Effective Breakshots by Thorsten Hohmann at World 14.1 Championship 2007

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At World 14.1 Championship 2007, Thorsten Hohmann did breakshots like this at least a dozen times. The CB always went staight back down the table right after the impact and spin to the right side afterwards. This technique will avoid any unlucky bumping from other balls. What a lethal weapon under his belt.

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You know, this very approach occured to me a while back. I found myself stuck on the end rail...yet again. Certain side of the rack break shots result in me either being stuck to the rack or sitting frozen to the end rail. I just can't find the sweet spot for that break.

I thought, why not just stroke it to ensure I don't stick to the rack and stroke it firmly enough such that I return to the middle of the table.

Then I heard Grady's words ringing in my ears that he doesn't much think of a 14.1 player that strokes the ball up and down the table...and I never tried it.

It may make the 14.1 purists reel in horror, but I just might have to play it next time I face that shot. It will ensure the rack is blown open too.
 
mosconiac said:
Then I heard Grady's words ringing in my ears that he doesn't much think of a 14.1 player that strokes the ball up and down the table
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He might have to start thinking a little more of a player who does that because one, in particular, just so happens to be the best 14.1 player out there right now. :)


You can hit that same shot, where the cue ball wants to go up table, with a *very small* amount of inside English (in addition to draw, of course) and it will usually prevent the cue ball from going up table. I had a friend show me that break shot (he's an old school straight pool player). I've experimented with it and now I use it whenever I have that angle and I want to hit the rack with some authority, but I don't want to lose the cue ball up table.
 
Jimmy M. said:
He might have to start thinking a little more of a player who does that because one, in particular, just so happens to be the best 14.1 player out there right now. :) ...
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Well, yes, but I think he scratched on the shot at least three times at the first revived NJ State championship at Comet Billiards to end long runs. (The scratches occurred when the hit was lower on the rack.) A major advantage of that style is that no ball is within six inches of any other ball after the break shot.
 
No less an authority than Ray Martin always advocated against drawing hard enough to reach the back rail on the breakshot, for the simple reason that it will result in a scratch of the cue ball too often.

Thomas Engert stepped up to the table down about 143-120 against John Schmidt during the event just completed, and his scratch into the top corner off the draw-stroke break shot cost him the match.
 
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I've seen the majority of the Accu-Stats 14.1 tapes, but I've never seen any player hit the break shots as hard as Hohmann and Immonen were doing in the Maryland qualifier. They were basically hitting the shots as hard as I hit my 9-ball break (I thought they might bring out their break cues for those shots). I also saw them hit several break shots at warp speed where the cue ball had to travel 3 rails before hitting the rack - I can't hit a 9-ball break shot as hard as they were hitting those object balls; the cue ball was still travelling faster than a traditional 14.1 break shot when it hit the rack.

Though the pockets were huge at that event; their style was DEFINITELY non-traditional, and they definitely missed some break shots as a result of the forcefulness of their strokes. I also saw a foul from an object ball jumping off the table on a secondary break shot struck at warp speed. It was an interesting style, which I have no desire (nor aptitude) to emulate. I doubt that there are many players who could successfully perform as well as they do using that particular style.
 
What we have here is a prime example of the style of many of the Europeans, and maybe it's the right way, maybe it's the wrong way. It's not the "old school' way, and the risks it presents are obvious in impaired control of the cue ball off the rack.

Nonetheless, the risk must be measured against the beneift of doing a better job of spreading the balls, thereby leaving easier racks to run, and helping to produce some big runs.

The excellence of the Europeans, who, for the second straight year, produced three of the four semifinalist and both finalists, forces one to evaluate whether they've found a better way of approaching the play of the breakshot. Maybe they have, and maybe they haven't, but it's certainly an interesting topic for consideration.
 
Well I wouldn't hit the break shot that way but it's a little difficult to argue with the guy who is running more balls than anyone else at the moment. He had something ridiculous like 4 consecutive 125-and-outs in the European 14.1 Championships, if I heard the commentary correctly from last year's World finals. Not to say it's right, but I'd have a difficult time arguing with him over the "correctness" of the shot. If you take his choice in break shots out of the equation, I think he plays a more classic style of straight pool than the other European players. Of course, I'm basing that on limited exposure to the European straight pool players.
 
my 2 cents:

I was talking to Niels Feijen on this subject and he used to hit the pack with rocket power and then clean up the table. Every now and then he would scratch but break building went good. He won 4 European Championships 14.1 in the last 6 years!!

Now he changed his style a little bit by hitting the pack now softly and making sure that he would not scratch. Now he had to puzzle a lot more and take more risk in "pealing the pack". Just every now and then he would not hit the pack perfect leaving him no shot or getting stuck in the pack leaving him no shot.

So both styles have a pro and a disadvantage, Niels will go back to hitting the pack HARD and keep more flow in his game. Taking the scratch every now as part of his style.
 
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I don't think that it really matters exactly how traditional or non-traditional, that a player's breakshot style/speed is, if it works for them, that's what matters, but all in all, Straight Pool is a rhythm and concentration game, it's mostly a case of being able to start running balls and find your rhythm and to stay in that rhythm, but without getting ahead of yourself or losing your concentration and focus :)

I have yet to have the oppertunity to compete at high level straight pool, but I would very much love to compete in the US Open Straight Pool champrionships in Nov this year, but I'll have to see how thins go over the next 2-3 months :)

Willie
 
Bob Jewett said:
Well, yes, but I think he scratched on the shot at least three times at the first revived NJ State championship at Comet Billiards to end long runs.
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Bob's comment raised a memory...Hohmann struggled with scratching on the opening break at Bob's 2007 DCC 14.1 competition. I remember two occasions where he blasted the stack and scratched (once in the side & once in the upper corner pocket). I was recording his attempts, but decided to erase them after he scratched.
 
mosconiac said:
Bob's comment raised a memory...Hohmann struggled with scratching on the opening break at Bob's 2007 DCC 14.1 competition. I remember two occasions where he blasted the stack and scratched (once in the side & once in the upper corner pocket). I was recording his attempts, but decided to erase them after he scratched.
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I kind of like the break shot that John Schmidt uses to start out that 112run at DCC ... he said that Leil Gay showed that to him. Its actually the perfect shot, similar to the side pocket break that Cowboy Jimmy Moore would use quite often.

Here is a link to a video of the shot I am referring to ...

John Schmidt 112 Ball Run at DCC - 2006

I also have the Accu-Stats version where John gives commentary on this run - great stuff!
 
Blackjack said:
I kind of like the break shot that John Schmidt uses to start out that 112run at DCC ...
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Blackjack,
An interesting strategy involving this type of breakshot was conveyed to me by George Breedlove. GB is DEFINITELY not a straight pool fan or player (though a shotmaker extraordinaire). When he plays straight pool, he will always leave a ball in the middle of the table near the side pocket, until he is sure that he has a traditional break ball that can be preserved until the end of the rack. Only then will he take away the side pocket ball. Remember that these are great break shots with ball-in-hand; and it is usually fairly easy to craft an end of the rack sequence that ends with whitey in the rack area.

Like all "rules", this is one that often must be ignored; but the player that uses this principle will find that it often helps in those tough racks where you lose your break ball, or have trouble developing one. It is a principle that I always try to follow; though I have never heard an old-school player speak of it.

P.S. - The first time GB tried straight pool, on a super-tight Diamond with crazy cut pockets, using a crooked house cue; he ran 45 opposite handed from the opening break in his very first inning. In the second inning he ran 43 shooting one-handed, jacked up (cue not ever touching the table). I didn't ask him to play again for a very long time.
 
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Williebetmore said:
Blackjack,
An interesting strategy involving this type of breakshot was conveyed to me by George Breedlove. GB is DEFINITELY not a straight pool fan or player (though a shotmaker extraordinaire). When he plays straight pool, he will always leave a ball in the middle of the table near the side pocket, until he is sure that he has a traditional break ball that can be preserved until the end of the rack. Only then will he take away the side pocket ball. Remember that these are great break shots with ball-in-hand; and it is usually fairly easy to craft an end of the rack sequence that ends with whitey in the rack area.

Like all "rules", this is one that often must be ignored; but the player that uses this principle will find that it often helps in those tough racks where you lose your break ball, or have trouble developing one. It is a principle that I always try to follow; though I have never heard an old-school player speak of it.

P.S. - The first time GB tried straight pool, on a super-tight Diamond with crazy cut pockets, using a crooked house cue; he ran 45 opposite handed from the opening break in his very first inning. In the second inning he ran 43 shooting one-handed, jacked up (cue not ever touching the table). I didn't ask him to play again for a very long time.
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Exactly. Like I said, Jimmy Moore would do this all of the time. Usually, it was because he had a better angle to hit the two head balls in the stack, and he told me that he knew that he wasn't going to scratch. Who was I to argue with him? lol Cowboy sure did like the side pocket break shots, and he was a lot of fun to watch! (Unless like me, you were his victim in the electric chair)

That is definitely some strong shooting from GB.
 
Drawing back to the rail...

Is it possible table/equipment conditions dictate when is a good opportunity to play the break shot this way?

For example, if I knew I could break the pack wide open with my first hit on the stack, I may opt/gamble to hit the first break shot harder to spread the rack better initially. However, if the equipment was a bit sticky and the balls weren't opening up so great, I would never play the uptable breakshot, especially if the cloth is slow or damp.

The way I learned, you weren't supposed to play it up table for two reasons, you might scratch, or you could get stuck up table. The only guy I knew that did play it that way, said not to as well. lol

Donald
 
Watever happened to using the break shot that Willie Mosconi had been known to use quite often?, where the break ball would be top-of-the-stack High, and then the CB would be a little lower down and he would play the BB in the side, and run the CB through into the side of the stack, hitting the middle 2 balls on the stack, to take away the scratch possibility and to therefore, to continue the run.

On another note, on the side pocket breaks that Jimmy Moore played, I have been fonder of these breaks shots, more so, than the traditional breaks because it is possible to set that shot up, leaving the BB is close to the side pocket, but still leave a solid angle to crack the stack wide open, but without requiring overdrive to do it :)

Are there any of you good foles that use either of these breakshots? :)

Willie
 
If I may offer my thoughts on the break. Not being a 100 ball runner and very happy to hit 50 :) I have found a softer more controlled break does a few things for me.

First it prevents me from having various small clusters all over the place to deal with.

Secondly it allows me to find a focus for a deeper concentration in terms of working the rack.

As far as where the break ball lies, I like a conventional corner pocket break but I much more prefer to carom into one of the two highest balls on the side of the stack rather than going lower.

For me, I can control the cue to the center much easier and with much less force. Sometimes when you're stuck with a lower break, even if you draw, the cue slides down and scratches as though you followed. If I do end up with only a lower break ball available, I try my best to make it a steep angle into the rack so I can put a smooth but more forceful follow stroke on the shot and make the cue eat into the stack.

A controlled break hitting one of the center balls in the stack and drawing to the side rail with the cue, although common, to me is scary also. It seems I never end up with much more than one shot in a side pocket if I'm lucky.

The break Blackjack showed JS shooting also is pretty scary to me. Not being the most accurate player in the world, I worry about glancing off the side and into the corner. I think if I had the choice on that type shot, I'd opt to come around 2 rails behind the balls.

I find this a very interesting topic. As I mentioned once before, it would be great to display high run figures for each poster to get a feel for how different level players approach different problems.
 
I agree with you wholeheartedly, it's always great to discuss various shots and scenarios in Straight Pool :)

I remember reading in the "Straight Pool Bible" by Babe Cranfield, in which he mentions the break shot that the late great Ralph Greenleaf played, where he would hit the break shot so had, that the cueball would hit the stack, reverse back temporarily, and then run through what was left of the stack :)

What about break shots from behind the stack?... if there were 4 balls left on the table, but neither ot them were useable or movable position, for a traditional break shot, where whereabouts to the back of the stack, would you prefer the BB to be and what way would you play the shot, would you follow 1 or 3 rails, draw off the stack, whatever? :)

Willie
 
Blackjack said:
... ... he said that Leil Gay showed that to him. ...
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Leil used that shot 54 times at the DCC in 2006. The main things you have to worry about are putting the object ball in the right place and getting the right amount of follow on the cue ball. Adjust the follow/draw so the cue ball goes no more than two diamonds up or down the table from the head of the rack. It you can do that, a scratch is unlikely.
 
TheWizard said:
What about break shots from behind the stack?... if there were 4 balls left on the table, but neither ot them were useable or movable position, for a traditional break shot, where whereabouts to the back of the stack, would you prefer the BB to be and what way would you play the shot, would you follow 1 or 3 rails, draw off the stack, whatever? :)

Willie
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Behind the rack isn't my favorite, but if I had to I'm about 50/50 with two options. The first is with the OB almost lying in the center behind the rack and about 2 to 3 ball widths low. With the cue even closer to the bottom rail I like to use inside english and go the three rails. The space between the OB and the rack affords the angle for the cue ball to contact the rack at about the second ball in on the last row.

I also don't mind the OB being an inch or so off the bottom rail, in line with about the second ball in and the cue being up closer to the rack. With a touch of below center hit and outside english, I try to contact the last two balls in the rack at the opposite end from the OB. The cue hits the long rail after contact and slides up toward the center.

Both of those seem to keep the cue out of trouble. But for me .... any behind the rack shot requires me to put much extra concentration on a real smoothy stroke. :)
 
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