Lately I find myself getting stuck on the side of the rack during the break shot. What can I do to improve on this? I prefer to go to the side rail and back to the middle of the table but my ball is hitting the side of the rack and staying put and not giving me a shot.
Stuck in the rack
- Thread starter riding9
- Start date
A couple of things can help prevent this...
1. Use a little bit of draw (just below center ball) with more of a punch stroke. This should provide enough draw to pull the cue ball off the pack, while not drawing the cue ball all the way back into the kitchen.
2. Know where the cue ball is going to hit the rack and the angle it is going into the rack at. You usually get stuck when the cue ball hits exactly between 2 balls and freezes there or hits a single ball flush and freezes there. Hitting a single ball at a glance would cause the cue ball to deflect off the rack and not get stuck.
3. This may be a matter of personal preference, but I try to play for a steeper angle into the balls when breaking from the side of the rack. This way high english can be used. With the steeper angle, a scratch is virtually eliminated and the balls will open up much better.
1. Use a little bit of draw (just below center ball) with more of a punch stroke. This should provide enough draw to pull the cue ball off the pack, while not drawing the cue ball all the way back into the kitchen.
2. Know where the cue ball is going to hit the rack and the angle it is going into the rack at. You usually get stuck when the cue ball hits exactly between 2 balls and freezes there or hits a single ball flush and freezes there. Hitting a single ball at a glance would cause the cue ball to deflect off the rack and not get stuck.
3. This may be a matter of personal preference, but I try to play for a steeper angle into the balls when breaking from the side of the rack. This way high english can be used. With the steeper angle, a scratch is virtually eliminated and the balls will open up much better.
I agree with all 3 of those points.
Also make sure that the rack is tight, you have to watch also. Sometimes the weight of the cueball is lighter than the object balls, some pool galls replace the cb's and don't take into consideration that they all have to be a matched set.
That's why I personally have bought my own set of balls and a carrying case, so at least I know I am using a true set of good balls.
Hope this helps
steve
Also make sure that the rack is tight, you have to watch also. Sometimes the weight of the cueball is lighter than the object balls, some pool galls replace the cb's and don't take into consideration that they all have to be a matched set.
That's why I personally have bought my own set of balls and a carrying case, so at least I know I am using a true set of good balls.
Hope this helps
steve
Anytime you send the cue ball into the rack or a cluster of balls put some spin on the cue ball. this will help to open up clusters and help to keep the cue ball from freezing to object balls. Also speed is very important.
I have to disagree with part of #2. No way will you stick when you hit between 2 balls in the stack. The cue ball will absolutely fly off the stack when you hit between 2 balls. You get stuck when you hit a single ball full with follow and there are 4 or 5 balls behind the ball you hit. You can hit the lower 2 balls full with follow and bust right through the rack.
Hitting a rack with enough draw will always get you away from the stack. Problem is you can end up down table sometimes. You really have to judge how full you're going to hit a ball and use that info to determine how much draw you'll need to get away from the stack.
Andy
Hitting a rack with enough draw will always get you away from the stack. Problem is you can end up down table sometimes. You really have to judge how full you're going to hit a ball and use that info to determine how much draw you'll need to get away from the stack.
Andy
I have been having similar issues with secondary break shots from the end rail. The ball will be next to the rail and I will make the shot, the cue ball rebounds off the rail up into the stack and gets stuck quite often. I will even aim for a particular part of the stack and still get stuck. WTF:banghead:
I think I know exactly what you are saying regarding this re-break, if this is the type shot below, I've all but eliminated this problem by ( and this is going to sound crazy) using a slower but not less powerful forward stroke with a slightly longer follow through.
I cant see cuetable diagrams at work but. I have been thinking about this probablem. I think using what you described with follow or draw might help. I need the spin to stay on the cueball long enough to still work after it contacts the pack of balls.
I have fallen victim to this malade many times. I use these rules-of-thumbs to avoid it.
1) Avoid the "death triangle" at all costs! To visualize the "death triangle", take the 14-ball rack & remove the 3 balls on each lower corner & the 2 balls on top and you will be left with the "death triangle". Those 6 balls are world-class sumo wrestlers. They cooperate on secondary break shots only.
2) Follow through. An incomplete (timid) stroke will result in insufficient follow or draw. I am not saying "shoot harder" BTW.
3) Go into the stack at an angle...NEVER perpindicular to the face of the stack. OK, maybe not "NEVER", but "almost NEVER".
4) Don't fear the angle. Don't always settle for a shallow angle on the break ball. Give yourself some angle to work with...you can shoot a softer pace with big results.
1) Avoid the "death triangle" at all costs! To visualize the "death triangle", take the 14-ball rack & remove the 3 balls on each lower corner & the 2 balls on top and you will be left with the "death triangle". Those 6 balls are world-class sumo wrestlers. They cooperate on secondary break shots only.
2) Follow through. An incomplete (timid) stroke will result in insufficient follow or draw. I am not saying "shoot harder" BTW.
3) Go into the stack at an angle...NEVER perpindicular to the face of the stack. OK, maybe not "NEVER", but "almost NEVER".
4) Don't fear the angle. Don't always settle for a shallow angle on the break ball. Give yourself some angle to work with...you can shoot a softer pace with big results.
This was a big thing for me to learn. And it definitely pays off. Make sure you follow the ball with a good stroke. I rarely get stuck anymore.
You may want to try playing these end-rail break shots with a low ball. The low ball will help drive the cb through the rack whereas a high ball will cause the cb to rebound back towards the end rail.