The Cue Ball Tracker is an intriguing product to me because of its simplicity and elegance. I strive for teaching the fundamentals and advanced concepts of Pool, Snooker and Billiards as simply as I can, always.

Post a black decal on your cue shaft (a white version is available for dark cues like graphite cues) and go for it. Rotate the shaft in your hands so the decal is atop the line of aim and you calculate with ease the effects of basic spins and speeds on the cue ball.

Honestly, I can't tell you how many times my pool students, even at the university level, have struggled with basic concepts like "cut and object ball to your left with a skid shot and the tangent line will send the cue ball to your right". A Cue Ball Tracker is a great stride forward to help.

Pool instructor Samm Diep has endorsed the Cue Ball Tracker and praised its simplicity of method. Inventor Chris Cameron was like many of us who built their own cutouts to better plot tangent lines and spin lines for the cue ball. He went on to tape lines on his cue for practice that he would remove for competitive play, before he made the discreet marker that became his cue ball tracker.

Several large billiards sites have made the CBT available and retailers and one of the larger billiards wholesaler is selling Cameron's trackers also. It's easy to see why-the beginning to intermediate player who feels a bit nervous standing above the table to aim might be down in their stance and can see their topspin and tangent lines blocked but a clear path for drawing the cue ball and etc.

You've heard people say they love the geometry of pool, but does this really mean anything towards running out when they can? It sure does though many players don't understand how to apply geometry to their game.

A century ago Wallace Ritchie introduced a basic Draw System of X / 2X = shot path and Dr. Dave Alciatore codified the 90-degree tangent line and developed his 30-degree rule in recent years. These three base systems are what an expert begins with to determine the cue ball's eventual path. These three simple rules will apply to any shot. Cue Ball Tracker® enables you to get smart about these rules of physics and geometry with each shot.

The "30-degree rule" is provided for on the Cue Ball Tracker. As Dr. Dave Alciatore first noted, 30 degrees is a handy point of reference to see how a ball rolling with topspin will diverge from the aim line following impact with an object ball.

While this approximate rule holds true for shots taken between one-quarter and three-quarters full, this range represents most cuts at the table, and especially those that are difficult for the average player to predict. Where the rule diverges is on half-ball hits and the tracker compensates to show these angles also. Simply placing one's cue atop the aim line points the way.

The handy pocket reference guide will slip discreetly into the player's pocket or cue case and walks the shooter through accurate shot selection. I'm able to share the decals and workbook with my students and know they will progress rapidly and start to run tables faster than their colleagues without Cue Ball Trackers:

The player is able to incorporate the following into their pre-shot routine immediately as they are encouraged to:

1. Stand behind their shot and along the chosen aim line
2. Better see and predict the shot line and tangent line
3. Review their choice of Cue Ball Tracker® cue ball paths
4. Determine their course of action
5. Visualize making the shot and rolling the cue ball to where they need
6. Visualize the cue ball's path as it finds the CBT line even if it diverges after impact for a moment

I'd love to see this product expanded to include a line for certain english strokes and other facets of the game.

Let me close with the endorsement of Tom Simpson, the popular and knowledgeable PBIA & ACS Master Instructor:

"I've had a Cue Ball Tracker on my teaching cue since they first came out. It makes it easy for my students to grasp the amazing 30 degree follow rule. Players quickly develop the ability to clearly imagine and predict the cue ball path. My students kept asking where to buy one. When I finally began stocking the stickers, half of the class bought one. Nice product!"

Visit Cue Ball Tracker today.