Cueball sticking to the stack on opening break shot

You must have learned something with all your research. Based on what you've learned so far, if you were to write up a list of principles, what would it look like?

Don't hit the rack... Or the ball in the rack head on. I always aim for a half ball contact on a specific ball in the rack. It's very much like going into the pack in snooker.

Straight up stunning into the pack also seems to end in disaster for me. I like a very steep angle on the break ball so I can hit with draw or follow, but hit it quite firm and the draw, for example takes after it hits the pack and spins out of the way to mid table for a pick of openers. I'm not a fan of using side soon when going into the pack as I feel it doesn't do much.

When I have a thick break ball I like to hit a stun run through shot. Again the run though takes after it hits the pack and it kind of hops a little and bounces out the way.

There are so many scenarios where different shots will be my preference but generally, what I've outlined tend to be my go to shots for not ending up frozen to the pack.

accustatsfan said:

1. Hit rack at an angle
2. Hit corner balls
3. Traditional break ball position rules
a. Cueball closer to rail than break ball use follow
b. Cueball even with break ball use center
c. Break ball closer to rail than cueball use draw

My question comes down to this. When I'm not sticking to the rack I don't know why and when I'm sticking to the rack I don't know why. I'm just looking for a general principle for what to look for once the cueball strikes the object ball

Click to expand...

Okay, I see where your issues are. No, I don't think there are a complete list of guidelines in writing because of all of the combinations of possibilities.

You're missing a few variables in your premises. Yes, the angle of the break shot is important, but you must also consider whether the cue ball is hitting into a ball in the pack full in the face, or partially, particularly when the cue ball and object ball are even with each other or near-even.

Some basic premises:

For traditional break shots: CB and OB in the same line or close to it, near the rack.

Hitting a ball in the rack full in the face --- you probably won't scratch so you can use follow. If you stun the cue ball, you may stick, depending on the angle. If you draw, the cue ball will probably draw all the way down table to the back rail. Some players like to draw this shot all the way to the back rail and back to the middle of the table. It's easier to do than it sounds.

The cue ball hits the pack between two balls --- Stay away from top spin or stun. There's a potential scratch in the corner. The safest shot is to draw the cue ball. If it hits between two balls it will draw off the side rail.

Also, as you wrote, where the cue ball hits in the pack matters as well. If you shoot into the middle of the rack, you will experience more resistance and will increase your probability of sticking if you stun the ball.

Behind the rack break shots are a different animal and require a different set of rules. I suggest that you focus on the side of the rack shots first.

Also experiment with one tip of outside English on those break shots. Then try two tips and see what it gives you.

Smooth strokes break them well and help free the cue ball. After choosing speed and spin to break the pack focus on pocketing the ball, not breaking the pack itself--it will happen.

BilliardsAbout said:

Smooth strokes break them well and help free the cue ball. After choosing speed and spin to break the pack focus on pocketing the ball, not breaking the pack itself--it will happen.

Click to expand...

Tell that to Allen Hopkins.

Smooth stroke or a punchy stroke, I honestly don't think it matters. All that matters is how the cue ball is spinning.... Or not spinning when it hits the pack.


It's very similar to a break shot in 8 ball. The tighter the pack the better the balls will scatter... Or the more balls will scatter. You don't want to smash into the pack and have balls all around the table. You ideally want to work with half a table. From there there potting is almost a given and the player who plans the best and keeps hold of the white the best will make the bigger runs. Don't be afraid of having to go into the pack 3 or 4 times until the rack is done. Just having to go into it once is the ideal but it rarely happens.

Straight pool is my favourite game. It brings all other games and merges them. Snooker, rotation, banks and 1p experience help. When you're in the balls it's very similar to how a snooker player hoe's about picking a pack apart. My first ever session of 14.1 had a break of 78.that's purely because I've played a lot of snooker and the similarities are frightening.

There are some very good videos on YouTube of how to break into the pack on snooker. I suggest watching them and they point out what is a good pack to go into and what is a bad pack. They show you how to go into them to play it in your favour. It's not as good as a video based on 14.1 but there are more videos on snooker than 14.1 and the theory is still very much the same.

All of Allen's strokes are micro-short punches. Therefore, it would be hard to tell if he tries to smooth a break shot in particular. I'll ask him when I see him.

The less jerky a stroke, the less likely the cue ball is to hop, as on those draw "strokes" where people dead stop a cue ball they mean to suck back--the cue ball jumps. So a smooth stroke on a break shot could help prevent a cue ball from sticking to the stack.

It was George Fels who told me about the smooth stroke, so please let's not besmirch the honored dead.

BilliardsAbout said:

All of Allen's strokes are micro-short punches. Therefore, it would be hard to tell if he tries to smooth a break shot in particular. I'll ask him when I see him.

The less jerky a stroke, the less likely the cue ball is to hop, as on those draw "strokes" where people dead stop a cue ball they mean to suck back--the cue ball jumps. So a smooth stroke on a break shot could help prevent a cue ball from sticking to the stack.

It was George Fels who told me about the smooth stroke, so please let's not besmirch the honored dead.

Click to expand...

This is what you do a lot here. You take sound bites from others and then use their words as if it were directly coming from you. But when you don't understand the big picture and the context in which they meant what they said, you get it all wrong and look foolish.

George was my good friend. You dishonor him, first, by making his words look like they're your words, and second, by not understanding the context of what he meant.

Funny, because you also object every time I make one of my own opinions known. Let's face it, no matter what I say you enjoy arguing with me, although I try to be conciliatory and respectful to you and to all others.

Of course, my quotation is accurate, so please tell us all why Mr. Fels meant jerky strokes are best on important shots!

BilliardsAbout said:

The less jerky a stroke, the less likely the cue ball is to hop, as on those draw "strokes" where people dead stop a cue ball they mean to suck back--the cue ball jumps. So a smooth stroke on a break shot could help prevent a cue ball from sticking to the stack.

Click to expand...

??

What does this even mean?

pj
chgo

Patrick Johnson said:

??

What does this even mean?

pj
chgo

Click to expand...

Most strokes are taken with the cue over the rail. Jerky, jabby strokes are often produced by an attempt at leverage--the player jacks up the cue even more on the final stroke and jumps the cue ball a bit.

I focus on a nice, smooth stroke when it's a more important/tougher shot ahead. The OP kept killing his ball in the rack so I made mention of the old adage.