English on the break shot.

Depends on how well you judge deflection, and where the CB will contact the pack. If pockets are tight, and you are hitting an OB square-on, draw/stun only is likely safer than risking a miss/sell-out.
 
Any side spin on the cue ball will have a negligible effect on the rack. You use side spin for when the cue ball gets to a cushion.

The reason this is true is that the force from the side spin is much, much smaller than the main contact force. That's why throw causes only small angle changes -- small but often important. Using side spin gives the same result as landing the cue ball 1mm different on the object ball without side spin.
 
Over the years, I've heard lots of dissension among the top pros on this subject. As Zerskies notes, English is indispensible on the behind the rack break shots. Bob Jewett's post is excellent here, but one other reason for the use of English on break shots is that many like to use outside to offset collision induced throw on break shots that don't require a very firm hit. For many players, this improves their pocketing percentage.
 
sjm said:
... one other reason for the use of English on break shots is that many like to use outside to offset collision induced throw on break shots ...
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An example would be the standard side of the rack break shot on which Mosconi advised outside english. It also keeps the cue ball from going to far if it gets to the end rail.
 
Bob Jewett said:
An example would be the standard side of the rack break shot on which Mosconi advised outside english. It also keeps the cue ball from going to far if it gets to the end rail.
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Makes me wonder about typical ball/cloth conditions in Mosconi’s day (?). Beat-up/dirty mud balls & carded cloth WOULD mandate outside english. When was the first ball polishing machine introduced? Would room owners ever hand-clean the balls (never saw it done), or replace? Hardened hand oil or food grease likely provided a sort of protective polish (?), that became wickedly sticky in hot weather (before AC).
 
In certain situations English will also eliminate a scratch after pocketing the object ball on the break.
Lots of times I use high outside English when pocketing the ball on the break. The cue ball after contacting the object ball will then collide with the rack and then the high English will kick in and curve off the rack and down to the bottom rail. Without the English the cue ball very likely would head into the lower corner pocket for a scratch. Hate it when that happens.
 
“It happens” to me whenever I fail to assess all the factors involved (ball/cloth condition, OB distance from the rack, tangent line/contact point, speed of hit, etc., etc.). Guys like Mosconi, it seems, would just step up and pop in the breakshot as soon as the rack was lifted, with a good spread & no scratch resulting. Go figure.
 
DynoDan said:
“It happens” to me whenever I fail to assess all the factors involved (ball/cloth condition, OB distance from the rack, tangent line/contact point, speed of hit, etc., etc.). Guys like Mosconi, it seems, would just step up and pop in the breakshot as soon as the rack was lifted, with a good spread & no scratch resulting. Go figure.
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Mosconi pretty much only had one break shot. A sharp angle that sent the cue ball straight into the pack. Hard to scratch.
 
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