8 ball break tips
- Thread starter trob
- Start date
Learn to read the rack to take exploit its weaknesses.
Make sure you get a solid hit on the center of the head ball.
Make your break a stop shot so you transfer maximum energy into the rack and control your cue ball.
Don't ever sacrifice control for power.
Try breaking 20 racks a day using these principles for 2 weeks and let us know how you're doing.
Oh, you might want to try wearing one of those "Tennis Elbow" bands on your forearm. I wear one when playing tennis and it does provide a decent amount of relief.
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The greatest thing is to practice your break and I know it gets old especially if you practice alone breaking then racking, breaking then racking. What I found if you don't own a break rack is to just rack up three ball and break those babies up. It teaches you to hit the rack square, and it doesn't take as long to rack. It has improved my breaks.
ok for what it's worth here's my tips.
Bartable
8 foot table
9 foot table
Bartable
- sometimes less is more. trade power for control
- I start with a second ball break, if that's not working I move to the head ball and hit with a medium to hard stroke, increasing power until I'm making balls.
- keeping in line with the less is more idea I find that when you hit the rack too hard on a bar table you end up with a nice spread but you drive more balls to the rail and end up with significantly more clusters
- start from as close to the side rail as you can and hit which ever ball you are going for (1st or 2nd) as square as possible to minimize CB movement.
- if you are still not having success, move the cb closer to the middle of the table still hitting the OB as square as possible. There's nothing better than having the CB plant itself in the middle of the table.
8 foot table
- 2nd ball in is still the optimal ball to go for first
- while you do have to hit the rack a little harder it's still best to keep your break power in check so you don't sacrifice control
- Make the transition from 2nd ball to head ball sooner than the bar table when you're not having success
- as with the bar table, start from the rail and move to the centre if you're not having success
- 2nd ball break requires as square of a hit you can give it, try to avoid side spin and stay as close to a stun shot as you can.
- head ball - if you're not having success hitting the head ball squarly it's time to try making the head ball in the side pocket. In order to do this you have to hit the head ball in the direction that would take it two rails to the corner pocket if the rack weren't there. this should push it to the side pocket. If the head ball comes to the rail closer to the bottom of the table hit it harder if it comes to the rail above the side pocket hit it with less power.
9 foot table
- On a 9 foot table I'm more likely to go for the headball first, I make this choice based on the equipment. I find a Brunswick table with generous pockets is more condusive to a 2nd ball break than a table with tighter pockets and deeper shelves. Having said that, I am still more likely to go for the head ball first.
- I still advocate the less is more on 9 foot table. Personally I have better success using control than brute force.
- I use my playing cue for breaking in most cicumstances. This gives me better control of the cue ball. If I have to replace tips more often because of it, so be it. Having said that, for the most part I only pull out my break cue with the phenolic tip on a 9 foot table.
- on a 9 foot table I transition to sinking the head ball in the side pocket sooner as described above in the 8foot table section
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Try breaking first ball and do the following:
1. Put the CB as close to the headstring as possible, a little off center.
This gets you as close to the rack as possible, with a little angle to create a better chance at making balls.
2. Bridge on the slate, not on the rail.
3. Closed bridge with palm on the table.
4. Bridge approximately 8 or 9 inches from the CB. This should be close to the pivot point of your break cue, unless you're breaking with some kind of low deflection product, in which case bridge about 10 inches from the CB.
5. Aim at the dead center of that first ball, couple practice strokes then go.
6. Don't try to kill it, just try to hit the center of the CB, nice and firm, and give a snap of the wrist just before impact.
These tips may seem obvious but I see people breaking straight on who bridge on the rail and you lose so much by doing that. Good luck!
1. Put the CB as close to the headstring as possible, a little off center.
This gets you as close to the rack as possible, with a little angle to create a better chance at making balls.
2. Bridge on the slate, not on the rail.
3. Closed bridge with palm on the table.
4. Bridge approximately 8 or 9 inches from the CB. This should be close to the pivot point of your break cue, unless you're breaking with some kind of low deflection product, in which case bridge about 10 inches from the CB.
5. Aim at the dead center of that first ball, couple practice strokes then go.
6. Don't try to kill it, just try to hit the center of the CB, nice and firm, and give a snap of the wrist just before impact.
These tips may seem obvious but I see people breaking straight on who bridge on the rail and you lose so much by doing that. Good luck!
If you are going second ball on a BB then try and stroke the cb and don't worry about the power and that seems to help. As was stated above look at the rack. If it's a loose rack break close to center with a medium to medium hard stroke and a dead center hit on the head ball. But practicing your break everyday will help the most if you pay attention to the results and make adjustments to see what works and what doesn't.
I improved my drops and even made one 8B break last week by shooting the lead ball, one diamond off center. I have a feeling that hitting the rack perfectly straight-on head-on makes the rack break too symmetrically, creating more clusters as the balls bust out and roll back together. Not sure yet, but still trying.
Breaking
If break and run is your game, then you must strike first ball in rack IMO. No one can hit second ball with their hardest break! Cue will fly from table and possibly injure your local league operator, but possibly knock some sense into them(highly unlikely). Unless I am playing a very weak player, I choose the second ball hit at half or medium speed which results in a safe type break. Adjusting speed will generally pocket corner balls easily and off you go. Also produces a half table game(shorter shots). Breaking from left with low left should bring cue to center of table which is lovely. Also the half table game will require moving cue in smaller tighter places which behooves the better player! I hate breaking hard, not making a ball and having a much less skilled player have his easy run. If running out is your game, go for it with your hard break big boy.
If break and run is your game, then you must strike first ball in rack IMO. No one can hit second ball with their hardest break! Cue will fly from table and possibly injure your local league operator, but possibly knock some sense into them(highly unlikely). Unless I am playing a very weak player, I choose the second ball hit at half or medium speed which results in a safe type break. Adjusting speed will generally pocket corner balls easily and off you go. Also produces a half table game(shorter shots). Breaking from left with low left should bring cue to center of table which is lovely. Also the half table game will require moving cue in smaller tighter places which behooves the better player! I hate breaking hard, not making a ball and having a much less skilled player have his easy run. If running out is your game, go for it with your hard break big boy.
I might be stating the obvious, but recently I made a conscious effort to focus on following through a bit longer on my break shot, and it's given me much better results in spreading the rack from the center. (Or one diamond off center, too.)
I used to do the 8-ball break from the side rail into the second ball as well, as I couldn't spread the rack well from the center. Now I almost never go to the side rail.
Basics, fundamentals... sometimes it's the little things. It least this worked for me.
I used to do the 8-ball break from the side rail into the second ball as well, as I couldn't spread the rack well from the center. Now I almost never go to the side rail.
Basics, fundamentals... sometimes it's the little things. It least this worked for me.
Hello im about 6' 265 I use my wrist . Snaping the break . But the trip is doing this flat footed. go up in the weight in your Break cue , follow thru and snap your wrist, on the butt end of the cue should tap the palm of your hand . then your doing it right. Good luck sir..
Oh ps still hit the sec ball the 8 will go cross side.
Oh ps still hit the sec ball the 8 will go cross side.
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Lol, I've always shot for the second ball in an 8-ball rack hoping the 8 would drop in the side. Many times I've come close but never has it dropped and most of the time the cue ball flew right in the corner pocket. I would rarely get anything in on the break either! :frown:
Recently I've slowed down my stroke and discovered I get a better spread heading the head ball and sometimes getting something in on the break. :thumbup:
Recently I've slowed down my stroke and discovered I get a better spread heading the head ball and sometimes getting something in on the break. :thumbup:
Im i just seeing things or did you have a bunch of red .Now you have a bunch of greenies all in 5 post .How do you do that?
