Getting from the key ball to the break ball

[Big Perm]

Kewl post Blackjack....

As to not cheat, I didn't read the other answers but will in a minute...

I take the black path.....recently, I have learned that leaving a thinner cut on my break ball has led to a few things:

Much more consistent at making the break ball
Being able to strike with without breaking at warp speed
More cueball control
Better, more consistent spread

Now, I'll go back and see what everyone put

 

[3andstop]

I don't know, but i think from the diagram that people think its more angle cut on the 5 than it actually is. At first glance i thought it was a pretty good angle, but then i realized its not..

The blue line, most people hate inside english, not much is needed on this shot, and once you pass the point you need for a break shot, you remain on the exact line for the same breakout angle for a long distance, giving a HUGE margin for speed error.

When i see people shoot this shot, usually they would try the red line, and end up getting too deep into the corner and have some outside spin, and actually cross the line needed.

If i didn't shoot the blue line, i would definitely go further up the side rail near where the black line is, as it also has a much larger margin for error, but i can't see not using the blue line.

Yep, dats what I think too, you said it better ....

 

[14-1StraightMan]

Which color path

Red is Best. Nice an easy position shot with a high percent break shot.

The Blue path is a high risk shot. Many times on shots like that using inside English the cue will cause skid when it comes in contact with the object ball.

The Black path is second best but you need to come with a shot b/c of the angle & distance. I much rather be up close and personal with angle break shots like that.

Good post.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

IMO, the better player should favor BLACK and the weaker player should favor RED. The weaker player needs a shallower angle on the break shot to ensure they make the shot. The better player can afford a steep angle.

Yesterday, I set up Blackjack's scenario to practice with so I have the following comments:
1. Using inside (right) English yields unpredictable results. After pocketing the 5-ball, sometimes the cue ball would hit the rail and bounce straight out as illustrated in the Cue Table diagrams. But many other times the cue ball would hit the rail and spin out to the right. On those occasions when the CB spun out to the right, perhaps I was using too much right English so I may go back to try this again another time. Also, the first few times I shot this, the CB came up short of the desired position so it took a few iterations to get my CB speed right.

2. Many posters, including me, said that they would prefer the red path over the black one, due to the distance and the angle. That suggests to me that you need to practice these distant break shots that have a sharp cut angle. I practiced variations of these break shots yesterday so that I'm at least more proficient in these situations than I was before.