Softbreak ?
- Thread starter vincett
- Start date
You could see all the balls piled up on the bottom half of the table. This can favor the Filipinos who likely have a ton of 15 ball rotation under their belts.
Here is the finals of the US Open shortly before the soft break was outlawed.
The rule used in the US Open under Barry Behrman after the Corey-MIka match was, "you gotta hit'em hard." That same rule was used in the current Open. It's subjective. I believe the problem in the Gorst-Baoanan was with Baoanan's first two breaks. I tuned in late so I didn't see them, but the commentators mentioned them.
I think the breaker should be able to break however they want as long as a ball and the cue ball touch a rail.
Everybody whines when they lose.
Players should learn every type of break and use whatever they think works best for them.
Discussions like this come up all the time while other discussions will say that the break doesn't matter.
Which is it?
Everybody whines when they lose.
Players should learn every type of break and use whatever they think works best for them.
Discussions like this come up all the time while other discussions will say that the break doesn't matter.
Which is it?
I don't think the cue ball should have to touch a rail. In fact, the ideal break is to squat the cue ball right in the middle of the table after the break, so you likely have a shot if you pocket a ball. That's the most solid break.
As has been mentioned, the rule is subjective, but here is the text of the rule.
So there is a rule. What is “forceful” is hard to define, but if you have no rule at all on break speed it can be a joke.
So.... It should be OK to roll the cue ball softly off the one ball and leave the cue ball froze to the middle of the foot rail. Corey could probably arrange to freeze the cue ball between a ball and the cushion. Good luck hitting the one ball.
No. If the game is going to get viewers, it needs to be watchable. Safe breaks at nine ball or guaranteed soft breaks at nine ball tend to make games that are less watchable. The reality is that the people who are hustling up money for the players need to make the game interesting and I think adjusting the break rules to help with that is reasonable. I do wish they would find an objective measure of "plenty hard", though.
In Germany, years ago, doing a soft break in 9-ball was a common practice when gambling. You would come across the top of the one ball, barely grazing it, and send the cue ball off the bottom side rail and the end rail and bury it in the bottom of the stack.
The incoming player could never hit the one ball and you got ball in hand.
Then it allowed you to easily graze the one ball again and repeat until you three-fouled your opponent out without a ball being made.
Usually, this was done by someone who had a less than stellar record of getting out from an open table.
If they did it to me, I would break the balls open enough to ensure they couldn't totally keep me from possibly hitting the one ball even if they had BIH and played a safety.
I always had a pretty good record of getting out or winning if the table was open.
Races should be LONG enough to make sure matches aren't won by one or two lucky rolls and tournaments should be double elimination all the way to the final match.