9ball break

[SBC]

What's weird is that some nights at the bar, I'm killing it. Other days like last night, I might make a ball elsewhere, but not the wing ball. I remember seeing a video somewhere saying what to change, but I can't find it now and can't remember.

I'll experiment more on my table without the magic rack. On my table, when the wing ball doesn't go in, the ball pattern is different than the 7ft table. I don't get a lot of opportunity to practice on the 7ft table, so I'm not sure how I'm going to fix it. I asked a really advanced player last night, and he had no real advice. He said don't worry about it basically, and then I watched him dry break a bunch in his games.

Learning the break is all good, but if you arent a strong runout player playing other strong runout players it won't decide sets too often.

As you become a better player, making a ball and having a shot after the break on the 1 is paramount. You can keep anybody in their chair. Make up a 3 game deficit and they don't even shoot. All these take serious dedicated effort. Having a table home can be a big help....unless you don't mind living in a pool hall.

 

[8cree]

The rules have a single infinitesimal point as the spot. It is not the area of some protective sticker. Not all players follow that rule. Templates make it easy to follow the rule.

On a related point, the official rules now place the nine on the foot spot for the nine ball rack.

Who's official rules? Or, which, rather? What makes it official?

 

[Bob Jewett]

Who's official rules? Or, which, rather? What makes it official?

They're the rules used by both the WNT and the WPA which includes the Eurotour. I'm pretty sure CSI plays by the point spot rule. A PDF is available on the WPA website.

What written set of rules says to use the full size of the spot sticker (if one is present)?

 

[Island Drive]

Watchin' Yapp break I was impressed.
His cue ball hit the long rail approx 1.5 diamonds below the side pocket with a draw sidespin.... as the cb came back off that severe angle towards the other long rail, the spin killed/allowing the cue to no longer track upward towards the side pocket scratch.

 

[8cree]

They're the rules used by both the WNT and the WPA which includes the Eurotour. I'm pretty sure CSI plays by the point spot rule. A PDF is available on the WPA website.

What written set of rules says to use the full size of the spot sticker (if one is present)?

Thanks

 

[ddeuce]

T

Learning the break is all good, but if you arent a strong runout player playing other strong runout players it won't decide sets too often.

As you become a better player, making a ball and having a shot after the break on the 1 is paramount. You can keep anybody in their chair. Make up a 3 game deficit and they don't even shoot. All these take serious dedicated effort. Having a table home can be a big help....unless you don't mind living in a pool hall.

I'm playing APA as a skill level 4. When my break is working, that really adds up. Win the last few points, break, knock in one or two more and get a shot on the one? I don't have to run out. That string of shots is a big confidence booster and it shifts the momentum. I lost a round in an APA doubles tournament. One of the other players was killing us on the break over an over. I really want to get better at it.

 

[ddeuce]

I'll keep practicing. Thanks for the comments. Now I'll practice without the magic rack. That comes closer to matching what I see on the 7ft tables, but it's still very different. It seems more random. Seems like the wing ball gets hit. Sometimes it goes into the end rail, some times high, some times tangled up with the ball behind it on the way to the pocket, sometimes on a rail straight to the pocket. On the 7ft, it seems much more consistent, hard, soft, moving the cue ball towards the center. Seems to always hit exactly at the same point on the side rail. I haven't figured it out.