cut break

[kaznj]

What exactly is a cut break? I notice, as I watch the Mosconi cup, that almost all players seem to hitting the one ball on the side. The announcers mention the "cut break".
What are they doing other than hitting the one on the side?
Why would they use this type of break? Advantages? Disadvantages?

 

[Tony_in_MD]

A cut break is normally used when the rules of play don't allow you to break from the side rail. The wing balls in a 9ball rack go in with great regularity when breaking from the side rail. A cut break allows you to create an angle on the break which would not exist if you hit the head ball square. Typically you try to break with outside draw to get the cueball to hit the side rail after contact with the head ball and spin to the center of the table.

Also the outbreak is an effective way to make the one in the side pocket especially if you have to have the 9 on the spot.

The problem with a cut break is you can lose control of the cueball easily.

As I have not watched any of the matches in the Mosconi Cup, I am not sure what the rules of the break are for cueball and rack placement.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... What are they doing other than hitting the one on the side? ...

As Tony mentioned, that's basically it, and the goal is to make a particular ball. The only other kind of cut break I've heard of was to play from the side rail, go across the one ball to the opposite side rail with the cue ball and then back through the rack area with the goal of hitting the nine ball. Lassiter was said to do this.

 

[crow]

They are cut breaking to play the one ball in the side because of racking the nine ball on the spot which making the wing ball way tougher.

 

[DionBakasushi]

I always found cut breaking balls to be alittle based on luck because when a rack is cut broke the one ball (which is the easiest ball to hold position for off the break) will be parked into the side and just got to hope for a shot on the two which depends on whether how the ball banks off the end rail .
Of course one could try to break alittle hard , contacting the one ball full with extra pressure to open up the one ball into the side . Then again it's a question of where does the 2 ball go .