Did Jon Kucharo have the most powerful break ever?

[Nostroke]

The hardest breaker I ever saw at Corner Billiards was named Ken Kerner. who was an "A" player. He won the break speed prize at Super Billiards Expo more than once, breaking at about 31-32 MPH. Ken hit the break roughly as hard as Frankie Hernandez.

.

I know Ken- He was a partner at Diamond Jim's in Nanuet. Probably still is and owns High End Cues also. This guy was a regular for at least a few years there-Oh -It's coming back to me-Had a foreign sounding or strange first name. I'm gonna remember this AM i believe. Big nose- Slick backed dark hair. Very nice fella. I got it-LAPPY!!

 

[sjm]

I know Ken- He was a partner at Diamond Jim's in Nanuet. Probably still is and owns High End Cues also. This guy was a regular for at least a few years there-Oh -It's coming back to me-Had a foreign sounding or strange first name. I'm gonna remember this AM i believe. Big nose- Slick backed dark hair. Very nice fella. I got it-LAPPY!!

Yup, LAPPY was Jon Jessen, super nice guy and a solid player. Haven't seen him in many, many years.

 

[Nostroke]

Yup, LAPPY was Jon Jessen, super nice guy and a solid player. Haven't seen him in many, many years.

Ahahahaha- I thought it was a Ukrainian name or something-lol I saw him in Florida 10 years ago or so ONE TIME where he had just moved. Not sure if he is still around-I'll look him up in the AZB data base now that i know his real name. Let you know thru PM rather than bore 99% of azb.

 

[sonny burnett]

No mention of Mark Jarvis. He was always working on his smash. He would be there when the cleaning crew came in and 8 hours straight practice sessions were held a lot of the time.

I don't see how his body held up. We had a long conversation on break speed in MPH but too much time has passed. I wish I could remember the numbers now.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[couldnthinkof01]

Tony Ellin used to throw his whole big body
into the break. Don't know if it was really that hard but when he was up to break it looked like he had a grudge against the cue ball.

 

[cuetechasaurus]

Tony Ellin used to throw his whole big body
into the break. Don't know if it was really that hard but when he was up to break it looked like he had a grudge against the cue ball.

I saw a slow motion video a while back of some top players who threw their whole bodies into the break, which seemed to be popular in the 90’s and early aughts. Archer, Daulton, Ellin and a few others. The slow motion seemed to show that a lot of the movement happens well after the ball is struck and is unnecessary. For example kicking the back leg up, then stretching it out, then spreading out the arms, all happening when the cue ball is halfway across the table, etc.

 

[Chili Palmer]

I saw a slow motion video a while back of some top players who threw their whole bodies into the break, which seemed to be popular in the 90’s and early aughts. Archer, Daulton, Ellin and a few others. The slow motion seemed to show that a lot of the movement happens well after the ball is struck and is unnecessary. For example kicking the back leg up, then stretching it out, then spreading out the arms, all happening when the cue ball is halfway across the table, etc.

I wonder if that helps them in a way that following through does? I.e. if you try stopping the cue immediately after contact you don't get full power whereas if you follow through you get better speed control?

 

[Scott Lee]

I had dinner once with Mike Dechaine and he said that he was able to achieve 35MPH on the radar but it was far too dangerous to use in a match.

The truth! This is why you never see 30-35 mph breaks in competition...the CB is all over the place, and likely ending up on the floor!

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

 

[Scott Lee]

And.....yet......if you take a lesson alot of instructors will tell you that there's no need to break like a gorilla. That a solid, controlled break will most likely serve you better.

I remember when I was down at Nick Varner's and broke a rack of 9-Ball. I didnt make anything. Nick told me to slow it down a little, try and get a little more control. Use about 3/4 the power on the next break. So I went with that 3/4 speed and wala, made two balls and had a shot.

r/DCP

Seems like those instructors are correct now doesn't it Mike? I told SVB the same thing 15 years ago, and it dramatically changed his break. Within a couple of years most everybody was trying to emulate his break!

Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

 

[pt109]

I came from a golf course to play billiards when I was 17...I was a long ball hitter, but I knew that accuracy
is more important than extra distance....so 340 in the rough is vastly inferior to 270 on the fairway.
So playing the power break, accuracy first...if you spin whitey, energy is lost in the spin...if you cut the 1-ball,
energy is lost in the cut. But there’s another accuracy...vertical...the more you hit the 1-ball ABOVE center, the
more energy you lose. So I think there is a speed limit to a great break....I feel anything in the 30s is counter-productive.
When the break is working, I think you get a feel for whitey LANDING just before the it hits the 1-ball.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Kucharo had a very big break. I recall that when the PBT (circa 1996) had a poll in which only its playing members voted, Kucharo beat out Archer by one vote for having the best break.

I'd say several over the years had at least as big a break as Kucharo, including Wade Crane, David Howard, Mike Dechaine and Jeff DeLuna. My nominee for biggest break ever would be Jeff DeLuna.

On the radar gun, the world record back then was just 33 MPH, but in the current era, both DeLuna and Dechaine have hit 38 MPH.

I’d like to see a video posted of a 38 mph break!

 

[jay helfert]

I came from a golf course to play billiards when I was 17...I was a long ball hitter, but I knew that accuracy
is more important than extra distance....so 340 in the rough is vastly inferior to 270 on the fairway.
So playing the power break, accuracy first...if you spin whitey, energy is lost in the spin...if you cut the 1-ball,
energy is lost in the cut. But there’s another accuracy...vertical...the more you hit the 1-ball ABOVE center, the
more energy you lose. So I think there is a speed limit to a great break....I feel anything in the 30s is counter-productive.
When the break is working, I think you get a feel for whitey LANDING just before the it hits the 1-ball.

Correct. You want to keep the cue ball as level to the surface of the table as possible. If you watch slow motion video of the fastest break shots, the cue ball is hitting the rack high up on the one, instead of directly in the face. That is why many times you will see the cue ball hop straight up in the air after contact. Or off the table if it hits the side of the one ball. A level, flush hit on the one ball at 23-25 mph (ala Earl) will do the job just fine.

 

[CJ Wiley]

We had a contest at the Bicycle Club Casino one year, Butemante and I broke 32 mph and Sammy Jones hit 33 mph. Mike Dechaine supposedly hit one 38 mph, which is the hardest I've ever heard of.

 

[HighEndCues]

The hardest breaker I ever saw at Corner Billiards was named Ken Kerner. who was an "A" player. He won the break speed prize at Super Billiards Expo more than once, breaking at about 31-32 MPH. Ken hit the break roughly as hard as Frankie Hernandez.

.

Hey Stu, That was quite a while ago. I used to hit them pretty good. Might break a body part trying to keep up with these young guys Today! Lol…

 

[Icon of Sin]

Evgeny Stalev

Jeff De Luna