Breakshot...What would you do ? and what i did !!

stevekur1

The "COMMISH"
Silver Member
Last weekend i was playing a match for a friendly bet with somebody i know, i was currently on 53 and had a real big lead and one of my favorite banks came up, which never comes up in a game. I opted to go for it (And Swish !!!) kept going after this, run ended at 67 when i had no shot after a break. i did win the game though, i won when i hit the 61 mark in this run !

Capture breakshot (1).jpg

BAMM !!! (LOL) Swish !!

Capture breakshot.jpg
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That's a hell of a break shot.
If I see someone constantly going for break shots like that I want to raise the bet.
 

stevekur1

The "COMMISH"
Silver Member
That's a hell of a break shot.
If I see someone constantly going for break shots like that I want to raise the bet.

I obviously overshot my keyball and ended up dead straight.

I used to practice this shot all the time. But it never came up in a game until now, I recognized it right away and had to go for it.

Practice paid off big on this one !! In more ways than one..lol cha-Ching !!
 

brainbyte

Registered
Shoot the shot for the point and play safety to the top of the rack.
Takes a lot of discipline to win in straight pool.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In the old days none of the top players ever played a safe to the top two balls of the rack from up the table.

? Curious. Could you elaborate? Seems like if the rack was tight (clean balls on fast cloth) and the CB was in the center of the table, a precise hit might send both corner balls near the pockets and leave the CB frozen on the spot. How would you then get safe from that leave? Or, is that safety shot somehow just a trap that top players all learned to avoid?
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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? Curious. Could you elaborate? Seems like if the rack was tight (clean balls on fast cloth) and the CB was in the center of the table, a precise hit might send both corner balls near the pockets and leave the CB frozen on the spot. How would you then get safe from that leave? Or, is that safety shot somehow just a trap that top players all learned to avoid?
Racks using a standard triangle are rarely tight. Gaps that are just barely visible make a difference.

Have you ever tried to freeze the cue ball to both head balls shooting straight down the center of the table? The problem is that you will always hit one ball first and the cue ball will go off to the opposite side.

If you do try to freeze on the top of the rack, a better approach is to shoot full at an object ball. If that ball is not touching both balls behind it I think there will be problems.

If you play onto the front of the rack, there are nearly always easy returns and often you sell out. If you can read the gaps, you will do better.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I wonder if that same principle applies to freezing the CB to an undisturbed rack from any direction? Is it always a better safety to graze a corner ball and leave the CB downtable?
 

Bob Jewett

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I wonder if that same principle applies to freezing the CB to an undisturbed rack from any direction? Is it always a better safety to graze a corner ball and leave the CB downtable?
There are two standard plays. One is to the side and one is to the bottom of the rack. In both cases you are playing full on a ball that is next to one of the two corner balls. The shots work so consistently that it is usually not necessary to check the rack. These safes have been discussed here before but I'm not sure what to search on.
 

Bob Jewett

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... Is it always a better safety to graze a corner ball and leave the CB downtable?
In the old days the top players never, ever played a thin hit on the full rack from a distance to leave the cue ball on the head cushion. They would take a foul to the bottom of the rack first.
 

Bob Jewett

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Yes. Notice how he landed full on the middle ball, hard enough that balls were released from the sides but not hard enough for the cue ball to slide along the bottom of the rack and leave a shot up-table.

With balls loose on the sides, Balsis couldn't simply push up to the head rail. From the back of the rack, there was no good safe to play, so he forced Crane to play from the position.
 
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Poolmanis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you graze thin hit and try get distance you will leave dead combo around 1 time per 5 attempts. This is only when you are against player who can find those dead balls. You probably sell out open shpt sometimes too.

P. S nice shot Steve. Me like!
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I obviously overshot my keyball and ended up dead straight.

I used to practice this shot all the time. But it never came up in a game until now, I recognized it right away and had to go for it.

Practice paid off big on this one !! In more ways than one..lol cha-Ching !!
I assume you came in to the top of the pack without much velocity, just to knock out just a few balls, in order to be able to keep your run alive?
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In the old days the top players never, ever played a thin hit on the full rack from a distance to leave the cue ball on the head cushion. They would take a foul to the bottom of the rack first.

Makes you wonder how you can play a game your whole life and not realize this. Never too old to learn, I guess. I only recently figured out, that instead of always trying for perfect straight-in/stop-shot shape on a side pocket keyball, it’s usually better to leave an angle toward the headrail, and then come back parallel to the siderail (since speed control is thus less critical).
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
Please take note that although Mr. Crane did shoot the correct shot (under the circumstances), he DID LOSE the first exchange. Mr. Balsis did get the first shot, and pocketed a ball (though he got stuck). The problem with the foul shot, is that frequently it produces no threat balls, and you end up right were you started...If you try to speed the shot up, you risk sliding off the rack. This shot is not as sure of a thing as some imply.

Shooting the back of the stack foul is something I do, but not very frequently. It depends heavily on the table. If I suspect there is a roll, or if I'm tight on the cushion in the spot Mr. Crane was, then sure. If I'm off the cushion, on a good, true table, there are other options, depending on the cueballs exact location. If you are located more to the side, there is a 1-rail with english to the back of the stack, that can actually be a legal safe. With a tight rack there isn't as much risk as one would think, though it requires practise and speed control. As this is shot with a faster speed, threat balls will emerge almost every time, so it's a good shot, even if you foul. Freezing to the top of the stack is a viable shot on a good rack and table, especially if you are close, but not from the rail or long distance. This is why you must ALWAYS read the rack before safeties of any nature.

As far as the OP is concerned, I like the shot and shoot it when it comes up at 9, 10 and 8 ball. Never in a million years would I shoot it in 14.1. Good on you for pulling it off.
 
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alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes. Notice how he landed full on the middle ball, hard enough that balls were released from the sides but not hard enough for the cue ball to slide along the bottom of the rack and leave a shot up-table.

With balls loose on the sides, Balsis couldn't simply push up to the head rail. From the back of the rack, there was no good safe to play, so he forced Crane to play from the position.

I wonder if Crane saw the 2 ball in the corner before he played the last safety or if he just saw it after Balsis pushed to the rail. I'm thinking he might have seen it and tried to bait Balsis into pushing to the rail.
 
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