Which side of the table to break.
- Thread starter Nexxus6
- Start date
Depends entirely on the table. You should be comfortable with both.
The point of the side rail break, is to make the either the wing ball, the 1 ball or both. You aren't making either you should start moving towards the center of the table.
I have been doing a break drill that I came up with on my own... it takes about 10-20 minutes
5 breaks 1/2 tip low from the center of the kitchen
5 breaks 1/2 tip low left.. from the left corner of the break box
5 breaks 1/2 tip low right... from the right corner of the break box
and you grade the drill as follows
cue ball center table +1
sink a ball +1
available shot +1
even spread +1
Scratch -2
4 points A
3 points B
2 points C
1 point D
I do this 3 or 4 times a week and my break has improved dramatically
if my suggested tip positions don't work well for you and your table.. feel free to adjust them.. just make sure to note your adjustments...
5 breaks 1/2 tip low from the center of the kitchen
5 breaks 1/2 tip low left.. from the left corner of the break box
5 breaks 1/2 tip low right... from the right corner of the break box
and you grade the drill as follows
cue ball center table +1
sink a ball +1
available shot +1
even spread +1
Scratch -2
4 points A
3 points B
2 points C
1 point D
I do this 3 or 4 times a week and my break has improved dramatically
if my suggested tip positions don't work well for you and your table.. feel free to adjust them.. just make sure to note your adjustments...
Nexxus6
Registered
Excellent, thanks for the tip. I'll try this.
thanks a great format for practicing breaks. do you take average of the 15 breaks a session or keep individual count of each break?
I record every shot and afterward I give myself an overall grade for the drill.
softshot...I like your drill for practicing your break. What do think using sidespin on the break accomplishes? Be sure to REWARD yourself anytime you get 4 points on a break!
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Great drill thanks for sharing!!!!
thanks everyone for the compliments I hope it works well for you
I started doing this drill with 1/2 tip low from all 3 positions..but I was rarely landing in the center of the table when breaking from the corners.. so I started playing around with tip positions and found one that upped my percentage of center table leaves..
we are only talking about a tiny bit of spin here 1/2 tip may be a little to much .. more like 1/4 to 1/2 tip
I don't really KNOW why it works but I have a theory.
the cueball hops on every break when it contacts the head ball, how much it hops is dependent on a lot of things. I think the gearing action of the slight spin and slight draw dampen the hop somewhat and tends to put the cueball on a path up the centerline..
without high speed video we will never know for sure
when I hit one pure... it's sure is pretty..
I started doing this drill with 1/2 tip low from all 3 positions..but I was rarely landing in the center of the table when breaking from the corners.. so I started playing around with tip positions and found one that upped my percentage of center table leaves..
we are only talking about a tiny bit of spin here 1/2 tip may be a little to much .. more like 1/4 to 1/2 tip
I don't really KNOW why it works but I have a theory.
the cueball hops on every break when it contacts the head ball, how much it hops is dependent on a lot of things. I think the gearing action of the slight spin and slight draw dampen the hop somewhat and tends to put the cueball on a path up the centerline..
without high speed video we will never know for sure
when I hit one pure... it's sure is pretty..
Last edited:
Softshot
That's a well thought out routine for the break, but I feel you are limiting yourself by using 'outside' english only from the corners of the box.
I think, and have experienced, that the '8 ball break' offers more consistency in making a ball, and the balls have more action off the rails, and it uses
about 3/4 tip inside english, and 3/4 tip low. The same break is also used in 9 ball a lot, after it was discovered to also give good results for 9 ball breaking.
Personally, 1 have 8 breaks, 4 from each side. Neil said it best when he asked which side are you making balls from? There are tables that break better from the left side in lieu of the right side. I call them 'left handed tables'. On these tables, you can break and break and never make a ball from the right side, switch to the left side, and everything good starts happening then.
Also, you should know all of your break shots well, and you should also know how to read a rack because there are ways to nullify a certain break shot with racking, and you should be aware of them.
That's a well thought out routine for the break, but I feel you are limiting yourself by using 'outside' english only from the corners of the box.
I think, and have experienced, that the '8 ball break' offers more consistency in making a ball, and the balls have more action off the rails, and it uses
about 3/4 tip inside english, and 3/4 tip low. The same break is also used in 9 ball a lot, after it was discovered to also give good results for 9 ball breaking.
Personally, 1 have 8 breaks, 4 from each side. Neil said it best when he asked which side are you making balls from? There are tables that break better from the left side in lieu of the right side. I call them 'left handed tables'. On these tables, you can break and break and never make a ball from the right side, switch to the left side, and everything good starts happening then.
Also, you should know all of your break shots well, and you should also know how to read a rack because there are ways to nullify a certain break shot with racking, and you should be aware of them.
Look at the rack. It is hardly ever perfectly straight. In 8-ball I hit whichever second ball I can get the most of.
In 9-ball, look at where the 1-ball and the wing balls are going. A slight angle in the rack can move those balls closer to the pockets depending on which side you break from.
In 9-ball, look at where the 1-ball and the wing balls are going. A slight angle in the rack can move those balls closer to the pockets depending on which side you break from.