What Did You Say, Mr. Shaw?

Hey Brian.... I hope Jayson comes on here and clarifies but what I heard was that Jeremy was breaking off the rail to have a better shot at making one of the second row balls. I didn't exactly catch in great detail what was being discussed either but it sounded like the explanation was specific to playing on certain gold crowns and the downward angle that the cue has when breaking off the rail was the solution.

I really hope I'm not getting this wrong but it seems that when breaking from the rail to a 10 ball rack on these gold crowns that using the rail creates that pop or upward movement on the cue ball and this action makes it more likely that the two balls behind the head ball may end up in a side pocket. Seemed to work really well for Jeremy and Jayson.

Good shooting to you!

Kevin

He said that racking the way he was, he was aiming the 1 ball at the sides with the side break. There was some talk about the fact that he was racking bellow the center of the spot, and they were told that it was in the rules (+-1" from center is OK according to what they were saying, although that seems a LOT of variance, maybe they meant centimeter and not inches. Or maybe they meant it was ok to be in a line 1" from center so that would be 1/2 inch in either direction.

Where he was racking was sending the 1 ball to the sides, where racking right at the spot would not or be harder.

To make the second balls you have to hit more from a center break like what SVB and Dechaine do. Looks like the side rail break and raking a bit off center sends the 1 to the side like in 9 ball.

hang-the-9 is right they also talked about where he was racking. Seems it was allowed for people to rack something like a ball above or below the spot and Jeremy was racking somewhere below the spot. Also seemed like Mike Wong had figured out the same break strategy and he was racking a bit behind the spot to get the same effect.

pooln8r said:

Hey Brian.... I hope Jayson comes on here and clarifies but what I heard was that Jeremy was breaking off the rail to have a better shot at making one of the second row balls. I didn't exactly catch in great detail what was being discussed either but it sounded like the explanation was specific to playing on certain gold crowns and the downward angle that the cue has when breaking off the rail was the solution.

I really hope I'm not getting this wrong but it seems that when breaking from the rail to a 10 ball rack on these gold crowns that using the rail creates that pop or upward movement on the cue ball and this action makes it more likely that the two balls behind the head ball may end up in a side pocket. Seemed to work really well for Jeremy and Jayson.

Good shooting to you!

Kevin

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This is exactly what I heard. There is a youtube video from the Philippines that describes a break with the intention of making either or both of the second row balls. I have tried to make this work but I can't seem to make the balls consistently.

Al

pooln8r said:

hang-the-9 is right they also talked about where he was racking. Seems it was allowed for people to rack something like a ball above or below the spot and Jeremy was racking somewhere below the spot. Also seemed like Mike Wong had figured out the same break strategy and he was racking a bit behind the spot to get the same effect.

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The one I heard was about Mike breaking, that's the match I saw, and Jorge was the one that went over to see if where he was racking was legal.

They both played good, but it was getting very late and I had to turn it off before the end and the finals.

hang-the-9 said:

The one I heard was about Mike breaking, that's the match I saw, and Jorge was the one that went over to see if where he was racking was legal.

They both played good, but it was getting very late and I had to turn it off before the end and the finals.

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There was also a discussion between Mike Wong and Jayson about the rack and how much it could be off the spot and the fact that Jayson thought Mike was angling the rack a bit. Robles made a ruling and I believe allowed what Mike was doing. I think Mike was trying to make the corner balls by going three rails.

Al

I wasn't listening but the speed and stroke that you hit a 10ball break is pretty important and people can try to imitate what others do but I think results will vary. Watch Shane warmup or when he plays a race to 100, it takes him a lot of racks to really find his speed that opens the balls the way he wants. When he does, it's over.

Here is what i know for sure.
Mike Wong was racking a bit low but Tony said it was ok if necessary to freeze the balls. (didn't notice this with other, just didn't notice not insinuating anything). Now jason told Jeremy that he was breaking off the back rail in order to reduce the speed so he could get a better break, I guess the change in distance was more effective than breaking from the string and trying to slow your speed down. I guess Jeremy's timing was near perfect on that.

I heard part about racking below the spot trying to make one ball
Jayson also said mike wing would never beat him breaking like that
True he won 7-2 both times

I wasn't watching so I don't know what you guys are talking about, but I'll share that I break 10 ball better when breaking from the head rail. I don't try to break hard, instead I focus on "dropping" the tip into the cue ball with a nice and relaxed grip hand. The result is a good spread with the "pop-and-squat" cue ball. If I'm not making one of the second row balls in the side pocket, I simply move the cue ball in or out depending upon where the ball is hitting on the rail. Never really change speed. Just my two cents.

This is one of the things that look like magic to the non-players or even players that don't study the game.

The break seems random and mysterious, yet if you know what is going on and how, it's very clear. 10 ball has 3 ways to make a more or less aimed shot at the break, 2 balls behind the 1 in the side, head ball in the side and back 2 balls 3 rails.

8 ball is also second 2 balls if you use the head on break (not the second ball break), I am not sure which other balls you can aim there. I think that the back 2 balls can bank cross corner the long way if nothing gets in the way maybe?

9 ball is 1 ball in side or corner balls in corner pockets.

And the neat part is that once you know, you can see who else knows that you play and gauge their knowledge and ability by how they rack and break probably as easily as you can by how they play.

Since I like giving examples , in the local tournament we play no 9 on break as a win, one of the guys was racking loose and sending the 9 to the corner anyway. It's pretty clear he was trying to have the 9 sit in front of the pocket for an early combo if he made a ball, the 9 was going out of the rack every time towards the corner. I politely told him to cut that shit out and play fair.