Shane, Dechaine or Wade Crane?

Big Bad Bern

Big Bad Bern

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having never had the opportunity to see Mr. Crane break, I wanted to ask anyone who has; to compare his power break with that of Shane and Mike.

I do consider Shane and Mike to be two of the top breakers in the game today and Mr. Crane is well noted for his great break.

So I guess if you had to choose a style of break to emulate which player would you spend your time working on?

Thanks

Bern

P.S. if someone could describe Mr. Cranes break (where he broke from and an overview of his mechanics.) that would be awesome.

P.P.S. I realize I will never be World Champion just looking to get more enjoyment from the game as I like to break hard and for some interesting discussion
 
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K

kkdanamatt

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Big Bad Bern said:
Having never had the opportunity to see Mr. Crane break, I wanted to ask anyone who has; to compare his power break with that of Shane and Mike.

I do consider Shane and Mike to be two of the top breakers in the game today and Mr. Crane is well noted for his great break.

So I guess if you had to choose a style of break to emulate which player would you spend your time working on?

Thanks

Bern

P.S. if someone could describe Mr. Cranes break (where he broke from and an overview of his mechanics.) that would be awesome.

P.P.S. I realize I will never be World Champion just looking to get more enjoyment from the game as I like to break hard and for some interesting discussion
Click to expand...

When I saw Wade Crane, real name Billy Johnston, it was in the late '70s. He was a powerful man, about 5'10" , 200 pounds. Broke the balls from the left side, about 6-8 inches from the spot. It was like a gunshot, you could hear it across the room. He parked the cueball center table. Other players would come to watch him break. This was all 9-ball with a wooden rack. Most of the time the loser racked the balls.
 
ibuycues

ibuycues

I Love Box Cues
Silver Member
kkdanamatt said:
When I saw Wade Crane, real name Billy Johnston, it was in the late '70s. He was a powerful man, about 5'10" , 200 pounds. Broke the balls from the left side, about 6-8 inches from the spot. It was like a gunshot, you could hear it across the room. He parked the cueball center table. Other players would come to watch him break. This was all 9-ball with a wooden rack. Most of the time the loser racked the balls.
Click to expand...

You might find his real name was Wade Crane and his road name was Billy Johnson. And you are right, he could really break'em!

Will Prout ;)
 
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u12armresl

u12armresl

One Pocket back cutter
Silver Member
I got to see Wade play quite a bit.

Dechaine isnt even in the same conversation.
Wade wins.....
 
punter

punter

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Also, tables (cloth) were a lot slower in Crane's day. Today you probably don't need as much power.
 
Cracktherack

Cracktherack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Comparing Dechaine to pro players, is like comparing Scooter Goodman to coin collectors. Mike is a rack manipulator, unworthy of any respect in the pool world. The nut huggers still like him anyway.
 
K

kkdanamatt

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
ibuycues said:
You might find his real name was Wade Crane and his road name was Billy Johnson. And you are right, he could really break'em!

Will Prout ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, of course, I got it backwards. That's what you get for trying to post something at 2:47 AM.
Anyway, you're correct. The cloth was a lot slower back then and that had a lot to do with making balls on the break.
The big thing about Wade was his ability to park whitey along with maximum power.
Another great breaker back then was Little David Howard.
 
Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
IMO Shane is not a power breaker, it's his stroke and where he hits that 1 ball. Johnnyt
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
The best breaker in the world is Shane. The two hardest breakers are Mike Dechaine and Jeff DiLuna. At Superbilliards Expo last month, with a large crowd watching, Dechaine broke on the radar gun many times and demonstrated that he can break over 35 mph and virtually every break he hits is over 30 mph.

Saw Wade Crane many many times, and also David Howard, the other great breaker of that era. I don't feel that either broke as well as either SVB or Dechaine, but all four of them could sit you down for a long time in the chair.

Best breaker ever is SVB, hardest breaker ever is Dechaine.
 
j_zippel

j_zippel

Big Tuna
Silver Member
Cracktherack said:
Comparing Dechaine to pro players, is like comparing Scooter Goodman to coin collectors. Mike is a rack manipulator, unworthy of any respect in the pool world. The nut huggers still like him anyway.
Click to expand...


Scooter a coin collecter... Well done! :)

Everyone knows how to tweak the rack, It's science bro
 
2strong4u

2strong4u

Banned
Cracktherack said:
Comparing Dechaine to pro players, is like comparing Scooter Goodman to coin collectors. Mike is a rack manipulator, unworthy of any respect in the pool world. The nut huggers still like him anyway.
Click to expand...

Did Mike take your milk money when you were a kid? I get the feeling you aren't as tough as you try to come off. Like a legend in your own mind.

Mike doesn't do anything the other top pros don't. He is an awesome talent, to say otherwise is laughable.

Maybe you can make a game with him getting all the breaks/rack your own. I think you should try that. Or just sit on her whining like the C player you are.
 
Cracktherack

Cracktherack

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
2strong4u said:
Did Mike take your milk money when you were a kid? I get the feeling you aren't as tough as you try to come off. Like a legend in your own mind.

Mike doesn't do anything the other top pros don't. He is an awesome talent, to say otherwise is laughable.

Maybe you can make a game with him getting all the breaks/rack your own. I think you should try that. Or just sit on her whining like the C player you are.
Click to expand...

Mike is such an awesome talent that Jeremy Sossei stomped him 8-2 yesterday at the Ginky and then the guy from Virginia ***** slapped him too. Did he even cash?

The only tough part about me, is me turning my opponent into a rack boy. I treat everybody with respect, except cheaters.
 
R

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Big Bad Bern said:
Having never had the opportunity to see Mr. Crane break, I wanted to ask anyone who has; to compare his power break with that of Shane and Mike.

I do consider Shane and Mike to be two of the top breakers in the game today and Mr. Crane is well noted for his great break.

So I guess if you had to choose a style of break to emulate which player would you spend your time working on?

Thanks

Bern

P.S. if someone could describe Mr. Cranes break (where he broke from and an overview of his mechanics.) that would be awesome.

P.P.S. I realize I will never be World Champion just looking to get more enjoyment from the game as I like to break hard and for some interesting discussion
Click to expand...

https://youtu.be/rOHsEuoUFwQ?t=654
Here is a section from the old 'Learn from the Best' tape in the 80s. This was by no means his hard break, but it will let you see a little.
 
jhanso18

jhanso18

Broken Lock
Silver Member
There is a HUGE difference between a powerful break, and a good break. Dechaine can HAMMER the balls, but Shane breaks better. (I can break over 30mph, but my best break is down around 24.5-25mph.) Shane has the best hard break the game has ever seen.

I'd also add, with no rules about how you can break, Corey Duell is pry the best breaker to ever to live.
 
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sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Cracktherack said:
Mike is such an awesome talent that Jeremy Sossei stomped him 8-2 yesterday at the Ginky and then the guy from Virginia ***** slapped him too. Did he even cash?

The only tough part about me, is me turning my opponent into a rack boy. I treat everybody with respect, except cheaters.
Click to expand...

Actually, Sossei won 9-3. Mike finished 5th (in a tough field of 64) and played very well against Brian Deska despite the loss on the hill. Sossei was 4th, and Shaw 1st. The Joss Tour's top three players certainly held there own this weekend.
 
Big Bad Bern

Big Bad Bern

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A big thanks to Chuck Fields for posting that video. It's always enjoyable to see one of the greats in action.
I think I am going to work on emulating Mr. Cranes break as I like it better. It doesn't have all the body movement and mechanical components of Shane and Mike's breaks and I feel it will be easier to get a solid consistent hit on the head ball.
I think the trade off in MPH is worth the cueball control I will gain and also as a big guy when I try to break like Mike I end up looking more like the Dancing Bear Alain Martel:D

Also thanks to all who posted their opinions, it was a great and civil discussion.

Although if CJ gets a chance to chime in I would appreciate his views on the subject as a pro and having seen all three break in person.

Bern
 
M

Mole Eye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As an older guy, I have seen plenty of guys that could smash the rack. I saw this many years ago, somebody might give an estimated break speed as there were no radar guns 40 years ago, but I saw a guy break a rack, jump the table and embed a ball in a cement block. Had to have a high speed on that one.
 
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