1 Pocket Breaks for Left Handers and Right Handers

Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fargo 1000 on VP4
Silver Member
JoeyA made a comment awhile ago that I've been meaning to follow up on. Joey, you said you break from the left against left handers, and from the right against right handers (I think). Is that because shots along the rail are harder for them that way? Since it means that you're playing the "wrong" side of the table sometimes, does that mean you're better at coping with that than your opponents are?

pj
chgo
 
Learn to break from both sides, you willl have to play both sides at one time or the other.Some pockets are more forgiving then others and some roll to your advantage.If someone is breaking to to left, watch why?
 
Patrick Johnson said:
JoeyA made a comment awhile ago that I've been meaning to follow up on. Joey, you said you break from the left against left handers, and from the right against right handers (I think). Is that because shots along the rail are harder for them that way? Since it means that you're playing the "wrong" side of the table sometimes, does that mean you're better at coping with that than your opponents are?

pj
chgo
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That is the reason that I break from different sides of the table and also I realized a while back that some tables break better from one side than the other. So I decided to teach myself to break from either side.

What does playing from the "wrong" side of the table mean to you Pat?

Please give me a good detailed explanation of what you are referring to as I don't understand what you mean. If you mean that right handers normally break from the left side of the table because it is easier to break from I understand that but don't agree with it. (I have a feeling that's not what you meant) . You can break from either side equally well with a little practice. It's awkward at first but gets easier with time. In fact, I like to break from the right side of the table (and I'm right handed).

I figure that if you learn to break equally well from either side you can play on any table regardless of the idiosyncracies of the table.

What shots are better for shooting if you are right-handed? Could you show a WEI table example?
Thanks,
JoeyA
 
It is true you should learn to break from both sides because all things about pool tables are not equal, some have a soft pocket and there may things about the rails that favor one side or the other. But if all things are equal a right handed player should break from the left and a left handed player should break from the right. The reason for this is simply this way you will have more shots where the cue is between the player and the table rather the player's body being between the cue and the table allowing for easier alignment of the player's body to the shot.
 
JoeyA,
Thats what I'm talking about.
Sometimes you may want to move down to the 2 nd. / 3 rd. ball break,if the corner ball keeps coming out and check the rack to make sure they are not racking that ball loose.
 
What does playing from the "wrong" side of the table mean to you Pat?
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That's what I'm asking you, Joey. Is it because (like spktur says) a right hander shooting from the left side or a left hander shooting from the right side has his body between his stick and the table? That's what I thought you meant (and what I know about it), but I wondered if there's anything more. Thought I might learn something new.

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
That's what I'm asking you, Joey. Is it because (like spktur says) a right hander shooting from the left side or a left hander shooting from the right side has his body between his stick and the table? That's what I thought you meant (and what I know about it), but I wondered if there's anything more. Thought I might learn something new.

pj
chgo
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Yes Pat, often times the corner ball on the side you are breaking from will squirt out close to the corner pocket from the SIDE you are breaking from (like the 5 ball in the picture). If you are breaking from the left side and your pocket is the right foot rail and the left corner ball stops near the left corner pocket, a right handed player can quite often easily pick off the ball and possibly bust open the rack and run out the game. However if you are playing a left handed person, it is far more difficult for them to pick off that corner ball near THEIR corner pocket.

CueTable Help



Your left-handed opponent's body gets in the way of cutting the 5 ball into the pocket whereas a right handed person will have a far easier time cutting the 5 in.
JoeyA
 
JoeyA said:
Yes Pat, often times the corner ball on the side you are breaking from will squirt out close to the corner pocket from the SIDE you are breaking from (like the 5 ball in the picture). If you are breaking from the left side and your pocket is the right foot rail and the left corner ball stops near the left corner pocket, a right handed player can quite often easily pick off the ball and possibly bust open the rack and run out the game. However if you are playing a left handed person, it is far more difficult for them to pick off that corner ball near THEIR corner pocket.

CueTable Help



Your left-handed opponent's body gets in the way of cutting the 5 ball into the pocket whereas a right handed person will have a far easier time cutting the 5 in.
JoeyA
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OK, that's what I thought. So my next question is, if you're right handed playing a left hander, then breaking from the left puts you both at the same disadvantage, right (now you have to play from your "off" side too)? So do you do it to prevent your opponent from getting the first opening, even though it means you're choosing your "off" side?

pj
chgo
 
While I see the conventional wisedom, I have also seen others that have different opinions.

I wouldn't shoot from one side or the other to help me in case I screw up the break. I want a better advantage.

Right Handed.

I have heard some pros prefer to break from the right, so that when they are shooting anywhere down the rail toward their pocket, its more easily reached. Its easier to pocket the balls on your side of the table. I have broke from both sides, and see the value in that, and often break from from the right just for that reason.

Also, if I have to shoot over the rack, its easier to jack-up the cue because of the body position.
 
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Here's an easy way to see the difference for yourself. Throw out 6 or 8 balls randomly on the table, and try to shoot them all into one of the corner pockets. After doing this several times, try the same thing for the other corner pocket.

Most right handed players will notice that they are less likely to get "body hooked" when shooting at the pocket on the right (ie breaking from the left), and visa versa.

The difference for most players, (especially taller players) will be barely worth taking into consideration. This slight advantage or disadvantage is usually much less critical than many other factors, like the way the table rolls. If the balls tend to roll into one of the pockets, that pocket has the advantage regardless of which side it is on. I have been to pool halls where during the day you are likely to get blinded by light every time the front door opens if you're on one side of the table. Guess which pocket has the advantage there.

IMO, a player should be able to break equally well to both sides, and should be able to figure out the rolls and other peculiarities of an individual table within a few games, and this should be the main consideration when choosing a pocket.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
OK, that's what I thought. So my next question is, if you're right handed playing a left hander, then breaking from the left puts you both at the same disadvantage, right (now you have to play from your "off" side too)? So do you do it to prevent your opponent from getting the first opening, even though it means you're choosing your "off" side?

pj
chgo
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OK, now this is what I was referring to: What do you mean by choosing your "off" side? If you are right handed, and you normally break the rack from the left side, why is the right side your "off" side? Is it the off side simply because it is not the side you normally break from? Please detail?

There are three primary reasons that I break from different sides.
1. To keep my opponent from having a ball close to their "first inning shot" pocket.

2. If one pocket has a favorable lean or other idiosyncracy.

3. Some one pocket players that are right handed automatically break from the left side of the table and when they are not breaking, they play other players who are of similar mindset and they are used to playing their first inning, shot shooting toward the left pocket. When they are confronted with shooting to the right pocket on their first inning shot, it looks alien to them and makes them uncomfortable.

#2 gets preferential consideration, then 1 and 3 is lagniappe.

I guess what I am asking you is if you are usuall breaking from the left side and you are right handed (when your opponent breaks from the left side and he is right handed)-what makes playing the game and shooting to the left pocket your "off" side?

FTR, I THINK that I play both sides of the table equally well.
Thanks,

JoeyA
 
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Deadon said:
While I see the conventional wisedom, I have also seen others that have different opinions.

I wouldn't shoot from one side or the other to help me in case I screw up the break. I want a better advantage.

Right Handed.

I have heard some pros prefer to break from the right, so that when they are shooting anywhere down the rail toward their pocket, its more easily reached. Its easier to pocket the balls on your side of the table. I have broke from both sides, and see the value in that, and often break from from the right just for that reason.

Also, if I have to shoot over the rack, its easier to jack-up the cue because of the body position.
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I like that reasoning even if it only impacts a small portion of the table, IMO.
JoeyA
 
What do you mean by choosing your "off" side?
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I mean the side that's harder for you to play as a general rule because of which hand you shoot with. You said you break from the left for left handers, so I assume that's because you think they'll have a harder time playing from the right side - that's their off side according to you (I agree - they'll have a harder time with some key shots on that side).

My question is: if you're playing somebody who shoots opposite-handed to you, doesn't putting them on their off side also put you on your off side? If so, what's the advantage to you? Is it just so they won't get a jump on that first shot after the break if the corner ball gets too near their pocket?

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
I mean the side that's harder for you to play as a general rule because of which hand you shoot with. You said you break from the left for left handers, so I assume that's because you think they'll have a harder time playing from the right side - that's their off side according to you (I agree - they'll have a harder time with some key shots on that side).

My question is: if you're playing somebody who shoots opposite-handed to you, doesn't putting them on their off side also put you on your off side? If so, what's the advantage to you? Is it just so they won't get a jump on that first shot after the break if the corner ball gets too near their pocket?

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

Yes, like I said in the other post, it is primarily to keep them off of that first inning cut shot in their corner pocket. If I break from the right against a right handed player, I have the easy left side rail to make easy shots in that area close to the pocket, which would be harder on the other side. If a left-handed player seems to be playing better (while I choose to break from the left side) I will switch pockets on my subsequent breaks. On the breaks, like the whole game of one pocket, you have to be willing to do the change gears as needed.

JoeyA
 
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