hi, i am hoping someone can help me, i have just put a 9foot table in my local club to practise on and am gonna try playing some 14.1 pool, however i dont know how to start of the game, is the rack just set up to start with the same as a game of american 8ball? if so say i pot 2 off the break does this mean i am on 2 straight away or do i start counting once i pot the first ball in open play? thanks for any help
14.1 break?
- Thread starter frazz
- Start date
If you are just practicing, set up the rack with the apex ball missing and set yourself a break shot so you can get into the pack. If you are playing as if it were a match, set up the whole rack and break the balls from the kitchen and try to leave the table safe. Play off the wing ball with english and try to bring the cue ball back to the head rail without disturbing much. You can then keep playing safe until you leave yourself a shot.
You don't bust the rack open like in eight ball and try to make balls. Straight pool is nominate ball and pocket. Fluke balls only count if they go in when you execute an otherwise legal shot, that is, pocketing your nominated ball in the nominated pocket. Hope that helps.
You don't bust the rack open like in eight ball and try to make balls. Straight pool is nominate ball and pocket. Fluke balls only count if they go in when you execute an otherwise legal shot, that is, pocketing your nominated ball in the nominated pocket. Hope that helps.
Rack all 15 balls (no particular order or placement ofthe balls required) on the foot spot.
As with all shots in straight pool, you must call ball and pocket on the opening break and therefore the proper play is a safety. On the opening break only the rules require TWO balls plus the cue ball must hit a rail after the CB makes contact with an object ball.
The standard opening break is to place the CB on the headstring about midway between the spot and a side rail. Hit one of the rear corner balls at around 1/2 cut or so with the idea of driving it to the foot rail and back into it's position in the rack, and at the same time driving the other rear corner ball out to the side rail and back into position in the rack. The cue ball then goes to the foot rail then side rail, then travels back up table hopefully coming to rest close to the head rail.
I'm sure if you youtube some straight pool matches or "opening break 14.1" or something you will see what I'm talking about.
Hope this helps.
As with all shots in straight pool, you must call ball and pocket on the opening break and therefore the proper play is a safety. On the opening break only the rules require TWO balls plus the cue ball must hit a rail after the CB makes contact with an object ball.
The standard opening break is to place the CB on the headstring about midway between the spot and a side rail. Hit one of the rear corner balls at around 1/2 cut or so with the idea of driving it to the foot rail and back into it's position in the rack, and at the same time driving the other rear corner ball out to the side rail and back into position in the rack. The cue ball then goes to the foot rail then side rail, then travels back up table hopefully coming to rest close to the head rail.
I'm sure if you youtube some straight pool matches or "opening break 14.1" or something you will see what I'm talking about.
Hope this helps.
This is a great explanation! If I could add one point of importance it is which rails to send the cue ball to.
3andstop has diagramed it to perfection. Practice this shot until you can land the CB consistently within 1 ball width from that end rail. Also, make double sure the back of the rack is tightly racked...otherwise you run the risk of leaving a shot on the 1, 5, or 11 (as positioned in the diagram).
On new cloth though you may run into difficulty hitting the side rail (3rd rail) because the CB will slide long. In that instance, I try to concentrate on speed control instead of reaching for more side spin to make sure the CB reaches the side rail. More spin = less accuracy, so you'll hit the rack poorly.
On new cloth though you may run into difficulty hitting the side rail (3rd rail) because the CB will slide long. In that instance, I try to concentrate on speed control instead of reaching for more side spin to make sure the CB reaches the side rail. More spin = less accuracy, so you'll hit the rack poorly.
Great diagram :thumbup:. I didn't mention it but from the side shown in the diagram, usually the shot would be hit with some high/running english (right in this case). High left if breaking from the other side.
I have a question about this. I was always under the impression that the 1 ball is on the right corner and the 5 is on the left, as the person racking sees it. Has this rule been changed?
MULLY
no, you are right, the 1 and 5 have to be exchanged..
I believe though that in the newst rules they changed it to "no particular order", but I am not sure...
1-ball and 5-ball placement in the rack corners
Folks:
This is correct; it is customary to located the 1-ball and the 5-ball to the corners of the rack, for the following reasons:
1. These are the two brightest-colored balls in the rack, no question. Since the standard opening break shot is a safety by clipping one of these two balls and sending the cue ball back up table, these two colors -- yellow and orange -- are the easiest to see out of the conglomeration of colors in the rack. The breaker has an easier time aiming at these two particular balls, and thus, it is considered a courtesy to the breaker to locate these two balls in the corners like this.
2. The rules on the opening break are simple, two object balls plus the cue ball must touch a rail. In the opening break, it is easier for the referee to verify this requirement by having the two brightest-colored balls *be* those object balls that he/she is watching carefully to verify rail contact is made. Thus, it is a courtesy to the referee, as well.
3. From the breaker's point of view (as viewed from the head of the table), the 1-ball and the 5-ball are located in such a way so as to be in "numerically-ascending" order when reading the back row from left to right. So the 1-ball is located in the left-most corner, and the 5-ball is located in the right-most corner (again, as viewed from the head of the table, reading the back row from left to right, as you are reading this sentence right now). Obviously, the racker reverses this sense when racking, since he/she is viewing the rack from the opposite side.
All this is discussed here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_pool
Hope this is helpful!
-Sean
Folks:
This is correct; it is customary to located the 1-ball and the 5-ball to the corners of the rack, for the following reasons:
1. These are the two brightest-colored balls in the rack, no question. Since the standard opening break shot is a safety by clipping one of these two balls and sending the cue ball back up table, these two colors -- yellow and orange -- are the easiest to see out of the conglomeration of colors in the rack. The breaker has an easier time aiming at these two particular balls, and thus, it is considered a courtesy to the breaker to locate these two balls in the corners like this.
2. The rules on the opening break are simple, two object balls plus the cue ball must touch a rail. In the opening break, it is easier for the referee to verify this requirement by having the two brightest-colored balls *be* those object balls that he/she is watching carefully to verify rail contact is made. Thus, it is a courtesy to the referee, as well.
3. From the breaker's point of view (as viewed from the head of the table), the 1-ball and the 5-ball are located in such a way so as to be in "numerically-ascending" order when reading the back row from left to right. So the 1-ball is located in the left-most corner, and the 5-ball is located in the right-most corner (again, as viewed from the head of the table, reading the back row from left to right, as you are reading this sentence right now). Obviously, the racker reverses this sense when racking, since he/she is viewing the rack from the opposite side.
All this is discussed here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_pool
Hope this is helpful!
-Sean
I'm afraid that the wiki-link provides obsolete information. In the current set of WPA rules there is no mention of 1-ball and 5-ball being the corner balls in the rack, thus making this old rule history. Quote from WPA rules (http://www.wpa-pool.com/index.asp?content=rules_141) :
"4.2 The 14.1 Rack
For an opening break shot, the fifteen balls are racked in a triangle with the apex ball on the foot spot. When the balls are re-racked, the apex ball is omitted if only fourteen balls are being racked. The marked outline of the triangle will be used to determine whether an intended break ball is in the rack area.
4.3 Opening Break Shot
The following rules apply to the opening break shot:
(a) The cue ball begins in hand behind the head string.
(b) If no called ball is pocketed, the cue ball and two object balls must each be driven to a rail or the shot is a breaking foul. (See 8.4 Driven to a Rail.) This is penalized by subtracting two points from the breaker’s score. (See 4.10 Breaking Foul.) The non-breaking player may accept the balls in position or may require the breaker to play another opening break shot, until he satisfies the requirements for an opening break or the non-shooting player accepts the table in position. (See 4.11 Serious Fouls)"
I'd suggest when you have questions on rules, always check out the WPA site. They have the newest set of international rules. The rules have changed in 2008, that's why some of the changes have gone unnoticed.
I always wondered why the 1 and 5 are put there.
Another tip for the break: The diagram shows a somewhat fat hit on the corner ball and then a more natural route for the cue ball.
The hit I like is to load up with high outside spin and aim to hit the corner ball about 1/3rd full. Hard to judge what 1/3rd looks like but you'll know it when you hit it properly. The outside english causes the cue ball to swerve a bit as it travels, so that by the time it clips the corner it's hitting only 1/4th full or less. It will hit the foot rail closer to that diamond near the corner, but the sidespin will carry it into the diagrammed path, more or less.
By the time it hits the other side rail, it's pretty close to the corner pocket and ends up frozen to the head rail between the pocket and the diamond.
The reason for all of this is that you want a thin enough hit on that ball to ensure only 2 balls pop out of the rack. The fatter the hit, the more balls pop out. Also, lots of outside ensures that when the 1 in the diagram comes off the foot rail, it comes back up a little closer to the rack, instead of banking away from the rack and selling out a shot. Without the sidespin, the 1 wants to bank back towards the corner pocket you're standing near (and that's one possible break shot to play with in a casual match).
Another tip for the break: The diagram shows a somewhat fat hit on the corner ball and then a more natural route for the cue ball.
The hit I like is to load up with high outside spin and aim to hit the corner ball about 1/3rd full. Hard to judge what 1/3rd looks like but you'll know it when you hit it properly. The outside english causes the cue ball to swerve a bit as it travels, so that by the time it clips the corner it's hitting only 1/4th full or less. It will hit the foot rail closer to that diamond near the corner, but the sidespin will carry it into the diagrammed path, more or less.
By the time it hits the other side rail, it's pretty close to the corner pocket and ends up frozen to the head rail between the pocket and the diamond.
The reason for all of this is that you want a thin enough hit on that ball to ensure only 2 balls pop out of the rack. The fatter the hit, the more balls pop out. Also, lots of outside ensures that when the 1 in the diagram comes off the foot rail, it comes back up a little closer to the rack, instead of banking away from the rack and selling out a shot. Without the sidespin, the 1 wants to bank back towards the corner pocket you're standing near (and that's one possible break shot to play with in a casual match).
True. Also if you break too much from the left, the 1-ball will open up and won't return to the rack and you'll most likely leave it for your opponent. A good spot is about 5-10" to the right from the straight line with the 1-ball. Also if you feel uncomfortable with the break on a certain table in a tough match, try aiming the corner ball a fraction too thin. With this you won't break the rack too open and even if you happen to fail to make 2 balls on the rail, the opponent will probably make you break again and you can aim fuller. The 3-foul rule does not apply if you fail to make a legal break shot many times in a row. Doesn't really matter losing a few points on the break if the alternative is busting the rack open and letting your opponent draw first blood.