In theory I agree w/this approach, in practice I'm preternaturally good at blowing up the rack and not making a damn thing. I'll keep working on that break in league and use the 2nd ball break when it matters.pharaoh68 said:Best bet is to pllace the cueball about an inch to either side of the headspot and aim to hit the lead ball head on (no angle) as hard as you can. Do it right and the balls will spread better than aiming for the second ball. This way, you can avoid the scratch, spread the balls better, and have a much greater chance of running out.
CreeDo said:The phenolic is meant only for getting max speed max speed with 0 english.
The 2nd ball break is just the opposite, you want some english (to avoid the scratch and move the cueball back into the rack) and you DON'T want full force. I forgot who said it, but someone pointed out that you should hit with 50-60% of your usual break power for this break. If you try full speed you're gonna jump or scratch a lot. So you almost NEED a regular tip to do 2nd ball breaks.
I don't agree that it's a waste of time. Some people's mileage will vary, especially depending on the table... but even if the 8 never goes, I always move balls out of the triangle area, and I get a great spread. On my normal break (which is just what pharaoh uses) I seem to end up with a bunch of balls clustered up towards one side rail. It's like half the rack just moves together as one big cluster. On the 2nd ball break I drop more, with better frequency, and they just don't seem to cluster because they're always getting kicked around at these crazy angles. Occasionally I halfass it but if it's done correctly I know it's at least as good as a normal break spreadwise, with the added bonus of the occasional 8-ball.
UWPoolGod1 said:Being a big guy I usually cram the head ball in local bar tourneys. For the Open in Vegas this past week I side breaked every break. If I made a ball I could usually get through the clusters, If not make a ball then my opponent has to try to get through the clusters. Usually resulting in them not clearing the whole table but leaving me usually an open out after they made a few balls.
I use the one that seems to be making balls. If both are making balls, then I choose the one that seems to be giving the better spread. Normally, that's the head ball break.berlowmj said:Do you choose between them & use one under all circumstances or do you select one over the other in different circumstances.? For example, bar table vs 9 footer or tight rack vs loose etc?
CreeDo said:The 2nd ball break is just the opposite, you want some english (to avoid the scratch and move the cueball back into the rack) and you DON'T want full force. I forgot who said it, but someone pointed out that you should hit with 50-60% of your usual break power for this break. If you try full speed you're gonna jump or scratch a lot. So you almost NEED a regular tip to do 2nd ball breaks..