9Ball Break Methods

[daveneal]

Please help me! I am from the uk and i have just started playing 9Ball, I used to play snooker but have decided to give 9ball a whirl.

I'm having trouble with my break. I just smack the ball as hard as i can, for a while i was consistently getting the wing ball in the corner pocket but i am not consistent enough. I tried to model my break on the pro's on the TV but there is only the world championships and mosconi shown on english TV.

I have a bunjee jump/break cue and it helped me a little but i need a reference point to develop my break from.

I don't know how to grip the cue as i am used to using an open bridge.

Any suggestions would help me, photo's, diagrams or anything. I find i can win against most new 9ball players but when it comes to playing a seasoned player i choke. I need the competetive edge a decent break would bring.

Many thanks

Dave Neal

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Please help me! I am from the uk and i have just started playing 9Ball, I used to play snooker but have decided to give 9ball a whirl.

I'm having trouble with my break. I just smack the ball as hard as i can, for a while i was consistently getting the wing ball in the corner pocket but i am not consistent enough. I tried to model my break on the pro's on the TV but there is only the world championships and mosconi shown on english TV.

I have a bunjee jump/break cue and it helped me a little but i need a reference point to develop my break from.

I don't know how to grip the cue as i am used to using an open bridge.

Any suggestions would help me, photo's, diagrams or anything. I find i can win against most new 9ball players but when it comes to playing a seasoned player i choke. I need the competetive edge a decent break would bring.

Many thanks

Dave Neal

The break has to be the most inconsistent aspect of 9-ball and it appears your approach to improving yours is fine. Watching the Mosconi Cup is ideal. If you're having a problem not making a ball on the break, I suggest varying the speed of your break and changing locations. The best place to break from is near the siderail though many tournaments nowadays force competitors to break within a diamond of the headspot.

Try changing speed and location when not making a ball and as a rule, try to play position for the 1-ball by stunning the cue-ball of the rack.

 

[FLICKit]

The break has to be the most inconsistent aspect of 9-ball and it appears your approach to improving yours is fine. Watching the Mosconi Cup is ideal. If you're having a problem not making a ball on the break, I suggest varying the speed of your break and changing locations. The best place to break from is near the siderail though many tournaments nowadays force competitors to break within a diamond of the headspot.

Try changing speed and location when not making a ball and as a rule, try to play position for the 1-ball by stunning the cue-ball of the rack.

Also, kid delicious commented on his breaks. Him, like most pros place the cue ball near the side rail close to the 2nd diamond. He said he focuses on hitting the ball square or full.

This has the advantage of transferring the maximum amount of energy from the cue ball, into the object ball, and thus into the rack. A full hit, also helps to control the cue ball. The goal is usually to bring the cue ball, right back to the middle of the table. Statistically speaking, when the cue ball is in the middle of the table, it gives you the best access to any shot after the break.

Also, the pros have learned to master the ability to make the 1 ball go into the side pocket after the break. You don't always have to hit the balls hard, as long as you hit them solidly. Many pros will use a medium soft break, but they also know that the 1 ball is going in the side pocket. For the not so masterful, a harder break increases the chances of making a random ball into a pocket. Just remember, it doesn't do any good if your cue ball goes off the table or scratches.

Having a little longer stroke than normal, is usually helpful as well on the break. Relax & have fun with it. Know that the average player does not have mastery of the break.

 

[Blackjack]

Breaking To Win

Breaking To Win
Considering all of the questions I have been asked pertaining to the break in 9 ball, I will freely pass along to you what has worked for me in the past. Hopefully, if you try the method I am about to explain, you can also benefit from the success that I have had with my nine-ball break.

I will first point out that when breaking the rack of balls during a game of nine ball, power is not what you should be concentrating on. Control is essential when breaking the balls, but most beginners, intermediate and advanced players attempt to drive the cue ball through the rack, obviously trying to see how hard they can hit the rack without scratching. This is not a tactic I would recommend. During the break, we should only utilize the amount of power we can control, which will vary according to your skill level. Smashing the rack to smithereens might sound intimidating and it might impress the railbirds, but it's not very effective at all. The break that is diagrammed is a controlled version of the side break.

(The white line represents the path of the cue ball. The cue ball will strike the one, and back up slightly to the center of the table. The black line going through the 1, 2, & 8 balls and extending through the rail is the break angle. This is the angle and direction we will be generating our power. The black line going from the 8 ball to the pocket is the 8 ball's path, and the orange line depicts the path of the 5 ball. The yellow lines show two paths that our one ball can take. The one can either go into the side pocket, or it can bank one rail (missing the side pocket) and rebounding to where we are at the corner pocket. I do not want the one to go in the corner pocket, I just want the one to be there for my first shot. I want the corner balls to go in off the break)

I recommend this break, placing the cue ball about three to four inches from the rail and even with the head string. I draw a line through the one ball, the second ball and the corner ball. This will be the line that I will be breaking towards, or, The Break Angle. Drawing an imaginary line through this angle, we have our target point . Breaking from this angle, I will attempt to pocket the one ball in the side pocket, having the one ball deflect from (not off of) the second ball. The one ball will either go into the side pocket laying in the direction of my break angle, or it will hit the rail short (either short or long, depends on the speed of my stroke) and roll back towards my bridge hand and towards the pocket where I am standing. If I make contact with the one ball where I am supposed to, chances are that either one or both of the corner balls will rocket into the top corner pockets. The balls should spread well, and the cue ball should stop dead in the center of the table after contact with the one ball. If all of this happens, I should have a decent shot on the lowest numbered ball. Now that I have given you a mental picture of what the result should be, let me explain how to properly execute it.

I do not use English on the break shot for two reasons:

1. Having the cue ball follow into the rack is reckless, mainly because I do not know where the cue ball is going to stop. As the cue ball barrel-asses through the rack, it can ricochet off of anything in its path, overall causing more damage that needs be. As a rule, the cue ball should make contact with the one ball and stop. It should not touch any other ball.

2. If I draw the ball, I increase my chances of having my cue ball not hit the contact point on the one ball, by either slipping off of the one (as opposed to making contact with the one) and scratching into the closest pocket. If I do not ht the one ball at the proper contact point, I could draw the cue ball straight back towards either corner pocket. Also, when drawing, most players have a tendency to stab downwards. We want our cue as level as possible for maximum transfer of energy. If I am hitting downward, the cue ball will jump off of the surface of the table. When this happens, our cue ball becomes a runaway train headed towards the rack. You should never start off the game with a train wreck. Our Break Angle dictates that drawing the ball should be avoided. A level STROKE should be utilized to achieve the result we are looking for. Our cue ball placement for this shot causes us to lift the butt of the cue to achieve a draw stroke. This will shorten our follow through and affect the accuracy of the shot.

Upon breaking, the position I am looking for is the CENTER OF THE TABLE. I want the cue ball in the center of the table for two reasons.

1. There are no pockets there.

2. I can expect a make-able shot on the lowest numbered ball from there.

So, with all of these factors taken into consideration, we are now ready to perform the shot. I STROKE the cue ball at about 1 - 1.5 tips below center (not enough to impart backspin). I line up my body with the Break Angle that I explained earlier. I aim at the contact point, which is the nose of the one ball. The one ball is a round object that is just as round from any angle that you wish to observe it from. Only the shape of the rack of balls is a triangle. I say this to you because round objects, or spheres, react like spheres. The balls are not flat objects. To assist my aim, I look at the point where the one ball meets the cloth at its base. Get down and look at this point and become familiar with it. When the cue ball makes contact with the one ball (and only the one ball) the cue ball should deflect from the one, naturally coming to rest three to four inches in from the original position of the one ball, OR - THE CENTER OF THE TABLE. My stroke should be a controlled, fluid movement, not a jerking blast. The balls should "spread well", rolling around to give me a good chance at a run out. If I HIT the balls too hard (as opposed to stroking them) I run the risk of having the balls spread to the rails, then mushrooming back to the center of the table (which is where I want the cue ball after the break, and will also be where I want to place the cue ball while running the rack). Not a good thing. We should stroke them firmly, but not blast them uphill to Arkansas. We are trying to control what is happening between the rails, and that means that we first need to control what is going on between our ears. We need to concentrate on the break more than any other shot. In 9 ball, most games are won or lost from the break. If you can break, make a ball, get a decent shot on the lowest numbered ball, and the pack is spread decently, you can, will, and should run out. Practice the described break at various speeds of stroke, and remember that all tables react differently, so always gauge the table speed prior to breaking the balls.
"But Blackjack, I hit the balls as hard as I can so that I can make a lot of balls on the break!"
You do not have to hit the balls hard to make a ball on the break. Using this break, hit the balls very softly. You will be amazed at how soft you can stroke the cue ball towards the rack and still make a ball and get a good result.
The break is the most important shot of the game, Most players take the break shot for granted and do not use it to their advantage. Many players concentrate on trying to generate all power and no control. This is why you see a lot of scratched resulting from sledgehammer break shots. Now that we have gone over a proper break shot, here are a few break shots that should be avoided, as their effectiveness is minimal.

The Shoveling Shuffle

This break is characterized by the player sweeping his/her cue up in the air and over his/her shoulder after cue ball contact is made. Here, the player has generated so much power that it raises him out of his stance, away from the table, and standing him/her up straight. Upon standing up straight, the shaft of the player's cue is drawn over the player's non-shooting shoulder. This looks as if they are shoveling something up from the surface of the table. Usually, the cue ball flies off of the table with this break shot. An accurate hit is nearly impossible. Every once in a while the player gets lucky and has something drop off this break, but the player will get out only occasionally. An excellent example of this was the late, great Tony Ellin. Tony's break was phenomenally powerful. It was one of the most explosive, powerful breaks I had ever witnessed. Tony Ellin would consistently make two or three balls off the break. Tony was rare case. He was able to afford this flaw in his break shot because he somehow managed to maintain his accuracy. Tony also possessed the ability to run out from anywhere. The only drawback that this had on his game were the fact that if he did not get an accurate hit on the one ball, the cue ball flew off of the table, or he did not pocket a ball. When Tony Ellin broke well, he won. When he did not break well, he struggled. This break is caused by not staying down on the shot, resulting in very little or no follow through. This type of break is the perfect example of all power and no control.

The "Bull Through The China Shop" Break

This is the break shot where you see the cue ball go through the rack like a bowling ball. This is caused by using follow English on the cue ball, along with an inaccurate hit on the one ball. Usually, the cue ball grazes the one ball (due to the player concentrating too much on power and not enough on control) and the cue ball ricochets off of the one ball and into the other balls in the rack. On the break, the cue ball should only make contact with the one ball. It should make contact with the one and the park itself in the middle of the table. On this flawed break, you usually see the cue ball hit about one quarter of the one ball, causing the cue ball to go either through the rack, or to the rails. I don't care how good you think you are, you should never let go of the cue ball on the break shot.

The Thunderbolt Blast

This break is the most common. This is the classic "power break" that you see novice players trying to perform. It is performed by generating all of the power one can muster up in the shooting arm. A good sign of this shot is when you see the player's elbow drop below the rail on the follow through. When you see this happen, you can rest assured that all of the power was not transferred to the cue ball, speaking of which, is usually in the side pocket before the player can stand up straight.

The West Texas Lunging Thrust

The West Texas Lunging Thrust afflicts many of the players indigenous to the Southwest Region of The United States. This break shot is characterized by a combination of all of the earlier shots described. The player not only generates all of the power in the universe for this shot, but makes sure that he gets his whole ass into the shot by lunging towards the rack on the follow through as if he has been shot out of a cannon. Not only does this look ridiculous to someone that knows better, it is downright suicidal. The rack usually spreads very well, but God only knows where the cue ball is going. If you want to leave the cue ball position up to the pool Gods, be my guest. Personally, I would like to know where the cue ball is going before I shoot the shot. Also, if the pack spreads well and you scratch, your opponent will have an obstacle free table, ball in hand, and a smirk on his face while you watch him run out.

What is to be learned from all of this? Control is more important than power. An accurate stroke is the best kind of stroke and we need to know where our cue ball is going before we shoot. We need to stay down on our break shot, and throwing our ass into the shot or having our feet leave the floor is not only reckless, but a death wish as well. When playing any game of the match, we want to be in control from the break to the game ball. We should never take any shot for granted, and we should never blast away at any shot and be willing to accept "pot luck" position. A seasoned player will read that as a sign of recklessness and a lack of discipline and use it to his (or her) advantage. In other words, if I see a player that has no control over his or her break shot, I'm not worried about them stringing racks together. It's just not likely for it to happen due their carelessness. I'm sure you have heard the phrase "never judge a book by its cover." Well, This is a situation where you can. Show me a careless, undisciplined break shot, and I'm sure that I can find more careless, undisciplined, and lazy characteristics existing within other areas of that player's game. It's just a matter of time before these characteristics creep to the surface, and when they do, we can exploit them for our own benefit.

 

[Blackjack]

Mastering The Break Part I

Mastering The Break​

When we look at the game of 9 ball, and how we are to improve, the first place we should look is the break shot. The break is the most important shot of the game. If you can break, make a ball, and have the balls spread decently, you should get out. As discussed in Breaking to Win, that is easier said than done. Remember, that the one ball is where you start. The one ball is racked in the same spot for every rack. If you can consistently put the one ball where you want it every time, and make a ball, you will start from the same position on every rack.

Now every rack of balls will not be racked the same. Racks have gaps, and the placement will never be the exactly the same twice in a row. If you use the break shot that was explained earlier, you should get consistent results if you practice it diligently.

Many players just blast away, hoping that if they whack the balls hard enough, something might drop. If you eliminate the hoping and wishing from your game, you will also eliminate the word “might” from your vocabulary. When we have the word “might” thrown into the equation, we add a sense of being unsure of ourselves. We should have a plan of what we are going to do, and we should be able to properly execute that during competition. Everything you do with your game is centered on the break. If you have awesome shot making ability and run out a tough rack, but cannot capitalize on the run out with the ensuing break shot, you will not be able to string many racks together. If we are to develop our game, we should do it in much the same way that a bodybuilder develops and strengthens a muscle group. He concentrates on a particular part of the body such as the bicep, and builds it up by adding resistance (weights) and exercising the muscles by utilizing proper form in his movements. Over a period of time, the muscle grows stronger and more resistance can be added to the task at hand. It is the same thing with the break shot. We start off slow, and work our way up to the heavy weights.

Let’s look at the different parts of the break, so that we can start to incorporate different exercises into the break shot.

Finding The “Sweet Spot”

Finding the “sweet spot” for the break is not as complicated as it seems. Many times you will play on a table that has been used extensively. I look to find what I call “Break Lines” that lead to the racking area on the table surface. These lines exist because the player that made these lines was having success from there. This is not always the case, but I believe there are a high percentage of cases where this is true enough for me to add this in this book. The sweet spot should be the spot where I can effectively break the balls. I should achieve four goals:

Goal 1 - Make solid contact with the rack

Goal 2 - Make a corner ball (or any ball)

Goal 3 - Control the 1 ball

Goal 4 - Control the cue ball

If any of these goals is not achieved, we have not broken the balls effectively. A good way to evaluate your break is to monitor whether these objectives are being met. You should evaluate how the balls are reacting from what you are doing. I’m not talking about body mechanics yet, but I believe that all tables react differently. Tight corner pockets up table will reject the balls all day, and larger than normal pockets will swallow them up. Knowing when this is or is not the case is half the battle. Many players break the balls as hard as they can and then just look to see if anything drops. That is reckless. When we are trying to achieve certain objectives, we tend to concentrate more on the task at hand.

When to change break position

I recommend finding out where the balls are falling in, and where they are not falling in. The corner balls may or may not be going in, or (if you are trying to make the one in the side) minor adjustments can be made if the 1 ball is coming up long or short. Your strategy will depend a lot on whether you utilize the side break, the head on break, or any variations of either. Though I do not endorse the “head on” break, I do recommend switching to it if you are unable to keep the cue ball on the table. There is a thing as hitting the balls too hard, and this can cause the balls to jar in the pockets, or have the cue ball fly off the tee. My reasoning for switching from the side break to the head on break is simple. Even if you do not make a ball and give the table back to your opponent, it is much better than scratching. It’s one thing to hand the table over to him, and it is another thing to hand it back to him with ball in hand. Breaking “head on”, your chances increase of having the cue ball stay on the table. Maybe a ball will drop every now and then, but I doubt you will be able to do this with any consistency. It is a lot easier to learn how to execute the side break, which was discussed earlier, and adjust your speed of stroke. This is a lot more effective than blasting the rack to shreds and hoping for the best. You’ll just frustrate yourself even more. Having the break is an advantage. It is recommended that you keep that advantage. Stringing racks together starts with this area of the game.

Changing Cue Ball Position

Every so often you will need to move the cue ball position in order to find the correct spot to break from. Many players do this prematurely as their break is suffering from body mechanics, and not the elements of the table. It is imperative to know the difference, as changing cue ball position will not alleviate problems with body mechanics. How should you move the balls around?

I usually make two adjustments from a break position, then I would either change sides of the table, or if my opponent WAS making balls in, I would watch to see where he was shooting from, and what speed he was using on the break. In some instances, you might not have the opportunity to make two or three adjustments, especially if you can't win any games. To make adjustments on the break, you must first gain possession of the break. Unless you are playing in an alternating break format, you have to be able to win games to break the balls. When playing against top players, you might not see the table for a few games. If you make an adjustment in where you are breaking from and the adjustment is unsuccessful, you might have to wait two or three games to get back to the table. It could be longer if your lack of success starts to affect you psychologically. Nothing is more frustrating than scratching on a break shot, spreading the balls nicely, only to have your opponent come to the table and reap the rewards for your mistake. When this occurs repeatedly during a match, it can start to wear on you.

Body Mechanics On The Break

The most common difficulty many players have while executing the break, is lack of proper body mechanics. Many players stand too high or crouch too low. Either of those zaps power from your break. Many players stand erect prior to the extension of their follow through. This also zaps power from your break, and adversely affects the accuracy of the break shot. There are several factors relating to body mechanics, and each effect the shot. What I am about to say might not sit well with the masses, but it is absolutely true. The break shot can and should be executed just like any other shot. Lets say that you are playing in a match, it’s a race to 11, and you and your opponent are tied 10-10. You are at the table, faced with a tough shot, as the cue ball is in the kitchen, and the 9 ball is on the spot, as shown in the diagram.

Chances are that you would approach this shot with the utmost care. You would look at it carefully, see where you need to hit the object ball, and exercise due care to ensure that you did not scratch. I would also bet that you would not hit this shot as hard as you could. You probably would not leap into the air and thrust your body into this shot, and I guarantee you that you would try to exercise the perfect fundamentals of stroke, stance, balance, and follow through. Why then is this approach abandoned on the break shot, which I would argue is the most important shot of the game?

There are several reasons for this, the main one being that 9 ball, as a game, gets very little respect for its complexity. If we are to take Fast Eddie Felson’s words to heart,

“This game is for bangers. This ain’t pool.”

If 9 ball is just for bangers, how come everybody can’t string 3-4 racks together consistently? If this game is just for bangers, then tell me why almost every question I receive from pool players deals specifically with the game of 9 ball? I believe that it is because the game is not being played correctly, and that it is not being taught correctly.

9 ball is a form of rotation. Most games that are based on the game of rotation require that the player have knowledge of different patterns required to attain position. In this day and age, many of the top 9 ball players in the world are from the Philippines. The game of rotation is very popular in the Philippines, and I believe that it is not by mistake that players such as Jose Parica, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Leonardo Andam, Rodolfo Luat, and many others learned how to play pool by playing rotation, not straight pool, 8 ball, one pocket, or 9 ball.

 

[Blackjack]

Mastering the Break Part II

Mastering The Break Continued

So how does this relate to the way most players play 9 ball? I believe that many players begin to play 9 ball for a few basic reasons. It’s fast, money changes hands quickly, and they think it’s easy. Yes, it is fast. Yes, money can and does change hands quickly. NO, IT IS NOT AS EASY AS YOU’D THINK.

This is why the break shot gets no respect. A fifteen year old kid watches Tom Cruise in The Color of Money. He sees what is described as a “sledgehammer break”, and thus goes into the pool hall and tries to emulate an actor, rather than watch a top level player. Therefore we have cue balls flying through pool halls like artillery fire. Listen; if you are trying to learn how to play 9 ball by watching Vincent and Fast Eddie, you are wasting your time. It was a movie. Movies are meant to be entertaining. Movies are made to capture the imagination of the people that have paid to see it. Tom Cruise also made the movie Top Gun, but I guarantee you that afterwards you did not jump into an F-14 thinking that if you just imitated Tom Cruise that you’d be shooting down MIG’s over the Mediterranean in no time. As ridiculous as that sounds, that is exactly what has been happening to 9 ball since 1986.

I firmly believe that on the break shot, just as with any other shot, the only thing that should move is your shooting arm. When you have mastered the accuracy of the stroke, then you can slightly add power into the equation. Usually when I say this to my students, they look at me as if I am crazy and ask me how they are going to generate power on the break. My response is simple. When you stand straight up out of your stance, you are zapping power from your break. When you leap and jump, you are zapping power from your break. Why is this? Mainly because you are eliminating the full potential of your follow through. There is a proper way to add power, but without the accuracy, the power will not matter.

I know that Bustamante leaps and jumps into the pack on the break shot. I am fully aware that many of the pros do this. My point is that these guys have phenomenal accuracy. They have mastered the accuracy first, and added power later. A majority of players do the complete opposite. They first see how hard they can whack the cue ball, and then they worry about accuracy. Accuracy is important in almost everything except firing a flamethrower and tossing hand grenades. That is not meant to be funny, as most of the “Bangers” I see have break shots that fit into one of those two categories.

Full Extension of Your Body on Follow Through

What many describe as “power” is actually the full extension of the player’s body on the follow through. An excellent example of this is the break of multiple time World Champion Johnny Archer. Johnny Archer stands up straighter on his break than on his normal shots. His body alignment is flawless. There is a line of balance leading from his head, eyes, chin, shoulders, torso, hips, legs and feet. His feet are his points of balance and power. His leg on his non shooting side is slightly forward of the leg on his shooting side, with the foot of the non-shooting side pointed directly in line with the shaft of his cue. His leg on his shooting side is bent slightly. The reason for this is for what I call the “push off”. The push off is done with the foot on the shooting side, which will transfer energy, and shift the weight over to the non-shooting side. In complete unison, the shooting arm extends the cue forward, making contact with the cue ball precisely where you want to hit it, and the push off, combined with proper shift of balance, extends the follow through. Johnny Archer has been known to extend his follow through all the way to the rack. He does this with complete fluidity. He is able to do this because of the length of his torso.

Another thing I have noticed with many of the most powerful breakers in the sport, is that there is a point on the cue remains forward of their entire body. Your body should never end up past this point of your cue after cue ball contact is made. This point is your grip. Watch all of the leapers and power-breaking-cue-ball-launchers, and you will see this flaw in their break. Your grip should be forward of your body. This is where the follow through is going to come from, not your posterior. For me, I have a point marked on the shaft of my break cue. This point is designated as the full extension of my follow through. For some it is the end of their shaft, for Johnny Archer, it is half way through the wrap. I do not recommend bending your cue shaft on the follow through. Extend straight through. I have seen guys tear the felt on tables doing this, and I have also seen shafts break. Neither looks like its much fun to deal with after the fact. Remember, we are only generating the amount of power we can control. We still must be able to stop the cue ball and make a precise hit on the one ball. If you generate too much power, the cue ball can and will fly over the one after contact, or if you make good contact with the one, it can be spit back into the kitchen, or either of the corner pockets back there.

So what if you are not built like Johnny Archer? If you try to develop your break slowly, I do not see where it will matter. I recommend breaking in slow motion. As you become more comfortable, add more cue speed. This serves an important purpose, as you will be able to gage how much power that you can control. Remember that when executing the break shot, your torso should not bend like a wet noodle. If your feet come off the floor, you lose the base and foundation for any power you might be hoping for. Your head should not shift down, or pop up. When your body extends through the shot, the head should remain in position, and when the extension occurs, should remain in position. Many players tense up their body, and this causes the head to drop down, therefore elimination the extension and ultimately the follow through. When the head pops up, so does the body. This will also eliminate full body extension.

Pre-Shot Checklist


This is probably the most important part of the break. If you watch the players that have the most devastatingly accurate and powerful break shots, you will see them prepare themselves to carry out the task at hand. It is careful preparation to ensure that they are well balanced physically and mentally. A perfect example of this, once again is Francisco Bustamante. Francisco remains focused between games by visualizing his break shot while the balls are being racked. Francisco focuses on the one ball that is located at the apex of the diamond and draws and imaginary line from the one ball back to where he is standing. He then measures his points of balance from his bridge hand inward.

The first thing to look at is your approach to the table. It is my opinion, that nobody has a better approach than Allison Fisher. For the men, I give high marks to Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, and Earl Strickland. Watch how they approach the table. Usually, the better players subconsciously know how far away from the table they must stand to be able to get into their stance. This is evident in watching players of Allison Fisher’s caliber. Allison sets, and then adjusts. Bustamante adjusts, and then sets. How do we adjust? This will differ from player to player. Taller players, such as Taiwan’s Kun Fang Lee, who is extremely tall and thin, should be farther away from the table than say Nick Varner or Tommy Kennedy. What I see work best, is when the player rests their bridge hand first and adjusts the rest of their stance accordingly. This way, if the player needs to step back or forward a few inches, they can use their bridge as a balance point to adjust their comfort. Comfort is the most important element of the stance, followed closely by balance.

In Breaking to Win, I described and diagrammed the break angle. This is the angle we should line our body into.

The Break angle

Getting into your break stance

Rest your bridge hand comfortably flat on the table surface, or the side rail. What is mostly important about the bridge is that it should remain flat. The main purpose of the bridge is to guide and support the shaft of the cue. It is not designed to support the entire weight of your body, or to withstand the entire force of your break shot. The bridge is what you will build your stance around, so it is very important that you utilize a proper bridge when getting yourself comfortable. I recommend having your bridge hand about 6-8 inches behind the cue ball. For a final touch, I recommend bending the bridge arm slightly inward. If you need to re-adjust your body’s distance from the table to do this, go ahead. This is a key point to adding follow through, leverage, and power to your break shot.

From here, we place the shaft of our cue in the loop of our bridge hand. If we feel we are too close or too far from the table, we can adjust at this point. We ensure that our feet are a comfortable distance apart. Notice I did not say, “shoulder width” apart. On the break shot, the foot on your “shooting side” will be back, with the non shooting or “base foot” being forward. The “shooting side” foot will also be used for the Push Off. When adjusting your feet, pay special attention to the ball of both feet, as these points are where you will be performing your weight transfer. I also recommend pointing the toes of your none shooting or base foot in line with the break angle. The toes of your shooting foot should be pointed in line with the shaft of your cue.

The shoulders should be level. By this, I mean that they should remain level, without one dipped lower or higher than the other. This will keep the head in line with the rest of your body. You must also make sure that your head is not tilted upward or downward. Your neck should be relaxed, and you should not have to force your head into position to see over the shaft of your cue. Keep the ears in line with the shoulders. The ears are the center point for our balance.

Make sure that your shooting arm has free range of motion (won’t hit your hip, or table). I have seen many players slam their shooting hand against the rail. This is caused by many factors, the main one being that the shaft of the cue flies up in the air.

 

[Blackjack]

Mastering the Break Part III

Mastering the Break Continued

Performing the Break Shot


Now it’s show time. We are down in our stance and lined up to break the balls. We now look down the shaft of our cue and look at the rack. We should look at the base of the one ball.

What is explained in the diagram is very important. Many times, you will see the cue ball scratch into the side pocket, or slide off the side of the 1 ball, causing us to lose control of the cue ball. When you look at the base of the 1 ball, (where the ball meets the cloth) you are seeing the center of the 1 ball. You can walk around the ball in a circle, and this fact does not change. Now make a line from the cue ball, to this point on the one ball, and through the break angle (towards the first diamond). This is where we will be sending the cue ball.

Breathing is essential on the break, more so than on any other shot. It is important to be centered. This way you can take your time and not rush the shot. Take the amount of practice strokes you would take on any other shot, concentrating on controlling the cue ball and the one ball as explained in Breaking to Win. On your final stroke, STOP!!!!!

I will now give the secrets to an effective break shot by explaining to you everything that should not happen.

Standing Up

At this point in the break shot, many players tend to start standing up. When I interviewed players, I was told that they do this to add power into the shot. This makes no sense to me. When you stand up, you are actually drawing your body up and away from the table. You are actually moving your head and body away from the rack while you are shooting at it. This would effect the maximization of your follow through, as you would pull back on your cue as you stood up. Avoid standing up. Remember that the body should flow through the shot. Everything must move evenly.

Raising your bridge hand off the table

This is the downfall of some of the top players. This is something you would never do on any other shot, but many people do this consistently with the break. The players is usually standing up straight with his elbows level with his shoulders, holding the cue like he was shucking an ear of corn. This will adversely affect your accuracy. It will also diminish your power and minimize your follow through.

Flinching/bobbing

This is a killer. Many players that do this have their head drop downward on the flinch. The flinch also causes the flying cue ball, as the flinch usually is directed downward, causing the cue ball to jump from the surface of the cloth. Anticipating the shot causes bobbing. In some players you can see their entire body bobbing with the motion of the practice strokes. Usually when this happens, the body is not balanced correctly, and the shoulders are out of line.

Jumping into the air/lunging

This one is funny to watch. This is another flaw that generated the “I get more power doing this” response. That is ridiculous. Having both feet leave the ground might look intimidating, and it might make the cue ball smash the rack, but the power generated will have the same effect as watering your house plants with a fire hose.

We need to have both feet planted firmly on the ground during our final stroke. As I mentioned earlier, we have a weight transfer to perform, where we push off with the foot on our shooting side and perform a full extension of our body on the follow through. We are transferring our weight distribution from both legs to one leg. This needs to be done as evenly and fluidly as possible. It should not be choppy or sloppy. This is why I recommend transferring the weight on the balls of your feet. You full extension is going to come from the push off. Your body should extend evenly, through the stroke, the shot, and the follow through. Your head should not pop up. Your cue should not be lifted up over your shoulder or your head. Maintain a base on your non-shooting foot and your bridge hand. When the tip makes contact with the cue ball, your follow through should be targeted through the break angle. The Push Off and the stroke should start and end at the same time. The timing of your break is extremely important.

After reading this, of course your break will look choppy. In the back of the text, I have a checklist for evaluating your break shot. All of these points are covered.

Why you should not try to put the 9 ball in on the break

One time I had the extreme luck of having the 9 go into the corner pocket five times in succession during a tournament in South Bend, Indiana back in 1988. I was using a similar break as the one diagrammed, only the second and third balls were sending the nine into the corner pocket like a rocket. The trouble I ran into was that I started relying on the 9 ball going in, thus losing control of the of the one and the cue ball. The 9 continued to go towards the corner pocket, sometimes falling, sometimes just sitting there for my opponent to whack it in. I found that trying to blast the nine in on the break has more pitfalls than it has advantages, for the following reasons.

A) During the break, concentration should be kept on the one and the cue ball. I try to play the one in the side, keeping my cue ball in the center of the table. During this break, concentration is shifting to the middle of the pack, (not on the 1 ball and cue ball) and both can end up anywhere, instead of exactly where we want them to end up.

B) If the nine ball doesn't drop, it usually sits in front of the pocket, thus reducing the number of pockets I have to work with to five. It almost forces me to play the combination, which may or may not come to me. If I do not get shape for a combination, I end up having to run the rack with the use of only 5 pockets. If I don't get out, my opponent has the 9 sitting like duck in the corner pocket.

C) It creates a poor attitude. I need to concentrate on running the rack. When I start relying on getting the 9 on the break, it only enhances my inability to run the rack. I should expect to have to run the rack. As long as I break the balls well and make a ball, I should get out. If the 9 drops, fine! I'll take it any way it comes to me.

Going by percentages, playing the cue ball and the one ball should be the best route to take. As far as the tournament in South Bend, I won the match where I sank the 9 five times on the break, but my break abandoned me in the next two matches and I came home with only this story.

9 On the Snap

Making the 9 Ball on the Break


Though I do not recommend doing this all of the time, this is pretty much the correct set up to get the 9 ball moving. Position on the cue ball can vary 6 inches to either the left or right. Don’t be tricked into letting go of whitey on this shot. You don’t even have to hit this shot very hard to get the 9 ball to move. The physics behind this shot (I am not a physics expert, but I believe that this makes sense), is that this shot, when stroked correctly, has the 1 ball assist the second ball in the pack (the 7 ball in this diagram) to move the 9 ball in the direction of the corner pocket. Everything else just moves out of the way. This shot is easier to make on a bar table, for many different reasons.



Why is it easier on a bar box?

It's not that it is "easy"; it is just much more likely to occur due to the fact that the balls do not need to travel far to get to the rails as they do on a 9-foot table. This makes for more ball action, which increases the chances of the nine moving. On a 3.5 X 7, the nine doesn't really have to travel very far to go into the top corner pockets, and if the nine gets kissed towards the side pockets, it is my experience that most bar table side pockets are like the Grand Canyon. Try breaking from the center, and stroke the cue ball at about 11:30 at medium speed. With the bigger ball hitting the pack, you are surely going to get the 9 ball to move. Also, if you play with the "big cue ball", I believe that your odds of scratching increase. I do not recommend trying to blast away at the rack - hoping and wishing for good things to happen. Chances are that you will scratch, or just make a lot of noise.

You should always concentrate on controlling the one ball and the cue ball on the break shot. Worrying about the 9 ball will only assist you in losing control of the cue ball. The example for making the 9 ball is added into this material for reference. Master control of this break shot before you decide to try it in competition or league play. I believe you will see that a large majority of the time that the 9 ball will die in front of the pocket. There is no way to correct this. The 9 ball either drops or it doesn’t. I know that is probably not what you wanted to hear, but I am being honest with you. Chances are that you can lose just as many games that you will win if you use this break shot exclusively. It is my recommendation that you stick with the side break and develop your game around it. If you are way behind in a match, let’s say 9-2 in a race to 11, it is much more important to keep calm and trust your abilities rather than desperately trying to make the 9 ball on the break several times in a row to catch up with your opponent.

Why clusters occur on the break

If you hit the balls too hard, they tend to spread out to the rails and eventually make their way back into a cluster. Balls that are headed towards the pockets rattle in and rattle out. This is called Mushrooming.

Mushrooming is caused by the balls being splattered out of the rack, to the rails, and eventually making their way back into the center of the table. This causes problems with clusters, as well as cue ball control. I saw Roger Griffis make five balls on the break and still not get out. Why? A cluster was produced off of the break that did not allow him to run the table. I'll step out on a limb and say that if you made five balls on the break, you whacked them pretty hard. The myth that excessive power is required for the break is just that: A myth, and nothing more. Favorable results can be achieved (like stopping the cue ball in the center of the table) with minimal power. Putting too much power into the shot causes "lunging", or the “wet noodle” effect I spoke of earlier. My teaching methods works as such: If I can teach the player how to master control on the break shot, he will eventually be able to master control within other areas of the game. Where does the game begin? With the break shot. I recommend that players NOT start their games off by firing a carelessly hit cue ball into a rack of 9 balls, without a plan of action, or control. Without control there is no accuracy.

 

[sizl]

Well Done

Well done David!

I can honestly say that......I don't think you can get a more inciteful and thorough report on a subject anywhere else on the "net". I am impressed as I am sure Daveneal is as well.

Now on to the next subject..........how do you run out consistently Blackjack?

 

[Jack Flanagan]

Excellent, Blackjack, I'll read this over and over and over,,,really enjoy info that is truly useful,,,thanks...........jack f.

 

[ironchef.]

A wealth of info Blackjack! I had my ass handed to me this past Sunday during an individual "D" 9-ball league match at my local hall. My break was very inconsistant and a lot of what you said here "clicked" in my head. Hopefully this coming Sunday, things will be different. Thank you so much for sharing and the diagrams are an especially nice touch. Definitely helps put things into perspective.

 

[Blackjack]

Link to Reading Racks

Well done David!

I can honestly say that......I don't think you can get a more inciteful and thorough report on a subject anywhere else on the "net". I am impressed as I am sure Daveneal is as well.

Now on to the next subject..........how do you run out consistently Blackjack?

Here is a link to a section of the book at my web site.
Reading Racks
This section of the book is not displayed in its entirety, but gives you a good idea of how I think when I am at the table.

 

[Teacherman]

Ditto.

Enjoyed it. Will take it, study it and learn it.

 

[Jack Flanagan]

Please help me! I am from the uk and i have just started playing 9Ball, I used to play snooker but have decided to give 9ball a whirl.

I'm having trouble with my break.... i need a reference point to develop my break from.

I don't know how to grip the cue as i am used to using an open bridge.

Many thanks

Dave Neal

I'm a rightey myself,,,I consistently make ball(s) on the break,,,my spot is 2" to the right of center and 2" back from the foul line,,,I break moderately with a lot of top, left English,,,experiment with different 'spots',,,,,,everyone holds, controls their cue differently on the break,,,no two people are exactly alike,,,I played snooker when I was young, the snooker stance and the open bridge still works for me in 8 or 9 ball,,,wish you luck,,,jflan

 

[chefjeff]

Thanks, David...very helpful and very generous.

Jeff Livingston

 

[AuntyDan]

Can you please define the aim point for the 1 Ball?

Thanks for the great information David. Breaking consistently is a major weakness in my game that I am trying to work on improving at present.

I am still a little confused by your description of where you recommend to aim on the 1 Ball. Are you recommending aiming at the vertical center of the 1 ball relative to the table, (IE At 90 degrees to the foot string) or at a point on the 1 ball at 90 degrees to the line from the cue ball start position on the left side rail?

Attached (I hope!) is a diagram of each option, can you please confirm if it is break 1 or 2 you recommend?

 

[Blackjack]

Thanks for the great information David. Breaking consistently is a major weakness in my game that I am trying to work on improving at present.

I am still a little confused by your description of where you recommend to aim on the 1 Ball. Are you recommending aiming at the vertical center of the 1 ball relative to the table, (IE At 90 degrees to the foot string) or at a point on the 1 ball at 90 degrees to the line from the cue ball start position on the left side rail?

Attached (I hope!) is a diagram of each option, can you please confirm if it is break 1 or 2 you recommend?

I'd say option 1, but I'll go on record as saying I hate diagrams like that.

Earlier I stated that we should look at the base of the one ball - that is where the one ball's base and the felt meet. If you aim at that point, from the break angle that I showed in my diagram, you will hit the one ball "square". It is my belief that if you aim for anypoint on the outer edge of the ball, you will not transfer the energy through the balls that are designated in the break angle. The base portion of the one that is resting on the felt is the middle of the ball. When you aim for that point, you tend to hit the one square. This is important if you want to stop the cue ball. If you hit half, 3/4 or a ball, the cue ball will go everywhere. That is why I dont like those types of diagrams. It gives the impression that you must aim for the outer portion of the ball.

When I work with players, I usually place a white dot (piece of paper from a hole punch) at the base of the 1 ball. I have the player use that as a target. I try to have them familarize themsleves with this target line, as well as the break angle. This is my way of teaching, other instructors may use something different. I find that this works best for my players.

 

[TheOne]

Being from the UK and a snooker background also I know what you mean. I was considering posting a similar thread to this to see what the "science" behind the break was. I haven't read it all yet but it soundslike bj has posted some great stuff.

I will share what I have learned from various players on my travels and studying the best breakers on TV. Many of the taiwanese players have great players and I was originally told that they break from the side, hitting the 1ball full and then the cb jumps back into the air and lands in the center if the table. When I first heard this I thought thats ridiculous, if the cb jumps you will just lose power?

Anyway then I went to Manila and a local kid there who had a very good breaking technique even though he lacked a little power who explained his break to me. He had copied some things from Chao and other pro's who he had watched in person. He broke from the side rail hitting the cb about one tip below center and pushing staight through the cb not drawing the cue back like you do in snooker. If you push the cue straight you also actually push the cb into the slate which cause the cb just jump slightly. I have found that you still get a good solid hit on the rack and it is a lot easier to control the cb than it sounds. I have only been using this break for a couple of weeks and in my last session I was stopping the cb in the middle of the table and making atleast one ball 80-90% of the time.

I am going to keep working on this break as it does take a special touch to master this break consistently but I would also like to have some alternatives just in case.

Give it a try for half an hour and see what you think? Funny though I know a good snooker player who has had a 147 break and he told me that he saw some taiwanese players doing this break. He said he tried it and the white kept flying off the table

 

[daveneal]

Thanks everyone,

I've got a lot to work with, it should keep me occupied for weeks!

Just one more quick note in response to the info provided by blackjack, i'm still unsure of how to grip the cue, if you could provide some photo's that would be great.

Thanks

Dave Neal

 

[Baker(6x6)]

Attached (I hope!) is a diagram of each option, can you please confirm if it is break 1 or 2 you recommend?

Dan,
While I'm no expert on breaking, I looked at your 2 diagrams and "I" break somewhere in the middle of your (2) shown paths- depending on where I place the q-ball. If you read BJ's description, your intention is to have the q-ball deflect/rebound (at an angle) and "back up" to the center of the table. It doesn't really "draw"... so much as the inertia from the hit often makes the q-ball leave the table and rebound in the opposite direction (1st law of inertia-equal/opposite, and angle of incidence = a/o deflection). Provided there is no spin on the q-ball, it should stop where it rests.

On a "perfect break"- the q-ball should leave the Cue like a knuckle-ball- with no spin at all. It should be powerful enough- to overcome the friction of the cloth in the short distance to the rack- so as to not pick up any spin from the cloth. When the q-ball contacts the 1-ball, it should transfer the maximum possible (forward) energy to the rack. The energy that doesn't get transfered- should cause the q-ball to rebound at the same angle as it hit the 1-ball (the closer to 0 degrees the better). When the rebound energy is expended, the q-ball should come to rest near the middle of the table.

This description is for q-ball control, not so much for making balls. There are hundreds of variables that affect the rack- as to what balls are going to be made. BJ's guidelines are for an average tight rack.

IF- you hit the 1-ball 100% "square"- the q-ball should rebound stright back towards you- along the entry path. For example- If you break from the "footspot"- you want the rebound angle to be 0 degrees. So you MUST hit the 1-ball absolutely "square". If you hit to either side of center, the q-ball will deflect in that direction. The further to the side, the wider the deflection angle. My typical "entry angle" is slightly to the "right" (as shown in BJ's diagrams (when breaking from far left). This would mean I need to bisect the total (rebound) angle (say ~15deg)- and hit the 1-ball equidistant to the right of a full hit (~7 1/2 degrees). So I am cutting the q-ball ~7 1/2 degrees back into the rack.(which is still quite a small angle).
Whatever the entry angle- you try to halve it... wherever you place the q-ball. The general rule is- the further (east-west) from the footspot, the entry and rebound angles increase- when hitting the same point on the 1-ball.
You adjust your (dreaded) contact point on the 1-ball- to cause the rebound angle to be towards the center of the table.
I'm sorry I can't diagram it... I just got a new computer, and haven't loaded my imaging programs...and I suck at Photoshop!


Ray

 

[Snapshot9]

Breaking

Simple, but good break is:

Line up on 2nd diamond at Kitchen end on the side (either side is ok) about 1-2" from long rail. Hit cue ball about 1 1/2 cuetip below dead center on cue ball, and shoot cue ball in a perfectly straight line into the 1 ball. Makes 1-3 balls usually, and cue ball stays near center of table, or comes down into kitchen where the 1 ball comes on the break.

Note: rack tilted slightly away from you is to your benefit. Rack tilted toward you is detriment (in case of this, switch to the other side to break). What's funny is that players think tilting the rack slightly away from you will nullify your break, but actually makes it easier to make balls on the side break. If the racking player starts doing this to you, either make them straighten rack up, or switch to the other side after the balls are racked so he can not predict your break and what to do to nullify your break.