Break Stubbornness at the 8-Ball Championship

Woodshaft

Woodshaft

Do what works for YOU!
Wow. A lot of players in the 8-ball championship-- SVB included-- were really stubborn about not changing their continuing unsuccessful breaking points lol.
Watch the Krause vs Oi match on youtube, for example.
Krause was using the time-tested, bar table popular, "side-rail to second ball break" and made at least one ball EVERY break during his successful match. Oi, on the other hand, even after seeing Krause dominate on breaks, continued to unsuccessfully break from near center, and lost the match badly.
SVB also kept dry breaking from near center too, as did many players. Stubborn, I guess.
I feel that if more players would have used Krause's "second-ball" break, this tourney would've ended up very differently.
And, for the record, alternate breaks should ALWAYS be used (like in the US Open) in pro 8-ball events. B&R's are too easy for pros.
This tourney came down to two important shots/factors: The lag, and the break.
That's my 2-cents!
 
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I agree with you on the break…sometimes head ball breaks don’t work…most of my packs came from second ball breaks.

….on the other hand, I completely disagree on alternate breaks. These players are the best in the world…not everyone wins a prize.
 
How can you tell they weren't changing their break shots. There are probably 30 ways to hit the front ball differently from a single cue ball position. Unless the result of the break was miraculously the same on 2 or more attempts I'd say they were all different.
 
I like the winner break, I haven’t seen anyone get blitzed with no chance even though there have been some big packages. This isn’t 9 ball where you can miss and leave nothing, or dominate quite in the same way with safety play. Every match I saw both players got plenty of decent chances to put games on the scoreboard.
 
Renegade_56 said:
How can you tell they weren't changing their break shots.
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They weren't changing their ANGLES. The guys that used the extreme angles were making more balls on break than guys breaking near center. Many, many players were using their "10-ball" break (small angle off-center) for 8-ball, with little success.
I (a shortstop caliber player) have 2 different 8-ball breaking methods, both are off the side rail, one is at headball, and one at 2nd ball. These extreme angle breaks pot more balls on break in 8-ball for me, on both 7 and 9 footers.
 
It's amazing that top players were not paying attention to the break success of others. I believe in the second ball 8 ball break and recall seeing it win in a professional bar box 8 ball event.
Velocity can change the paths the balls take as well. In a bar box 9 ball event all of the power breaks were coming up dry, then the oldest player broke at moderate speed and balls were falling every time 🤷.
 
Woodshaft said:
They weren't changing their ANGLES. The guys that used the extreme angles were making more balls on break than guys breaking near center. Many, many players were using their "10-ball" break (small angle off-center) for 8-ball, with little success.
I (a shortstop caliber player) have 2 different 8-ball breaking methods, both are off the side rail, one is at headball, and one at 2nd ball. These extreme angle breaks pot more balls on break in 8-ball for me, on both 7 and 9 footers.
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Pocketing more balls on the break is not the primary goal. One ball is pretty much enough and lets you pick the group to your benifit.

There is a reason to use the so-called 10-ball break. One of former Mosconi Cup captains teaches that a player should strive to pocket one of the balls sitting behind the head ball to either of the side pockets. So with a proper rack and a trained stroke this is supposed to work. And here comes the main problem that made players struggle on the break at this event. Racking. For one, if the rack is loose none of the methods a players comes with gonna work. It becomes ' just hit and hope'. Next, I've heard there were matches (at KO stage) where racking was performed by at least four different referees. So that also adds to the struggling factor.
That said, what looked stubborn might have been 'why trying, it is all in vain'.
 
Cameron Smith said:
I like the winner break, I haven’t seen anyone get blitzed with no chance even though there have been some big packages. This isn’t 9 ball where you can miss and leave nothing, or dominate quite in the same way with safety play. Every match I saw both players got plenty of decent chances to put games on the scoreboard.
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I guess you didn't see Fedor's rampage. Wins the first game and then hits the guy with a seven-pack.
 
garczar said:
I guess you didn't see Fedor's rampage. Wins the first game and then hits the guy with a seven-pack.
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Where can I find that one? My position is typically that if the opposing player had a chance at an open pot, they had an equal opportunity to do the same.
 
One of my change ups is this. I'll chose not to break the second ball, or choose not to bridge off the rail. I'll park whitey somewhere to the side of the middle head string, Slow my break speed down just a little and squat/break. I always seem to get a much fuller hit, with great object ball speed, but the rack MUST be Tight.
 
i thought second ball break would dominate in the final stages, because of the slug racks and the tough breaking. but it hasn't been as successful as described in the OP.

semifinalists shaw, FSR, mario, zielinski have all been breaking first ball. gorst ran the set out breaking head on, lechner and kaci almost did the same.
 
I h
Cameron Smith said:
I’m on the fence there. I want to say yes, but the break can be funny.
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I have it on good athority that the break is the most important shot in the game.
Kind of explains Shane's incessantly practicing the break and rising to the top.
 
Woodshaft said:
Wow. A lot of players in the 8-ball championship-- SVB included-- were really stubborn about not changing their continuing unsuccessful breaking points lol.
Watch the Krause vs Oi match on youtube, for example.
Krause was using the time-tested, bar table popular, "side-rail to second ball break" and made at least one ball EVERY break during his successful match. Oi, on the other hand, even after seeing Krause dominate on breaks, continued to unsuccessfully break from near center, and lost the match badly.
SVB also kept dry breaking from near center too, as did many players. Stubborn, I guess.
I feel that if more players would have used Krause's "second-ball" break, this tourney would've ended up very differently.
And, for the record, alternate breaks should ALWAYS be used (like in the US Open) in pro 8-ball events. B&R's are too easy for pros.
This tourney came down to two important shots/factors: The lag, and the break.
That's my 2-cents!
Click to expand...
I'm as confused as you. Watching Shane hit them 100mph everytime and get nothing over and over was surreal. He always messes around with the speed and almost never hits them full power. He seemed off in the match I watched vs Wu.
 
mario has been doing both breaks in the semi. i suspect he will go back to first ball if he gets back to the table. i think leyman racks the balls better than heavy dude ref
 
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