Break shot practice

Just curious. What are you doing as you set for the shot. Cant say I have seen that before. Great breaks.
 
I have never seen balls spread so nicely before. Nothing is left in the triangle at all. Every ball is like a foot apart, you really lay 'em to waste. Are you just hitting it hard or is this cloth really new and nice or what?
 
I'm hitting them at a hard stroke speed, probably like a soft break in 9ball. My setup is a 90/half or cte-pro1 (which is the same setup when you're cutting to the left).

I know I can control the CB a lot better, but I never spread the rack and then I don't get out. I don't have the accurate "bunt game" to maneuver a tight muck and get out all the time so I have to spread them when I can.

I've been experimenting with hitting the side of the rack and sucking it back hard into the kitchen with low outside to go 2-rails back towards the center. Anyone else playing with that?

By the way, I usually don't have a wide mechanical pivot like that... I'm experimenting with something.
 
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What's he doing before every break? The whole pointing toward the pocket, then pivoting the cue like that?

I just started playing straight pool yesterday so a lot of this is gonna be foreign to me. I've wanted to play it for a while and just went to play by myself yesterday.
 
SpiderWebComm said:
I'm hitting them at a hard stroke speed, probably like a soft break in 9ball. My setup is a 90/half or cte-pro1 (which is the same setup when you're cutting to the left).

I know I can control the CB a lot better, but I never spread the rack and then I don't get out. I don't have the accurate "bunt game" to maneuver a tight muck and get out all the time so I have to spread them when I can.

I've been experimenting with hitting the side of the rack and sucking it back hard into the kitchen with low outside to go 2-rails back towards the center. Anyone else playing with that?

By the way, I usually don't have a wide mechanical pivot like that... I'm experimenting with something.
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Your results seem to be good. There are some European players that draw back, I think NF frequently will do it. Like to know how your pivot works out.
 
Deadon said:
Your results seem to be good. There are some European players that draw back, I think NF frequently will do it. Like to know how your pivot works out.
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I prefer to air pivot. So, when you see me get down, my technique is traditional. You wouldn't see any movement. However, if I begin to air pivot inaccurately, I usually go back to basics and pivot on the cloth for a while until I get a good feel for the arc of my pivot - which depends on shot length.
 
I assume you shot "normally" before you started using these methods. Did your game drop when you first started learning these aiming methods? Or was it an immediate improvement?
 
md5key said:
I assume you shot "normally" before you started using these methods. Did your game drop when you first started learning these aiming methods? Or was it an immediate improvement?
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Hmmm... good question. When I first learned this information, it was like playing a round of golf with only 4 clubs in your bag (but you hit each club REALLY well). Meaning, when I first started using this info, some shots I would never consider shooting would just fly in and some other shots would not. Enough shots would fly in that I knew there was something to it.

I would say it took me 6 months of constant playing to get better than my old speed. I quit my old method cold-turkey and never reverted back. Now, I think my ball pocketing is significantly better --- and it's not a mental thing. I'm playing with all 14 clubs now because I've filled in the missing knowledge I was lacking early on. I feel really confident on just about every shot (doesn't mean I make it, I still stroke like crap).

Hope that answers your question-
Daev
 
What's the gist of this new pivoting method that got you past your old speed in 6 months? What's 90/half or cte-pro1?
 
Nice Video !!

You seem to have a pretty nice break shot.

Cue Ball is angled nicely to go into the rack.

I'm an old guy who grew up on straight pool, shot with Willie Mosconi once.

I kinda brake easier and give myself more shots within the rack and just keep breaking them up when I need to.

I generally keep my cue ball down by the rack.

You really sread them out nice, so as long as you have a good first shot you can put together a good run.

Of course, if your in the big money and want to keep it tight, lot of safeties, then I would suggest a soft break.

Like your breaks though for an aggressive run. :wink:

Tommyd1
 
CreeDo said:
What's the gist of this new pivoting method that got you past your old speed in 6 months? What's 90/half or cte-pro1?
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That's a long answer... and pretty dangerous to even discuss online. If you search for "hal houle", "CTE" or "Center to edge" I'm sure you'll find enough info, fights and headaches to last a lifetime.

The reason why my cue is way off to the side is because I'm focusing on my "bridgehand-spot" placement.... which is another thread altogether.
 
ah ok, so it's one of hal's custom thingies and it wouldn't be right to give away the secrets for free eh. Well today I hit a few and tried just hitting harder and more "Bravely" than usual and liked the results. I got through the first rack without any crisis anyway. I think from now on I'll hit 'em hard. Maybe when my game comes up and I crack 50 I'll try to do it more like the pros, controlling it with a softer break and then going back into 'em as needed.
 
CreeDo said:
ah ok, so it's one of hal's custom thingies and it wouldn't be right to give away the secrets for free eh. Well today I hit a few and tried just hitting harder and more "Bravely" than usual and liked the results. I got through the first rack without any crisis anyway. I think from now on I'll hit 'em hard. Maybe when my game comes up and I crack 50 I'll try to do it more like the pros, controlling it with a softer break and then going back into 'em as needed.
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Creedo, my brother, ask anyone around here... I give all the info away for free. If you see me at Valley Forge, ask me and I'll show you. I'm done discussing anything pivot/aim-related online as it tends to draw a crowd that isn't fun to post with, imo.

Any comments from JoeT, Blackjack, Schmidt, Harriman, or Steve? Would like to hear feedback.
 
Well, I'm not JoeT, Blackjack, Schmidt, Harriman, or Steve...but I rarely fail to throw an opinion out there.

FWIW, you are breaking very hard compared to my comfort zone. I rarely strike the break above "firm"...maybe 40-50% of 9B break speed. This maximizes my pocketing percentage and ensures that I keep balls around the rack area.

On some of your breaks, the balls were so spread out that you didn't have an obvious break ball and would probably have to settle for whatever was available -or- try to manufacture one. Both of those scenarios are less than ideal.

Also, it seems whenever I strike the balls somwhat harder than "firm", they go to the rails and clump back together...not very productive. Plus I potentially force myself to travel up table too.

Important point:
My mental visualization of the break is to float the balls out into the space between the rack & the rails...and get the CB to a safe zone. That helps my brain rationalize the speed & spin needed.


All FWIW, JMHO, & YRMV. LOL
 
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mosconiac said:
Well, I'm not JoeT, Blackjack, Schmidt, Harriman, or Steve...but I rarely fail to throw an opinion out there.

FWIW, you are breaking very hard compared to my comfort zone. I rarely strike the break above "firm"...maybe 40-50% of 9B break speed. This maximizes my pocketing percentage and ensures that I keep balls around the rack area.

On some of your breaks, the balls were so spread out that you didn't have an obvious break ball and would probably have to settle for whatever was available -or- try to manufacture one. Both of those scenarios are less than ideal.

Also, it seems whenever I strike the balls somwhat harder than "firm", they go to the rails and clump back together...not very productive. Plus I potentially force myself to travel up table too.

Important point:
My mental visualization of the break is to float the balls out into the space between the rack & the rails...and get the CB to a safe zone. That helps my brain rationalize the speed & spin needed.


All FWIW, JMHO, & YRMV. LOL
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You're right. The reason why I hit them with force is because my CB control isn't good enough to continue to break apart the rack in multiple attempts. Sooner or later I dog it.

What I've been doing lately is blasting the rack (my ball making % is pretty high- I feel comfy) and either there's a break ball or there isn't. If there is, I BLAST it again. If not, I run the 14 and play safe... and then repeat the process.
 
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