If you don't practice with a realistic14.1 opening break shot...you're not practicing anything but false hopes.
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14-1
- Thread starter sr 9ball
- Start date
Agreed. I hear all these folks trying to "practice 14.1" -- using a BIH breakshot -- and then comparing high runs like it were a sliderule-measuring contest. But put them in a 14.1 match -- where they have to do the opening break because they lost the lag -- and they get eaten ALIVE because they pooched this most essential of shots.
I make it a point to, when I practice, to almost always start off with a standard opening safety break. If I pooch it (i.e. a ball leaks out, or I don't get the cue ball 4 rails back to the head of the table and "Brunswick" it), I rack everything up again, and shoot it again. When I do get a good opening break, I then play it, to try to get out of it (or begin a run, if there's a dead ball).
Practicing the opening break shot (as well as the subsequent "get out of it" shot) is essential, if you want to engage someone in competition. Otherwise, it's merely stroke practice (and admittedly, pattern practice as well, learning to "get into" the next rack).
-Sean
I've seen Bobby Chamberlain do this shot in the SBE 14.1 challenges. He abandoned this opening break, because although yes, it does scatter the rack quite well, you don't get good "bounce off of the rack" action. Bobby found himself frozen to object balls with no shot, or else -- with all that scattering action -- the cue ball got kicked and made a beeline into one of the side pockets.
However, if you've consistent good results with this style of BIH opening break, by all means use it. Just remember to practice your opening break once in a while.
-Sean
Most of the people here in an even match will lose an average of 3-4 balls once in the game if they do a poor opening break shot. They will probably lose more on average if they miss a continuing break shot. I think it is more important for them to shoot continuing break shots with confidence and enough speed/action that they get clear for a second shot.
I do agree that the center-spot side pocket break is a little artificial, but if your goal is to learn to run balls off the table it's not a bad way to start. For a while -- I don't know if he does it any more -- Corey Deuel was bumping balls to the center spot for his next break shot. I think it is better to start with a more standard break shot and especially one you have had trouble with recently, like maybe behind the rack.
That kind of break was explicitly forbidden at the DCC 14.1 challenge. The break ball must not be within a ball diameter of any other ball.
Bob: I remember when Corey was doing that in a match in Jersey. It took a while to figure out why he was doing what he was doing.
I think he was just sort of liking that break shot and experimenting with it.
During some of the runs he did at Bill's house last year, he was bumping balls down to the bottom, experimenting with behind the rack break shots.