Break Question

mnShooter said:

How do you make sure your tip hits the same position as when you were lined up? Do I just have to practice it until I'm not getting unwanted english?

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One of the advantages that I have is that I break with my hand much closer to the cue ball than others. It keeps the tip from moving too much left or right in the forswing. The main thing is that the cue has to stay straight wether you elevate on your backswing or not. A suggestion that I'd make would be to practice this without actually breaking hard and using just arm (no body) if you're gonna try to learn this motion. Funny thing you should mention the Russian. He suggested that I should try to raise my backswing a bit, even though I already was to a lesser degree than him and I wasn't really aware that I was doing it at all. Good luck experimenting.

ive been watching the videos of you breaking on the xbreaker site and i noticed on your follow through you flex the shaft on the table, i was just wondering why, is this just a habit or does it have any effect on your break.

Unknown said:

ive been watching the videos of you breaking on the xbreaker site and i noticed on your follow through you flex the shaft on the table, i was just wondering why, is this just a habit or does it have any effect on your break.

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Usually when I break, I lean very far forward, injecting as much body into the stroke as possible. I tend to come so far forward on my power break that I end up leaning forward on one foot. The flexing of my shaft on the table is a result of my body leaning so far forward that I'm actually using the shaft to catch my balance. Of course, I can break without doing that, but I can't quite get the same energy output by just shooting straight thru. Maybe some other breakers can, but I'd fall forward onto the table.

Banking/Speed

Charlie:

When you're setting up a bank shot, do you tend to aim off of the center of the object ball to adjust the rebound angle of the bank - or do you tend to use english (either swiveling the cue tip off center or moving the tip) to shorten/lengthen the bank? I noticed you and a number of other top bankers at Derby City bank with some speed - compared to some of the old timers who try to pocket-speed banks in. What are your thoughts on banking speed?

Dave

SpiderWebComm said:

Charlie:

When you're setting up a bank shot, do you tend to aim off of the center of the object ball to adjust the rebound angle of the bank - or do you tend to use english (either swiveling the cue tip off center or moving the tip) to shorten/lengthen the bank? I noticed you and a number of other top bankers at Derby City bank with some speed - compared to some of the old timers who try to pocket-speed banks in. What are your thoughts on banking speed?

Dave

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There is no all inclusive way to bank. The way any player banks is totally dependant on where he wants the cue to go afterwards, the banking tracks I use, speed of bank, angle of the bank, etc, etc.

The scenarios you outlined in your question all come into play at one time or another depending on many, many factors.

As far as banking speed, I think it is generally better to bank at a medium/soft speed so as to control the bank better. That being said, sometimes super soft speed is necessary and sometimes warp speed is necessary. Of course, it depends on the specific game situations.