Consistant Ball on the Break

THanks Blackee

i like this concept that you have. i will try it tomorrow if i get a chance.

Also, many thanks to everyone else who contributed to this post. I have given all of the advice a try. Blackee just happened to be the last to post and i havent tried his method yet.
 
I practised my break for many hours yesterday, and I started to aim differently than normal, and it worked great both in 8-ball (break from the middle) and in 9-ball (break from the side).

I simply aimed at the contactpoint between the 1-ball and the table. Normally I have tried aiming at a diamond, or trying to locate the center of the 1-ball by looking straight to it.

Now I just aim at the contactpoint, which IS the center of the ball, and it worked great. I parked the cueball on almost every break, and got balls even in 8-ball! :o
 
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eyes on CB-amen

Southpaw said:
Use a little below center hit when you break (about 6 o'clock english) and keep your eyes on the cue ball when you contact it...unlike a normal shot where you should look at the object ball before you pull the trigger. Hope this helps.

Southpaw
Click to expand...

Eberle in Zen of Pool also suggests focus on CB & I made the switch & found it was very fruitful for me.
 
My technique is simple:

1. Make damn sure that you're on the vertical axis of the CB with your set-up (body/chin/bridge hand/etc.). (FWIW, I like being a hair below center for the equipment that I play on... but you must be on the vertical axis.)

2. Now take your practice strokes keenly focusing on where your cue is pointing (and NOT the direction that the CB will go... that's the key difference). Point your cue directly at the vertical axis of the 1-ball (assuming you're breaking a 9-ball or 10-ball game). It's almost like you're looking right past the CB at this point... just focusing on the alignment of your cue with the 1-ball.

3. Double check that you're still on the vertical axis of the CB... and that your cue is stroking back and forth directly at the center of the 1-ball.

4. Slowly draw back... pause... and let 'er fly.

Bottom-line... if you're on the vertical axis and you stroke your cue/tip directly at the vertical axis of the 1-ball, you will hit the 1-ball head-on... and stand a damn good chance at parking whitey.

Try it... and let me know if that works for you.

cd
 
...take your practice strokes keenly focusing on where your cue is pointing (and NOT the direction that the CB will go... that's the key difference). Point your cue directly at the vertical axis of the 1-ball (assuming you're breaking a 9-ball or 10-ball game). It's almost like you're looking right past the CB at this point... just focusing on the alignment of your cue with the 1-ball.
Click to expand...

I think this is good advice for every shot, not just breaks. Of course, for cut shots or with sidespin you have to point your stick at something other than the center of the OB (like a point on the ghost ball).

pj
chgo
 
Patrick Johnson said:
You can use quite a bit of english with plastic tips - I've run a few racks (not in a row) using my Stinger break cue. More to the point, how much english do you need on the break? If you miscue with a plastic tip on the break, your stroke's a little wild.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

Usely, not much. I think most people would say hit the CB a little below center to stop the CB in the middle of the table. To me, I like to draw the CB back in the kitchen, for two reasons. First when I draw the CB back, the chance that the CB will kiss an OB will be lesser. The second I found out that the 1-ball usely goes upper half of the table (near the kitchen), so by drawing the CB I keep the CB near the 1-ball.

To break with drawing, I use a higher bridge and jack up the cue a little.

When I play 8-ball I like to hit the second ball. If I break on the left wing, I use a lot of left low english. That will get the CB near the middle of the table.

Usely when I break, I will not break too hard, I don't think breaking very hard will helps you potting a ball on the break, it just messed up the positions of all the balls.
 
Wow

I posted this thread a month ago and its still going?! Thank you for your advice everyone.

I especially like the aiming on the vertical axis! I will try doing that one tomorrow! All the posters on AZ have been great and i look foward to my pool learning on this forum!
 
Most important you need to control the white the best way to do this is a full ball hit on the one . Aim with your cue through the bottom of whitey where it touches table to the bottom of one ball where it touches table. After your aimed perfect bring tip up to about center ball (you may have to play with that to get perfect) idealy a small amount of topspin will keep whitey from bouncing back to far when it hits the heavier rack. Remember a good break requires a good stroke dont try to muscle it ,think of it simialar to driving a nail with a hammer the hammer doese the work. So should the cue stick. I see a lot of botched breaks because of tight grips trying to muscle the cue stick through the ball.
 
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