Break cloth

[8onthebreak]

So, you're one of those guys who lifts the cue butt on the break AFTER contact and scars the cloth with the tip. Makes no sense. Gives you no added break power.

If you did that in my room you would be banned.

Dude, seriously? You'd have to kick every A player out. And every B with a good break. It's just proper technique to follow thru while you are standing up and lunging forward on the break. Since you're standing up out of the break, the back of your cue is lifting as you deliver it. Your bridge hand is not raising,...so...obviously, the cue is elevating into the break. Elevated cue, some follow thru...the tip IS GOING INTO THE CLOTH.

I'd kick people out if their tip didn't go into the cloth, just kidding on that. Something to think about.

Now...I'm not against the break cloth, although I've never been asked to use one. I always use one when I'm practicing with my breakRak though out of courtesy, cuz I know I'm gonna burn the cloth up by breaking 200 times

 

[branpureza]

I stand by my contention that the cueball has left the cue tip at impact and no amount of body English or cloth spearing or butt lifting or shaft bending (Is this beginning to sound dirty?) can add speed to the cueball because the cueball is GONE. It left at impact.

Yes, Shane has a tremendous break. If he ended his break stroke with a cartwheel, would that add speed to the cueball? No. He has a huge break because his cue is traveling fast when it impacts the cueball. Its his technique up to impact that is his advantage.

Of course nothing you do after impact adds speed to the cue ball.

No one was ever arguing that. :speechless:

 

[metallicafan999]

I use a thin micro-fiber cloth on my table and it doesn't alter the break at all. I just put it near the edge of the cloth facing toward the rack. The thin micro-fiber type of cloth that you use to clean eye glasses and such. It helps save the table a ton of wear in the breaking area.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

I disagree. I think it can help the cloth not deteriorate so quickly

Normally I might agree that certain precautions are a good idea to make the cloth last as long as it can.

However, you can put down as many pieces of felt as you like and you still get the white wear lines from the break area to the head string from either side.

That and all of the normal wear that you can see on a fairly well played table.

When its time to change the cloth, its time, and a little square of felt isn't going to make a huge difference in the over all wear and tear.

Now, if it is your own personal table at home, absolutely.

I believe that there is more potential damage caused by either using a jump cue or using a table to practice jumps on.

BTW, our old hall, the owner didn't mind using a jump cue in a game but practicing was a no no.

Can't blame him. Wanna smash the cue ball and your tip into the cloth 50 times, use your own table.

 

[buckshotshoey]

I don't think it's for ripping the cloth as much as the white stripes it leaves from cue ball friction.

I agree. No matter how low you get the cue, it is still elevated. That slight elevation makes the cue ball jump. Hitting down hard (like on a break) forces the ball Iinto the cloth. Hence the burn mark that the owners are trying to avoid. After cue contact, the cue ball is actually flying through the air toward the rack. The streaks you see are actually hundreds of landing points. Everyone breaks at a different speed and down angle. That's why there are so many landing points. The break cloth does save the cloth when people break from the same spot over and over again.

 

[iusedtoberich]

I've played in rooms that require a break patch. The cloth on these tables is definitely in better shape day in day out than in rooms that do not use them.

Elnino, you're not running out from the break anyway so it won't make any difference

 

[robsnotes4u]

next you won't be able to pop the cue ball

So next you can't pop the cue ball on the break, because it leaves a mark where the cue ball lands. A friend, and good player, once told me you should see the table where Shane was practicing breaking at in Sioux Falls. Their were so many white spots, like a sheet of paper just past the side pocket where he landed the cue ball after hitting the rack. Then he compared to area where his cue ball landed was larger than Shanes. He said that was accuracy

 

[batalarms]

The room that I play at,gives you a small circle of paper that they cut from a "post it" I don't see any negative effect on breaking and it helps to preserve the cloth and prevents the "white dots" from the usual break areas.
Marc

 

[EL'nino]

I've played in rooms that require a break patch. The cloth on these tables is definitely in better shape day in day out than in rooms that do not use them.

Elnino, you're not running out from the break anyway so it won't make any difference

I almost did once

 

[PocketPooler]

I agree it is ridiculous. it enhances the probability of the cue jumping off the table upon contacting the stack. I wouldn't go back.

I have a local room that the owner charges a quarter if a ball gets knocked off the table. 2 weeks ago I knocked a ball off the table, and he says, "That's a quarter!."

I replied, "only if it's the last quarter you ever get from me!"

I never paid. never will for bs nickel and diming... (or quartering for that matter....)

 

[pogmothoin]

I wonder if Dr. Dave, or anyone else for that matter, has done any real analysis on the effect of using a break cloth. Does it change the speed or change how the cue ball impacts the target?

 

[EL'nino]

When I use a break cloth the cue flies off the table all the time, without the cloth almost never.

 

[PocketPooler]

Normally I might agree that certain precautions are a good idea to make the cloth last as long as it can.

However, you can put down as many pieces of felt as you like and you still get the white wear lines from the break area to the head string from either side.

That and all of the normal wear that you can see on a fairly well played table.

When its time to change the cloth, its time, and a little square of felt isn't going to make a huge difference in the over all wear and tear.

Now, if it is your own personal table at home, absolutely.

I believe that there is more potential damage caused by either using a jump cue or using a table to practice jumps on.

BTW, our old hall, the owner didn't mind using a jump cue in a game but practicing was a no no.

Can't blame him. Wanna smash the cue ball and your tip into the cloth 50 times, use your own table.

Exactly! in a game is a totally different scenario. just hitting balls around, maybe I'd use one. But practicing anything that can be legitimately damaging, then you use your own stuff. Replacing the cloth is part of the business expense. if you have to replace the cloth more often then charge higher rates, but as a player, I do not want any hinderances, (or excuses for my opponent) when the money is on the line. Even if I am seriously practicing I won't use one. How I practice, is how I will play and execute. I want my break consistent and fairly predictable to maximize my racks ran.

 

[claymont]

I don't mind using a break cloth for practice and non-competitive play. When in a tournament or a money game, I'd prefer to not have to. They do help prolong the life of the cloth and if I owned a pool room I'd prefer that you use one, or something similar...paper or another type of cloth of your choice.
On the bar tables I play on, it can be problematic to place the cue ball where I want it due to the divots created from breaking. I think a break shot can put almost as much force on the cloth as a jump shot. The cue ball sitting in one of those divots has a better chance of going air-borne on the break. The older and worn the cloth, the worse it is. IMHO:groucho:

 

[ctyhntr]

I wonder how often the owner replace the head and foot spot?

Exactly! in a game is a totally different scenario. just hitting balls around, maybe I'd use one. But practicing anything that can be legitimately damaging, then you use your own stuff. Replacing the cloth is part of the business expense. if you have to replace the cloth more often then charge higher rates, but as a player, I do not want any hinderances, (or excuses for my opponent) when the money is on the line. Even if I am seriously practicing I won't use one. How I practice, is how I will play and execute. I want my break consistent and fairly predictable to maximize my racks ran.

 

[robsnotes4u]

Balls off the table

I agree it is ridiculous. it enhances the probability of the cue jumping off the table upon contacting the stack. I wouldn't go back.

I have a local room that the owner charges a quarter if a ball gets knocked off the table. 2 weeks ago I knocked a ball off the table, and he says, "That's a quarter!."

I replied, "only if it's the last quarter you ever get from me!"

I never paid. never will for bs nickel and diming... (or quartering for that matter....)

Reminds me of a story. In the mid 80's I had just turned 21 and started playing pool. The big thing was making the 8 ball on the break. Well back home, in a little bar in Fortuna, ND, they had a huge glass jar full of quarters, a few hundred dollars at least. Everytime you knocked the cue ball off the table you donated a fifty cents. You would win the pot if you made the 8 ball on the break.

We use to practice the 2nd ball break to make the 8 for the win back then. Did it three times in a row once, thought I was a shoe in. Well we went and tried it. Spent about $40 in quarters to play, and problably another $5 in cue balls off the table. Never tickled a pocket with the 8. That table was like playing on one of the tables at a carnival.

They got us.

 

[stix_n_stones]

Most people commenting on the worthiness of the break cloth have nothing invested. In my experience with 860HR on my home table it without a doubt prolongs better playing conditions. In 6 months I had a divot on the head string which would alter the path of a slow rolling ball heading to the corner pocket.
The second time around I used a break cloth and am 8 months in with the break spot still in perfect condition. Posters are right about the fact it does not prevent the dotted path from the break spot to the head ball but that is just cosmetic and doesn't affect play.

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

So, you're one of those guys who lifts the cue butt on the break AFTER contact and scars the cloth with the tip.

I didn't read where he said he did that that in his post. But I agree, the tip of your cue extends past the cloth area anyway if you are a shaft bender.

When we had a hall in town, I can say that I never saw any of the players bending the shaft into the cloth. When I saw players doing it in videos, I always wondered what the purpose was. If it was beneficial or they just thought that it looked cool.

A member posted a link a couple of days ago, Making the 8 On The Break.

The Coach, in the video advocated bending the shaft. I have been using the 8 Break for some time now so decided to try it a couple of times. It didn't feel comfortable nor did I see a benefit from bending the shaft into the table. I broke rather crappy, and dry
both times. Not that it will kill your break cue but I'm not fussy about putting stress like that on the joint area anyway.

I have always made somewhat of an exaggerated follow thru with my cue.

 

[12squared]

I like the micro-fiber or paper solution, but you may also try a dollar bill (or any denomination you wish). It works much better than a thicker break cloth.

Dave

 

[rookiepsu]

When I use a break cloth the cue flies off the table all the time, without the cloth almost never.

That means you don't have a very good break stroke and that you need to practice your break a lot more. And I'd use a break cloth in doing so, if I were you, to cut down on the wear of the cloth.