How do you break up the rack?

[Samiel]

I've been playing a lot of straight pool lately (meaning 1/100 games of pool, lol)... and since I'm not the best player by any means, I often get the last ball stuck in the rack... so it spots on the head spot.

My question is, where do you try to leave the cueball when you know the break ball will be spotted on the head spot in order to break up the rack... and how do you shoot the ball? Wei diagrams would be great!

Perhaps I just need to purchase a book on straight pool.

 

[CaptainJR]

I'm not a great straight pool player but the wei table isn't necessary to answer your question. When you get to the 13th ball, play position for the ball that is in the rack. Then you won't have to deal with this situation.

 

[drivermaker]

I'm not a great straight pool player but the wei table isn't necessary to answer your question. When you get to the 13th ball, play position for the ball that is in the rack. Then you won't have to deal with this situation.

The 13th ball???!! WAY TOO LATE!!!

 

[Samiel]

I'm not a great straight pool player but the wei table isn't necessary to answer your question. When you get to the 13th ball, play position for the ball that is in the rack. Then you won't have to deal with this situation.

That doesn't quite answer my question, lol.

Okay, let me put it this way, if my opponent bobbles his 14th ball in the jaws of the pocket near the head of the table and leaves the cue ball near it and the 15th ball is left in the rack, how do I play position for the 15th ball spotted on the head spot so I can break up the rack?

Of course if I'm playing I try to play position for a break ball near the rack... but this doesn't always work out 100% either...

 

[drivermaker]

That doesn't quite answer my question, lol.

Okay, let me put it this way, if my opponent bobbles his 14th ball in the jaws of the pocket near the head of the table and leaves the cue ball near it and the 15th ball is left in the rack, how do I play position for the 15th ball spotted on the head spot so I can break up the rack?

Of course if I'm playing I try to play position for a break ball near the rack... but this doesn't always work out 100% either...

What would YOUR best guess be as to which pocket to knock it in and the kind of angle you should have to break up the rack?

 

[Samiel]

What would YOUR best guess be as to which pocket to knock it in and the kind of angle you should have to break up the rack?

I think I would try something like:

START(
%Ag6O3%BL7P8%CJ5O4%DL7N1%EM7P1%FK6P1%GK6N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK6M5
%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%P_9S6%Qs5B2%UO8Q7%Vb7[5%Wr4D6
%Xh2N9%Yg4P0%Z`6S2%[r7U5%\g9P2%]c9[3%^s2V0%eC0`3
)END

Maybe there's a better way to make a break out with the ball on the head spot?

 

[Snapshot9]

you have to ...

If your cue is somewhat downtable, you cut the
ball into a corner pocket and use inside top english
to go 2 rails and down towards the rack. (has to
be hard, has to be accurate).

I your cue is uptable somewhere (preferably in front
of the headstring), you cut the ball into the corner
trying to use the angle to take the cue over to the
long rail with lots of english so it spins downtable
into the rack.

These breaks will only usually knock out a 1-3 balls
from the rack, and you then have to continue
breaking up the rack using 1 of those 3 balls, or at
least to make a ball and perhaps set up for a break
shot on the next shot.

 

[Hal]

To me, your second angle looks off. I'm not sure that shot would even hit the rack. Edit: I shot it a few times. It's actually pretty close. My shots seemed to hit the lower part of the rack though. Like this:

START(
%Ag6O3%BL7P8%CJ5O4%DL7N1%EM7P1%FK6P1%GK6N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK6M5
%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%P_9S6%Qs5B2%UL6S2%V^9Z8%Wr4D6
%Xh2N9%Yg4P0%Z`6S2%[r7U5%\g9P2%]`4[0%^s2V0%eC0`3
)END

 

[pete lafond]

I think I would try something like:

START(
%Ag6O3%BL7P8%CJ5O4%DL7N1%EM7P1%FK6P1%GK6N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK6M5
%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%P_9S6%Qs5B2%UO8Q7%Vb7[5%Wr4D6
%Xh2N9%Yg4P0%Z`6S2%[r7U5%\g9P2%]c9[3%^s2V0%eC0`3
)END

Maybe there's a better way to make a break out with the ball on the head spot?

or this

START(
%Ag6O3%BL7P8%CJ5O4%DL7N1%EM7P1%FK6P1%GK6N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK6M5
%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%Pf8Y7%Qs5B2%Ud6\3%Vb7[5%Wr4D6
%Xh2N9%Yg4P0%Zf8X9%[Y4C4%\g9P2%]L8L0%^X8C5%eC0`3
)END

 

[Samiel]

pete's way looks to be the easier (for me to hit, and with more power). I'll give it a try next time I'm in this situation.

 

[Rod]

pete's way looks to be the easier (for me to hit, and with more power). I'll give it a try next time I'm in this situation.

This is a good way. START(
%Ag6O3%BL7P8%CJ5O4%DL7N1%EM7P1%FK6P1%GK6N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK6M5
%KJ5P7%LJ5N2%MK6Q4%NJ5R0%OJ5M0%Pd3V9%Qs5B2%Wr4D6%Xh2N9%Yg4P0
%Z]9C9%[Y4C4%\g9P2%]S0K8%^]5C6%eA4a6
)END

Rod