Controlled 2nd ball break

A

Aten

m8
Silver Member
Talking about barbox 8 ball... I've been breaking ok with just hitting the head ball, cue ball on the headstring about an inch off the long rail. Recently though, my break has been utter garbage and I'm dry over 80% of the time which is frankly disgusting.

There's a big tournament in my city coming up that I really need to win so I have been looking into the 2nd ball break. I haven't tried it much, but I have been able to get beautiful spreads as well as several balls down consistently.

The major issue for me is cue ball control. With the headball, I can squat the cue ball fairly consistently but with 2nd ball whitey goes all over the place.

How can I get the 2nd ball break to put the CB in a fairly predictable spot every time? Also, where should I break from if I'm using this break? I'm currently using the same location as my old headball break (i.e. ~1inch off the long rail, on the headstring).
 
I never was much of an 8 ball player, I only played it as I was coming up in the game, so this is strictly my opinion, but given the fact you are hitting the second ball, and shattering the rack, balls flying everywhere and the chances of whitey getting kicked around being almost 100%, I would say there really isn't a way to control where the rock ends up... Imo that's the dangerous part of the 2nd ball break.
 
Break.

Aten said:
Talking about barbox 8 ball... I've been breaking ok with just hitting the head ball, cue ball on the headstring about an inch off the long rail. Recently though, my break has been utter garbage and I'm dry over 80% of the time which is frankly disgusting.

There's a big tournament in my city coming up that I really need to win so I have been looking into the 2nd ball break. I haven't tried it much, but I have been able to get beautiful spreads as well as several balls down consistently.

The major issue for me is cue ball control. With the headball, I can squat the cue ball fairly consistently but with 2nd ball whitey goes all over the place.

How can I get the 2nd ball break to put the CB in a fairly predictable spot every time? Also, where should I break from if I'm using this break? I'm currently using the same location as my old headball break (i.e. ~1inch off the long rail, on the headstring).
Click to expand...

From left side, low left. Good low takes cue to side cushion. Left spins cue to center of table. Breaking too hard low won't take. Adjust speeds and watch wing balls go! I put cue about an inch from rail. Break speed is key. Sometimes less is more!
 
park the rock on the head string as close to the rail as you are comfortable with. Then hit the second ball in as flat as you can with about half a tip of center draw and hope for the best. Works pretty good for me :thumbup2:
 
For me with center ball whitey it's the rail and rockets back into the Pack. This is not the break to use If your trying to controll the cue ball... There's just to many balls flying around it for it not to get bumped some place.
 
Inspect the rack carefully too. If the rack is tilted, break into the higher corner side. This will help you get a fuller hit on the second ball.
 
Aten said:
Talking about barbox 8 ball... I've been breaking ok with just hitting the head ball, cue ball on the headstring about an inch off the long rail. Recently though, my break has been utter garbage and I'm dry over 80% of the time which is frankly disgusting.

There's a big tournament in my city coming up that I really need to win so I have been looking into the 2nd ball break. I haven't tried it much, but I have been able to get beautiful spreads as well as several balls down consistently.

The major issue for me is cue ball control. With the headball, I can squat the cue ball fairly consistently but with 2nd ball whitey goes all over the place.

How can I get the 2nd ball break to put the CB in a fairly predictable spot every time? Also, where should I break from if I'm using this break? I'm currently using the same location as my old headball break (i.e. ~1inch off the long rail, on the headstring).
Click to expand...

I agree with trob that the 2nd row break is not the ideal break for controlling the CB. By definition the CB is going to release somewhere because you are not making a full hit on the ball you contact. That said, it is not as important to control the cue ball in a 8 Ball so long as you avoid the scratch, obviously. It's not like you need to get a shot on the one ball, and the table is open after the break.

Just out of curiosity, why do you really need to win this tournament?
 
Abandon the 2nd ball break. It's garbage. Even if you do make a ball and get a good shot, you got clusterfvcks all over the place.

You're breaking the head ball wrong. Break from the center of the table, not from the side rail. Hit the head ball square in the face.
 
break

2nd ball break is good for making balls in 8 ball.Most times from the head spot for me,2 inches to rt.cue ball is a gamble but balls scatter.2nd ball break,rt side,4-6" off cushion,btm rt.on cue gets you back at head cushion,bottom left gets you in deep at foot.Balls are scattered WAY screwed up most times.Solid/stripes,pick your poison.Main thing I find with 2nd ball break is I control the cue ball.Center head string break,bring out the dice!
 
Drew said:
Abandon the 2nd ball break. It's garbage. Even if you do make a ball and get a good shot, you got clusterfvcks all over the place.

You're breaking the head ball wrong. Break from the center of the table, not from the side rail. Hit the head ball square in the face.
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Dead center of the table, or slightly off to one side?
 
Aten said:
Dead center of the table, or slightly off to one side?
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You need to play around with the exact location to see how the table is breaking. Where my league plays the tables break notoriously tough. Everyone dry breaks more often than not. I know this will sound odd but sometimes taking a little off the break improves results. Of course, sometimes harder is better too, lol. You just have to experiment to find what works.

Pay attention to what's working for others. When you see someone else have success from a certain spot, try there. If you see some of the players with weaker breaks making balls, try taking a little off.
 
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I like center table break,with a center ball hit,an lots of speed..the problem for me is..if I get off center I'm back in the corner with the cb..to much off center then I'm in tne side..wich indicates I'm loseing control of my stroke..hate it.
 
The advantage of the second ball break (I thought) was a decent probability of making the 8. It's a trade-off: you have less control of the cue ball, but you might win the game if the 8 on the break counts as a win. If the 8 doesn't give a win on the break, I don't see a real advantage to the second ball break. When I go for that break, 90% of the balls end up clustering on the same side of the table as I broke from on or near the head rail.
 
Aten said:
Talking about barbox 8 ball... I've been breaking ok with just hitting the head ball, cue ball on the headstring about an inch off the long rail. Recently though, my break has been utter garbage and I'm dry over 80% of the time which is frankly disgusting.

There's a big tournament in my city coming up that I really need to win so I have been looking into the 2nd ball break. I haven't tried it much, but I have been able to get beautiful spreads as well as several balls down consistently.

The major issue for me is cue ball control. With the headball, I can squat the cue ball fairly consistently but with 2nd ball whitey goes all over the place.

How can I get the 2nd ball break to put the CB in a fairly predictable spot every time? Also, where should I break from if I'm using this break? I'm currently using the same location as my old headball break (i.e. ~1inch off the long rail, on the headstring).
Click to expand...

It's hard to win a tournament that you feel you "really need to win". Too much pressure on yourself.
 
Controlled 2nd Break

I've abandoned the second ball break almost totally. But yes, when breaking that way I use low, but not too low, outside english to somewhat control the cue ball. I place the cue ball about 1" - 2" off the long rail at the head string. Here at the 'OPH' the 1 and 15 go into designated side pockets and are racked behind the 8. Breaking the second ball will have a tendency to send the 8 rocketing out of the rack while also moving the 1/15 quite nicely. But at times most of the balls are moved to one side of the table.

Most of the time I will now break about 2" of center at the head string. I'll get a nice spread and pocket 1 -2 balls quite frequently. If I come up dry I could be in "Deep Bandini". But considering its the 'OPH' and 9' Diamonds, I don't worry about breaking dry.

Gerry S
 
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It all depends on how the table is breaking

Abandon the 2nd ball break. It's garbage. Even if you do make a ball and get a good shot, you got clusterfvcks all over the place.
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Jeff Beckley uses the second ball break to win the 2012 USBTC 8 ball division. To my surprise Bustamante also uses the second ball break and finishes third. I watched three of their matches, they made at least one ball, 15 out of 16 breaks. And the spread was great every time. Bustamante had the missed break along with one scratch. The goal for me on the second ball break is to send the cue ball to the side rail and back into the pack. I use a touch of draw and a hair of outside. But it depends on the speed with which I'm hitting the break.
 
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