8-Ball Barbox Break

R

recanizegame

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been using the break shown in The Eight Ball Bible where you hit the 2nd ball as full as possible using a controlled stroke with a touch of inside/bottom. I have practiced this break my fair share but I've noticed some of my breaks arent executed like they should.
I practice most of my breaks on an old 8 footer and have the break down perfect. When I goto the bars to play I've noticed the 8 ball and 3 to 4 balls surronding it are left untouched in the center of the table. This baffled me and I just started breaking over and over with this setup trying to figure my faults off, but came up empty handed. I resorted back to the head ball break after I lost this confidence. I was hoping someone here has had this problem and figured the answer to it out.
 
If the 8 ball and surrounding balls are not moving, sounds like the rack is not tight. Try switching racks and breaking them again.
 
recanizegame said:
I've been using the break shown in The Eight Ball Bible where you hit the 2nd ball as full as possible using a controlled stroke with a touch of inside/bottom. I have practiced this break my fair share but I've noticed some of my breaks arent executed like they should.
I practice most of my breaks on an old 8 footer and have the break down perfect. When I goto the bars to play I've noticed the 8 ball and 3 to 4 balls surronding it are left untouched in the center of the table. This baffled me and I just started breaking over and over with this setup trying to figure my faults off, but came up empty handed. I resorted back to the head ball break after I lost this confidence. I was hoping someone here has had this problem and figured the answer to it out.
Click to expand...
Most likely the balls are not racked tight on the barbox. If you watch Joe Tucker's racking secrets you will learn more about all types of breaks like 8ball, 9 ball, 10ball and more. You will see how energy transfers through a rack when balls are or aren't touching.

BVal
 
My eight ball break on bar tables is awful. I also try a rail break and straight head on break as well. I really focus on CONTROL, hitting the head ball or the second ball in the apex. I spread the balls, no clusters...and no balls pocketed. It really is no fun to give my opponents a head start at the table. I've almost wondered if giving my opponent the break would be in my best interest.

Any help as well would be fantastic.
 
GL. The bar tables usually have very badly worn cloth, poor quality plastic racks, and the worst part...people who don't know how/don't care to rack properly.

I also have Joe Tuckers DVD as well. It's great, and has great info, and he sure as heck knows what he is doing, but it really centers, IMO on nine ball. And for good reason.
 
Gregg said:
GL. The bar tables usually have very badly worn cloth, poor quality plastic racks, and the worst part...people who don't know how/don't care to rack properly.

I also have Joe Tuckers DVD as well. It's great, and has great info, and he sure as heck knows what he is doing, but it really centers, IMO on nine ball. And for good reason.
Click to expand...
I found every section useful although the most time was spent on 9 ball. The first week after I bought the DVD I snapped an 8ball break in league. The DVD is way underpriced if you ask me :)

BVal
 
BVal said:
I found every section useful although the most time was spent on 9 ball. The first week after I bought the DVD I snapped an 8ball break in league. The DVD is way underpriced if you ask me :)

BVal
Click to expand...

Oh, no doubt. Joe Tucker (many of you know he is a poster here) is an excellent real world pool instructor. Tells it like it is. Stuff that works. You can seen his passion for the game. Oh, and that he can shoot, really, really well!

I also made an eight on the break after learning to read the rack that week. Of course, if you play often, your bound to get lucky!
 
Avatar

BVal said:
I found every section useful although the most time was spent on 9 ball. The first week after I bought the DVD I snapped an 8ball break in league. The DVD is way underpriced if you ask me :)

BVal
Click to expand...
Is that your girlfriend/wife? Very pretty. See ya in couple weeks at Metro.:wink:
 
Gregg said:
Oh, no doubt. Joe Tucker (many of you know he is a poster here) is an excellent real world pool instructor. Tells it like it is. Stuff that works. You can seen his passion for the game. Oh, and that he can shoot, really, really well!

I also made an eight on the break after learning to read the rack that week. Of course, if you play often, your bound to get lucky!
Click to expand...
Before I saw his video I very rarely broke the 2nd ball. I always broke the head ball. In the previous 5 years I had maybe 4 or 5 8ball breaks that were luck-ins (if that's a word). Since I learned to read the rack and break 2nd ball my 8 ball breaks have gone up dramatically! Good luck and shoot well.

BVal
 
tucson9ball said:
Is that your girlfriend/wife? Very pretty. See ya in couple weeks at Metro.:wink:
Click to expand...
Thanks, yes she is very beautiful. It's my ex-wife/girlfriend :). See you at Metro :)
 
tucson9ball said:
Ex wife/ girlfriend? how does that work?
Click to expand...
Long story but it works just great. :) Introduce yourself at Metro. I am not sure if I have ever met you before.

BVal
 
recanizegame said:
I've been using the break shown in The Eight Ball Bible where you hit the 2nd ball as full as possible using a controlled stroke with a touch of inside/bottom. I have practiced this break my fair share but I've noticed some of my breaks arent executed like they should.
I practice most of my breaks on an old 8 footer and have the break down perfect. When I goto the bars to play I've noticed the 8 ball and 3 to 4 balls surronding it are left untouched in the center of the table. This baffled me and I just started breaking over and over with this setup trying to figure my faults off, but came up empty handed. I resorted back to the head ball break after I lost this confidence. I was hoping someone here has had this problem and figured the answer to it out.
Click to expand...
You should be using outside bottom instead of inside bottom. Try to keep your cue stick as level as you can and give it a draw type stroke. Elevating the butt will cause you to go off the table.

Using inside will cause the cue ball to go to the short rail and if it collides with an object ball it may stay back there and limit your chances for a starting shot.

Outside english will take your cue ball more toward the middle of the table after contacting the side rail. On some tables you may not need as much draw as others, but the outside english is always needed.

After trying most other ways, I have found this works best for me.
 
recanizegame said:
I've been using the break shown in The Eight Ball Bible where you hit the 2nd ball as full as possible using a controlled stroke with a touch of inside/bottom. I have practiced this break my fair share but I've noticed some of my breaks arent executed like they should.
I practice most of my breaks on an old 8 footer and have the break down perfect. When I goto the bars to play I've noticed the 8 ball and 3 to 4 balls surronding it are left untouched in the center of the table. This baffled me and I just started breaking over and over with this setup trying to figure my faults off, but came up empty handed. I resorted back to the head ball break after I lost this confidence. I was hoping someone here has had this problem and figured the answer to it out.
Click to expand...

Generally, you will find that bar tables have balls that have been around for a loooooong time. From the 1 getting the most abuse because people place this one at the front of the rack, all the balls get undersized by play.

The racks are all designed to hold 15 balls of the same size. When you get balls that are undersized, you will find it hard to get all of them to touch and the rack is larger.

You could try moving different balls around, maybe the stripes towards the 8 in order to get all of them to touch, but, probably not.

Good luck. I do not think you are doing anything wrong, just bad equipment.
 
Gregg said:
My eight ball break on bar tables is awful. I also try a rail break and straight head on break as well. I really focus on CONTROL, hitting the head ball or the second ball in the apex. I spread the balls, no clusters...and no balls pocketed. It really is no fun to give my opponents a head start at the table. I've almost wondered if giving my opponent the break would be in my best interest.

Any help as well would be fantastic.
Click to expand...


just last night while practicing breaks i started to think the same thing. Maybe giving up the break would be better? I dont think im gonna do it but it crossed my mind.
 
On barbox, I usually hit the head ball and I break pretty solid. I use my playing cue with 2nd ball and draw it back into the pack usually. I either make the 8 and only the 8 or just another random ball with a lot of clusters.

When I watch some better players break using the second ball, some of them dont go right from the rail, more like the right hand diamond and on the head string. Give that a shot?
 
dabarbr said:
You should be using outside bottom instead of inside bottom. Try to keep your cue stick as level as you can and give it a draw type stroke. Elevating the butt will cause you to go off the table.

Using inside will cause the cue ball to go to the short rail and if it collides with an object ball it may stay back there and limit your chances for a starting shot.

Outside english will take your cue ball more toward the middle of the table after contacting the side rail. On some tables you may not need as much draw as others, but the outside english is always needed.

After trying most other ways, I have found this works best for me.
Click to expand...

When I'm not reliably making balls in, I sometimes use the low-inside version of this break intentionally for the very reason you give, to lessen the chance of a starting shot for the other guy. It's a good league break against someone good enough to get out on an open table but not a tough table.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top