When breaking off the rail, how far off the rail do u place the cue ball?
Cue ball placement on break
- Thread starter I Got Lucky
- Start date
Depends on the game.
One pocket, a palms width off the rail.
8 ball, almost a half diamond from the side rail and about 2-3" behind the line if Im using a 2nd ball rail break.
9 ball, draw a line from the first diamond to the head ball, cb goes on the line an inch or so away from it. Depending on the hit, might move it back and forth on the line an inch or so. I usually only go to the rail in 9 if I cant get my box break working.
Past anything else, it depends on the table, how consistently square you are hitting the apex, and where you normally practice from. Lots of players have favorite starting spots that usually change depending on the reaction they are getting out of the stack. :thumbup:
9 Ball, about one/two ball widths off the rail, right behind the string.
10 Ball, no rail break.. I go one diamond over form center.
One Pocket, I start about two/three balls away form the rail, but the table dictates
that... sometimes you have to go towards the middle more.
10 Ball, no rail break.. I go one diamond over form center.
One Pocket, I start about two/three balls away form the rail, but the table dictates
that... sometimes you have to go towards the middle more.
Depends on following:
Which game
Which type rack
Who is racking
Room conditions
Table conditions
Ball conditions
Who my opponent is
Is alternate break rule
Break in box, out of box....etc..etc..
Now, after all that I then consider:
How is my break working..... that day?
A generic answer:
10 Ball = center table to 6" over either direction depending on above.
9 Ball = 1 1/2 ball width off side to 1 1/4 diamonds off side rail depending on above.
8 Ball = 1/2 diamond off side rail or 6" from center table
1hole = 1/4 diamond off side rail to 1 1/2 diamonds off side rail.
Str8 pool = 3/4 diamond off side rail to 1 1/4 diamonds off side rail.
Rake
I usually break a ball or two from center table on a table I’m unfamiliar with just to see how it goes for 8/9/10 ball. For the most part I really only break from the rail playing 9 ball, which will be a ball or two out from the rail. Other than that I’ll only break from the rail in 8 ball if I’m going for a second ball hit in hopes of having an 8ball break for the win.
Every table is different though, some break(rack) better than others, the humidity will affect how a table breaks(and plays), but that and the condition/quality of the balls have a significant impact on the spread as well. The squareness and/or tilt of the rack will also make a big difference in whether or not balls are dropping.
I’ve rambled a bit out of line in regards to your question but these factors determine as to how far off the rail/how far from the headstring I’ll break from.
If you’re playing competitively you should always check the rack to see if it’s good(enough), but more importantly, check if it’s consistent. So when you find a spot that works you can continue to break from there, and vice versa. It’s hard to learn from a break if you’re getting a different rack that’s completely different each time.
Every table is different though, some break(rack) better than others, the humidity will affect how a table breaks(and plays), but that and the condition/quality of the balls have a significant impact on the spread as well. The squareness and/or tilt of the rack will also make a big difference in whether or not balls are dropping.
I’ve rambled a bit out of line in regards to your question but these factors determine as to how far off the rail/how far from the headstring I’ll break from.
If you’re playing competitively you should always check the rack to see if it’s good(enough), but more importantly, check if it’s consistent. So when you find a spot that works you can continue to break from there, and vice versa. It’s hard to learn from a break if you’re getting a different rack that’s completely different each time.
