Advice for 2nd ball break

P

Plagueis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm looking for some advice on my 2nd ball break. I recently got a Mezz power break with a samsara tip and every time I break I pop the cue ball off the table. Before I got my break cue I was using a bar cue with a softer tip I never had this problems and I really liked the 2nd ball break. I try to strike the cue ball in the center so is using English the answer? It's pretty consistently flying off the table and I don't kW how to correct it.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide
 
I doubt it's your equipment, but more something that you're doing or the table. Initial thoughts: Check your stick elevation and make sure you're not unintentionally jacked up a little. That'll lose the cueball real quick.

Check the table conditions. If the balls and table are dirty, i.e., high friction, the cueball will be more jumpy too off that 2nd ball.

Check your contact point on the 2nd ball and make sure it's not off.
 
Plagueis said:
I'm looking for some advice on my 2nd ball break. I recently got a Mezz power break with a samsara tip and every time I break I pop the cue ball off the table. Before I got my break cue I was using a bar cue with a softer tip I never had this problems and I really liked the 2nd ball break. I try to strike the cue ball in the center so is using English the answer? It's pretty consistently flying off the table and I don't kW how to correct it.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide
Click to expand...

Downward angle on the stroke will cause the ball to jump.

Take some off your power.
 
Plagueis said:
I'm looking for some advice on my 2nd ball break. I recently got a Mezz power break with a samsara tip and every time I break I pop the cue ball off the table. Before I got my break cue I was using a bar cue with a softer tip I never had this problems and I really liked the 2nd ball break. I try to strike the cue ball in the center so is using English the answer? It's pretty consistently flying off the table and I don't kW how to correct it.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide
Click to expand...

Aside from making sure the cueball is not hopping too much, make sure the rack is good. A loose ball in the rack can cause the cueball to jump the table. Happens in 9 ball quite a bit when the 1 is loose, if the second ball is not in good with the rest of the rack, there is the issue. Another thing is that you are now breaking to a ball closer to the rail, before you may get the same hop but the cueball landed before the rail and bounced in, now it's closer to the rail and is clearing the cushion.
 
Well when I say consistently jumping off the table I mean every time I try it on any table with any set of balls. Dialing it down a bit might work and I know not to elevate so maybe I'm hitting the CB low? That would make sense right?
 
Plagueis said:
Well when I say consistently jumping off the table I mean every time I try it on any table with any set of balls. Dialing it down a bit might work and I know not to elevate so maybe I'm hitting the CB low? That would make sense right?
Click to expand...

When I was shown the second ball break, I was told to use low left (pretty sure it was left) when breaking from the right side (breakers perspective) of the rack. I haven't had trouble jumping the ball off the table.
 
Any idea what your break speed is when you break hard? Do you use one of the apps to gauge it?

Any chance of you posting a little video?
 
pocket said:
When I was shown the second ball break, I was told to use low left (pretty sure it was left) when breaking from the right side (breakers perspective) of the rack. I haven't had trouble jumping the ball off the table.
Click to expand...

I always break from the left because it's the more comfortable bridge, so I'll try low right when I try the 2nd ball break
 
Changing tips probably increased your break speed, which increased the length of the hop the CB takes on its way to the rack, which probably made the CB hit the rack while it's still airborne. Take a little speed off or break from a few inches farther back.

pj
chgo
 
try bridging on the table instead of off the rail. It helps me to keep my cuestick level more. Its the elevation that is causing you to go off the table. That and you are not contacting the 2nd ball full enough.
 
pocket said:
When I was shown the second ball break, I was told to use low left (pretty sure it was left) when breaking from the right side (breakers perspective) of the rack. I haven't had trouble jumping the ball off the table.
Click to expand...

Yes you want a bit of low on the ball or you have a good chance of scratching in the corner, the issue is that with a phenolic break tip, when you use low, and hit harder, the cueball will jump off the table more. Try hitting a draw shot at speed with a phenolic tip, it's not pretty LOL. Unless I am using a standard center ball, or a very small amount of spin on the break, I use a regular tip for breaking, especially with a cut/draw break.
 
:frown:


The Mezz Power break cue was not made for making the eight ball on the break.

I like using a regular cue with a triangle tip for making the eight ball.:thumbup:



.
 
poolguy4u said:
:frown:
The Mezz Power break cue was not made for making the eight ball on the break.

I like using a regular cue with a triangle tip for making the eight ball.:thumbup:
.
Click to expand...

I like the spread of the 2nd ball break on the cloth I play on and I don't llay in APA so an 8ball break isn't an immediate win
 
Just curious.

Why would you buy a $400+ Break cue to use it for a break that can easily be performed with a lesser cue? No offense, but high end break cues are sorta intended to be broke rather hard with and still be able to control whitey. You're never going to be able to slam the rack while hitting any ball off-center and not send the cue ball off the table in my opinion, but I could be wrong...
 
CokerFan82 said:
Why would you buy a $400+ Break cue to use it for a break that can easily be performed with a lesser cue? No offense, but high end break cues are sorta intended to be broke rather hard with and still be able to control whitey. You're never going to be able to slam the rack while hitting any ball off-center and not send the cue ball off the table in my opinion, but I could be wrong...
Click to expand...

On second ball breaks and in 9 ball I use my playing cue because I do not need as much power/speed as when hitting the rack square. When I want to hit the rack square or playing 8 ball I use my break cue with phenolic tip. FWIW we play almost exclusively on bar boxes up here, most of my big table playing is done at home. I try to stay away from cut breaks in 8 ball because of the possibility of flying the cue ball off the table and it seems more likely that I will pile up big clusters along one side rail frequently.
 
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