How fast do you break?

JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
Last night, DocHutch brought in his I phone with the speed app on it and we broke some racks of 9 ball, testing out the app.

I was stunned when I realized that I was lucky if I could barely get past 19-20 mph.

Some of the other guys that I can run circles around playing pool were breaking 23-24 mph. WTH? Their cue ball control was terrible and mine was great.

I always thought my mediocre results at breaking were because of either poor racking or because of poor cue ball control, not low speed. This awakening has given me pause to consider a number of things. (No, I don't plan to quit playing any time soon.)

I'm wondering if some people are just born with fast twitch muscles and can break faster because of this or if some people just naturally have better breaking speed technique. I know these other guys don't practice breaking but were just breaking faster.

I even made a bet with one of the rolly-polly guys who I didn't think could break 19. He blew past 20 on the first try and stole my dough.

We had a road player in town and he was cruising at 21, squatting his rock. I'm thinking he could have done better if he chose to or if the bet got right but he plays things pretty close to the vest.

It also makes me wonder what percent that I can increase my breaking speed.

I'm curious about what your breaking speeds are, just to make comparisons. I'm especially curious of those of you who have a snail like break like me and if you have ever attempted to do something to improve your speed. I'm guessing that with these Iphone apps becoming more and more popular (they cost like five dollars) and seemingly work perfectly every time, that there must be others out there who would like to improve their breaking speed.

I'm only guessing that with practice, I could increase my break speed 10%. I wonder if others have been able to increase their speed by technique or by repetition and if so, by how much.

Breaking speed isn't going to make or break my game but this has gotten my curiosity up. I've always thought I was a fairly fast breaker, not top speed by any stretch but I thought I could break at least 24 mph. pfffft.:p

So how fast can you break?
Have you improved your break speed? If so, how.

I don't care if you have improved your break technique by controlling the cue ball. I know we can all do that and I know that is the most important thing, along with getting a shot on the lowest numbered ball left on the table after the break.

I hear a lot of talk about the BreakRak being a good tool to use to improve your break (squatting your rock or moving the cue ball to a place on the table where you expcct to get a shot on the one ball etc.) but I'm really wondering how practicing with the BreakRak will affect your speed and if there are other things that can be done to dramatically improve your break speed.

I've always appreciatedTHE SCHOOL OF THE SLOW HAND but now I think I need to expand my education but don't know if it is possible to make significant changes in break speed.
 
mosconiac

mosconiac

Job+Wife+Child=No Stroke
Silver Member
Revisit my break analysis vids, Joey. It's all in the mechanics to get to the top speeds.

I've been using the break app for a while now & I can do 21-22 mph with minimal body movement/drive. Basically an all arm swing. The quality of hit on the head ball is very good.

Mimicking SVB's motion, I do 22-24 mph. Quality of hit on the head ball is very good.

With greater hip/shoulder drive, I can top out at 26 mph. The quality of hit on the head ball tends to suffer, so I'm not really getting more energy into the rack. Diminishing returns sets in at about 24 mph for me.

I think I could go higher than 26 mph, but it's just not in me to do the extreme elevation necessary to get there.

Should I catch the CB off center, those numbers will drop by 4-8 mph. You MUST catch the CB flush (vertically dead center, just below horizontal).

BTW, revisit my break analysis vids, Joey. :)
 
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Samiel

Samiel

Sea Player
Silver Member
I'm a wimp too Joey. With my regular cue (not a break cue), I generally hit around 17-18mph on a controlled break. I top out around 19mph when I try and hit it hard and lose the control. I'll test it out again Tuesday night since I think I've been breaking a little better lately.
 
cuenut

cuenut

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
At the Galveston World Open a couple of years ago, my sons and I were watching Corey Duel practice breaking on the break speed table near the pro area that had a laser system set up on it. There was a kid there manning the table (probably about 20 years old) who was breaking consistently between 30-32mph, but the cue flew off the table about 50% of the time. Corey was steady between 23 and 25 if I remember correctly. After he was done, I wanted to see where I was. You would post up $5 and your highest break speed would be logged but for three breaks, but you had to keep the cueball on the table for all three breaks in order for it to count. I broke 27.4, 27.9, and 28.2 using their cue with a leather tip. The kid told me that a phenolic tip usually adds between 0.8 and 1mph to the average break. Someone clocked me at 28.6 on a 9 footer with probably the same Iphone app you have. I think the Iphone app is somewhat less accurate than the laser setup.
 
M

Masayoshi

Fusenshou no Masa
Silver Member
My normal speed is about 19-20. Give me a half an hour on the break rack to get my timing down and I can get it up to 22-23 if my wrist doesn't start hurting first. The only good thing about my break is that I have pretty good control even at my top speed.

When I am really feeling good with timing, I like to tuck my elbow in a little bit towards my body. Its a little bit easier to get more extension and speed that way (although more difficult to be accurate).

I think if I seriously worked on the break, I could get it much faster, but I usually neglect practicing my break until I have a really bad day breaking.
 
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223tracer

223tracer

C-c-combo breaker
Silver Member
isnt it possible the weight of the break cue also comes into play? I would think you could swing faster with a 18 or 19 oz cue as opposed to a 22+ oz.
 
JoeyA

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
mosconiac said:
Revisit my break analysis vids, Joey. It's all in the mechanics to get to the top speeds.

I've been using the break app for a while now & I can do 21-22 mph with minimal body movement/drive. Basically an all arm swing. The quality of hit on the head ball is very good.

Mimicking SVB's motion, I do 22-24 mph. Quality of hit on the head ball is very good.

With greater hip/shoulder drive, I can top out at 26 mph. The quality of hit on the head ball tends to suffer, so I'm not really getting more energy into the rack. Diminishing returns sets in at about 24 mph for me.

I think I could go higher than 26 mph, but it's just not in me to do the extreme elevation necessary to get there.

Should I catch the CB off center, those numbers will drop by 4-8 mph. You MUST catch the CB flush (vertically dead center, just below horizontal).

BTW, revisit my break analysis vids, Joey. :)
Click to expand...

Ok, I'm headed to youtube. Your video analysis are always good.
 
krupa

krupa

The Dream Operator
Silver Member
This has probably been brought up repeatedly but does anyone know SVB's average break speed? He never seems to put anything behind it but always seems to get good breaks.
 
framptonl

framptonl

Cue It Up Lacky
Silver Member
Mine is 18-19, with my current cue weight. I lowered the weight last week, got 2 more mph, but had less of a spread on the balls.

Point is, as long as your cue ball control is great, you get one ball in, and you can run them out, does it really matter how hard you hit?
 
macguy

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JoeyA said:
Last night, DocHutch brought in his I phone with the speed app on it and we broke some racks of 9 ball, testing out the app.

I was stunned when I realized that I was lucky if I could barely get past 19-20 mph.

Some of the other guys that I can run circles around playing pool were breaking 23-24 mph. WTH? Their cue ball control was terrible and mine was great.

I always thought my mediocre results at breaking were because of either poor racking or because of poor cue ball control, not low speed. This awakening has given me pause to consider a number of things. (No, I don't plan to quit playing any time soon.)

I'm wondering if some people are just born with fast twitch muscles and can break faster because of this or if some people just naturally have better breaking speed technique. I know these other guys don't practice breaking but were just breaking faster.

I even made a bet with one of the rolly-polly guys who I didn't think could break 19. He blew past 20 on the first try and stole my dough.

We had a road player in town and he was cruising at 21, squatting his rock. I'm thinking he could have done better if he chose to or if the bet got right but he plays things pretty close to the vest.

It also makes me wonder what percent that I can increase my breaking speed.

I'm curious about what your breaking speeds are, just to make comparisons. I'm especially curious of those of you who have a snail like break like me and if you have ever attempted to do something to improve your speed. I'm guessing that with these Iphone apps becoming more and more popular (they cost like five dollars) and seemingly work perfectly every time, that there must be others out there who would like to improve their breaking speed.

I'm only guessing that with practice, I could increase my break speed 10%. I wonder if others have been able to increase their speed by technique or by repetition and if so, by how much.

Breaking speed isn't going to make or break my game but this has gotten my curiosity up. I've always thought I was a fairly fast breaker, not top speed by any stretch but I thought I could break at least 24 mph. pfffft.:p

So how fast can you break?
Have you improved your break speed? If so, how.

I don't care if you have improved your break technique by controlling the cue ball. I know we can all do that and I know that is the most important thing, along with getting a shot on the lowest numbered ball left on the table after the break.

I hear a lot of talk about the BreakRak being a good tool to use to improve your break (squatting your rock or moving the cue ball to a place on the table where you expcct to get a shot on the one ball etc.) but I'm really wondering how practicing with the BreakRak will affect your speed and if there are other things that can be done to dramatically improve your break speed.

I've always appreciatedTHE SCHOOL OF THE SLOW HAND but now I think I need to expand my education but don't know if it is possible to make significant changes in break speed.
Click to expand...

I remember the first time they had one of those things at the BCA show and the pro's tried it out. Most were little more then 20 to 22. I think Buddy Hall was under 20. A few tried to see how had they could break with the cue ball flying all over the place. David Howard and Sammy Jones got to around 30 but the break would have been worthless in a real game, 50% of the time the cue ball went off the table.
 
K

King Hester

Sharp Shooter
Silver Member
My cue weight is 18 oz. My consistant break speed is 21. I've only measured it on a barbox. I wonder if it would be more on a full size table since there is more distance between the rack?
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I watched a match vid of myself and it was amazing how slowly I broke the balls.

Don't fret, J. I heard :the other guys that I can run circles around playing pool were breaking 23-24 mph.

You just let them have their unimportant W.
 
K

kickshotkid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
krupa said:
This has probably been brought up repeatedly but does anyone know SVB's average break speed? He never seems to put anything behind it but always seems to get good breaks.
Click to expand...

I believe SVB's is around 25-26mph. I am sure he can break harder but I think that is the speed he consistantly breaks at.
I have broke 30mph before, but that was breaking as hard as I could when I was practiceing my power break for hours almost every day. now my normal break is between 25-26 and my power break is about 27-28 with a 29mph here and there. Oh and I played on an 8ft table when I was clocking myself.
 
KoolKat9Lives

KoolKat9Lives

Taught 'em all I know
Silver Member
I break with an 18.5 oz Poison VX2.9 J/B. Using the Iphone app @ a year ago I averaged @ 21-22 when playing 10 ball (I'll break a little slower in 9 ball if I have a consistent tight rack and can dial in the wing ball and get on the one). The fastest I ever recorded was 28.6.

Since then I have incorporated a bit of SVB's "stand up" move and I'm confident I've picked up a little speed without sacrificing control of whitey. I should measure my speed again... The stand up move definitely can help generate more speed, you just have to work on it.
 
B

blbarnett03

Registered
I have tried the app on a friends phone and he had me around 23 or 24 mph. I have since then bought a different break stick which is only 18.8 ounces and it has the phenolic tip and have been able to add a couple of mph with less effort and usually have decent CB control. I will ask him to redo the test and see if he get a more accurate test that way i can repost with the new mph.
 
B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
King Hester said:
I've only measured it on a barbox. I wonder if it would be more on a full size table since there is more distance between the rack?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. The cue ball should be traveling its fastest at either the moment of impact or the moment it changes from skid to forward roll. But it's physically impossible for the ball to gain speed over distance.
 
RealLive

RealLive

JUICEISBACK.COM
Silver Member
i've seen a few matches where Efren consistently breaks at 18-19mph on 9 ft diamonds, and Shane will break 23-24mph
 
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