighting when

Abstract

A training object ball for use in teaching billiard players to sight an object ball by the method known as 'sighting by object ball displacement'. The training ball is segmented at 30.degree. intervals to yield twelve legended segments which facilitate lining up one edge of a cue ball with the edge of the area of the training ball displaced by the cue ball. The method of training players to sight by object ball displacement includes the step of orienting the training ball so that an imaginary line extending from the center of the ball and through the boundary of two adjoining segments bisects the pocket to be made. An edge of the cue ball is lined up with a properly oriented segment boundary which corresponds to the edge of the area of the training ball that is displaced by the cue ball. Instructions for lining up a segment boundary which corresponds to the edge of the displaced area of the object ball with an edge of the cue ball is also disclosed. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the training ball is segmented to enable the shooter to determine the correct contact point and also hit that contact point by 'object ball displacement' sighting. The training ball of the present invention, however, can be employed to great advantage simply to determine the proper contact point and the shooter can, if he wishes, aim the cue ball directly at that contact point. Thus, for its broadest application the training ball need only be legended or marked sufficiently to enable the shooter to determine the correct contact point. Thus, the training ball need only include a visible line, arrow, or ring about any circumference or be colored to divide the training ball into two contrasting hemispheres.