Photos of the break

[SloMoHolic]

The first shot is a bit too X-ray like and transparent to work well on a shirt I think. It's a great effect, like someone said for a poster or computer background.

You need to take some pics using a new set of balls, or at least a very clean one. The second shot you posted looks great, but the look of the balls takes away from the wow factor a bit.

Good feedback. Thanks for your honesty. That's what I'm looking for.

The color picture was taken years ago, before I had my Diamond ball polisher. My latest pictures feature a near-perfect set of pristine Arimiths. Honestly, I kind of dig the way the grungy balls look in that second photo.

I will share some of the new photos in the next couple of weeks.

-Blake

 

[SloMoHolic]

You do great work first of all. Secondly, I would love to see a series of 5 or 6 pictures of a cue ball hitting the 1 ball, and moving about 1 foot in the air, then landing in the center of the table with one final picture of perfect position on the 1ball. Like someone else said, just let Shane hit while you do the pictures. HE clearly has the best break shot in the game of pool today. I have only seen one better than his. He averages 2 balls per break recently in his match with Dennis, and I have seen someone average 3 on the break, which was the most terrifying break I ever saw.

Thank you, sir!

Each photo was selected out of a sequence of 40 photos over the course of 1 second, at 9 megapixels each. I am working on a poster that will feature the entire sequence, but I need to find or reshoot a better set. Perhaps I could slow down the frame rate and capture more of the CB pop-and-squat movement.

Don't tell anybody, but I'm already working on setting up a photo/video session with Shane. It will take a while to finalize the details, but I REALLY want to make this happen. Just keep it a secret.



-Blake

 

[woody_968]

Keep it up! I think your onto something here. I really like the photos. I agree the first looks too much like an x-ray, but that being said I am a big fan of black and white photos.

I could see one of these posters going on my wall.

Woody

 

[Cornerman]

I'm working on a new photography technique, and would like to know what you think about my initial result. I think these type of shots would look pretty cool on the wall of your pool room.

I started doing this as part of my efforts to study the break shot and try to figure out what the heck is happening in that split second after contact, but I ended up with some pretty cool looking photos along the way.

Should I continue along this path, or just stick with the slow motion stuff?

Do you think there would be a market for images like this on posters or t-shirts?

I appreciate your honest feedback.

Here is my first sample:

View attachment 279205

Thanks,

-Blake

Keep doing it!

 

[Fatboy]

is it possible the balls dont move as a unit in the beginning because they weren't frozen, that would cause then to follow what ever tangent lines there are as a result of unfrozen balls. seems to me if the balls were all frozen (and the same size) at every possible contact point, the whole rack would move first then the weakest link(frozen balls or lightest balls would move first.

its a interesting concept. great work Blake

 

[SloMoHolic]

is it possible the balls dont move as a unit in the beginning because they weren't frozen, that would cause then to follow what ever tangent lines there are as a result of unfrozen balls. seems to me if the balls were all frozen (and the same size) at every possible contact point, the whole rack would move first then the weakest link(frozen balls or lightest balls would move first.

its a interesting concept. great work Blake

Thank you Eric, and everybody else, for your support and encouragement. It means so much to me. It really does!

Absolutely, if the rack isn't 100% frozen, the balls will not move as a unit.


But...

Just trust me when I say that I take lots of time when racking with the Magic Rack, and I check each contact to be absolutely positive they are all perfectly frozen. I'm researching the action of the break, so having a perfect rack is a top priority.

In a few days, I will post a super slow motion video that will tell you more than I ever could with words. I literally have hundreds of videos like this, and I wish I could share them all. But this particular video is special due to the timing of the frames, in relation to the action in the rack.

This particular video was taken at 1000 fps, and it is a 9-ball break, using the Magic Rack. As I said before, you'll just have to trust that I spend plenty of time making sure it is a truly perfect rack, every time I film a clip. I record my break speed on every clip (using the Break Speed app), and this one is 18 mph. In each frame, 1/1000th of a second, the cue ball is moving less than 1/3 of an inch.

The video shows the CB approaching, a tiny fraction of an inch away from contacting the 1-ball. In the next frame (1/1000th of a second later) contact is made, and the 1-ball is clearly compressed, and the CB is nearly motionless (as revealed by the lack of blur), but NO OTHER BALLS move.

In the very next frame (again, 1/1000th of a second later), ALL of the balls are moving (except maybe the 9). There is also an obvious amount of spin on the wing ball, as well as the "obstructing" ball behind it. Oddly, both of those balls have the same direction of spin (counter-clockwise).

I don't yet understand it, but there it is, captured on video, right in front of me.

It is mind-blowing to watch. I can't WAIT to share it with you guys. I am so excited about this, and I'm very much looking forward to the conversations, debates, and discussions that will follow. Together, we CAN learn and begin to understand what's REALLY happening in the break.

Thanks again for all of your support.

Sincerely,

-Blake

 

[KMRUNOUT]

If you took an overhead shot of the rack disbursing, you might see the rack moving as a unit, before disbursing

I doubt you would see that. There is no physical reason why the whole rack would move as a unit. The overhead shot would certainly clear this up though!

KMRUNOUT

 

[KMRUNOUT]

Thank you Eric, and everybody else, for your support and encouragement. It means so much to me. It really does!

Absolutely, if the rack isn't 100% frozen, the balls will not move as a unit.


But...

Just trust me when I say that I take lots of time when racking with the Magic Rack, and I check each contact to be absolutely positive they are all perfectly frozen. I'm researching the action of the break, so having a perfect rack is a top priority.

In a few days, I will post a super slow motion video that will tell you more than I ever could with words. I literally have hundreds of videos like this, and I wish I could share them all. But this particular video is special due to the timing of the frames, in relation to the action in the rack.

This particular video was taken at 1000 fps, and it is a 9-ball break, using the Magic Rack. As I said before, you'll just have to trust that I spend plenty of time making sure it is a truly perfect rack, every time I film a clip. I record my break speed on every clip (using the Break Speed app), and this one is 18 mph. In each frame, 1/1000th of a second, the cue ball is moving less than 1/3 of an inch.

The video shows the CB approaching, a tiny fraction of an inch away from contacting the 1-ball. In the next frame (1/1000th of a second later) contact is made, and the 1-ball is clearly compressed, and the CB is nearly motionless (as revealed by the lack of blur), but NO OTHER BALLS move.

In the very next frame (again, 1/1000th of a second later), ALL of the balls are moving (except maybe the 9). There is also an obvious amount of spin on the wing ball, as well as the "obstructing" ball behind it. Oddly, both of those balls have the same direction of spin (counter-clockwise).

I don't yet understand it, but there it is, captured on video, right in front of me.

It is mind-blowing to watch. I can't WAIT to share it with you guys. I am so excited about this, and I'm very much looking forward to the conversations, debates, and discussions that will follow. Together, we CAN learn and begin to understand what's REALLY happening in the break.

Thanks again for all of your support.

Sincerely,

-Blake

This sounds really cool...I'd like to see it!

KMRUNOUT

 

[SloMoHolic]

PS,

I want to make sure that I make it clear that I DO NOT KNOW what is happening. I'm just trying to figure it out, with your help.

I will admit that I did find one piece of evidence that supports the theory that at least SOME of the balls in the rack might be moving back before launching into their final trajectory.

Pay attention to the light reflections in the following photos. They are the clearest indicators of ball movement.

Here is the overall view of a 10-ball break (in low resolution, to protect myself):

EDITED TO REMOVE PHOTO DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

Here are some further details.

You can clearly see that the 6-ball (the "wing ball" in the rack) does not change direction. It just flies straight out of the stack.

EDITED TO REMOVE PHOTO DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

However, if you look closely at the 2-ball, it clearly moves towards the foot rail, BEFORE moving away from the stack (towards the side pocket). Look at the light reflections, and you'll see 4 tightly grouped bright spots, which indicate the 2-ball position just before impact.

Then, look at the trails from the 4 bright spots. They indicate movement towards the side pocket, but the trails START from an offset position, a tiny fraction of an inch BEHIND the original starting position.

EDITED TO REMOVE PHOTO DUE TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

THAT is the "L" shape I was referring to earlier.

Again, I welcome any feedback, positive, negative, inquisitive, or supportive.

Thanks, and I hope we can continue this discussion!

I believe that many of us want to know what the heck is going on in that split-second after impact, and whatever knowledge we gain could help every pool player.

-Blake

 

[SloMoHolic]

This sounds really cool...I'd like to see it!

Thanks, KM. I really want to do a good job of editing and presenting it, so it might take longer than usual.

I truly believe this will "break" some new ground in break research. I can only hope that Joe Tucker and Dr. Dave will get involved in the discussion, because they have WAY more knowledge and experience than I do. They are the true experts here, at least as far as the break and the physics are concerned.

I'm sure we would all appreciate their input, and I know from my own personal experience with each of them, that they are genuinely good guys, with a passion for understanding the game, and sharing their insights.

-Blake

 

[hang-the-9]

If you took an overhead shot of the rack disbursing, you might see the rack moving as a unit, before disbursing

That won't happen. The force of the impact has to travel though the ball in front to reach the ones behind, so they will not all move in one motion.

Taking a perfect hit of the break:

Cueball hits the 1, the 1 gets the kinetic energy from the cueball which then stops because it's energy was transferred to the 1 (minus whatever is lost as heat, sound and friction for someone who can measure things on that small a level), the energy has to travel all the way though the molecules in the 1 ball, reach the end, and then that energy gets to the 2 balls behind it, and so on. So the rack does not move as one, but rather in sections, the 1 ball is already visibly (for a camera) moving before the energy gets to the back ball.

I bet an infrared camera in a very cold room would capture the exact points of each ball that gets hit.

 

[R3DS!X]

idea:
Dry ice vapor on the table would probably look awesome if you have a high speed lens. you could also shine different colored lights through the fog for different effect. the trail of the cue ball cutting through the fog to break into the rack im sure would be killer.

 

[dr_dave]

I'm working on a new photography technique, and would like to know what you think about my initial result. I think these type of shots would look pretty cool on the wall of your pool room.

I started doing this as part of my efforts to study the break shot and try to figure out what the heck is happening in that split second after contact, but I ended up with some pretty cool looking photos along the way.

Should I continue along this path, or just stick with the slow motion stuff?

Please keep doing both. I really like these blurred break images ... very revealing.

Do you think there would be a market for images like this on posters or t-shirts?

I'm not a marketer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express recently, so I say: "most definitely yes."

I look forward to seeing much more stuff from you in the future.

Keep up the good work,
Dave