Was just curious about maybe an etiquette thing for breaking (mostly 8 or 9 ball). Is it ok for the cue tip to run along the felt after cue ball contact? I was at a tournament this weekend and noticed some of the big breakers kind of buzz the felt with their cue tip after making contact with the cue ball. I was always kind of taught that you don't want the cue tip contacting the felt ever but, wondering if that sentiment changes as you try to make your break bigger and stronger?
Breaking etiquette?
- Thread starter dhatcher
- Start date
You'll see a lot of big breakers actually bend the shaft, sometimes severely, against the table. But they are not driving the tip into the table.
They are standing tall over the ball, using their body slightly, sometimes striking slightly down on the ball (the CB will do a very small hop which helps it hit the rack, pop up, then squat in the middle of the table) but most of the reason is that they are following through very far. When you follow through very far, the butt comes up and the tip goes down but this is at the end of the stroke. The tip is not diving in a straight line into the cloth at peak speed so much as the ferrule is descending into the table as the tip reaches the end of travel after the CB is gone. A bit of a scraping sound is not all that unusual but if it's very loud or leaving raised fibers on the cloth they're doing it wrong.
It shouldn't do noticeable damage out of line with the typical lifetime of the cloth if the player knows what they're doing. Doesn't mean a fastidious pool room owner won't get antsy about an amateur 'learning' to execute this style of big break and getting rough with his equipment.
They are standing tall over the ball, using their body slightly, sometimes striking slightly down on the ball (the CB will do a very small hop which helps it hit the rack, pop up, then squat in the middle of the table) but most of the reason is that they are following through very far. When you follow through very far, the butt comes up and the tip goes down but this is at the end of the stroke. The tip is not diving in a straight line into the cloth at peak speed so much as the ferrule is descending into the table as the tip reaches the end of travel after the CB is gone. A bit of a scraping sound is not all that unusual but if it's very loud or leaving raised fibers on the cloth they're doing it wrong.
It shouldn't do noticeable damage out of line with the typical lifetime of the cloth if the player knows what they're doing. Doesn't mean a fastidious pool room owner won't get antsy about an amateur 'learning' to execute this style of big break and getting rough with his equipment.
Yes, there is always a chance you can rip the cloth if you don't know what you are doing. For example: You may grab a house cue off the wall and not notice that the tip has rough edges. Also, the angle of attack of the cue stick into the cloth is important to avoid ripping it.
Learn how to break before you start allowing your tip to finish into the cloth. But yes, it is generally acceptable. If a pool room owner or manager doesn't want you to do it, then stop.
Some players finish with the tip up in the air, others finish with the tip down into the cloth. You're not necessarily putting topspin on the cue ball if you finish with the tip up in the air. That's how I break. and my cue ball does not run forward. It's a personal preference thing.