How important is the hop on Shane's break?

(((Satori)))

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Considering what sets Shanes 10 ball break apart I have considered the factors involved.

1) the speed- any pro could match that
2) the line- again any pro can place the cueball where Shane does and hit them square
3) where Shane cues- center ball on his ten ball break


The only other factor I can think of is how high the cueball hops into the rack and the angle at which it strikes the one ball. Could this be the factor that sets his break apart from others? If not what do you think is the key?
 

Dognit

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My opinion...REAL.

It allows clearance of the first 3 balls to do what they are going to do. If you cant get the CB out of the way, its hard to plan anything. Ive thought this for years...
 

victorl

Where'd my stroke go?
Silver Member
A lot of players pop the ball on the break nowadays, but if you look at the table after Shane's been practicing on it, you'll see dozens of white spots all concentrated in the very center of the table. I've never seen anyone else that can control the cue ball's trajectory with that much accuracy and that's what separates him from the rest of the pack.
 

Masayoshi

Fusenshou no Masa
Silver Member
I dunno about Shane, but on Ko Pin Yi's break, the cue ball jumps and lands past the side pockets so there is almost no possibility of getting kicked in (and the 1 stops near one of the corners on that side of the table anyway).
 

Poolmanis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
After i stopped try break hard and just trying to get controlled hop for cueball my break went to another level.
Actually if you get nice controlled hop you HAVE to break quite hard and get consistent timing to your break. Key of better breaking IMO.
 

DAVE_M

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The pop is caused by the cue ball being airborne when it strikes the head ball. Making sure that you hit the head ball square is extremely important. Due to the head rail, everyone is hitting the cue ball, at a downward angle, on the break. Shane just so happens to have practiced his break till it's become second nature.
 

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
on the fly

The pop is caused by the cue ball being airborne when it strikes the head ball. Making sure that you hit the head ball square is extremely important. Due to the head rail, everyone is hitting the cue ball, at a downward angle, on the break. Shane just so happens to have practiced his break till it's become second nature.

Yes. Every time you break hard the cue ball becomes at least a little airborne, because you're shooting at least a little downward. The challenge is to master when the CB returns to the surface, if it does at all. Ideally it should land as close to the head ball (if that's your target) as possible...so it doesn't leave the table.
 
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bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
The hop seems to work well for him...but he also hops the ball off the table at the most inopportune moments.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
A lot of players pop the ball on the break nowadays, but if you look at the table after Shane's been practicing on it, you'll see dozens of white spots all concentrated in the very center of the table. I've never seen anyone else that can control the cue ball's trajectory with that much accuracy and that's what separates him from the rest of the pack.

It's really a matter of accuracy....the cue ball is hydroplaning...when you hit the one ball
straight on with no spin, the weight of the other balls push it back, in the air.
...any spin or any cut on the one and you don't get this effect.

Billy Johnson ( Wade Crane) broke like this when he was instroke.

Accuracy is the foundation of any great player
 

Icon of Sin

I can't fold, I need gold. I re-up and reload...
Silver Member
I feel the hop and the first bounce it makes on the table when coming down is very important. That bounce will help take the spin off the cueball and further help keep it in the middle provided you hit the rack full.

Shane even said it himself in the Breaking video from his TAR instructional series mentioning how important the hop is. Said basically practice breaking over and over until you learn to get the hop and then start perfecting it from there.
 

Keith Jawahir

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I feel the hop and the first bounce it makes on the table when coming down is very important. That bounce will help take the spin off the cueball and further help keep it in the middle provided you hit the rack full.

Shane even said it himself in the Breaking video from his TAR instructional series mentioning how important the hop is. Said basically practice breaking over and over until you learn to get the hop and then start perfecting it from there.

You mean, like a drill? I thought Shane doesn't do drills. [/sarcasm]
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
CB hop is not something one should try to create (e.g., by elevating the cue even more than normal). However, with a well-struck break (i.e., a square hit with significant speed), it is difficult to avoid the hop. For a lot more information on this topic, including demonstrations, see the CB hop and squat on the break resource page.

Enjoy,
Dave
 

(((Satori)))

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
CB hop is not something one should try to create (e.g., by elevating the cue even more than normal). However, with a well-struck break (i.e., a square hit with significant speed), it is difficult to avoid the hop. For a lot more information on this topic, including demonstrations, see the CB hop and squat on the break resource page.

Enjoy,
Dave

Dr. Dave,

Is it possible that the second balls go toward the side pockets better and the 1 ball heads toward the corner better when the cue ball comes in off of a trajectory?
 

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
Dr. Dave,

Is it possible that the second balls go toward the side pockets better and the 1 ball heads toward the corner better when the cue ball comes in off of a trajectory?
With a powerful break (fast CB speed), the CB doesn't need to hit the 1 ball very much above center to get CB to hop, so the "trajectory" is always very flat (unless one elevates the cue more than one should). I can't imagine that a very slight change in CB trajectory could make that much difference in how the 1 ball and 2nd-row balls move (although, I haven't tested this carefully). I think the motion of these balls is affected mostly by the direction the CB comes into the rack (which can easily be changed) and the squareness of the hit.

Regards,
Dave
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
CB hop is not something one should try to create
I agree - its only possible benefit is to avoid getting kicked around occasionally, and that's a bad trade off with the power loss. The energy it takes to lift the CB into the air could be moving more OBs greater distances, resulting in more balls made.

pj
chgo
 

Masayoshi

Fusenshou no Masa
Silver Member
I agree - its only possible benefit is to avoid getting kicked around occasionally, and that's a bad trade off with the power loss. The energy it takes to lift the CB into the air could be moving more OBs greater distances, resulting in more balls made.

pj
chgo


It's not a bad tradeoff if you are breaking at a target speed that is well within your range.
 

Icon of Sin

I can't fold, I need gold. I re-up and reload...
Silver Member
CB hop is not something one should try to create (e.g., by elevating the cue even more than normal). However, with a well-struck break (i.e., a square hit with significant speed), it is difficult to avoid the hop. For a lot more information on this topic, including demonstrations, see the CB hop and squat on the break resource page.

Enjoy,
Dave

So the best 9ball and 10ball breaker on the planet is wrong... :rolleyes:
 
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