8 ball best way to break

PoolFan101

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello ,

I am wanting to improve my break on 8 ball , I have been breaking from the side most of the time and sometimes make the 8 on break tho not very often. I have since been wanting to break from the middle and close to and break with a lot of top. But you see the Pro's break and then the cue ball jumps back to the middle of the table like it was meant to .what is their secret .
 
Floydbeth

Floydbeth

Registered
No secret's, hit head ball square, hair over middle cue ball. Slow down you're break until you can do this.
 
M

MitchAlsup

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolFan101 said:
Hello , But you see the Pro's break and then the cue ball jumps back to the middle of the table like it was meant to .what is their secret .
Click to expand...

They transmit all of the energy of the CB into the rack and the CB has no energy and thus doesn't move very far.
To do this you have to this the head ball very square and you had to shoot from the middle 1/2 of the kitchen.

Because the rack is heavy (15 balls) and the CB light (1 balls) the rack will push (reflect) the CB backwards after contact, a slight amount of top spin will hold the ball at the 1/2 table point.

Me, personally, I like to aim straight through the head ball towards the first crease between balls on the back of the rack. I get a better spread using this aiming point than with other aiming points I have tried. This puts the CB at the 1st diamond from the center (either way) and close to the kitchen line.
 
S

straightline

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
On worn equipment I tend I break from the box if I racked. On someone else's rack, I favor the second ball break from the side rail. It depends entirely on if the balls stay frozen or not.
 
M

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
consistency is most important speed comes later a little at a time.
and as tables and balls are different moving the cue ball to different spots may help. those especially that cant hit the ball hard and square.
 
trinacria

trinacria

in efren we trust
Silver Member
hit the second ball. if allowed, or your opponent isn't looking. youll make three four balls.:thumbup:
 
JazzyJeff87

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
straightline said:
On worn equipment I tend I break from the box if I racked. On someone else's rack, I favor the second ball break from the side rail. It depends entirely on if the balls stay frozen or not.
Click to expand...

This is the golden way.

(To poolfan) When you said you break from the side do you mean with a second ball break or head ball? I never break head ball from the side in 8 ball, though jimmy Reid did in some videos I watched and he’s won some 8 ball tournaments apparently. Does anyone know where I can see him playing in a match? There are 30+ videos of his on youtube but I can’t find any action.

I usually break center ball just a little high, from the center spot to 4” to either side or so depending on what’s working. A loose grip and good follow through, I think about making the cue ball slide the whole way to the rack.

That thought helps me to hit it correctly when it’s all working but the break for me at least is the most finicky. I get decent breaks often enough but I really love when I know I hit it perfect and you get the smack and the cb just rockets to a stop and everything explodes.
 
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noMoreSchon

noMoreSchon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play on 9 footers most of the time. I find it helpful to move the cue back one diamond

on a 7 footer. I also visualize following though to the side pocket with my cue stick on a 7 footer.

And don't hit it hard. I like to, but in competition I take 25-30% off my breaks. It works.
 
PoolFan101

PoolFan101

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JazzyJeff87 said:
This is the golden way.

(To poolfan) When you said you break from the side do you mean with a second ball break or head ball? I never break head ball from the side in 8 ball, though jimmy Reid did in some videos I watched and he’s won some 8 ball tournaments apparently. Does anyone know where I can see him playing in a match? There are 30+ videos of his on youtube but I can’t find any action.

I usually break center ball just a little high, from the center spot to 4” to either side or so depending on what’s working. A loose grip and good follow through, I think about making the cue ball slide the whole way to the rack.

That thought helps me to hit it correctly when it’s all working but the break for me at least is the most finicky. I get decent breaks often enough but I really love when I know I hit it perfect and you get the smack and the cb just rockets to a stop and everything explodes.
Click to expand...

I break from the side and I aim for the 2nd ball behind the head ball. I have made the 8 ball a couple times but it depends on how froze the rack is I guess, I want to start breaking from the middle area and Yes hit the head ball square , I may have not been hitting it that as I break pretty hard but from the good advice I have got here I will slow down my break until I get that squared away . Thanks for all of you Guy's help. I Appreciate it .
 
S

straightline

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolFan101 said:
Hello ,

I am wanting to improve my break on 8 ball , I have been breaking from the side most of the time and sometimes make the 8 on break tho not very often. I have since been wanting to break from the middle and close to and break with a lot of top. But you see the Pro's break and then the cue ball jumps back to the middle of the table like it was meant to .what is their secret .
Click to expand...

I watched the Chinese guys break (on youtube) and it seemed they didn't hit very hard.

Just playing with it and quite by accident, I discovered by aiming at the bottom of the cue with the 16" bridge and jacked up like they do, if I move to a standing position as I deliver the stroke, I end up hitting high enough on the ball to get that action. When done properly it doesn't even feel like you stroked hard enough. Little more than a smooth stop shot. This is with a standard cue /prepared Elkmaster tip.
You get the best kick back from center table but for me that doesn't make anything. Better to just roll the ball at the rack - even the 9 ball side rail break can work well- untill you start making stuff.
 
D

decent dennis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The first thing i do is check to see if the rack is straight. I do this by bending down and eyeballing the back row of balls.
If its tilted to the right ,i break from the left. To the left break from the right. By doing this you see and can hit more of the second ball. If straight break from the center.
 
P

painfullyslow

Registered
Personally I am not a fan of the 2nd ball break and only use a headball hit, squarely from approximately 3" left or right of center.

I have seen some absolutely disastrous breaks come from a 2nd ball break from those people seeking to nab the elusive '8 on the break'. I can consistently get 1+ balls with my break and keep the cue ball center table for the large majority of my breaks. I would much rather start and finish a run then risk a poor spread, or worse a scratch.

Anyway, I know there are a lot of people who have success with 2nd ball breaks but I find that since I play on public tables with my opponent racking, I can get much better results with a square, headball break.
 
S

shag_fu

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Check the rack first. If it’s tight and square I break from the middle, if there’s gaps around the 8 I break on the opposite side of the gap for a second ball hit. Many people push the rack from the back to squeeze it. With wooden or plastic racks this can leave a few gaps as one hand squeezes harder than the other even minute amounts. Either way you break you want to hit your target ball as full as possible. Center breaks I put a little top English on 2nd ball breaks I put a touch of draw. I don’t go full power, id rather focus on hitting square. If I practiced more I could trust my break with more power to still hit the target square.
 
336Robin

336Robin

Multiverse Operative
Silver Member
PoolFan101 said:
Hello ,

I am wanting to improve my break on 8 ball , I have been breaking from the side most of the time and sometimes make the 8 on break tho not very often. I have since been wanting to break from the middle and close to and break with a lot of top. But you see the Pro's break and then the cue ball jumps back to the middle of the table like it was meant to .what is their secret .
Click to expand...

I break off the side of the head wall with draw. It creates clusters on the side of
the table you break from, this way your opponent or you can't run out and it turns to a
strategic game which I'm good at. Break-em up if you want to, but I got tired of giving a
wide open table and what is almost like ball in hand to my opponent.
 
jviss

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PoolFan101 said:
Hello ,

I am wanting to improve my break on 8 ball , I have been breaking from the side most of the time and sometimes make the 8 on break tho not very often. I have since been wanting to break from the middle and close to and break with a lot of top. But you see the Pro's break and then the cue ball jumps back to the middle of the table like it was meant to .what is their secret .
Click to expand...

Why would you want to make the 8 ball on the break? Yea, I know, VNEA "Option 1," bar rules, APA rules. But not real rules of eight ball. :)
 
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