[mosconiac]

Following up my analysis of Johnny Archer's break technique (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=118515) which followed SVB's (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showth...118081&page=2), the next logical subject would be the supremely talented...Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant.

Please watch the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2b7D4DYwjI

I participated in the 2008 IPT ProAm at Chicago's Billiard Palace in November 2008. At that event, I got the opportunity to record Charlie's break technique so I could study it in detail afterwards.

Since I feel Charlie is a premier "breaker", I felt it was appropriate to pass along any information I found. This video is the result of my humble analysis.

I should be clear that Charlie had nothing to do with this video or its creation. It's simply my modest attempt to gather some valuable information.

If you haven't seen it yet, you should watch Charlie's own video shot with Inside Pool Magazine. It compliments what I've presented here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkByJCwTqSo

If you study the above information and utilize even some of it, I guarantee your break speed & accuracy will improve.

[elvicash]

Thanks for the review of a great break.

I will consider those excellent points and try to add something to my break.

Rep to you

[cmbwsu]

Originally Posted by elvicash

Thanks for the review of a great break.

I will consider those excellent points and try to add something to my break.

Rep to you

Outstanding work Mosconiac -- I had seen the Inside Pool vid but it was a bit choppy. Your's on the other hand was excellent and the stop action with comments was especially helpful. I will use this vid in my pool class.

Rep

[randyg]

Awesome work....thanks.

How about doing the same for Larry Nevel????

Special note: Look at where the tip of their cue is pointing right after contact....SPF=randyg

[tigerseye]

This video really helped me with figuring out where the power really came from....Very helpful... Thanks=)

[cbaumann212]

Rep to you. I don't know what it is, but you IA players really play strong and pick up on stuff (Josh, Jesse, Shannon, Tommy, and Jon K). I'm sure I missed a bunch. Thanks for the help.

[Patrick Johnson]

I believe all the extra power in power breaks comes from one place: getting the upper arm involved. That's what raising and dropping the elbow is for.

And that's why it's so hard to master. Hitting a target a few millimeters wide with all that body movement going on is a... challenge.

pj
chgo

[TXsouthpaw]

great vid. I got more out of that than hillybilllys own vid. Someone times it can be hard to explainin to people how you do what you do; you just do it. (i.e. charlies vid) your breakdown showed me some new things.

[mosconiac]

I've been contacted by a few folks about using the vid for personal use and in instruction. I have no problem with that...I made it for everyone's benefit.

As we all know, youtube compresses the video to fit their format. The loss of quality is obvious in this case.

I will post the video to a host tonight so everyone can pull down the original in full resolution...which wasn't all that high to begin with.

[DennyS]

Nice presentation!

[tjlmbklr]

I said it before and I'll say it again. I have a very long wing span. In the past I used to use a 60" playing cue. I have since went back to standard 58" and am still questioning my decision. ONE of the reasons I went back was my break cue (Varney) is 57". So I had a 3 in difference from playing to breaking. And I am gripping the base of the butt already on my playing cue when shooting with less then a 10" address.

Every time I try a power break technique like raising the back of the cue I skip right under whitey and almost tear my cloth. I have many marks in cloth to prove it. So based on the placement of Charlies grip on the butt of the cue and his bridge length he can do this. Unless you have a very long reach like me you'll never know how hard it makes it to give full speed on the break. I have played with the idea of using a 60" cue to break which goes against all the advice I received from cue makers. Short is stiffer stiffer is better for the break. Well it's a wash IMO long cue for me means full swing, full swing means more powerful break. Don't get me wrong over the years of only playing 1-2 a week (actually much less now having 2 jobs) I learned to smash the rack pretty good. Now I just need to learn to run out!

[shayla]

I can break the balls pretty fast and hard and have won myself a few speed break contents back when Sardo was having them in Vegas a few years back. I never use any rails to break from and have always had a lot of success that way. However, most of the time I don't have a lot of control of whitey. I ran across Charlie Bryant's Inside Pool breaking video a couple of months ago and practiced it a couple of times and I have seen an immediate improvement in both speed and cue ball control. Also, because of the hip action, there is less pressure on my knees during the break because everything just rolls together and there isn't any more sudden jerk with the knees. I have a lot of knee issues, so this is something I realized almost immediately. Its all a matter of timing the hip action. Takes some to get the feel of it longer than others, but it was easy for me to adapt because I never threw my body into my break to begin with.

Thanks for the breakdown in your video, it provided valuable additional information to Charlie's video!

[mosconiac]

Here's the higher quality video for all to use. It's only 17MB so it'll d/l very quick.

I've uploaded to 2 different sources in case one goes down. You only need to d/l from one host...it's the same file on both.

Source #1:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sny3yhmdggm

--OR--

Source #2:
http://rapidshare.com/files/17834686...Break.wmv.html

Someone asked about Larry Nevel's break. I don't have a good video, but if I ever come across one I'll do the same analysis. I have a feeling it will be very similar to Archer's.

[mosconiac]

Originally Posted by randyg

How about doing the same for Larry Nevel????

Per your request:

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=126254