GB2596356A

GB2596356A - The Domin-eye

Info

Publication number: GB2596356A
Application number: GB2009832.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fleming Gillespie Michael
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-06-27
Filing date: 2020-06-27
Publication date: 2021-12-29
Also published as: GB202009832D0

Abstract

A device having a substantially elongate, horizontal base, a mirror or reflective surface arranged vertically at one end of the base and a pin, post, rod or pole arranged vertically at the opposite end of the base. In use, a player positions themselves as if playing a shot facing the mirror. The player moves from side to side until the reflection of the pin is hidden by the pin itself. The reflection of the cue should also be hidden by the pin.

Description

Michael Gillespie's 'The Domin-eye' Description

Michael Gillespies's The Dornin-eye, is a cue-sports training aid. The teaching aid helps players to learn three important parts of the sport, which will improve their own ability at any standard of play.

1. Finding the players sight line.

2. Bringing together both sight line and cue line accurately.

3. Becoming more accurate with the standing foot and walking into the shot.

All three parts are overlooked by most players due to a lack of understanding and information around these areas. Better or more consistent players, take particular care with implementing all three parts into their game. A structured approach to each shot is imperative to success in the sport.

The Dominant eye theory To understand more about this Cue Sports training aid, we first must understand the 'dominant eye theory'.

Dominant eye in vision or Ocular dominance, sometimes called eye dominance or eyedness, is the tendency to prefer visual input from one eye to the other.

It is somewhat analogous to the laterality of right or left handedness, however the side of the dominant eye and the dominant hand do not always match.

In normal binocular vision there is an effect of parallax, and therefore the dominant eye is the one that is primarily relied on for precise positional information.

This may be especially important in sports which require aim, such as archery, darts or shooting sports.

What is the sight line? The sight line, is the line of sight our eyes project. The sight line is developed between both left and right eyes however, in binocular vision, the majority are not accurately between both eyes. Unless with mono vision sight where the sight line should propel from the eye which the vision projects.

Why must we bring both sight line and cue line together? Through my years of playing and coaching, I have been amazed by the amount of people who believe they should hold the cue in a way that it runs down the centre of their chin? But if they are sighted along either the right or left eye, that would mean that the player has taught themselves to play with a degree of compensation built into their stance. In other words, the cue is slightly to one side of their sight.

For example, if we look at a sniper, who looks through a scope, which is mounted on top of the rifles barrel. The scope follows the rifles barrel to gain perfect alignment. Without complicating issues by adding distance and wind direction, every degree of thought is put into a snipers aiming process. Yet, a sniper is still not 100% accurate? A cue replicates the snipers rifle (barrel), and is itself a tool, not just to move a cue ball but it is also a product to aim with (such as a rifle is to a sniper)? The cue with its long and straight line pattern should be used as a sight. After all when delivering the cue through the cue ball, the aim is to propel the cue ball down the same path as your sight line is targeting.

This is why it is important that we make the cue line follow the sight line. This should make the player much more accurate and remove any compensation required for each shot played as seen in Fig 1.

Why is the standing foot important and why does it gain more accuracy? The standing foot is the aiming foot.

To explain more, a right handed player, holds the butt (bottom) end of the cue in their right hand. The right hand controls the cue movement and strength of shot.

Their left hand is the bridge hand and stretches out in front of the player's body. Their right foot is their standing foot (back foot). Their left foot is their supporting foot to steady their stance.

This is all reversed with a left handed player.

The player stands tall to gauge where they perceive they are aiming (shooting) the cue ball. The player then walks into the shot hopefully containing the decided line. If the player becomes accurate with their standing foot, they will create a motion that automatically puts their body (When down on the shot), on both sight line and cue line. Most players don't position themselves when walking into a shot. But by placing the standing foot in the same place near or on the aiming line, it becomes easier to judge and becomes accurate. This can only be learned with hours and years of practice. Plus the movement from the standing position to the cueing position is a complicated movement, which offers the possibility of coming off sight the line? The Domin-eye, can execute all of the above, making the player become much more accurate in less time. But this would involve regular practice with The Domin-eye, as part of the players practice routine. After all, practice makes the player more consistent.

Mirror Product -incorporating the 'Domin-eye' The Domin-eye mirror is a device to utilise the reflection of a mirror. However, the Domin-eye is designed in a fashion that allows the mirror to be detached from its base unit so it can be placed on a shelf or ledge to perform the Domin-eye pretest.

The Domin-eye Product The Domin-eye has various components, including a mirror (Which has its own stand), -A4 in size and sat in a portrait position. The mirror stand supports two centralising holes which positions it at one end of the base unit. These two holes are at the bottom of the mirror stand and slide onto two vertical pins/dowel, which are positioned at one end of the base unit. Once the mirror is in place there is a vertical pin/dowel which is 90 degrees from the front face of the mirror and 14" away from the mirror. There are two pin/dowel's available to use. One is 9" high and the other 6" high. These pins/dowels are interchangeable depending on the height of the player. The pin/dowel is painted black, making it easy to see its reflection in the mirror.

The Domin-eye mirror pre-test The Domin-eye pre-test, shows the user/player his sight line.

The player stands in front of the pre-test mirror, approximately six feet away from the mirror. The Player holds a pin/rod vertically in front of them and at arms-length. Both eyes should remain open throughout the mirror pre-test. The pin/rod is held up in front of the players face and moved from side to side, until the pin/rod is hiding its own reflection in the mirror. The Player holding the pin/rod will then observe where the pin/rod runs down the players own face.

This shows the 'sight path. This is the important line that the player should be positioning their cue under -this is called the 'sight line.' The Domin-eye test With the domin-eye test, the idea is that the player positions themselves as if they are playing a shot. This means that they are at the table cueing towards the domin-eye as if it was a cue ball. This should make a line which includes the player, possibly a cue ball, the vertical pin/dowel and the mirror, all in this order and in a straight line. The player looks toward the dowel and moves from side to side until the reflection of the pin/dowel is hidden by the pin/dowel itself. The cue should also be hidden behind the pin/dowel and in-line with the pin/dowel. The player can also see the back arm and see if it's straight and in-line. Again, both eyes must remain open while performing this test.

The test should not take long. But it allows players to re-align themselves. The Domin-eye shows the player the direction of their cue line and sight line. The Domin-eye, will allow the player to bring both cue line and sight line, together as one. It will also help with keeping the back arm vertical reducing any arching when delivering the cue.

The Domin-eye Technology The Domin-eye technology is called 'user reflectiveness', which allows the user to see for themselves ways of improvement. It shows sight line, cue line, walking into the shot line and self improvement. When used correctly, these will all improve accuracy. As the technology states, it will allow the user to see for themselves, something that has not been offered before. This is due to players being informed that their cue line is not following their sight line. But the individual struggles to understand this as they cannot see this for themselves. The Domin-eye 'user technology', offers this to it's user.

Standing leg and walking into the shot using The Domin-eye-eye Whilst standing adjacent to a middle pocket (near pocket) using a pin-stripe line (Self-adhesive coach line tape), which can be aligned from The Domin-eye (which is placed on the table at the opposite middle pocket aiming towards the near middle pocket), to the near pocket. Another pin-stripe can be placed on the floor from the table (under the near middle pocket) and approximately four feet away from the table. Both pin stripe lines and The Domin-eye, should be all in line. This allows the player to learn where to place their standing foot as they walk into the shot. By making the walk-in to the shot/table more structured, this will reduce the error of moving off line from the shot.

How I developed and why I came up with the Domin-eye product My name is Michael Gillespie, I am a WPBSA Snooker Coach and play on the WDBS Tour. I also have played in the qualifiers of the ROKit Legends tour.

I have been playing snooker for around 45 years now and started by watching the sport on television (although television in those days was in black and white). As soon as I got the opportunity, I tried playing the game of snooker myself. I had a good idea of how to pocket the balls and it did not take long to start to improve my ability and break building technique. At a young age, I became one of the best players in the Hull area. Unfortunately my development was interrupted, cut short, due to me sustaining an injury to my left eye. Sadly in time I lost my left eye all together.

My game was hindered greatly and became much more difficult. At times it became frustrating as my game continued to decline. I could not understand why my game was now at such a low standard, after all I had only lost an eye? Initial conception and how I developed 'Domin-eye' as an aid, the 'idea' I started thinking about the fact that I had learned the game using two eyes. But once I lost my left eye, my game changed? I began to experiment, wondering what had caused such a dramatic change in my game and was it possible to improve my game back to its original standard.

After years of re-learning how to play snooker, I came up with the thought 'the idea' that I was not looking along the cue line due to the loss of my left eye. This meant that I believed I could be compensating on every shot I played.

I believed I could still teach myself to pocket snooker balls with the understanding that I was compensating on every shot I played. But, if I took away this compensation, would it mean I could play better snooker? This was something that required more investigation.

I then heard about the 'Dominant eye theory' This theory became more understandable to me due to only having a right eye. This would mean I would have to run the cue line under the right eye following the sight line. If both cue line and sight line worked together, this would remove any compensation from this part of my game? The idea was great, but would it work in reality, as I had been cueing between both my eyes for the past forty five years (Even though I had only the one eye for thirty four of those years). I felt that this idea could help me improve my game although not the easiest task to introduce into my game.

I also believe that due to habit, my cue line would slowly drift back to its old position, under and between both eyes. So I would have to teach myself to maintain a good cue line and sight line. I have been working on this theory for many years now, but still keep drifting my cue line off my sight line.

I had to think of an idea, where I could re-align my cue line and sight line bringing them together? After a great deal of though, considerations and observations of the game, Whilst also taking into account the fundamentals, principles, and the practical aspect, my new application to playing the game evolved and helped lead me to the development and creation of 'The Domin-eye', I believe this can help, enhance and give a better understanding of the correct and best way to approach the game of any cue sports. For players of all levels, from beginner to advanced the Domin-eye is an essential device to improve anyone's game with bio or mono vision.

The Domin-eye materials used for it's construction? Although the Domin-eye prototype is constructed from wood and acrylic mirror, prototype 2 is a 3D printed version made from carbon PLA. But in future production of the Domin-eye, use of other material in it's production could involve Stainless steel, copper, silver, platinum, gold, aluminium, glass, titanium. Use of other composite engineering plastic and or wood.

The Domin-Eye Title providing an indication of the invention This invention relates to helping cue sports players, see their sight path and cue line. It lets the user/player bring them together to both follow the same line.

Introduction and background to the invention

Playing cue sports for many years, I have learned that most players of cue sports do not understand that they have a sight path. The myth of a person with binocular vision believes that depending on the object they are viewing, the sight is coming from between both eyes. They also do not have any way or product of seeing their own sight path. So it's generally understood that most cue sports players should hold their cue in a manner that it runs between bridge hand to back hand and under their chin. Furthermore, if you ask if they are following their sight path with their cue line, they don't understand. This is due to there not being a product that shows the cue sports players the importance of both the cue line and sight path running along the same line. This means that the sight path (which we use for aiming) and the cue line (which we use to send the cue ball in the direction of where we are aiming), are going in different directions.

Summary of the invention, also known as a 'statement of invention' By training with the Domin-eye, the user with see their own sight path and cue line and accurately bring them both together to follow the same line. This will help the user improve their game.

The Domin-eye is also adjustable to suit the height, standard and ability of its user. The Domin-eye is simple to dismantle for easy storage or transportation.

Figure 1 shows a diagram of the dominant eye theory in relation with cue sports.

Figure 2 shows The Domin-eye base unit, taken from CAD (Computer Aided Design) software.

Figure 3 shows the mirror base unit and mirror securing plate.

Figure 4 shows an example of two aiming pins/rods.

Figure 5 shows a 3D picture of a view of the completed Domin-eye with mirror and the two aiming pins/rods.

Figure 6 shows three views (front, side and top view) giving dimensions. This diagram has been produced from CAD software.

Figure 7 shows a top view of the Domin-eye. Figure 8 shows a side view of the Domin-eye.

Figure 9 shows a front view of the Domin-eye with the aiming pin/rod towards the user.

Claims

Claims of the Domin-eve 1. Claim that by using the Domin-Eye, it will bring the users sight path and cue line together. This would mean that the cue would follow the same path or line, as the user's sight.
2. Claims that by using the Domin-Eye's reflective technology, the user will visually see areas that they can alter themselves to effectively remain on the correct and accurate cue and sight path.
3. Claims that the user will be capable of teaching themselves how to contain the cue line and sight path in the event of obstacles causing complications such as playing from the tables' cushions, having to cue over an obstructing ball and using a rest.
4. Claims that with regular training using the Domin-Eye, the user will accurately find the standing position before walking into each shot.Although it is suggested that the Domin-Eye, functions well without coaching, the Domin-Eye is not a substitute for a coach. Having a coach who is trained in using the Domin-Eye, would be beneficial and advantageous to improving ability.