Is the Break Shot Overrated?

Brookeland Bill said:
Don’t play pool for a living after posting that question? You will starve to death.
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I'm just a recreational player, at most. Your comment reaffirms what I've been feeling, lately: that this forum, despite the "everyone's welcome" hype, is really just for higher-level players, and that us lower-level players have no business being here. Great way to promote the sport!
 
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Mr. Dogg said:
I'm just a recreational player, at most. Your comment reaffirms what I've been feeling, lately: that this forum, despite the "everyone's welcome" hype, is really just for higher-level players, and that us lower-level players have no business being here. Great way to promote the sport!
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Your reply is honest, however most reply from their own perspective. When I joined this forum it did not take long to appreciate the high level to expertise shared. It was humbling to me, but I learned a lot just by making incorrect statements which were corrected.

Stick around ... it gets better.
 
longhorns2 said:
the lower the skill level, the less important the break. there will be several innings and in the end, the break will have mattered very little.

for professionals though, it's hugely important.
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That’s it in a nutshell and 99.9 % of players are not professionals.

What’s missing in so much billiard advice is ‘know the opposition’. You will get pedantic lessons advising what an amateur ‘does wrong’. No, they aren’t doing anything wrong much of the time. They don’t need to run out and a better strategy is often sink a couple balls and play a safety...rather risk a miss.

We play 8 ball on 9 foot tables. When playing 8 ball I will often sink a ball, then send another of my balls down table as a ‘hanger’ and leave the cueball On the same end rail.. No need to ‘run out’ against 99% of even decent players.

Same with a ball in hand. Again, sink a ball or two and leave awkward position for your opponent. Sure, Efren Reyes might clean up, but I’m not playing Efren Reyes.

The break? Do I scatter the balls, leave cueball centre table? Risk Not sinking a ball? I’ve had as much luck with a softer break, leaving an awkward cluster with cueball on a side rail..then using table smarts to win. Again, who am I playing? A young guy will fall for the strategy and attempt potting high risk shots.

Anyways no need to be always thinking sinking a ball on the break and running out.
 
Mr. Dogg said:
I'm just a recreational player, at most. Your comment reaffirms what I've been feeling, lately: that this forum, despite the "everyone's welcome" hype, is really just for higher-level players, and that us lower-level players have no business being here. Great way to promote the sport!
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I've been here for 11 years or so. Started here when I was a real novice league player. (Now, 11 years later, I'm a more experienced bad player, lol.) There have been many, many very helpful people here on the forum over the years. Not all of them still post here, but I can assure you there are still plenty of helpful folks on AZB.

The thing that will make this easier for you is realizing that like most anything else...time and experience here will help. There are those who will flame at you, with little provocation. There are many who are just trolls, stirring the $hit for their jollies. And there are many just spending time here, having conversations, for conversation sake. And probably a thousand other reasons.

Again, this place is not sorely for experienced players. Just understand that there will be some conversations geared that way. Spend some time in the "Ask The Instructors" sub forum. There are many helpful folks there.
 
Mr. Dogg said:
I'm just a recreational player, at most. Your comment reaffirms what I've been feeling, lately: that this forum, despite the "everyone's welcome" hype, is really just for higher-level players, and that us lower-level players have no business being here. Great way to promote the sport!
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That is not at all true. You posted a comment that by its very nature was going to be provocative. You figured to get comments from every level player. People always post about pool leagues and cues and so on that may generate discussion. All discussion brings out opinions. People don't always agree and that is ok.
 
middleofnowhere said:
You posted a comment that by its very nature was going to be provocative.
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Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't have responded that way to yet another person who implied my question is stupid. I should have considered that it's not their fault if they have no reading comprehension, and can't understand the question, no matter how many times I clarify it.

Sorry to have bothered y'all. Bye.
 
Mr. Dogg said:
Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't have responded that way to yet another person who implied my question is stupid. I should have considered that it's not their fault if they have no reading comprehension, and can't understand the question, no matter how many times I clarify it.

Sorry to have bothered y'all. Bye.
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giphy.gif
 
RiverCity said:
Tombstone :thumbup:
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Ha - that's my favorite! I forgot Powers Booth was in it. My favorite scene of all time is Val Kilmer and Johnny Ringo in the saloon. Michael Biehn looked so different in that movie - he played Johnny Ringo . I didn't know it but he played Kyle Reese in the original Terminator. Maybe I'll watch it yet again tonight.
 
Can OP post anything without acting martyr and Drama Queen? Almost every post i see from him contains whine and threat to leave forum...

and on topic: For low level players break shot is just game opener. High level it is crucial skill that gives edge either you or your opponent..
 
Mr. Dogg said:
I sure ain’t no pro, so I’m just askin’.
Is the skill of the break shot overrated?
Of course, the outcome of the break is important, but is the skill of breaking overhyped?
The rack will never be exactly the same twice in a row (gaps, alignment on table), and neither will the placement of the cue ball, the contact point of the cue/cue ball or cue ball/object ball, and table conditions is variable.

If anybody could shoot superhumanly perfect, and the balls are racked to superhuman perfection every time, they’d make the money ball on the break every time. Imperceivable differences in those things will result in very perceivable results, so I consider the results of a break to be relatively random. Anybody agree?
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Is the importance of the break overrated? NO, absolutely not in any Rotation game or One Pocket. It is by far the most important shot and the one all the top players work on constantly.
 
Mr. Dogg said:
Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't have responded that way to yet another person who implied my question is stupid. I should have considered that it's not their fault if they have no reading comprehension, and can't understand the question, no matter how many times I clarify it.

Sorry to have bothered y'all. Bye.
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All of us occasionally allow someone to get under our skin on here. My best advice to you is to just let it be like water on a duck's back. In the end it means nothing.
 
I just thought of something. Is butthurt one word or do you have to spread them?
 
jay helfert said:
Is the importance of the break overrated? NO, absolutely not in any Rotation game or One Pocket. It is by far the most important shot and the one all the top players work on constantly.
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Good point on multiple games.

In straight pool, the break shot isn't even a question if it's overrated or not. It's the deciding factor in who sits and who racks up beads. :cool:
 
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