Which Breaks Better - Diamonds Or Gold Crowns?

DrCue'sProtege said:

Let me make something perfectly clear here:

I am not considering selling the Gold Crown IV and buying a Diamond Professional because I feel like the GCIV is a bad breaker.

Lets just say I feel like it might be time to try a Diamond for awhile since I've had the GCIV for over 17 years.

r/DCP

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Is your GC shimmed or have the rails extended?

You seem to get frustrated and then post here. If your GC pockets are cut normally and then you move to a Diamond, I'm afraid you might get more frustrated even easier.

You mentioned your first time in competition a few posts back. That's awesome. Have you competed more since then? Do you have a place with Diamonds in your area? Take your rack and ball set and give them a try.

The pocket facings are going to have negligible effect on the break.

I find it nearly impossible to believe you don't make a ball with a template, if we are talking about 9b. If you are playing 10b, the break technique is definitely more subtle and I would encourage you to not play that game.

I wonder if you are racking properly with the template? Sounds silly to say that, but template racking isn't just put them there and crack 'em, in my experience.

I have to settle (aka: load/ tweak/ massage) the balls after placing them. I took 2 pics:
Before(note gap between row 2 balls).

Pic2- after manual settling. No more gap betw 2&5.
(Yes, I use the hi# balls for the 1b when I play rotation, to keep the 1 from inordinate punishment. The 10 is pinch hitting for the 1 in the pics.)

Black-Balled said:

I have to settle (aka: load/ tweak/ massage) the balls after placing them. I took 2 pics:
Before(note gap between row 2 balls).

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This.

Every template I have used required more effort then just putting them on the spots and breaking.

Good advice.

Icon of Sin said:

This.

Every template I have used required more effort then just putting them on the spots and breaking.

Good advice.

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Exactly. And to take this thread off course, this is the exact reason the recent rules that state "you can't touch the balls once placing them in the template rack" are 100000% wrong.

I don't know the brand, but this table looks like it broke pretty good.

pj
chgo

I want to say I haven't hit a single ball in 28 days exactly. I had surgery on July 16. Just now, 45 min ago, I started a set against the 9 ball ghost, race to 7. First shot was the break. No warm up in 28 days. I lost 2-7 (typical score for me).

I made a ball or more on every single break.
I squatted the CB about half the breaks.
I scratched one break.
Zero clusters in any rack.
I could see the one on most breaks, maybe had a shot on it half the breaks (I was playing BIH after break so didn't pay too much attention).
My cloth is 860, 8 years old.
Table is GC4, I'm the 3rd owner. (Was never in a pool hall).
Balls are Super Aramith Pro value cup set 10 or so years old, in good condition.
Magic brand 9 ball rack, scratched to hell, and curled. Maybe 8 years old.
My speed is average. Maybe low B on my good days. Local Open players (720 Fargo speed) give me the called 5 out and beat me for the cash.

If you want to see the video, let me know I recorded it.

Edit, here is the video:

Breaks only (full speed, 3 min long): https://youtu.be/03_5dTgucew
Full set (sped up to 6 total min long): https://youtu.be/fQ7bPl2HTXU

I like what you have to say.
However, I don't think you are a low B if what you say is correct.
Unless like some places A tier has A, AA, AAA.

Here we go by Shortstop, A, B, C, D.

iusedtoberich said:

I want to say I haven't hit a single ball in 28 days exactly. I had surgery on July 16. Just now, 45 min ago, I started a set against the 9 ball ghost, race to 7. First shot was the break. No warm up in 28 days. I lost 2-7 (typical score for me).

I made a ball or more on every single break.
I squatted the CB about half the breaks.
I scratched one break.
Zero clusters in any rack.
I could see the one on most breaks, maybe had a shot on it half the breaks (I was playing BIH after break so didn't pay too much attention).
My cloth is 860, 8 years old.
Table is GC4, I'm the 3rd owner. (Was never in a pool hall).
Balls are Super Aramith Pro value cup set 10 or so years old, in good condition.
Magic brand 9 ball rack, scratched to hell, and curled. Maybe 8 years old.
My speed is average. Maybe low B on my good days. Local Open players (720 Fargo speed) give me the called 5 out and beat me for the cash.

If you want to see the video, let me know I recorded it.

Click to expand...

Below is the video. It looks like my recollection of squatting the CB was a bit poor, but I did hit the one fairly full and "minimal CB movement" many racks. Pocketing a ball on every break I did remember correctly. Several made 2 balls. 14 balls pocketed in 9 breaks. One of the racks I also did not edit out the racking process. You really have to make sure they are all frozen, even with a template rack.

Breaks only (full speed, 3 min long): https://youtu.be/03_5dTgucew
Full set (sped up to 6 total min long): https://youtu.be/fQ7bPl2HTXU

iusedtoberich said:

Exactly. And to take this thread off course, this is the exact reason the recent rules that state "you can't touch the balls once placing them in the template rack" are 100000% wrong.

Click to expand...

I think those rules are for after someone is done racking and walks away from the rack, I think they mean the opponent can't go in and adjust them. It seems a bit odd that you can't push the balls together once placed since there are often gaps in the balls even with a template. And the outsville rack specifically states you need to put in the balls then push them forward. Of course this rule may also have been done to prevent players from creating gaps or adjusting the rack to make a ball go in easier, not that it's really needed with a frozen rack, good players can aim the break no matter how it's placed. Standard rack spot, corner ball and 1 ball are good shots, 9 on the spot, again the 1 and corner ball can go in often. Break box used, does not stop them from doing a cut break and still making the same balls.