1-Pocket Break Question

mooseman

mooseman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've really started enjoying playing 1-pocket. Unfortunately my break sucks. Does anyone have any videos, examples of what to strive for during the one pocket break? I know the break is supposed to be an advantage to the breaker but for me it is just the opposite.....:frown::frown::frown:
 
Cuebacca said:
There are a couple of nice figures on the break to study here:

http://onepocket.org/getting_started.htm
Click to expand...

Something is wrong with the rep button, great post Cuebacca,rep you later. I like this break,it is the same one Corey Duel uses,just clipping the first ball. I seen a video floating around ,it was the AZbilliard booth at the DCC(I believe) of Efren and someone else trying to break like Corey(just trying it out),thats where I picked it up;anyway.
http://cuetable.com/P/?@3AATc4BCYH3...e,_but_reverse_your_english_to_left!&ZZ2uCMU@
 
just pretend the head ball isnt even there & aim for the 2nd ball dead in the face with inside, this will give you a start
 
Allen Hopkins goes over several break variations in his DVD, Secrets of a Champion - One Pocket. It's a good video.
Mr H
 
8&snap said:
just pretend the head ball isnt even there & aim for the 2nd ball dead in the face with inside, this will give you a start
Click to expand...

IMO this would be too thick of a hit on the head ball. I aim to thin the head ball with inside spin.
Mr H
 
Just be careful not to use too much inside english. This can cause the cue ball to "cling" to the rack and scratch in the corner. A half tip inside is more than enough.
 
Mr Hoppe said:
IMO this would be too thick of a hit on the head ball. I aim to thin the head ball with inside spin.
Mr H
Click to expand...

Depending on your cues deflection (squirt) properties and freshness or cloth (how slick) this does work. With a Pred or other LD shaft this would be to thick and would not work to well. I like aiming for half an inch of the ball with some inside and should give you a thin enough hit while the inside checks the ball up the side rail.
 
jay helfert said:
Just be careful not to use too much inside english. This can cause the cue ball to "cling" to the rack and scratch in the corner. A half tip inside is more than enough.
Click to expand...

That might explain a couple of my recent scratches as I have been loading up with inside English trying to leave whitey right on the side rail.
 
I read a thread sometime in the past few weeks where someone discusses the break and a practice drill using only (3) balls. I can't recall if it was here on AZ or on OnePocket.ORG. I'll see if I can find it and provide a link, or someone else may be able to help locate it.
 
I noticed that ofter the pros hit the break significantly harder that I do. Don't know if it is the tables or impact point that is the cause, but (don't get stuck in a rut like me!) ...try different speeds/ impact points.
 
I like this break,it is the same one Corey Duel uses,just clipping the first ball.
Click to expand...

This is the 1 pocket break that just about every 1 pocket player uses (Corey is probably the player who uses it the least).

The most common danger of the 1 pocket break (aside from scratching) is that the nearest corner ball will end up too near your opponent's corner pocket, selling out a shot:

CueTable Help



An alternative break that minimizes this danger (but doesn't spread as many balls toward your own pocket) is to use the same technique but one ball farther down the side of the rack (just clipping the second ball rather than the head ball):

CueTable Help



pj
chgo
 
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mooseman said:
I've really started enjoying playing 1-pocket. Unfortunately my break sucks. Does anyone have any videos, examples of what to strive for during the one pocket break? I know the break is supposed to be an advantage to the breaker but for me it is just the opposite.....:frown::frown::frown:
Click to expand...

Lots of good suggestions here. I aim to hit the head ball to the first diamond of the long rail.
 
jay helfert said:
Just be careful not to use too much inside english. This can cause the cue ball to "cling" to the rack and scratch in the corner. A half tip inside is more than enough.
Click to expand...

I doubt that the spin itself causes this - it's probably an inaccurate shot caused by shooting with spin (clipping the head ball either too fat or too thin).

But I know what you mean by "clinging to the rack" - some days it feels like there's glue on my CB.

pj
chgo
 
Paul Mon said:
Lots of good suggestions here. I aim to hit the head ball to the first diamond of the long rail.
Click to expand...

I like that technique too (aiming the head ball at a specific target) - it seems to "lock in" the target for me better than aiming at a fraction of the head ball or at one of the other balls in the rack. Maybe it's because that's the way we normally aim shots so it's familiar to us.

pj
chgo
 
8&snap said:
just pretend the head ball isnt even there & aim for the 2nd ball dead in the face with inside, this will give you a start
Click to expand...

Imaging this, someone else breaks them as I do. I don't use inside as there is no need if you know the corner ball isn't coming out, and it's harder to hit my target with spin.
PS; I doubt anyone agrees with this. REP to you.
 
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androd said:
Imaging this, someone else breaks them as I do. I don't use inside as there is no need if you know the corner ball isn't coming out, and it's harder to hit my target with spin.
PS; I doubt anyone agrees with this. REP to you.
Click to expand...

Actually, the inside serves a purpose. You can Hit the balls Harder if you use more - the reverse english on the botom rail Kills the cueball, the amount of top you use serves three purposes - one, to minimize deflection caused by the inside you use, and two, on a new enough cloth it kills the cue a tad off the bottom rail as well. The other is the fact you are nearly a perfect scratch on a one pocket break, until the top takes, and you curve into the bottom rail.

Most who break this way play the ball in their pocket, Ilike getting it close enough there is danger for the opponent immediately following the break.
 
androd:
I don't use inside as there is no need if you know the corner ball isn't coming out, and it's harder to hit my target with spin.
Click to expand...

I agree spin makes aiming this exacting shot a little harder, but I can't agree that there's no need for it except to protect from the corner ball shot. The other benefit of it is to bring the CB to rest as close to the side rail as possible in order to limit your opponent's control of the CB. This makes it more difficult for him to use backspin or sidespin, which can limit his return shot choices and effectiveness. If the break shot is the most important one in 1 pocket, your opponent's first shot after the break is arguably the next most important one.

pj
chgo
 
jay helfert said:
Just be careful not to use too much inside english. This can cause the cue ball to "cling" to the rack and scratch in the corner. A half tip inside is more than enough.
Click to expand...

Can you still keep the cue ball on or near the side rail with only 1/2 tip of inside?

I load it up with inside based solely on watching Cliff Joyner break back when he was here in Denver a long time ago.

I thought you could hit more of the head ball and still keep the cue ball near the side rail if you use a lot of inside. The idea being that by hitting more of the head ball you would send the cue ball away from the rack, avoiding the scratch off the double kiss, but the extreme inside english would kill the cue ball off the bottom rail and send it almost straight up the side rail, ideally coming to rest on the rail between the second and third diamonds.

But I have to admit I scratch too often.
 
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