I always start with the side break shot like you would normally have. Any balls made if I miss are spotted and I got from there. Although I did make 3 on the break once which I did kinda feel was odd because then I only had 11 on the table...of course I made two more before screwing myself but still. Setting yourself up not only sounds boring it seems unfair.
@TommyLee (and of course also towards other interested pool-a-holics ^^)
There are many opinons and of course also well proven stuff about how to practice seriously—means, the way it makes sense.
You can really see a difference if you start to practice seriously with a well structured plan instead of just *banging* around. There are also studies about how much time etc. should be spent if you want to learn something.
But in my opinion (even if I use also *time structured* practice plans for some things) there will be always things necessary what Ralph Eckert and Andreas Huber call: “Overlearn Amount” (tried to translate it from Germany 1:1 to English). This means that you hit some balls a *few thousand times* before it s burned in,so that enough confidence is built-and finally you ll have a huge amount of self-belief on these shots because you pocketed those several thousands of times.
Here I ll come back to the important term breakshots. I remember very good how “we” and also some other very strong players have practiced breakshots. We really placed break balls and shot them 300 to 500 times a day (this with 2 guys at the table.- one replacing the ball again).
I know here for sure examples- and all of em reached a very high level. EPC champions, german champions. There was one group of about 6-8 players where I can guarantee, that 6 of these players (all had been in the age from 17-19) became 100 ball runners.
What I want to show you, Tommy (and others, too

) is that to practice even breakshots like an idiot will bring a huge benefit. I just combined it with putting addiotnal balls for *well known* and *correct* endpatterns which will end in the *dead end stop shot* on the last keyball to the breakshot.
Hope that makes sense for you and others.
Lg from overseas,
Ingo