How Do You Practice The Break?

D

DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ok, anybody have any good practice drills for practicing the break shot in 9-ball? other than keep racking and breaking all the time, that would be pretty time consuming.

thought about putting a pillow at the end of the table so the cue ball would slam into it rather than the rail and go flying. thought about the elephant balls so i can see if its sliding, not spinning. thought about putting a couple of balls of string by the spot and seeing if i can hit the cue ball right between them.

anybody have any good drills for the break shot?

M
 
Break Practice

M, I have a break training device called the BreakRak II. I am an instructor and use it for my students. You can break more in two hours than you can in a week of reracking. Works great. You ever make it down, I will let you use it for a couple hours. One bad mofo dude. You will leave breaking like a pro if ya got anything at all.
Don P. :cool:
 
hi, i tried the BreakRak in Vegas a couple of years ago, thanks Don. just dont think i wanna spend the $$$ to get one though. . . . . . . . . .

was just wondering if anyone knew or could recommend any drills for the break shot.
 
What benefit does the BreakRak really give you? Seriously, if you are playing 9-ball you want a few things on the break.

1. Cue in the center of the table (roughly)
2. pocket a ball
3. shot on the next lowest ball
4. get the 9 moving towards a corner pocket.

All that I can see the BreakRak helping with is #1, but if you can't pocket a ball (like getting a wing ball or the one in the side) consistently, then you've just left your opponent with nice CB position.

I kept moving my break spot around until I found one that I liked and was consistently getting a ball on (about 8/10 times). I don't see how the BreakRak have helped with that.

Or is it just better to smash the crap out of the rack going for #1 with no other plan? I'm not saying that the BreakRak doesn't have any use, but I was just curious if it helps anything other than keeping the cue in the middle of the table.
 
If you learn to hit the cue ball from any angle, with some degree of force, and can leave the cue ball in the middle of the table, you have a much better chance of having a shot on the next ball. It can teach one where to hit the cue ball, where to hit the one ball from any angle, and end up in the middle of the table. All ya got to do is find the sweet spot on the rack. Advantage, no cue ball flying off the table, good position after the break, controled break, and finding your optimum break speed where you don't lose control of the cue ball. Many pros have used them and there are quite a few instructors who use them. Every time I take it to a pool hall, I have a hard time getting them to quit so I can go home. Of course, there are some people who already know it all and have no use for it.
Don :cool:
 
Donald A. Purdy said:
If you learn to hit the cue ball from any angle, with some degree of force, and can leave the cue ball in the middle of the table, you have a much better chance of having a shot on the next ball. It can teach one where to hit the cue ball, where to hit the one ball from any angle, and end up in the middle of the table. All ya got to do is find the sweet spot on the rack. Advantage, no cue ball flying off the table, good position after the break, controled break, and finding your optimum break speed where you don't lose control of the cue ball. Many pros have used them and there are quite a few instructors who use them. Every time I take it to a pool hall, I have a hard time getting them to quit so I can go home. Of course, there are some people who already know it all and have no use for it.
Don :cool:
Click to expand...
Don,
Where can you get one of these Breack Racks? I don't think I have ever seen one in the Mueller catalog. How much are they. I've never seriously practiced my break, this sounds like it might be a bearable way to practice (as a straight pool player it really irks me that I need to practice this stupid shot if I'm going to be competitive in 9 Ball).
 
Williebetmore said:
Don,
Where can you get one of these Breack Racks? I don't think I have ever seen one in the Mueller catalog. How much are they. I've never seriously practiced my break, this sounds like it might be a bearable way to practice (as a straight pool player it really irks me that I need to practice this stupid shot if I'm going to be competitive in 9 Ball).
Click to expand...

I'm not Don, but ...

http://www.breakrak.com/
 
BreakRak

Hey, if $150 is to steep for ya, get together with a couple of friends and go in on it together. Everybody wins!
Don :cool:
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
where can i get one for $150? the website says $229?
Click to expand...
Thats the delux one. Fits 7', 8',& 9' tables with a carrying case, shipping included. I see he is comming out with the BreakRak III for $139.00, shipping included. Email him for a price on one for a nine foot table without the case.
Don :cool:
 
Since I trust your opinion, Don, I gotta ask - does this thing give you the exact same cueball response as does breaking a normal rack, using the same stroke? It looks like a great way to save a lot of work racking, of course, which justifies the price for anyone who practices their break enough.

I'm just curious the difference in response between a spring-loaded head ball (which is going to want to push back against a cue) and a sitting head ball, which will only resist the force applied by a cue to the extent that the balls frozen against it will allow it to. I would also think such a setup would alter the response of the cue if you're applying spin to the break, since the head ball won't absorb any (or as much) of it, being held in place.

The physics just don't quite work for me, but I can be accurately accused of thinking too much whenever possible. :)
 
The one ball on the spot and the three other balls plus the shock absorber attached to two bunji cords have plenty of give. I believe it was engineered to duplicate the nine ball rack. Cue ball control is the main purpose. I can break from anywhere behind the headstring and plant the cue ball in or near the center of the table 9 out of 10 times after practicing for an hour. I can bust a nice rack with my break also. Of course I use a SledgeHammer. I am just sharing my experience with you. If I told you that the other day I made the nine on the snap three times in a row with the Sledge, you might have doubts. I did though. Four times in 45 minutes. I did scratch on the third, but for a shot that should only happen 1 out of 50, thats pretty remarkable.
Don :cool:
 
Donald A. Purdy said:
M, I have a break training device called the BreakRak II. I am an instructor and use it for my students. You can break more in two hours than you can in a week of reracking. Works great. You ever make it down, I will let you use it for a couple hours. One bad mofo dude. You will leave breaking like a pro if ya got anything at all.
Don P. :cool:
Click to expand...

don,,,i can see the usefulness of not having to rerack,,,,but i would think you're missing the feedback. mainly, it's seeing the result of a break attempt, and adjusting incrementally with each ensuing break,,,,kind of a feely thing.

also, you're missing out on the whole flow of the WHOLE break,,,the sounds,,,what the CB does afterwards, etc etc. because only one aspect of the break is being explored.

i can only liken it to practicing freethrows at an imaginary hoop.
 
Why is it halls haven't snapped these up? If I owned a place, I'd have at least a couple of these to rent out to people getting lessons or just practicing. I know there's a certain administrative overhead to loaning equipment and such, but really, it would be nominal compared to the loyalty folks might have for coming to practice each week during the slow hours. When Michele and I make it out to your place, Don, I'm gonna have to try that thing. I use a wooden triangle when trying to practice break shots in 14.1 -- not even close to the same thing. I HATE the sound of the cue ball hittin' that wood. Of course, that's WHEN I manage to hit it, haha.
 
bruin70, after you learn where to hit the cue ball from any place behind the head string and plant it into the middle of the table, you find the sweet spot when you actually play. The feedback is instant, no reracking. That is the point. I guarantee that if you tried it, you would be impressed and your break would improve. I agree with Toby, rooms should have one to rent. I am not suggesting you go out and buy one. I am suggesting you try one. I stated that everybody that tried it, loved it. That is the truth. How many people will go out and spend $2,000 on a cue but won't spend $150 to improve the most important shot in 9 ball. Go figure man. I will try and get together with Toby this week or weekend and let him post his unbiased opinion. Hows that sound?
Don :cool:
 
To act as an (unsolicited) interpreter here, I think Bruin has a point in that you don't get to see whether the 9 dropped on the break, etc. But to Don's credit, there is more to breaking than whether you make a ball. Assuming you have a good snap, you WILL make a ball most of the time. The important thing is whether you have a shot afterwards. Since distance is our enemy in this game (well, my damned enemy!), leaving the cue ball in the center of the table leaves a really good chance at a shot. If you could walk into a store and pay someone for a guarantee that you could get a good shot after the break on 90% of your games, how much would you spend?
 
i have heard, for instance, of some great(or maybe just plain knitpicky) players breaking hours on end just to watch how the balls react etc etc.
 
Missing the point?

I think perhaps the best practice you can have for breaking is rack, rack, and then rack some more. I believe it is one of the most overlooked skills in the game: to be able to rack up a nice, tight 9 ball rack on any cloth (new, worn, whatever).

It doesn't matter how good your break shot is, if the balls ain't tight nothing is going in regardless!

I like the BreakRak idea, however I won't be shelling out for it until I try it.
 
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