Break Speed

M

Monkey-Boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey,

What are the pro's getting on average when they break the balls? Pro's like SVB, Archer, Earl, Bustamante, Reyes, Mika, Hohmann, Souquet and so on? In 8, 9 & 10 ball.

Also, what is your top speed that you know of (either by a proper speed gun or iPhone app). Mine was 24mph hardest, 21-22mph with more control.

Maybe there could be a mini-competition at the DCC next year?
 
That's a good idea, I'm curious about this also. I'd like to see Busty, Charlie Bryant & some others go toe to toe. If you got like 5 or 6 iPhones to read the speeds, it would be easier to average the correct speed knowing that sometimes it has different readings. Can't wait for the DCC & some great TAR Matchups. :grin:
 
The average pro (9-Ball) breaks at about 24mph. Some come in above that around 28mph and then some below that. Guess that's why it's the average. Some of the highest recorded speeds (33mph) were done for show.

Speed is not the answer to a great break....SPF=randyg
 
randyg said:
Speed is not the answer to a great break....SPF=randyg
Click to expand...

No....but it sure is some damn fun!!!!! :thumbup: I break pretty consistently at 22mph and feel that it is a good speed. Sometimes when I stop thinking about the form and just pure it I can get to 25 with a good amount of control. I wish I could figure out the secret to adding 2 to3 mph on a regular basis. The trick for me is trying to mimic SVB's break. That thing looks effortless! Although doing so has proven to be as elusive as the fish the guy on River Monsters tries to catch!

Chris
 
Speed gun competitions are very popular in my area and the better breakers are reaching 26-28 with control and topping 30 all out. There's usually a 30-31 that takes down the $$$.

Jesse Bowman & I goofed around with a gun one day & he started at 25...went 26...27...28...29...until he topped 30. It took him about 6-8 breaks to get his muscles loose enough.

I started at about 22 and topped out at 25. I might be able to do a few more mph now that I've done those break analysis vids.

AFAIK, Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant has the record at 34.7mph (might be off on the tenths place). I've heard several stories of Bustamante topping 32mph.

Jon Kucharo, Chad Vilmont, & James Baraks (all local to me) have patented a specific break technique. They all do it the same way & can really down down the power when needed. Check Jon out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O21AsO3g9Ms
 
During the Galveston World Tournament last year, there was a table set up near the Pro event area. I took a shoot at it and had 3 consecutive breaks over 27 with my highest at 27.8 without throwin the ball off of the table. The kid watching the table said that was not normally what he sees. His break was consistently over 30, but he hardly kept the ball on the table. I think the winner of the competition won it with 31.4. Don't know who the kid was.

Using the I-phone, I clocked on at 28.4 but don't think it was as accurate as the table in Galveston.
 
mosconiac said:
Speed gun competitions are very popular in my area and the better breakers are reaching 26-28 with control and topping 30 all out. There's usually a 30-31 that takes down the $$$.

Jesse Bowman & I goofed around with a gun one day & he started at 25...went 26...27...28...29...until he topped 30. It took him about 6-8 breaks to get his muscles loose enough.

I started at about 22 and topped out at 25. I might be able to do a few more mph now that I've done those break analysis vids.

AFAIK, Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant has the record at 34.7mph (might be off on the tenths place). I've heard several stories of Bustamante topping 32mph.

Jon Kucharo, Chad Vilmont, & James Baraks (all local to me) have patented a specific break technique. They all do it the same way & can really down down the power when needed. Check Jon out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O21AsO3g9Ms
Click to expand...


I would love to know what my break speed is.

Interestingly, I dont overstroke at all when I break, but my method does FAR more speed and power than nearly anyone I play.

Argonath
 
I was the kid in Galveston working at the Speed Break Contest. I got to see a lot of the pros break at the booth and also got to run the speed gun in the TV arena during the finals with Mika and Warren Kiamco.

The radar gun isn't as accurate as the timing system we had on the table in the booth, but it was a quality sports radar gun, and was within 1 mph of the actual speeds. During the finals Mika broke around 20-21 mph every break. Warren broke from the side which usually takes 1-2 mph off the break, and usually hit a 19 or 20.

SVB came and broke a few times at the booth and broke 22 mph every single break with the cue ball parking right between the side pockets. He wouldn't let loose and smash the cue ball. If he did I'm sure he could hit the ball a lot harder.

Corey came and broke and got the cue ball up to 27 mph a few times but couldn't get any higher than that. Jon Kucharo came around the same time as Corey and broke 29 mph a couple times.

Larry Nevel stepped up and hit 27s and 28s consistently. He let me try out his break cue because he said he wanted to see how I thought it hit since I hit the balls pretty hard. I thought it was top of the line. It's his own line of break cues and they're really worth checking out.

Hillbilly came up and gave me a free break lesson. He has a really technical break that he's perfected. He told me a lot of cool things about body mechanics that I had no idea about before. He broke 33.4 mph and kept the cue ball on the table.

Bustamante came over and broke a 28. He said he couldn't break any harder than that but I bet he still has it in him.

Scott Frost broke a few 27s.

Raj Hundal broke 24s and under when he stepped up.

Mike Deshaine and Roberto Gomez were the two people that won the highest male competition in Galveston. Mike had a 31, and I'm pretty sure Roberto won with a 29 in his competition.
 
speed

I try to measure speed with my lap and microphone. With nero wave editor i record the sound of my break, find 2 peeks (cb hit with cue and cb with first ball) and measure distance between them.
My fastest with cb on table was around 35mph O_o
My friend fastest around 24mph...

Am i superman or i miss something? ::eek:
 
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Using the iPhone app, I averaged about 17-18 mph. When I let loose, I could only hit around 19 mph max. Guess I'm a wimp... :p
 
I try couple of breaks and measure speed with phone app. From rail my best was around 26, from table 25. So i did something wrong with earlier method :D:grin:
 
bankout said:
Hillbilly came up and gave me a free break lesson. He has a really technical break that he's perfected. He told me a lot of cool things about body mechanics that I had no idea about before. He broke 33.4 mph and kept the cue ball on the table.

Bustamante came over and broke a 28. He said he couldn't break any harder than that but I bet he still has it in him.
Click to expand...
There you have it...Hillbilly is king. Good gravy...33.4 MPH?!?! I can't imagine how that must sound. Kucharo's break makes my ears ring...WTH does 4 more MPH sound like?!?!
 
While I was home on R&R, I downloaded the iPhone break speed app. Tried it out with a 20 oz. house cue at Mr. Cues II in Atlanta.

Breaking from the rail with the iPhone right above my bridge hand on the rail, I consistently hit 24.5 when breaking in a controlled manner. When I cranked it up, I was able to hit 29.1. I did get higher, but flew the cue off the table. I did not try breaking from center table, even though that would have yielded a higher speed.

I'm pretty sure that with a phenolic tip, and breaking from center table, I can get up into the 31-33 or higher range after a few practice swings, while still keeping the cue ball on the table. Not saying it'll be controlled of course... :grin:
 
I did not try breaking from center table, even though that would have yielded a higher speed.
Click to expand...

In your iphone app u have options for cue ball placement, so if u place cb correctly i think speed will be the same, regarding cb distance is also shorter from 1 ball in rack (sorry for my english ^^) :rolleyes:
 
mosconiac said:
Speed gun competitions are very popular in my area and the better breakers are reaching 26-28 with control and topping 30 all out. There's usually a 30-31 that takes down the $$$.

Jesse Bowman & I goofed around with a gun one day & he started at 25...went 26...27...28...29...until he topped 30. It took him about 6-8 breaks to get his muscles loose enough.

I started at about 22 and topped out at 25. I might be able to do a few more mph now that I've done those break analysis vids.

AFAIK, Charlie "Hillbilly" Bryant has the record at 34.7mph (might be off on the tenths place). I've heard several stories of Bustamante topping 32mph.

Jon Kucharo, Chad Vilmont, & James Baraks (all local to me) have patented a specific break technique. They all do it the same way & can really down down the power when needed. Check Jon out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O21AsO3g9Ms
Click to expand...

No big secret - as usual, it's all in the shoulder muscle. The challenge is controlling all the torso movement necessary to get the shoulder involved.

pj
chgo
 
peter_gunn said:
In your iphone app u have options for cue ball placement, so if u place cb correctly i think speed will be the same, regarding cb distance is also shorter from 1 ball in rack (sorry for my english ^^) :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

very true, and I had it adjusted for the right side rail. However, there is less space between the headspot and the 1ball in a rack than the side rail and the 1ball. That increase in distance gives the cue ball, through friction (air and cloth), to slow down, taking the average speed down as well. (the average is what is reported, as at any given time it's changing)

I might only gain 1/2 of a mph from breaking from the center, but it's something. (and that might be totally off base as well.) The other variable to look at is how does where you break from and where the table is effect your ability to get your hips into the break...where the majority of your power should be generated from. If the table is inhibiting you from turning your hips fully into the break, you will not be able to achieve full velocity.
 
randyg said:
The average pro (9-Ball) breaks at about 24mph. Some come in above that around 28mph and then some below that. Guess that's why it's the average. Some of the highest recorded speeds (33mph) were done for show.

Speed is not the answer to a great break....SPF=randyg
Click to expand...

Well put Randy. I believe Charlie Bryant has been recorded at 34? Pretty sure Busta has been clocked at 32. I personally clocked Mike Dechaine at 31.

My personal best is 27, and for a while I was hitting it nice and smooth with good control at about 22-23. However, I've found myself playing on 8' tables a lot lately. I get my best results breaking from the side rail, hitting the head ball DEAD square, producing a near perfect stop shot with the cueball moving less than a foot from the headball, and I swear I have to tell myself to hit it as soft as I can to get a stop shot. A big part of this is ZERO body movement. Just a regular stroke really aiming for maximum accuracy (pun intended). I would say that I am hitting about 14-16 mph, and I know that is *not* as soft as I can ha ha. Still, never scratching is a great feature of a good break. Also, I almost always make the corner ball, often make the one in the side, rarely do not have position on the low ball, and VERY infrequently scratch. After all those years of SMASHING the rack...I've finally seen the light.

8 ball? That's another story. I find hitting the head ball pretty hard works best for a nice well spread layout. In 8 ball I'm probably more in the 22 neighborhood. I've been trying very hard to emulate the way Shane strokes the break and the action he gets. I suppose I've had some pretty good success with that. When I see the cue ball go to a rail, I feel I have failed.

KMRUNOUT
 
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peter_gunn said:
I try to measure speed with my lap and microphone. With nero wave editor i record the sound of my break, find 2 peeks (cb hit with cue and cb with first ball) and measure distance between them.
My fastest with cb on table was around 35mph O_o
My friend fastest around 24mph...

Am i superman or i miss something? ::eek:
Click to expand...

I think you failed to either a) correctly locate the right points in the sound file or 2) correctly measure the distance.

You may be the best in the world...but I'm sorry to say it isn't super likely.
 
peter_gunn said:
In your iphone app u have options for cue ball placement, so if u place cb correctly i think speed will be the same, regarding cb distance is also shorter from 1 ball in rack (sorry for my english ^^) :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I think people are saying the speed from the bed of the table is higher due to the mechanics involved, not the difference in distance. I can personally hit the cue ball FAR harder when I bridge on the table bed rather than on the rail.

KMRUNOUT
 
Interesting...some said the shoulder...some said the hips...as far as where the power comes from.

I personally find that the hand plays a huge role. Since the speed is all about the very brief instant when the tip contacts the ball, I think a remarkable amount of power can be created in a very tiny space using the technique of letting the cue rest on your fingers and sort of snapping your hand closed right at the instant of impact, or perhaps a tiny fraction of a second before. As anyone knowledgeable about martial arts would agree, tremendous power can be generated through speed over a very short distance. Try it out. Keep your hand very soft and loose, try to imagine that you are delivering a karate chop to the cue ball, and right at the moment of impact snap your hand closed. Your hand will be lagging behind your wrist, and this action causes a very short but very powerful hand snapping effect, which I think can improve the speed of any break dramatically, regardless of whether you put your hips and shoulder into it. Do all those things, and watch out!!!

KMRUNOUT
 
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