Breaking help

J

Jeff Rosen

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
OK, I admit I'm not the greatest player. I do need help breaking now. I've never been a very strong breaker. At 60 most of my playing has been straight pool where a strong break is not only unimportant but a disadvantage. Then in an APA league I don't think my weak break was so bad, I did make balls in and did have 4 balls hit the cushions.
I recently joined a MegaBucks league and they have a rule that if one ball on the break doesn't pass the breaker's headstring the opponent gets ball in hand. I'm having trouble with that rule especially in 9 ball. More often than not I do not have a ball come back to my headstring and give up ball in hand. Luckily not too many guys in the league can break an run the 9-ball.
I don't have a break cue, I use a house cue for breaking. Some guys say I should get a heavy break cue, others say I should just practice breaking more. I do feel I have the strength, just not the technique.
Any suggestions?
 
could you video tape and post your break? My guess at a starting place would be:
take something off the break until you are certain you are hitting the 1 ball square with no spin. This would ensure the most optimal transfer of energy.

Imagine a straight line from the tip of the cue, to the 1 ball and through it to the rail. This (now) long line is your track. Keep the the cue ball traveling down this line and the the tip to continue down this line after contacting the CB (follow through).

A simple way to line-up and aim is to place the CB slightly off the rail at the second diamond on the long rail (at headstring) so you can make that line go from CB to 1 ball to the 1st diamond in of the opposite corner on the bottom short rail. This aiming line is designed to pocket the corner ball and sometimes one in the side. With no sidespin and hitting the 1 squarely you will spread the balls without a lot of power.

try this and report back.

and now my quote from either Bert Kinister or Jerry Brieseth (I can't remember which one) - DOn't worry about the break until you can run-out. A great break without being able to get out just makes it easier to get out for your opponent.
 
Without seeing your break its hard to give advice. In regards to the break cue that might be a good idea with one caveat - heavier is not always better, I break harder with a cue that is closer to my playing cue weight. A break cue would benefit you though.

Make sure you are hitting the head ball as dead in the face as possible with about a tip below center of english on the CB. Not hitting the head ball square or putting extra english on the CB will result in a weaker break.
 
hold still

stay loose, no death grip on the cue

hit center ball and head on with the front ball

think fast, not hard
 
Jeff Rosen said:
OK, I admit I'm not the greatest player. I do need help breaking now. I've never been a very strong breaker. At 60 most of my playing has been straight pool where a strong break is not only unimportant but a disadvantage. Then in an APA league I don't think my weak break was so bad, I did make balls in and did have 4 balls hit the cushions.
I recently joined a MegaBucks league and they have a rule that if one ball on the break doesn't pass the breaker's headstring the opponent gets ball in hand. I'm having trouble with that rule especially in 9 ball. More often than not I do not have a ball come back to my headstring and give up ball in hand. Luckily not too many guys in the league can break an run the 9-ball.
I don't have a break cue, I use a house cue for breaking. Some guys say I should get a heavy break cue, others say I should just practice breaking more. I do feel I have the strength, just not the technique.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Hello Jeff. When breaking, cue ball control is all important. You need to hit the head ball as full as possible with the fastest stroke you can make and still control the cue ball. Practice with just the one ball on the spot and try to hit it with the cue ball as full as possible so that the cue ball stops dead. Start slow and increase your speed until you lose control. Then back off a little and repeat the process until you can reach a break speed. Then try it with a full rack of balls. One thing to remember...focus on the cue ball. Don't look at the rack last before you fire the cue ball. Look at the spot on the cue ball last and pay attention to how full the cue ball hit and where it ends up. Then you can diagnose if you didn't hit full enough, or if you hit too low or took high on the cue ball. The break is just like any other shot with regards to pre shot routine and alignment. You don't need a heavy break cue. Breaking with a wall-a-bushka is fine. If you decide to buy a break cue, just get one that is the same weight as your playing cue. The only real difference should be the tip hardness and maybe the shaft taper. Practice that drill and you will be slamming the rack like never before. Good luck.
 
Make sure the rack is tight and all the balls are touching. Once that's covered off, make sure you land a full hit on the head ball. Accuracy is more important than power.
 
Hit a cue ball up table, from spot to spot. Try hitting 3,4, then 5 rails if you can. When you hit hard you will see where your error lies. Hopefully you are consistently hitting to the left or right of your head ball.
If you cant correct it, you can still compensate for what you know your stroke will do. At that point, try aiming slightly left or right( for a fuller hit on the 1 ball).
 
One word of advice I can give you is to stop switching cues. Break cues should only be employed when you're breaking at least 17 mph or more. Anything less and you're only complicating things. By breaking with your normal shooting cue, you're giving yourself the best chances at hitting the cue-ball square. You won't flatten your tip any time soon and you won't break your shaft (probably ever). As your break continues to improve, you can consider grabbing that house cue or purchasing a break cue.

As others have stated, stay loose, practice breaking whenever you can. The primary focus should be hitting it square with some force. As you get more and more comfortable, add more force.
 
Better racking will help too. Make sure the front six balls in the rack are froze. Take as long as you need to get them to do so. This part is HUGE on the break, with 8 ball, and 9 ball. Couple that with a good solid hit on the head ball.

Best of luck!!!
 
Pretty much every post has good advice. I prefer to break with the CB a ball or so off the side rail as close to the string as possible. If you hit the head ball square, a 10 to 14 mph break will spread the balls adequately and will pocket one with reasonable frequency. When I say square, that doesn't mean hitting the very front edge of the head ball. It means contacting the head ball dead square as it is aligned in front of you where you choose to position the CB. It is MUCH more important to be accurate than to hit with a lot of speed. The energy you lose with off center hits is the likely problem, not lack of speed. Plus, the off center hits increase your chance of scratching.
 
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