8ball breaking advice
- Thread starter Siz
- Start date
I am no expert on breaking but, I get fair results by doing this: cue ball on headstring one ball over from center diamond. I hit the cue ball as hard as I can using right cue ball english into the 1 ball. I usually pocket a ball or two with this method. The cue ball usually comes back to center table but, not always.
Hit them with max power for max control...as on all breaks (except 14.1/One Pocket)
look at the CB last when you pull the trigger, hit the head ball square with control until you can add more power!
I have a friend who uses a second ball break and gets very good results. Hit the 2nd ball with low outside English, like a cut shot in 9 ball. The rack explodes open with much less power than a head ball break. The cue ball will go to the side rail and back out in the middle.
You can practice breaking using the head ball and power, but I am assuming you are having problems with power or control, or you wouldn't be asking. Only practicing it will make both more effective in the long term, but the second ball break is a good alternative to try in 8 ball. Jose Parica uses it, so it must have some merit.
You can practice breaking using the head ball and power, but I am assuming you are having problems with power or control, or you wouldn't be asking. Only practicing it will make both more effective in the long term, but the second ball break is a good alternative to try in 8 ball. Jose Parica uses it, so it must have some merit.
On a BB I saw Earl and others at the BB Championships in Vegas (Earl won) break from the middle of the box and bring the QB straight back hitting the headrail and bouncing back about a foot or so. I break like that now and it works well and give a good spread, you make balls, and have an opening shot a very high % of the time. The 2 keys are hitting the head-ball square and beating any kisses on the QB before it hit the headrail. Johnnyt
Man, three people PM'd me for 8 Ball breaking advice. I'll cut and paste what I responded to them with ...
-I break from the right side of the table, about one ball's width from the rail, at the second diamond (basically as far forward as I can go while still being in the kitchen).
-From here, I like to hit the second ball in the rack - the one immediately behind the head ball. The trick is to hit it as FULL as you can, with a good amount of back spin, about 3/4 power, and with a LEVEL CUE. Having a level cue is the most important part, otherwise that cue ball is going off the table every time. If you hit too low on the object ball, the cue ball is going straight into the corner pocket, so really practice hitting the full ball.
-The backspin will usually cause the cue ball to go to the rail after initial contact, and then come back at the rack where any clusters remain. Sometimes this leads to a lot of the balls ending up on the left side of the table, but it's usually pretty manageable.
-Everyone has a tendency to want to hit the ball as hard as they can, whether they are hitting the head ball or not. On a barbox, that often leads to the balls spreading, but then coming right back into each other and clumping up again. So, even if you decide you're more comfortable hitting the head ball and not the second ball, try to find a comfortable speed to hit the ball at around 3/4 of your total power. Accuracy, as with any break shot, is important on a barbox. The less off-center you hit, the better the spread. The better the spread, the less traffic (which is often the major problem in barbox pool), and the less traffic you have to deal with, the more you run out
-Like I said, if you don't want to hit that second ball like I do, then I'd recommend breaking from somewhere a little closer to the center of the table. Breaking from the rail just doesn't seem to work for me on a barbox. If you are going to hit the head ball, I'd suggest hitting it as square as you can. A cut break, although successful in 9 ball, just doesn't work for 8 ball.
-I break from the right side of the table, about one ball's width from the rail, at the second diamond (basically as far forward as I can go while still being in the kitchen).
-From here, I like to hit the second ball in the rack - the one immediately behind the head ball. The trick is to hit it as FULL as you can, with a good amount of back spin, about 3/4 power, and with a LEVEL CUE. Having a level cue is the most important part, otherwise that cue ball is going off the table every time. If you hit too low on the object ball, the cue ball is going straight into the corner pocket, so really practice hitting the full ball.
-The backspin will usually cause the cue ball to go to the rail after initial contact, and then come back at the rack where any clusters remain. Sometimes this leads to a lot of the balls ending up on the left side of the table, but it's usually pretty manageable.
-Everyone has a tendency to want to hit the ball as hard as they can, whether they are hitting the head ball or not. On a barbox, that often leads to the balls spreading, but then coming right back into each other and clumping up again. So, even if you decide you're more comfortable hitting the head ball and not the second ball, try to find a comfortable speed to hit the ball at around 3/4 of your total power. Accuracy, as with any break shot, is important on a barbox. The less off-center you hit, the better the spread. The better the spread, the less traffic (which is often the major problem in barbox pool), and the less traffic you have to deal with, the more you run out
-Like I said, if you don't want to hit that second ball like I do, then I'd recommend breaking from somewhere a little closer to the center of the table. Breaking from the rail just doesn't seem to work for me on a barbox. If you are going to hit the head ball, I'd suggest hitting it as square as you can. A cut break, although successful in 9 ball, just doesn't work for 8 ball.
I normally break as 9ballmarksman describes, 2nd ball as square as possible below center of the cue ball. However a lot of people seem to have trouble with this and break from the center of the table. If you are going to do this I find it best to play it similar to a 10 ball break, hit the head ball stright on a little below center. I find with this break the two balls below the head ball do tend to go towards the center pockets and give you a good chance of making something.
All good stuff. 
What about some racking tips - if you can't get a tight rack overall, do you think that it is more important to have some balls touching than others? Like always make sure that the first 3 are touching? Or maybe the 6 surrounding the 8ball? Or doesn't it matter?
What about some racking tips - if you can't get a tight rack overall, do you think that it is more important to have some balls touching than others? Like always make sure that the first 3 are touching? Or maybe the 6 surrounding the 8ball? Or doesn't it matter?
All good stuff.
What about some racking tips - if you can't get a tight rack overall, do you think that it is more important to have some balls touching than others? Like always make sure that the first 3 are touching? Or maybe the 6 surrounding the 8ball? Or doesn't it matter?
It definitely matters. Spend $10 and get a Magic Rack. I got mine from AZB user BENFICA, and I've been loving it. You get the perfect rack every single time. The only way to ensure a consistent break is to have a consistent rack, and you get that with Magic Rack.
Other people will say the same about the Delta rack. I don't have any experience with it, but I'm sure it's excellent as well, just a little more expensive.
I couldn't agree more. The magic rack is the nuts, perfect rack every time!!!!