Quick answer: To find your dominant eye, hold your arms out and make a small triangle with your thumbs and fingers. Look through the triangle at something across the room with both eyes open. Now close one eye. If the object stays in the triangle, the open eye is your dominant eye. In pool, many players with a strong dominant eye line the cue up a little more under that eye. Others line it up in the middle of the chin. The best spot for you is the one that helps you shoot straight, and you can check it with a simple straight in shot drill.
Your eyes are a big part of aiming. If your head is in the wrong spot, the shot can look straight when it is not. Learning about your dominant eye helps you find a head position you can trust.
What Is a Dominant Eye?
Most people have one eye that the brain trusts a little more. This is called the dominant eye. When you point at something, your brain uses that eye to tell you where your finger is. Some people have a strong dominant eye. Others are close to even.
Your dominant eye is not always on the same side as your shooting hand. A right handed player can be left eye dominant. That is called cross dominance, and it is common.
The Triangle Test
- Stand up and hold both arms straight out in front of you.
- Put your hands together so your thumbs and first fingers make a small triangle.
- With both eyes open, look through the triangle at a light switch or door knob across the room.
- Close your left eye. Does the object stay in the triangle?
- Now open it and close your right eye. Does the object jump out?
The eye that keeps the object in the triangle is your dominant eye. Do the test a few times to be sure.
Why It Matters in Pool
When you aim, you look down the cue and through the cue ball to the object ball. If your eyes are not set the right way over the cue, the line you see may not be the line the cue is on. You may then miss to the same side again and again, even with a good stroke.
Some players line up the cue under the dominant eye. Some line it up under the center of the chin. Some end up in between. There is no one right answer for every player. That is why you test it on the table.
How to Check Your Head Position on the Table
- Set up a straight in shot. Put an object ball about a foot from a corner pocket and the cue ball about two feet behind it, in a straight line.
- Shoot with your normal setup. Use a smooth, medium speed stroke and a center ball hit.
- Watch where you miss. If you miss to the same side often, your head may be a little off.
- Move your head a small amount. Shift your chin a little toward your dominant eye side, then shoot more shots.
- Find the spot where you make them. When the shot looks straight and goes in most of the time, that is your sighting spot.
- Write it down. Note where your chin sits on the cue so you can repeat it.
Pair this with how to build a consistent pool stroke so your stroke stays on line too.
Tips for Cross Dominant Players
- Tilt your head a little so your dominant eye moves toward the cue.
- Turn your stance a bit so your head sits more over the line.
- Do not force a big change. Small moves are often enough.
Glasses and Your Eyes
If you wear glasses, the frame can get in the way of the line you see. Our page on how to play pool with glasses covers that.
Practice Ideas
- Shoot ten straight in shots each session and count how many you make.
- Try the same drill to each corner pocket.
- Add the drills in how to practice pool aiming drills once your head spot feels good.
Key Points
- Use the triangle test to find your dominant eye.
- Cross dominance is common.
- Test head position with a straight in shot.
- Small changes make a big difference.
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- Pool Stance for Beginners: 6 Steps to a Solid, Balanced Stance
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which eye is dominant for pool?
Make a small triangle with your hands, look at an object through it with both eyes, then close one eye at a time. The eye that keeps the object in view is dominant.
Should the cue be under my dominant eye?
Some players do best with the cue under the dominant eye and some with it under the chin. Test both on a straight in shot and keep what works.
What is cross dominance in pool?
It means your dominant eye is on the other side from your shooting hand, such as a right handed player who is left eye dominant.
Can my dominant eye cause me to miss?
If your head is not set right for your eyes, a shot can look straight when it is not, which can cause misses to the same side.
How often should I check my head position?
Check it when you start missing to one side or when you change glasses, stance, or cue.