2nd ball break

dbgordie

Thread Killer!!
Silver Member
The question is what is the desired advantage of this 8 ball break?

Maybe I should try the English-speaking forum...

pj
chgo

I disagree. The OP only asked if other people use the 2nd ball break in 8 ball. There were no other questions posed in the thread. You decided to pick on others for their use of the word, "works", and here we are.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I disagree. The OP only asked if other people use the 2nd ball break in 8 ball. There were no other questions posed in the thread. You decided to pick on others for their use of the word, "works", and here we are.
Aren't we talking about my question?

And, by the way, I only asked what was meant - the first snarky post was yours.

Own it, snarkboy.

pj
chgo
 

Pacecar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It could "work" to make the 8 ball on the break more often....
Or, create clusters to play a desirable safety battle...
Or, break the balls wide open for easier runouts.....
Or, break the ball to specific table quadrants for less cue ball travel...
Or,
 

dbgordie

Thread Killer!!
Silver Member
Aren't we talking about my question?

And, by the way, I only asked what was meant - the first snarky post was yours.

Own it, snarkboy.

pj
chgo

You asked what it meant. Of course I have too much time on my hands so I replied. It was all in good fun. I'm sorry Koop is upset now. Well, sort of. Anyway, It's mine, and I own it!!

:D
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
It could "work" to make the 8 ball on the break more often....
Or, create clusters to play a desirable safety battle...
Or, break the balls wide open for easier runouts.....
Or, break the ball to specific table quadrants for less cue ball travel...
Or,
Wow - an actual answer. Thanks!

I'd like to ask for clarification about some if it, but that might cause World War III...

pj
chgo
 

JC

Coos Cues
The question is what is the desired advantage of this 8 ball break?

Maybe I should try the English-speaking forum...

pj
chgo

If that was your question then perhaps being the master of the English language that you are you should have written those EXACT words the first time.

That way some of us illegal aliens could have googled the translation and known what you meant.

It never seems to end with you this nonsense......

JC
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Some of you might remember that Corey Deuel used the (hard) 2nd-ball break in a pro one-pocket tournament, figuring that he didn't have the one-pocket knowledge to compete so he'd try to get into shootouts.

He broke from the left, calling the left pocket, and most of the balls ended up on the left side (rebounding off the right side rail). I don't remember what he did with the CB.

He didn't do that well in the tournament as I recall, but I don't think that's relevant to the break's usefulness in 8-ball.

pj
chgo
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
In case anybody's still reading, I don't use the 2nd-ball break in 8-ball. To minimize the chances of more spontaneous combustion in this thread I'll list some reasons it doesn't work for me:

- less CB control
- more chance of scratching
- less likely CB ends up center table (where most shots are)
- more accuracy needed
- harder to be accurate with bottom and/or side
- less power into the rack with offcenter hit on CB
- less power into the rack with offcenter hit on OB
- never seen any actual evidence that more 8 balls (or OBs) go

pj
chgo
 
Last edited:

fastone371

Certifiable
Silver Member
In case anybody's still reading, I don't use the 2nd-ball break in 8-ball. To minimize the chances of more spontaneous combustion in this thread I'll list some reasons it doesn't work for me:

- less CB control
- more chance of scratching
- less likely CB ends up center table (where most shots are)
- more accuracy needed
- harder to be accurate with bottom and/or side
- less power into the rack with offcenter hit on CB
- less power into the rack with offcenter hit on OB

pj
chgo

I support Mr. Johnsons reason for not preferring 2nd ball break in 8 ball, except for reason #2, I find that many more players scratch in the side pockets or bottom corners hitting the head ball first. I play a lot of 8 ball, I personally do not like the 2nd ball break because I seem to get a lot of bad layouts on the table as far as clusters and often the balls seem to favor 1 side of the table. If I cant get anything in along the head string line hitting the head ball I will switch to a 2nd ball break, right up until the first break where nothing falls, then I go back to the head ball. I work (theres that word again) pretty hard on my break. I have found that if you hit the head ball square and the cue ball stays on the center line of the table so all of the energy is transferred into the rack you dont have to break very hard to make balls and get a good spread, in fact on a Diamond bar box it seems like a softer break is better than a hard break for dropping balls and getting a decent spread.
 

gregnice37

Bar Banger, Cue Collector
Silver Member
I only play 8ball as it's the only game I enjoy playing. I mostly play on 2 bar boxes in the bar I shoot league in and the weekly tournament in the same place. Tournament and league night is almost all the same people.

I'd say 50% of us use the 2nd ball break including myself. We play UPA rules so it's rack your own and 8 on break wins. Most of use the Ryo rack and it gets very tight racks Everytime which is hard on the 2 horrible tables we have. Also as bad as the tables are, 1 of them from the 50's and has no name or markings on it. We do bring in Cyclop balls though.

I get the 8 moving on about 97% of the breaks and come close to making it on almost all of them but it usually gets kicked out by another ball or misses the pocket by a millimeter or more. Of course it goes in on a few occasions. Usually since the racks are really tight the table gets some nice spreads as well. I usually make 1 or 2 balls too, have made 4 once and 5 once.

On a side note, guy made 9 balls on the break a couple weeks ago using a head on break.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I find that many more players scratch in the side pockets or bottom corners hitting the head ball first.
Even if you hit equally accurately both ways, the CB moves a lot more with the 2nd ball break, and through lots more moving traffic. That's what makes me nervous about scratching.

pj
chgo
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I get the 8 moving on about 97% of the breaks and come close to making it on almost all of them but it usually gets kicked out by another ball or misses the pocket by a millimeter or more.
You mean with the 2nd ball break, right? Any idea what percentage of times you make it?

On a side note, guy made 9 balls on the break a couple weeks ago using a head on break.
Yow.

pj
chgo
 

Coop1701

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You mean with the 2nd ball break, right? Any idea what percentage of times you make it?


Yow.

pj
chgo

For me... I get the 8 ball moving about 95 percent of the time.

Probably make it one out of every 8 times at bat.

Typically my cue ball only moves to the rail and back out. Not sure why everyone is complaining about cueball control.
I also typically get one cluster on the left side of the table. It usually lays out in a way that I can shoot my balls the side pocket.

I'm not saying the 2nd ball break is the golden ticket. But I either get a 8 ball or 2 during my match or a easy run out.
 

dabarbr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A good reason to use the second ball break that hasn't been mentioned is that the cue ball has a much smaller chance to scratch because it's pushing all balls away from it and it's going to a safe zone.

You just need to put a good stroke on it with outside English to keep it from going cross corner for a scratch. You want to take it back one rail to the middle of the table by that time all the balls have left that part of the table and it's less likely to get kissed into a scratch and you would be in a better position to start your run if you make one on the break. Breaking to the front ball leaves the cue ball in an area to be knocked around.
 
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