Sorry but a defensive break isn't a shark tactic. If playing against a stronger player not smashing the rack can decrease the chance your opponent is going to run out after a dry break.
Defensive 8 Ball Break
- Thread starter Pangit
- Start date
Sorry but a defensive break isn't a shark tactic. If playing against a stronger player not smashing the rack can decrease the chance your opponent is going to run out after a dry break.
Banks
Banned
That! and sometimes we just don't shoot as well as we expect to. I've had a few memorable times that I just wasn't shooting that well and was giving away open tables to my opponent. I changed up to a break that clustered more and turned the set around and won.
I won't slug a rack, but I will safety break when it's the smarter thing to do. If you want to get better, you'd better know what to do and when.
Exactly. If you slug rack somebody that is cheating. Not hitting a break shot with 100% power is not cheating. Actually they have rules to prevent soft break (i.e. 4 balls must hit a rail). So if you break and 4 balls hit a rail you have met the guidlines for a legal break and your opponent shouldn't say sh*t.
The defensive break doesn't favor anyone unless you have developed a break that's sure to make a ball. Then you can choose the better group, and sometimes one group is light years easier than the other.
If making a ball is a tossup, then clusters hurt both players equally. Preventing the better player from a runout doesn't increase your odds of winning. It just lengthens the game.
I don't buy that longer games = better player gets mad and starts missing. That's down to individual personality. Plenty of bangers lack patience too, that's part of the reason they're stuck at their level while the better player passed them.
If making a ball is a tossup, then clusters hurt both players equally. Preventing the better player from a runout doesn't increase your odds of winning. It just lengthens the game.
I don't buy that longer games = better player gets mad and starts missing. That's down to individual personality. Plenty of bangers lack patience too, that's part of the reason they're stuck at their level while the better player passed them.
That's what makes this a case by case scenario. I expect it applies more to players that you know, like in league play, or frequent tourney/gambling opponents.
I don't do it very often, but its usually against someone I know will get frustrated and make poor choices. Or just lose patience. Occasionally when I'm just not hitting them well, and I want to slow the game down some.
Would you rather your opponent have a wide open table on his opening shot or a table that requires breakout(s)?
Banks
Banned
Not necessarily. I've seen many players that can pocket like a bat out of hell, but have a hard time when they have to do something with the table. I also would rather get into a safety match with a better player than a shooting match.
To me, it's more about cooling down the hotter player. If I can do something to make the table more difficult and slow the other player down, it gives me more opportunities to get my shooting back.
Just my opinion but I never consider breaking to not make a ball a good tactic. If I have the break, I hit the rack w/ all intensions of making a ball. Intensionally breaking soft and handing the cueball over to my opponent to have the first offensive shot in a match doesn't sound too good to me. Especially if I think he is a better player than I am. If I don't make a ball on the break I better work on my break somemore. If I see I'm in trouble after the break then I will bury the ball. I don't know about you guys but I'm much better at playing defense if I know exactly where the balls I'm hitting are going instead of something as random as the break.
Banks
Banned
It's a damned good tactic when you're not making a ball on the break.
Sometimes it happens..
It can also be a decent tactic if you're just not running out that well. Doesn't mean you can't make a ball, just means that you don't intend on anybody running out their first turn at the table. If you're already not running out, you may as well!
It doesn't have to be terribly soft to be effective. I usually hit medium speed to the second ball, in hopes that I do get a ball, but either way, the table is likely to be a mess.
Table Top Joe
Registered
LOL. how long did that rack take?
I can agree w/this but not the 4 balls to a rail break.
I know that sometimes I forget that everybody here are absolute run out maniacs.
But I somehow still find it curious that there is no difference at all between coming into a wide open table verses a table completely covered in clusters and jumbled balls.
LO FN L
But I somehow still find it curious that there is no difference at all between coming into a wide open table verses a table completely covered in clusters and jumbled balls.
LO FN L
I kinda like clusters. I take open tables for granted most of the time. If I'm going to screw up a run its a wide open table that I will do it on. Clusters just make me tighten up my shot making and shape playing. Something about having to be precise w/ my shots and shape when the windows are small makes me play better.
I guess we all have different ways of playing. I know a guy that will intensionally shoot to leave hangers in every hole possible and hook you every shot whether he can make balls or not. The guy drives me nuts..... but I never let him know that and whenever he stops by he is looking to get at my dollars. Usually (not always) ends w/ him begging my GF for money for a bus ride home.
No I get it.
Wide open table....might as well just rack it.
Table all jacked up , not a single clean shot ....your out like Liberace.
Makes perfect sense now that I think about it.
I don't know if i understand you correctly, but I get 4 balls to the rail every time with a medium speed, second ball break. Often more. On 9 footers.
It will still leave a reasonably messy table, most of the time. Rarely will there be more than 1 or 2 balls on the other half of the table.
Maybe my idea of medium speed is diffetent. Or what constitutes a messy table.
I was just saying that I didn't like the idea of a break so soft as to only drive 4 balls to the rail as was in the OP.