Does anyone know if he practices his break? I think he is the greatest player to ever pick up a cue, and if he had a big break he'd probably be unbeatable at 9-ball. I know he practices alot, has anyone ever seen him working on his break? It's funny how people say he has one of the worst breaks of all the top pros, but he still wins tournaments left and right. Maybe the break is not as important as everyone says it is? I don't know, this is purely speculation.
Efren's Break
- Thread starter LastTwo
- Start date
LastTwo said:
the only thing i've heard about efren and his breaks is what he said. he said that you have to be a big guy to break good, and he's not big so he doesn't break good.
from that statement, i'd have to deduct that he doesn't practice it.
VAP
Hell, Efren doesn't even practice. He just plays money games. Even twenty dollar one-pocket games.
He lost that match against Gabe Owen at the Bike because he did not make a ball in his 5 breaks.
He lost that match against Gabe Owen at the Bike because he did not make a ball in his 5 breaks.
vapoolplayer said:
That's nonsense. Look at Santos, he's short and skinny but he whacks them HARD. Alex Pagulayan is small too and he's got one of the best breaks out there. I forget who told me this, but to have a big break you don't have to be strong, because you're simply throwing the cue at the cueball, it's all timing and coordination.
LastTwo said:
I don't know whether Efren practices his break or not
but I don't really think his break is as weak as
most people seem to thnk. Sure, he doesn't break
like Archer or Bustamante but he seems to make a
ball most of the time. In the World 9-ball event
one year he ran something like an 8 or 9 pack and
another 7 pack in the same tournament! You can't do
that with a weak break.
LastTwo said:
i'm just telling you a quote from efren i read in a magazine
VAP
LastTwo said:
Last Two,
He used to be known for his poor break, so that became kind of a "rap" on Efren. When he first came to the U.S. he wasn't winning much. He worked on his break a lot. I think it was about 7 or 8 years ago he hired a pro to teach him the break shot.
Actually, I think his break shot now is pretty good compared to other pros. He will never be a Bustramante or an Archer, but few players can keep up with those guys when it comes to break shots.
I was watching Efren at the Bicycle Club last year playing against Tang Hoa. He has a knack for pocketing the corner ball and coming up with shape on the 1 ball. He has medium speed on his break but scatters them very well. I think his biggest advantage over other players is if he can just pocket a ball on the break, even if he doesn't have a shot at the next ball, he can win most safety battles that ensue. His game is a very delicate touch game, so I can see why he might have trouble letting that break shot go.
I heard he practices for 3 hours every morning.
Talk about little guys with great breaks, Ralf Souquet - a fantastic break shot.
Chris
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The guy can break. Maybe 10 years ago or so his break was a little weak compared to the other guys out there, but he hits them pretty square now and with enough power to make balls if he doesn't make the corner ball or the one in the side. His break gets a lot of bad press, but it just isn't justified (at least, not these days) from what I've seen.
vapoolplayer said:
Where did he say that? He is just dead wrong in this quote if he truely said it because size has very little to do at all with a good or powerful break. Some of the best breakers in the game are small guys, thin guys, fat guys, short guys, tall guys, ect... There is really no way a person could think that breaking power has anything to do with size. Sounds like an excuse for his one weak spot in the game. He is a bigger guy then alot of people with braks way bigger then him, he simply puts very little of his body into the break and that is where the power comes from. Watch Efren break compared to Archer or Bustamente and you will see the latter have ALOT more of their body and a weight shift whereas Efren is mostly arm motion and a simple raising of his upper body producing very little power.
When I played him at 8 ball he was making a ball most frames in the early sets but did finish dry a few times. When I was 7:5 up (sorry couldn't help myself 
I noticed that he was getting a little aggitated with his break and it really went up a notch after that. His last few breaks when awesome, really cracking the pack and getting a great spread and a few balls. One of the the lasting impressions I took from playing him was how good is break was in when it mattered, much better than I thought.
PS
Don't forget this was 8 ball, on a slowish table with pretty "heavy" (eg not best quality) balls. It was obvious to me that he had been either a) working on it a lot or b) it was always very good
I noticed that he was getting a little aggitated with his break and it really went up a notch after that. His last few breaks when awesome, really cracking the pack and getting a great spread and a few balls. One of the the lasting impressions I took from playing him was how good is break was in when it mattered, much better than I thought.PS
Don't forget this was 8 ball, on a slowish table with pretty "heavy" (eg not best quality) balls. It was obvious to me that he had been either a) working on it a lot or b) it was always very good
all in all it just goest to show that the break doesn't need to be crushed. Cue ball control and some good luck is what is needed to be a good breaker in 9-ball.
Smaller pockets have contributed to making less balls on the break when they are hit hard.
Also with so many different breaks, soft, medium, hard and cut breaks, it just depends on how the table is playing at that particular time.
Smaller pockets have contributed to making less balls on the break when they are hit hard.
Also with so many different breaks, soft, medium, hard and cut breaks, it just depends on how the table is playing at that particular time.
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Efren's break is just fine. There was a match several years between Efren and Jimmy Wetch out in Los Angeles ( I think it was at the Commerce Casino - Legends of 9 Ball?). Efren was down 5-1 and then his break kicked in. What happened after that was simply magical. I don't think Jimmy got another game or another clear shot.
I think things have changed a little bit as far as the break goes. Corey Deuel experiments with different break shots and I believe Efren was breaking at slow-medium speed against Earl when Strickland told him "Break like a man...".
Everyone knows what happened at the Color of Money events.
On a tough table, Efrens' lack of power will hurt his chances, but if there's a dead ball going, I'll take Efren over anyone in the world to figure out a way to play shape on a ball and win the match.
Everyone knows what happened at the Color of Money events.
On a tough table, Efrens' lack of power will hurt his chances, but if there's a dead ball going, I'll take Efren over anyone in the world to figure out a way to play shape on a ball and win the match.
I have the tape Dave.Blackjack said:
Efren won 10 games in a row on that match. Even made the 9 on one snap.
I've seen Efren get disgusted by his break several times.
Roldolfo Luat and Santos who are smaller than he, break much harder.
Several years ago, Efren propositioned a whole row of top pros giving them the 7-ball if Bustamante broke for him ( at Hard Times ).
Nobody took the game.
bruin I think you incorrect about that. Busta is small but he is one of the most powerful breaks out there. Efren being the best player alive and having Busta breaking for him would be almost unbeatable.
Keith McCready had a good article in Inside Pool about him matching up with Ronnie Wiseman and they both had designated breakers. Keith's was some huge 6'7 dude and Ronnie got Alex Pugulayan to break for him. Keith said he didn't even get a shot in the race if I remember correctly. Alex probably doesn't weigh a buck thirty soaking wet and he has a monstrous break.
Keith McCready had a good article in Inside Pool about him matching up with Ronnie Wiseman and they both had designated breakers. Keith's was some huge 6'7 dude and Ronnie got Alex Pugulayan to break for him. Keith said he didn't even get a shot in the race if I remember correctly. Alex probably doesn't weigh a buck thirty soaking wet and he has a monstrous break.
I saw Efren, Alex and Mike Massey at Hard Times in Sacramento a while back. Mike was showing Efren and Alex this shot where he shoots a ball at the foot rail, draws the cb back to the side rail, spins the cb four rails and gets shape for the next ball on the foot rail. Mike called it his 1h shape shot. Alex got up and tried it several times and the best he could do was to get the cb about 3" from the 3rd rail before it ran out of gas. Efren laughed at Alex and told him that he was too little to shoot that shot and he got up and tried it and just got about 10" further. Efren laughed and said he didn't need that shot to win a match. Just a funny story I thought I'd share and thought this might be as good as any time to share it.
DeadPoked said:
errrr,,,that's exactly what i'm saying, DP
busta is NOT a big fellow yet has a big break, but reyes said "you have to be big".....he was joking around, and it was his way of playing down the necessity of practicing the break.
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