Breakshot - great spread with little speed

Dan White · Apr 8, 2007

I had this break shot the other day. I might not have the angle exactly the way it was, but close. Page 2 shows the result I got. I hit with a little draw and medium to SLOW speed for a break shot.

http://CueTable.com/P/?@4ALWH4BCYB3...HCXW3IBsS3JMtl4KRxv3LEnb3MRxu3NGHT3OGGF4PIBg@

What I'm getting at is that this was pretty much the perfect break shot, and I barely had to hit it. The angle was not extreme, either. I did hit the third ball down (the 11). The balls are very clean, and I'm wondering whether they just happened to be racked tightly. Breaks from other angles didn't yield the same results, but I didn't try to reproduce this one.

I think Blackjack likes to hit the second ball down. Does anybody favor the third?

Dan

Vahmurka · Apr 9, 2007

think Blackjack likes to hit the second ball down. Does anybody favor the third?

I think this is what Phil Capelle in his wonderful book about straight pool calls "weak spot of the rack". The mass behind the ball in second row is less than in third, so it is easier to get a nice spread.
Though cut angle in your example is quite shallow for me to hit it SLOW in usual conditions. It depends on important factors like balls, cloth and rack, and if all of these are perfect it is easier to get affordable results. Unfortunately in a poolhall it is usually just the opposite - balls are greasy, rack is loose and cloth is worn out.

Bob Jewett · Apr 9, 2007

Dan White said:
... What I'm getting at is that this was pretty much the perfect break shot, and I barely had to hit it. The angle was not extreme, either. I did hit the third ball down (the 11). The balls are very clean, and I'm wondering whether they just happened to be racked tightly. Breaks from other angles didn't yield the same results, but I didn't try to reproduce this one.
...

I think the rack was solid. If you give me ten minutes, I think I can make a rack were only a few balls will come out for the same shot. The secret is in where the gaps are, and there are always gaps.

Dan White · Apr 9, 2007

Bob Jewett said:
I think the rack was solid. If you give me ten minutes, I think I can make a rack were only a few balls will come out for the same shot. The secret is in where the gaps are, and there are always gaps.

All else being equal, do you notice a better spread when hitting between two balls rather than hitting one head on? It seems that way to me.

dwhite

Dan White · Apr 9, 2007

Vahmurka said:
I think this is what Phil Capelle in his wonderful book about straight pool calls "weak spot of the rack". The mass behind the ball in second row is less than in third, so it is easier to get a nice spread.
Though cut angle in your example is quite shallow for me to hit it SLOW in usual conditions. It depends on important factors like balls, cloth and rack, and if all of these are perfect it is easier to get affordable results. Unfortunately in a poolhall it is usually just the opposite - balls are greasy, rack is loose and cloth is worn out.

I'd love to find that one, secret place where the balls open up wide with little effort, but I have to conclude that if such a thing existed, we'd all know about it by now. I suspect it is what Bob says -- an especially tight rack. On the other hand, like you say, some contact points are probably better than others.

dwhite

Bob Jewett · Apr 9, 2007

Dan White said:
All else being equal, do you notice a better spread when hitting between two balls rather than hitting one head on? It seems that way to me.

dwhite

I don't have a feel for that. I do remember all the times I've gone full into a ball and stuck to it for lack of spin on the cue ball.

Dan White · Apr 10, 2007

Bob Jewett said:
I don't have a feel for that. I do remember all the times I've gone full into a ball and stuck to it for lack of spin on the cue ball.

Hmm. I could have sworn that guys like Ron Shepard didn't believe that cue ball spin helped any to free a cue ball from the pack as the friction between the balls was too low to make a difference. Did I misinterpret something? Maybe I'll have to do a google search and find it.

It does make some sense that you can free the cue ball with spin. If you can throw an object ball with spin, the cue ball will throw in the other direction.

??
dwhite

Bob Jewett · Apr 11, 2007

Dan White said:
Hmm. I could have sworn that guys like Ron Shepard didn't believe that cue ball spin helped any to free a cue ball from the pack as the friction between the balls was too low to make a difference. Did I misinterpret something? Maybe I'll have to do a google search and find it.
...

I meant either follow or draw, not side. I don't think side helps at all except it might let you play the object ball with a slightly different fullness.

Samiel · Apr 12, 2007

For a moment there Bob, I thought you were talking about side-spin and I was wondering if you had hit your head or something!

Pushout · Apr 12, 2007

Samiel said:
For a moment there Bob, I thought you were talking about side-spin and I was wondering if you had hit your head or something!

LOL!! Yeah, but I thought Bob was referring to freeing the cue ball, rather than an object ball.

Dan White · Apr 12, 2007

Pushout said:
LOL!! Yeah, but I thought Bob was referring to freeing the cue ball, rather than an object ball.

He was.

dwhite

Breakshot - great spread with little speed

Dan White

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Vahmurka

...and I get all da rolls

Bob Jewett

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Dan White

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Dan White

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Dan White

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