About the break...

Surly

Surly

This is it.
Silver Member
I did a search on Youtube for Yu Ram Cha in the US Open 9ball Championship because I was remembering her powerful break that she makes effortlessly.... couldn't find that, but I did find the final game between Allison and Jeanette in the 2003 US Open, and was shocked to see Allison break almost the same way - no apparent effort for speed or power, just a normal med-hard stroke, and she even poked at it!! No follow-through at all!!

So I'm wondering, is it not so much about the power, but the aim?? I've been breaking as hard as I can, and I can feel everything going completely out of control as my whole body tries to slam the cue into the cue ball...

I break 'ok', but I'm wondering if it's really all about the aim... Maybe I should relax and just concentrate on a solid hit on the point ball??
 
ceebee

ceebee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Break Shot is the link between games, so it is very important. Some Speed is a requirement, but Accuracy is very important in the Break Shot. Without accuracy you can't consistantly hit where you are aiming & you have no cue ball control, after impact.

Most of the reason, for this problem, is because players don't practice the Break Shot. In the play stroke, you are only using a few muscle groups. In the Break Shot, you are using lots of muscle groups. It's like the drive in Golf, it needs to be practiced, so you can develop this stroke.

The Break Shot is also different, in the different games we play. This knowledge needs to learned & the applications practiced.

The Break Shot can be a way to control the game, even if you don't make a ball (and your opponent doesn't get a lucky leave), because you can break & play safe. If you make a ball on the break & you have controlled the cue ball's position, you can start your run. Your position play & the lay of the balls will determine your ability to run the rack. If you cannot get out, you can at least decide where you want to stop in the run & leave your opponent a safety.... This kind of control will demoralize an opponent very quickly.

Good Luck...
 
Surly

Surly

This is it.
Silver Member
I'm going to add a breaking drill to my drill set. I know that my accuracy is off because I'm concentrating on power - I've always been told to hit the ball as hard as I can... And I see many professionals doing this, coming up off the floor, but it seems that Allison (in that instance) and Yu Ram Cha are concentrating on accuracy, relying more on that than a powerful, knock you off your feet stroke...

And it's just too cool to see them break with such grace, splattering the balls as good as a 200lb man....

Thanks for the advice!
 
Pushout

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think the advise about hitting the break as hard as you can is outdated. Much more emphasis is placed on precision, such as hitting the one ball square in the face and controlling the cue ball for another shot after the break. Also, for many of us, Joe Tucker's Racking Secrets revolutionized the break shot. Reading/checking the rack is standard practice for me and if the racker doesn't like it, tough!
Last time at the local, I began utilizing a break in Ten Ball that I learned to use in bar box Nine ball after moving to South Carolina. Placing the cue ball one diamond from the head rail and one diamond from the side rail, taking off some speed, and about 1/2 to a full tip below center, with the butt slightly jacked up did wonders. This was on 4 1/2 x 9.
I can't recommend anything for eight ball, as I've recently reverted to my original decision to not play any more eight ball.
 
ShootingArts

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
The break

I was a 200 pound man, with age I am now a 250 pound man. Once when I was young I worked on a powerful break, the harder the better. The balls ran around a lot, sometimes good things happened, often bad things happened. Then I worked on my break for a few months on a ratty old home table I had back then. I discovered that a medium speed break with some draw and side hitting the cue ball solidly made the same balls consistently and controlled the cue ball. I rarely left any clusters to deal with either. That was all I wanted in a break and I used it to great effect for about ten years until I quit playing for awhile.

Try to work out three or four finesse breaks, not more than 1/2 to 3/4 maximum poke and hope speed. If a table refuses to let racks open well for you with any of your finesse breaks then it is time to move half a ball to a ball off of the center diamond and hammer the cue ball down the middle applying maximum force to the rack. You will usually make some balls but the cue ball will usually get banged around too often leading to the unintended consequences that folks usually bring on themselves and then call bad rolls. Sometimes better than opening the balls beautifully and coming up dry over and over leaving the other player an easy out though.

Hu
 
Surly

Surly

This is it.
Silver Member
I have no idea where I'm hitting the cue ball, which is definitely a sign that I'm doing it wrong. I'm aiming low, because I tend to come up with my cue...

I'm going to try jacking up the butt slightly as well...

Thanks for the tips!
 
BWTadpole

BWTadpole

The Nitcracker
Silver Member
If you're still having problems controlling the cue ball on the break, I'd take your break speed down a notch.

What I do when I'm having trouble any one night: I take my break down to only forearm movement. I don't throw my body into it, I don't jump up. My break is just a firm stroke with a little wrist snap. At that point, my break's about 60-70% of full speed. My accuracy is pretty good, and you can focus on a good center hit on the cue ball. Do that a few times to get the feel for center ball, then you can slowly ramp up the cue ball speed until you start losing control again.

EDIT: As for contacting the cue ball off-center, I notice that some people bridge rather low for the break. When I say that, I mean that the point at which the cue shaft goes through your fingers is physically close to the surface of the table. For the break, I make my bridge a little taller so that a level cue is dead-on center ball.
 
C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Surly said:
I have no idea where I'm hitting the cue ball, which is definitely a sign that I'm doing it wrong. I'm aiming low, because I tend to come up with my cue...

I'm going to try jacking up the butt slightly as well...

Thanks for the tips!
Click to expand...

Jacking the butt up will hop the cueball which isn't neccessarily a good thing.

Generating power is speed plus mass. When most people try to hit something hard (anything) they tense up, flex their muscles and aim to hit their target and stop without following through. The result is a rather weak blow.

Try to stay relaxed and make sure you followthough to the end of the stroke. In practice start with about 30% power and then bring it up. The main focus should be accuracy though, you need to get a full hit on the head ball so that you can get a maximum transfer of energy throughout the rack.

If you want to practice getting your body into the break, try starting in your stance with your weight primarily on your back leg (on the break that is). This will keep you balanced as you transfer your body weight forward.

Finally, buy Joe Tuckers Racking Secrets. It's not a break instructional but it certainly helps to know the information about racking.

P.S. As for finding out where your hitting the ball, use a striped ball. Set it up so that the number of the ball is centre ball The chalk mark will tell you where you are hitting it.
 
Last edited:
Surly

Surly

This is it.
Silver Member
BWTadpole said:
If you're still having problems controlling the cue ball on the break, I'd take your break speed down a notch.

What I do when I'm having trouble any one night: I take my break down to only forearm movement. I don't throw my body into it, I don't jump up. My break is just a firm stroke with a little wrist snap. At that point, my break's about 60-70% of full speed. My accuracy is pretty good, and you can focus on a good center hit on the cue ball. Do that a few times to get the feel for center ball, then you can slowly ramp up the cue ball speed until you start losing control again.

EDIT: As for contacting the cue ball off-center, I notice that some people bridge rather low for the break. When I say that, I mean that the point at which the cue shaft goes through your fingers is physically close to the surface of the table. For the break, I make my bridge a little taller so that a level cue is dead-on center ball.
Click to expand...

I've never tried a simple, relaxed, hard stroke... seems stupid now that I think about it. I'll check my bridge as well - I think it's pretty flat on the breaks.

Thanks!
 
Surly

Surly

This is it.
Silver Member
Cameron Smith said:
Jacking the butt up will hop the cueball which isn't neccessarily a good thing.

Generating power is speed plus mass. When most people try to hit something hard (anything) they tense up, flex their muscles and aim to hit their target and stop without following through. The result is a rather weak blow.

Try to stay relaxed and make sure you followthough to the end of the stroke. In practice start with about 30% power and then bring it up. The main focus should be accuracy though, you need to get a full hit on the head ball so that you can get a maximum transfer of energy throughout the rack.

If you want to practice getting your body into the break, try starting in your stance with your weight primarily on your back leg (on the break that is). This will keep you balanced as you transfer your body weight forward.

Finally, buy Joe Tuckers Racking Secrets. It's not a break instructional but it certainly helps to know the information about racking.

P.S. As for finding out where your hitting the ball, use a striped ball. Set it up so that the number of the ball is centre ball The chalk mark will tell you where you are hitting it.
Click to expand...

That is excellent advice. I've tried several stances, as in facing the shot, turning my side slightly to the shot to add motion, standing above the shot... so I'll try the back leg.

And it's funny you mention using a striped ball - I use one for drills so I can see my spin, but I never thought to use the chalk marks... oy.

Thank you. :)
 
grindz

grindz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
play the ghost....

you'll learn quickly to place a lot of importance on the break, and if you don't you will get plenty of practice on it!! :smile:

td
 
Surly

Surly

This is it.
Silver Member
Patrick Johnson said:
Why? Jacking up makes control harder and causes the CB to hop more, probably losing power into the rack.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

Because Pushout said it was a good idea. It's only a slight jack.

I'll try anything once... who am I to say it won't work for me until I try it?

I'm wierd that way.
 
Pushout

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Surly said:
Because Pushout said it was a good idea. It's only a slight jack.

I'll try anything once... who am I to say it won't work for me until I try it?

I'm wierd that way.
Click to expand...

That's correct. I have no idea of the degree, but jacking up just a bit seems to have helped me for years. I learned from someone else who learned from Gene Nagy.
 
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