Shane Van Boening Break Video Technique Analysis

dr_dave · Apr 20, 2016

jmurphy said:
Shane is awesome however the magic rack makes everyone a great breaker.
I love seeing Shane's technique, thanks for that :thumbup:
Now if you could get Shane to teach us his racking secrets for breaking using a triangle to rack the balls.

That's easy. The racking secrets (without a racking template) are: "train" the table ahead of time, place the balls (especially the 1) where they naturally want to sit, and/or tap balls into place when necessary to make sure all of the balls are frozen. It also helps to use brand new balls that are all the same size and very round (unlike old and worn balls).

Regards,
Dave

nfuids · Apr 20, 2016

dr_dave said:
That's easy. The racking secrets (without a racking template) are: "train" the table ahead of time, place the balls (especially the 1) where they naturally want to sit, and/or tap balls into place when necessary to make sure all of the balls are frozen. It also helps to use brand new balls that are all the same size and very round (unlike old and worn balls).

Regards,
Dave

So you're saying that before a tournament match, he places the 1 ball, then freeze the next two ball and tap them to make sure it makes a unvisible spot on the cloth?

bwally · Apr 20, 2016

dr_dave said:
Here's an example slo-mo video of a much-firmer SVB 10-ball break. The technique is the same.

Enjoy,
Dave

What's fascinating to watch, in this video, is how his cue ball is airborne most of the time from tip contact to rack contact. Especially for having such a level cue at contact.

dr_dave · Apr 20, 2016

nfuids said:
So you're saying that before a tournament match, he places the 1 ball, then freeze the next two ball and tap them to make sure it makes a unvisible spot on the cloth?

No, but he does work hard to make sure the balls are frozen. Again, it helps that new balls are often used in tournaments.

Regards,
Dave

blehnhard · Apr 20, 2016

Was his 9 ball break on a 7', 8', or 9' table. Seems that when breaking 9 ball on a 7' barbox, that the wing ball is made consistently by great players. What adjustments are needed when the length of the table changes to make a high % of wing balls?

Just getting back into the game after a 50+ year layoff and have read thru you book which I have found very helpful.

Thanks for all the info the you provide.

Bruce

dr_dave · Apr 20, 2016

blehnhard said:
Was his 9 ball break on a 7', 8', or 9' table.

This video was filmed on a 9' Gold Crown.

blehnhard said:
Seems that when breaking 9 ball on a 7' barbox, that the wing ball is made consistently by great players. What adjustments are needed when the length of the table changes to make a high % of wing balls?

The wing ball can be made consistently on any size table, assuming the racked balls sit well (or if a racking template is used). The direction of the wing ball can be changed slightly with angle to the rack, squareness of hit, and speed.

blehnhard said:
Just getting back into the game after a 50+ year layoff and have read thru you book which I have found very helpful.

I'm glad to hear this. Thanks.

blehnhard said:
Thanks for all the info the you provide.

Thank you to everybody for the positive comments. I appreciate it.

Regards,
Dave

BrooklynJay · Apr 20, 2016

dr_dave said:
I think what is most important is what the cue does coming into the ball. It comes in very straight and level. All of the up/down motion before the final part of the forward stroke into the ball isn't really necessary or helpful, IMO.

Regards,
Dave

I don't agree. I think he's moving up to get out of the way which allow his arm to follow through as far as it does. (he's finishing at the joint of the break cue.) you can see it better in the 10 ball break.

WillyCornbread · Apr 20, 2016

Nick B said:
Don't use break technique for specific results as an excuse for poor "normal shooting form". The stuff he is doing there is specific for the break to achieve certain effects. I have NEVER seen anyone who moves around during their actual stroke be considered a world class potter. A bunch of the Pinoys have cute PSR (I'll call them Pre-Shot-Rituals) but on delivery it all stops.

SVB is getting up and choking up his stroke to accentuate big muscle involvement to achieve power. The ballet of power is for breaking only. NONE OF THIS is deployed on conventional shooting.

Nick

This is an interesting perspective, when I watch Shanes normal shooting stroke there appears to be quite a bit of up and down 'water pump' type motions in it.

It's curious to me because my stroke naturally has this kind of up and down thing, and I struggle with whether or not I should try and correct it or not. It seems to help to keep me in line horizontally when I do it this way, but traditional instruction says it's a no-no.

b

vginaman · Apr 20, 2016

I noticed he has a pronounced follow thru to the left on this 10/8 ball breaks that he doesn't use on his 9 ball breaks. Any idea what is going on there?

dr_dave · Apr 20, 2016

vginaman said:
I noticed he has a pronounced follow thru to the left on this 10/8 ball breaks that he doesn't use on his 9 ball breaks. Any idea what is going on there?

This is common with an exaggerated follow through (because the momentum of the arm forward turns the body some), but it has no effect since the CB is long gone before the cue turns.

Regards,
Dave

EddieBme · Apr 20, 2016

................................

FranCrimi · Apr 20, 2016

BrooklynJay said:
I don't agree. I think he's moving up to get out of the way which allow his arm to follow through as far as it does. (he's finishing at the joint of the break cue.) you can see it better in the 10 ball break.

Yep. I agree.

cwarwick812 · Apr 20, 2016

Thank you for posting such an informative video! Talk about flawless technique in an area a lot of people don't practice enough and take for granted.

dr_dave · Apr 20, 2016

BrooklynJay said:
dr_dave said:

BRussell said:

It's interesting how much vertical movement there is. He sets up with the cue tip low, but as soon as he pulls back he drops his grip hand which raises the cue tip. Then he raises his arm and body up which lowers the cue tip again, and then when he strokes through he hits the center (or slightly above center) on the cue ball. Just watch the cue tip during the process - it's going up and down and then up again.

Click to expand...

I think what is most important is what the cue does coming into the ball. It comes in very straight and level. All of the up/down motion before the final part of the forward stroke into the ball isn't really necessary or helpful, IMO.

Click to expand...

I don't agree. I think he's moving up to get out of the way which allow his arm to follow through as far as it does. (he's finishing at the joint of the break cue.) you can see it better in the 10 ball break.

I think you missed the point of the quoted posts. As my video points out, there are very good reasons for him to raise his body before the stroke. The higher body position allows him to generate more power with less effort (in combination with the choked-up grip position). And as you point out, there is more clearance for a more-complete follow through. What isn't necessary is all of the up and down motion of the cue before the final stroke into the ball.

Regards,
Dave

dr_dave · Apr 21, 2016

9Ballr said:
I couldn't do this whole standing up thing with the cue pointing directly down into the table and then straighten it and come up with a good break to save my life.

An alternative is to lift the body before the stroke, with the cue in the level position at the start, as demonstrated in the following video:

NV D.14 - Pool Break Technique Advice - from Vol-III of the Billiard University instructional DVD series

Enjoy,
Dave

Petros Andrikop · Apr 22, 2016

Great work, very useful for players regardless of level, congrats!!

dr_dave · Apr 22, 2016

Petros Andrikop said:
Great work, very useful for players regardless of level, congrats!!

Thank you.

I aim to swerve, :grin-square:
Dave

ceebee · Apr 22, 2016

The BREAK Shot in Pool

cwarwick812 said:
Thank you for posting such an informative video! Talk about flawless technique in an area a lot of people don't practice enough and take for granted.

Thanks Dave for the great videos & the info. Jerry Brieseth had shown us the new "choke up" trick at SBE in 2012... It really works.

The "stand up" function works well too, it just takes a little time & practice to get it down pat.... I like to think of my grip hand going to a "place in space", as I maneuver to start my delivery. When things "line up", good things happen.

Some years back, many, many players paid no attention to the break shot... it was just a way to start the game. If they were fortunate enough to make a ball, their skill at pocketing balls & playing safeties allowed them to play damn good. However, today the break shot has gathered a few believers, especially since SVB showed up.

Thanks again for them slow-motion Videos. Video is great to train with & teach with.

dr_dave · Apr 22, 2016

ceebee said:
Thanks Dave for the great videos & the info. Jerry Brieseth had shown us the new "choke up" trick at SBE in 2012... It really works.

This technique is certainly not "new." It has been discussed on AZB many times in the past. For example, see Colin Colenso's quotes and video (from 2006) on the break technique resource page.

ceebee said:
The "stand up" function works well too, it just takes a little time & practice to get it down pat

I think it can be easier if the standing up is done before the shot, as demonstrated in:

NV D.14 - Pool Break Technique Advice - from Vol-III of the Billiard University instructional DVD series

ceebee said:
Some years back, many, many players paid no attention to the break shot... it was just a way to start the game. If they were fortunate enough to make a ball, their skill at pocketing balls & playing safeties allowed them to play damn good. However, today the break shot has gathered a few believers, especially since SVB showed up.

Agreed. Break technique has definitely evolved over the years ... and it continues to do so. And it certainly helps when high-profile pros embrace the new techniques.

ceebee said:
Thanks again for them slow-motion Videos.

My pleasure.

ceebee said:
Video is great to train with & teach with.

Agreed!

Regards,
Dave

Shane Van Boening Break Video Technique Analysis

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