Coach's How to Make the 8 Ball

Thank you. I have switched my break and have been practicing this break since the start of the second half of League Season.

He has some great extra tips. I will watch this several more times.

I have had to do quite a bit of adjusting to many areas of this break but have it down to where I have made the 8 several times and pretty much make one or two balls in regardless. Obviously I don't make the 8 in on a very high percentage but 6 times out of ten, the 8 is on the move looking for somewhere to go. I think that with his couple of extra tips, I may improve that percentage a bit.

Bugger to break the table wide open and turn the table over to your opponent.
 
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I personally hate breakning this way. The percentage of actually making the ball is quite low and look at the stack after he breaks. Clusters and typically moves the balls out of the rack to the side you break from. Very difficult usually to BnR from a break like that. If I break the way I do and open the stack effectively I am favored to break and run. And BCA doesn't recognize an 8 ball snap as a win so it's pointless to attempt.
JMO
 
Excellent... I always thought the cue ball had to go back into the pack to kick
the 8 ball into the side. Never did figure out how to make it shoot straight into the side.
This guy makes it look simple. Looking forward to trying it.
Nice to know I can use my usual break speed and don't need to power it.

Nice quality on the video too. Hope you can put up some more.
 
I don't like this break either for the same reasons. Even though I play APA and this would count as a win it's still very low percentage and my chance of scratching is much higher. One thing that will increase your odds though is looking for a gap in the rack on either side of the 8 and breaking from the side opposite the gap.

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It's a good break on a barbox.
No matter how well you break on a barbox, there will always be clusters.
I do this break and usually have the 8 go up near the side and make the corner balls.
 
I play APA, so it counts for us. I'll take any easy win I can get :p

I just this session went back to using the 8-ball break, primarily cuz me and some teammates were trying to do the Hat Trick that our LO offers, which includes an 8-on-the-break.

What I discovered is that I usually have an advantage over many of our local players when the table is a mess. Perhaps I have more patience, not sure. But its been working well recently, so I'm gonna stick with it.

I'm enjoying this video, a lot. I'm looking forward to trying these things, and see if it helps.

Thanks for putting it up, and sharing here
 
I like it, thanks for the vid. I've always just broke from the headstring, it's interesting that he changes the cue ball position depending on the size of the table. I'll have to give it a try.
 
"Q" Protectors said:
The percentage of actually making the ball is quite low and look at the stack after he breaks. Clusters and typically moves the balls out of the rack to the side you break from. Very difficult usually to BnR from a break like that.
Click to expand...

There are times when you WANT a mess after the break...

... you aren't making any on the break...
... your opponent is a one-dimensional gunslinger that can't kick out of defensive shots...
... you are down a couple racks and need a chess match to turn the tides...
... you are a lower ranked player going against a cocky higher ranked player that likes to fail in running out...

If you make the 8B on the break, it's just gravy if you are trying to accomplish something else!
 
collegebilliard said:
Made a video with "Coach" Barnard what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iabp28yp00
Click to expand...

Nice post for your first post. Welcome. The one thing he says that may be important is speed. If you try to use that side break with max power, you will have the cue ball leave the table or scratch a lot. Plus it take a good hit on the second ball. It can actually be a bit risky. To be honest, for the few times you will actually make the 8 on the break, I would rather just break hitting the head ball.
 
I usually break from the head string, but with the ball further out so I can rest my left hand comfortably on the table instead of the rail.

I was experimenting with his Q ball positions last night playing Scotch.

Made the 8 in the left corner pocket. Q ball went on the floor. Darn.

That was a 10 - 0 for them and pretty much cost us the night.

I still like this break as I usually get at least one ball in anyway.
 
macguy said:
Nice post for your first post. Welcome. The one thing he says that may be important is speed. If you try to use that side break with max power, you will have the cue ball leave the table or scratch a lot. Plus it take a good hit on the second ball. It can actually be a bit risky. To be honest, for the few times you will actually make the 8 on the break, I would rather just break hitting the head ball.
Click to expand...

The nice thing about this break is that you can use your playing cue...
....warp speed is useless on this break.

And the more draw you use, the harder you can hit without going off the table.

Works best on new cloth.
 
So the coach says to hit the cue ball at 5:30 which is inside English from the left side of the table he was standing at.

I've heard more guys say outside English is best. Would like to see a poll.
 
luxury I think he means slight bottom left... as in a touch of outside. (i could be wrong)
great video, quality was excellent... and Coach reminds me of a Drill Instructor i had 12 years ago!
Thanks for the information.
Moose
 
When I break this shot I use low inside like "The Coach" does. I've always broke from right up to the head string and had inconstant success making the 8-Ball or even getting it going toward the side pocket, so his tip about going back 2-1, 2 1/2-1, or 3-1 depending on the size of the table is something I have to try.

My friend breaks this way also and during league session he makes about 4-5 8-Balls on the break. A few times he even makes 2 in the same match. The thing is almost every single break he does the 8-Ball heads toward the side pocket. He has this break down much better than I do. He has a ton of 8-Ball on the break APA patches. :p
 
Luxury and Moose, I have always broke from the left and used bottom right, and a maybe little higher. I was going bottom and jumped the q ball off the table lots. I went up to maybe 5 or higher and make balls but the q stays on the table. Except for last night.

Maybe I'm a bit dense but I didn't get the 5:30 part. I take it that he means, in between the 5 and 6.

Any explanation will be appreciated.

Ah, watched it again and remembered that he puts the tip down into the table. I have never done that. I follow thru in a more exaggerated motion than normal.
 
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Also it is clear he put inside on the first break as it's spinning counter-clockwise.
 
I got to try it out a couple times last night, not enough to really work on it, but it was fun.

I got the 8 moving better, one time went past the side pocket as intended.

The thing that I think helps me the most from this is where he says to aim. I like how he described aiming for the right edge of the center ball on the back row. For some reason I have difficulty trying to pick a good spot to aim on the actual second ball that I'm hitting. I think the way he describes it is helpful getting me there.

Pretty cool.
 
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