9 ball break trial and error

Cdryden

Cdryden

Pool Addict
Silver Member
Ok so I have been trying to figure out if i can find a pattern in my 9-ball break. What I did was rack and break a rack of 9 ball 50 times. I know it sounds crazy but it was the only way I could gain accurate info.

1. I racked the balls the same for every rack.

1
23
495
67
8


2. I broke from the same spot every time
3. I hit the CB in the same spot with the same stroke and I tried to keep the power the same. (as best as I could)

*note, I also to a pic of the results from every break to see the patterns of the layout


The results were mostly random as expected. I made a ball on the break 78 % of the time (39 times out of 50)

I made the four in the corner 64% of the time (32 out of 50)

The only other patterns I noticed was that about 25% of the time the 8 ball was next to the right corner pocket (the same one the 4 went into) and the 5 ball was next to the right side pocket about 20 % of the time. (I was breaking about 1 foot from center on the right side and the CB was on the headstring)

I was able to keep the CB close to the center of the table about 80% of the time.

For what it's worth I did not try to break at full speed. I was hitting the balls at about 3/4 power. I may try to do the same test using full power to see if my results are better or worse. ( I would think they would be a little worse overall)

So what did i get out of all this? A better understanding of my break and some great practice! I will have to try a few different break styles and positions to see if there is really any benefit of one over the other. But I did notice that I often had a decent shot on the 1 ball using this style.

Anyone else tried anything like this? I know, I got allot of time on my hands to be doing this but hey, how else do you learn right?
 
Were you using a triangle or a Magic Ball Rack? If a triangle, which one? What size table, pockets, and what kind of cloth and ball set are you using?

Just interested.

Maniac
 
Chris,

Find a break that controls the 1ball to get a shot on it and you will definitely see a pattern to the resulting layout. Until I worked on the 1 for about a month I would have argued everything seemed random.....
 
Excellent questions,

I was using the slug doctor tight rack
8 foot olhausen
I think the pockets are 5 1/4 corners and 5 1/2 sides.
Pro-form cloth ( similar to simonis but not exactly the same)
Aramith premium set with regular CB not the measles ball
Accu fast rails
 
The Renfro said:
Chris,

Find a break that controls the 1ball to get a shot on it and you will definitely see a pattern to the resulting layout. Until I worked on the 1 for about a month I would have argued everything seemed random.....
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree. I am trying grey ghost's method for the 9-ball break which is pretty close to the same way i was already breaking. He uses a little more cue angle in his approach to the CB than I did before. I still have allot to do but i thought this was a good start to getting some decent info.

All of this is depends on you accurately hitting the head ball in the same place every time. Did I hit it perfect every time? NO, but I am better at it now than I was before!
 
Armed with that knowledge, try watching a copy of Joe Tucker's Racking Secrets. You can learn to take advantage of gaps, and rack tilts, and adjust your break spot accordingly.
 
Neil said:
I agree that your results were random. I believe this is caused by three things. 1. inconsistent rack. Even tiny gaps make a difference. Gaps so small they are hard to see. 2. Not actually hitting the same speed. (very hard to do, and our senses are not as fine tuned to this as some of the pros are. Take just the cb, and just hit it straight down the table ten times at as close to the same speed as you can hitting at break speed. You will be surprised at the different distances you actually get on the cb) 3. Not actually hitting the head ball in the precise same spot every time. A LITTLE angle can make a difference on how the balls separate and collide with each other.

It is very good practice though. As far as I know, only two pros have actually done it to the extent actually required, and they are known for their breaks being deadly. That would be SVB and Corey Duel. Donny Mills has the accuracy part down pat. That is why he can make the wing ball almost every time.
Click to expand...

Good points, I think the racks was as consistent as possible by me since I used the Slug Doctor system. It seemed to do a very good job in this study.
But what is great about this is that it is me doing it so the results are indicative of my break. and by putting in the work you really get a strong understanding of your own break, and what you need to do to improve it.

For me I noticed that hitting the 1 ball more precisely and with a controlled amount of power is the key to a successful break.

* also stopping the CB in the middle of the table seems to work best for me.
 
ctyhntr said:
Armed with that knowledge, try watching a copy of Joe Tucker's Racking Secrets. You can learn to take advantage of gaps, and rack tilts, and adjust your break spot accordingly.
Click to expand...

I got his video! That was one of the best instructional videos I have come across. Good accurate info without all the fluff. He kept it simple and to the point and I really appreciate that. I love his stuff!
 
Big Break!

I have been using the same method for 9 months with good results. I dont always make the wing ball in the corner, but I find that there are a number of patterns that come up over and over. I end up with the 8, 9 and 7 ball in very similar area's of the table 6 out of 10 breaks. If I dont make the 1 ball it ends up down table near the break string.

This comes in handy when I'm in action, I always rack my own. Doesnt mean I can always run out or that I will always have a shot, but when I do, I feel comfortable that I have seen this pattern.

Stick with it, it works in the long run!
 
Thanks to everyone who commented on this. If you have any thoughts on how to improve on this experiment please let me know. I am going to be trying this some more with different variations of power and CB starting position.


Thanks again,
Chris
 
try taping a laser pointer to the rail and pointing it at the spot you want to hit. hit it over and over again and your accuracy striking the head ball will improve. Eventually, you will hit is without the laser pointer.

Just a thought.

Greg
 
Cdryden said:
Snip...
Anyone else tried anything like this? I know, I got allot of time on my hands to be doing this but hey, how else do you learn right?
Click to expand...

Save yourself alot of time and trouble by getting Joe Tucker's Racking Secrets (1) video. If you're interested in this topic, then you will certainly enjoy and benefit from the research that he has done. The 9-ball rack is FAR more predictible than most would imagine.
 
Mr Hoppe said:
Save yourself alot of time and trouble by getting Joe Tucker's Racking Secrets (1) video. If you're interested in this topic, then you will certainly enjoy and benefit from the research that he has done. The 9-ball rack is FAR more predictible than most would imagine.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's very good, you probably missed it earlier in the thread where I mentioned I have it and have used it. But it is still very worth while to do your own research. As good as his info is it cant substitute your own experience. And I feel like I gained allot of knowledge that couldn't be conveyed in a video.
 
I did this same sort of experiment back when I was playing regularly & trying to develop some sort of "racking" advantage (read: pattern racking). I racked them the same way you did & traced the end positions for each ball over 50 breaks from each common breaking position (side rail, center, edge of box,..., etc).

In the end, I found some reasonable tendencies that I would use to adjust the rack for my opponents breaking position. My goal, if my opponent was making balls on the break, was to make him play up & down table position (working thru the traffic). If he was failing to make balls, I would make *me* play easy patterns (clusters of consecutive balls).

Problems were: 1) my opponent could move the CB around spontaneously...every inch matters too!, 2) my opponent may break harder or softer than me...a few mph here & there matters too!, 3) not all tables break alike,..., etc.

I would put my focus on where the 1/2/3 balls go from each breaking position & speed to simplify your efforts. Controlling those three balls can have a significant impact on your opponents ability to run your racks.
 
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