Common Visual Aids
Many ICATS drills include visual aids that explain how a shot works, not just where to aim. These aids help you understand contact points, cue ball paths, and cut angles so you can execute shots more consistently.
Not every drill uses every visual aid.
Ghost Ball
A Ghost Ball shows where the cue ball must contact the object ball to make the shot.
- Displayed as a yellow ball attached to the object ball
- Represents the cue ball’s center at the moment of impact
- Indicates the exact contact point required for pocketing
If you are unfamiliar with the Ghost Ball concept, it is worth reviewing basic explanations of ghost-ball aiming; ICATS uses the same standard interpretation.
Tangent Line
The Tangent Line shows the expected cue ball path after contact, assuming a stun shot (no top or bottom spin at impact).
- Displayed as a yellow line extending from the ghost ball
- Represents the natural cue ball direction with center-ball hit
How spin affects the tangent line
- Follow (top spin): cue ball travels above/right of the tangent line
- Draw (bottom spin): cue ball travels below/left of the tangent line
Understanding the tangent line helps predict cue ball position and plan shape for the next shot.
Cut Angle
Some drills display a cut angle number along the line from the cue ball to the object ball.
- 0° = straight-in shot
- Larger numbers indicate thinner cuts
- Values near 89° represent extremely thin cuts
The cut angle provides a quantitative way to compare shot difficulty and recognize patterns across drills.
Important Notes
- Not all drills include all visual aids
- Some drills intentionally omit aids to encourage independent analysis
- Visual aids show idealized geometry
- Table conditions, cloth, balls, and stroke can alter results
- Use visual aids as guidance, not absolute guarantees
Related Topics
- Aiming Ball: How to Read It Learn how speed and spin guidance works alongside these visual aids.
- Drill Types: ICA, Image, and Hybrid Understand which drills allow visual aids to be edited or toggled.
- Shortcut Keys Reference Keyboard shortcuts that affect visibility of guidance elements.
- Loading Drills How drills containing visual aids are loaded and navigated.
- File Manager: Copy, Delete, Rename, Favorites Organize and manage drills that use visual aids.