dday said:
All,
I have been playing pool for several years now and never had any problems with my break until recently, last 6 months. I don't believe I have changed a thing but I cannot seem to keep the cue ball on the table. When breaking I place the cue ball at center table first diamond, bridge over my cue palm down pinning the cue between the rail and my palm, this has worked for me for years. I have tried not hitting the ball as hard, tried to focus dead center on the cue and head ball yet still the ball flys off the table. I've had this happen in the past on occasion but anymore its every time. Suggestions are appericiated.
Thanks,
dday
BTW Im refering to my 8ball break.
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Here's some info from the leading Pocket Billiard Books. The Break Shot is a tough shot, no matter who you are. And it is worthy of practicing, which very few do.
Byrne's Advanced Technique in Pool & Billiards
by Robert Byrne
A Harvest Book Harcourt & Brace
Twenty Keys to a Killer Break
Pg. 33
Want to be a consistent winner at Eight Ball or Nine Ball? Then you've got to have a crushing Break. Players who can splatter the balls all over the table, without losing control of the Cue ball, have a big advantage; very often they can run out the game without giving their opponents a chance.
You don't have to be a big brute to break the balls effectively. More important than bulging muscles is proper technique. Bustamante is a good example.
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Play Your Best Pool
by Phil Capelle
First Edition by Billiards Press-Huntington Beach
Chapter 7 “Nine Ball”
Pg. 284 “The Break”
The break is the single most important shot in the game. It is pool’s equivalent of the first serve in tennis, the tee shot in golf. A good break gives you the opportunity to run racks. Top pros consistently run out from the break, and on occasion, string several racks together. As you evolve as a Pool Player, you will need to move past the one rack mentality, that is, you will need to visualize yourself as a player capable of running several racks. A powerful Break Shot is a necessary element of this transition. A good Break Shot will, among other things, boost your confidence. Each time you approach a Break Shot, eager to watch the balls flying in all directions, you will know there’s a good chance a runout-table will result. A powerful Break can intimidate your opponent. A commanding Break can also help you come back from a deficit. At the tour level, many contests are decided on the basis of who is breaking better at that moment.
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Making a ball on the break & having position to shoot the next ball will enable you to play to a higher level & maintain control of the match. If you aren't making balls on the Break, you can learn to play safe on the break. Leaving the cue ball in the rack area, in 9 Ball, will have your opponent "pushing out" a lot. Leaving the cue ball on the Head Rail will have your 8 Ball opponent taking chances or playing safe, not running racks.
The Break Shot requires that you use lots of muscle groups, like the fairway shot in GOLF. The Putt in Golf uses very few muscles, like the general Stroke Shots in Pocket Billiards.
If you don't practice, you can't expect desirable results
