Breaking from the head string

hermanmunster

hermanmunster

Registered
I seem to recall that when I started playing pool in the late seventies, most people playing 8-ball would position the cue ball about a diamond off the head rail and break with the bridge hand on the rail. Now after a long hiatus,I've started playing again and see on YouTube that all the pros break with the cue ball at the head string.

What's the rationale for that? Is it because the cue ball is about a foot closer to the rack and it makes that much of a difference?
 
I think it's easier to get a more accurate hit on the head ball when you have your hand on the table. Especially the case on 9ft tables.
 
I still break from the rail. Not always straight on. Depends on the table, and if anything is going in. But i'll break from side rail, and head rail at various points, but I like have hand on the rail when I break...

Just a habit after decades, I guess. Feels pretty sturdy without leaning over so much of the table. I break with more of an upright position than normal shooting position.
 
Pie time.radius squares.

The closer you get to the ompqt point. Ukraine to bat honey kloss taint.

Duh.

hermanmunster said:
I seem to recall that when I started playing pool in the late seventies, most people playing 8-ball would position the cue ball about a diamond off the head rail and break with the bridge hand on the rail. Now after a long hiatus,I've started playing again and see on YouTube that all the pros break with the cue ball at the head string.

What's the rationale for that? Is it because the cue ball is about a foot closer to the rack and it makes that much of a difference?
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Not sure why players break from the end rail on the rail, I have seen Corey do that, but then I have seen him break using a bridge in 10 ball LOL

I break off the rail in 9 ball when breaking from the side, but in 8 ball, 10 ball, some 9 ball breaks, cueball is on the line with hand on the table. I think most of the better players do that also. It may come up from players learning to break and not being able to make a solid bridge, so they use the rail to help.
 
hermanmunster said:
I seem to recall that when I started playing pool in the late seventies, most people playing 8-ball would position the cue ball about a diamond off the head rail and break with the bridge hand on the rail. Now after a long hiatus,I've started playing again and see on YouTube that all the pros break with the cue ball at the head string.

What's the rationale for that? Is it because the cue ball is about a foot closer to the rack and it makes that much of a difference?
Click to expand...
Yes, why would you want to break from any further away than you have to? I can tell you just from 9-ball breaking from the headstring on a 10-foot table vs a 9-foot table is completely different. That extra foot requires you to hit the cue ball just slightly lower center to get the cue ball to stay near mid table.
 
There are some good arguments fro breaking from the end rail on a bar table when playing 8 ball or 10 ball. Where the cueball is in the air makes a big difference on how the balls react. It seems very easy to pop the rack nicely, not really very hard, and make the 2nd ball in the side. On a big table, it just isn't as effective because of the tradeoff in accuracy.

KMRUNOUT
 
KMRUNOUT said:
There are some good arguments fro breaking from the end rail on a bar table when playing 8 ball or 10 ball. Where the cueball is in the air makes a big difference on how the balls react. It seems very easy to pop the rack nicely, not really very hard, and make the 2nd ball in the side. On a big table, it just isn't as effective because of the tradeoff in accuracy.

KMRUNOUT
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Not buying it
Jason
 
hermanmunster said:
I seem to recall that when I started playing pool in the late seventies, most people playing 8-ball would position the cue ball about a diamond off the head rail and break with the bridge hand on the rail. Now after a long hiatus,I've started playing again and see on YouTube that all the pros break with the cue ball at the head string.

What's the rationale for that? Is it because the cue ball is about a foot closer to the rack and it makes that much of a difference?
Click to expand...

A lot of people, including pros will still bridge off the rail for 8-ball and 10-ball (center of the table breaks) on 7' tables, mostly due to the idea that it's difficult to get a level stroked if you break from the head string. Level break is most definitely the most efficient.

And players have been breaking from the headstring on 9' tables since at least the early 80's. Mike Sigel, the best breaker in the biz along with Wade Crane, almost always broke like that. And yes ,it's to get as close to the object balls as possible. Every big breaker drops the elbow and gets the cue nearly level if they start at an angle, when breaking at the headstring. They usually start the cuetip very low, but slow motion shows that most if not every hop and stop break is hit above center. Johnny Archer is one that actually aims a hair above center with a fairly level cue to start with ,and remains level throughout.

So, couple the two paragraphs, and you get one of the biggest secrets to breaking (on both big and small tables). Strike at level.


Freddie <~~~ thank you, Big Nasty
 
drlouis said:
put down the vodka and step away from the computer for a few hours.
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Looks like a google translation from English to Chinese to Hungarian to Yiddish to Zulu and then back to English. Here's an example of such a translation:

Original: The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.

Translated as above: Spain's sediment is clearly caused.

lol, maybe it's just me.
 
jasonlaus said:
Not buying it
Jason
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Lol. I'm not selling. Although Sky, Justin, SVB, and most top pro bar table players all break 8 and 10 ball on bar boxes from the end rail. Its the standard break for pros. Somehow they make it work in spite of your opinion. Still, the less people that learn a particular viable break on a particular table type, the better for those who do. So I hope you stick to your guns. Try to avoid reading Freddie's post as well.

For fun: https://youtu.be/vuoP35Ikwog?t=504 (see 8:25 if the link doesn't put you there)

KMRUNOUT
 
KMRUNOUT said:
There are some good arguments fro breaking from the end rail on a bar table when playing 8 ball or 10 ball. Where the cueball is in the air makes a big difference on how the balls react. It seems very easy to pop the rack nicely, not really very hard, and make the 2nd ball in the side. On a big table, it just isn't as effective because of the tradeoff in accuracy.

KMRUNOUT
Click to expand...

Tap tap tap
 
I’ve been breaking 8 ball from the side rail lately on a fast 9’, with mediocre results. With dirty balls and novices presenting a typically less-than-tight rack, my main interest is bridge stability & a solid head ball hit (to avoid scratching). Any concrete research demonstrating positive consequences of alternative methods would be of interest.
 
DynoDan said:
I’ve been breaking 8 ball from the side rail lately on a fast 9’, with mediocre results. With dirty balls and novices presenting a typically less-than-tight rack, my main interest is bridge stability & a solid head ball hit (to avoid scratching). Any concrete research demonstrating positive consequences of alternative methods would be of interest.
Click to expand...
I think it's a given from observing the pros, when there are no stipulations as to a break box, breaking for 8-ball and 10-ball the cue ball is set closer to the middle of the headstring, whereas breaking for 9-ball it is preferred to set the cue ball close to the side rail, in order to maximize your chances of making balls on the break.
 
Ukraine to bat honey kloss taint.
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Finally, someone had the balls to post that. I've been waiting for someone brave enough to tell it like it is.

wtf was that?



Jeff Livingston
 
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