break shot? why so much emphasis on smashing the rack?

S

smashmouth

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
with all the "which break cue is best" talk around here and all the vendors claiming how hard their cue hits, why do you all feel a super smash type hit might produce the best results?

i mean we've seen soft breakers get good spreads, imo it's always been about having a clean tight rack....also, imo you do not want the balls to spread too much as they will often re-clusterize (is that a word) after too much bouncing off the rails, particularly on smaller tables

thoughts?
 
A good spread is certainly important, but only if you make a ball. And sometimes depending on the table conditions, I seem to have more success making a ball if I take a little something off it. But all things being equal, if a ball isn't wired then there tends to be a higher probability of making a ball if they travel farther. One example of this is the corner ball going 4 rails but not making it all the way around to that corner pocket it was headed for.

A hard break does get them moving better.
 
It depends on the conditions.

If is nice to have it if you need it.


smashmouth said:
with all the "which break cue is best" talk around here and all the vendors claiming how hard their cue hits, why do you all feel a super smash type hit might produce the best results?

i mean we've seen soft breakers get good spreads, imo it's always been about having a clean tight rack....also, imo you do not want the balls to spread too much as they will often re-clusterize (is that a word) after too much bouncing off the rails, particularly on smaller tables

thoughts?
Click to expand...
 
I'm guessing no one has seen a "THUNDER" break come up dry, time after time after time. It's a complex IMO, a lot of the older players think that it's "not manly" to break with anything less than far boy as your energy. Tight rack and a square hit, the rest is random.

Someone mentioned the corner balls not going 4 rails, stuff like this is only if you're trying to pocket a specific ball other than that a ball or two should fall "if the gods see it so" way before another ball travels 14'
 
I love it when my opponent breaks real hard on a bar box. It sounds incredable, the balls fly all over and often the cue ball travels off the table ,half way across the room,giving me ball in hand.
 
smashmouth said:
with all the "which break cue is best" talk around here and all the vendors claiming how hard their cue hits, why do you all feel a super smash type hit might produce the best results?

i mean we've seen soft breakers get good spreads, imo it's always been about having a clean tight rack....also, imo you do not want the balls to spread too much as they will often re-clusterize (is that a word) after too much bouncing off the rails, particularly on smaller tables

thoughts?
Click to expand...

The ultimate reasons of the break is to make a ball, get shape on lowest number, and spread the balls. one other reason reserved for hard breaking, and that is to get OBs close to pockets so it allows you to recover when you go out of line. You can break with multiple speeds; lower speed will have the outer OBs travel two rails maybe more; max speed, will travel three or more rails in their way could break other cluster.
 
smashmouth said:
with all the "which break cue is best" talk around here and all the vendors claiming how hard their cue hits, why do you all feel a super smash type hit might produce the best results?

i mean we've seen soft breakers get good spreads, imo it's always been about having a clean tight rack....also, imo you do not want the balls to spread too much as they will often re-clusterize (is that a word) after too much bouncing off the rails, particularly on smaller tables

thoughts?
Click to expand...

it depends on conditions. On diamonds at the expo that our crazy fast with new balls hitting them smooth and the head ball full is more important .. on a bar box is a shitty bar I don't get good results with a medium stroke.
 
I agree with a couple of posters above, Trob is correct, our league bar box tables that are found bar to bar, rails loose, high or low, cloth full of humidity during the summer, not swept, not clean, just goes on and on. Sometimes the cloth is great until anything hits a rail and so forth. Some tables are so bad, the worst thing you can do is practice on a good table before heading to league. I have sold a couple of Jacoby Edge Break cues that are over breakers on most tables, but, are just right for our league junk tables, lol.
 
Most guys buying these are league eight ball players that play in different bars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
That is so true..I don't play on my home table before going out lol my table plays to good If I'm gonna play on slow junk why have to make the adjustment any harder.


worktheknight said:
I agree with a couple of posters above, Trob is correct, our league bar box tables that are found bar to bar, rails loose, high or low, cloth full of humidity during the summer, not swept, not clean, just goes on and on. Sometimes the cloth is great until anything hits a rail and so forth. Some tables are so bad, the worst thing you can do is practice on a good table before heading to league. I have sold a couple of Jacoby Edge Break cues that are over breakers on most tables, but, are just right for our league junk tables, lol.
Click to expand...
 
smashmouth said:
with all the "which break cue is best" talk around here and all the vendors claiming how hard their cue hits, why do you all feel a super smash type hit might produce the best results?

i mean we've seen soft breakers get good spreads, imo it's always been about having a clean tight rack....also, imo you do not want the balls to spread too much as they will often re-clusterize (is that a word) after too much bouncing off the rails, particularly on smaller tables

thoughts?
Click to expand...

You often use different breaks on different tables. Is a hard break always the answer, of course not, but is is nice to have if you need it.
 
Isn't the obvious answer to make more balls? It's significantly easier to run out with 6 balls on the table instead of 8 balls.

I think the best example of this is TAR 1 Corey vs Shane. Corey's soft break worked very well, making a single ball and getting a shot. But Shane was routinely making 3 and 4 on the break.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Isn't the obvious answer to make more balls? It's significantly easier to run out with 6 balls on the table instead of 8 balls.

I think the best example of this is TAR 1 Corey vs Shane. Corey's soft break worked very well, making a single ball and getting a shot. But Shane was routinely making 3 and 4 on the break.
Click to expand...


Hitting them harder doesn't always make more balls, in fact, sometimes I think the velocity will prevent balls from going into the pockets. They just need to drop - and to have the best chance for them to drop, they need to go in at or around "pocket speed". In the video link below, the break I hit the softest made the most balls.

I have done several private break shot evaluation videos - and the one thing that stands out is that power usually involves more movement - more movement always causes the tip to glance the cue ball - or it causes you to not hit the cue ball where you wanted to. Usually, if the head moves, so does the rest of the body.

None of us will come anywhere close to Shane's ability to master the break, so it is good to develop the accuracy FIRST - and add power second. When adding power, it is vital that you learn exactly what point is TOO MUCH POWER. Hope that helps.

Break Mechanics for 9 Ball


PS: I will also put in this video of Tony Ellin's break - Tony was powerful, but he also had the gift of phenomenal accuracy.

Breaking Down the Break: Tony Ellin
 
Why do I drive my bass boat 70 MPH when it only saves me a minute verses going 45 MPH. Cause I can.
 
7forlife said:
I'm guessing no one has seen a "THUNDER" break come up dry, time after time after time. It's a complex IMO, a lot of the older players think that it's "not manly" to break with anything less than far boy as your energy. Tight rack and a square hit, the rest is random.

Someone mentioned the corner balls not going 4 rails, stuff like this is only if you're trying to pocket a specific ball other than that a ball or two should fall "if the gods see it so" way before another ball travels 14'
Click to expand...

That was me that said it. And as I also acknowledged, it is not always the answer, but it is one more tool if on that night on that table it provides the best results.

While I agree with "the rest is random", that fact sort of proves my point. Taken to the extreme, if the balls are hit hard enough that they will never stop rolling, eventually all of them are bound to find a pocket. On the other end of the spectrum, not too many balls are made off the opening break in straight pool. It's sort of like the old shoe or tire on the side of the road. If it's random, why do they always seem to be at the side of the road and not in the middle of a lane? Because they keep getting hit and moving until they end up on the side of the road, then they stop getting hit and stay there. ;)

I also agree that you shouldn't sacrifice speed/power for accuracy. But that doesn't change the fact that under certain table conditions a hard break (with accuracy) has a better chance of making a ball.

BTW, I don't have a particularly hard break. I'd rather spend my time practicing getting a square hit and squatting whitey. Once I master that (if ever) then the power break would be a nice thing to have in my arsenal. Of course, in my 8 Ball league breaking dry and getting run-out on is not the risk it is in a professional tournament. I'd usually like my chances on a dry break and an open table. If my opponent doesn't get out, which is almost all the time, I feel the advantage is mine.
 
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