How fast do you break?
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
lots of things moving
A lot of things moving can speed up the break quite a bit. I used to break off the end rail with a lot of motion. I broke much faster then of course with no app to make a liar out of me but one reason I didn't use my big break except when I was being silly was it hurt my ears and made them ring so bad it was annoying. A foot flew in the air and I had to make an effort to keep from bashing lights with the cue stick on the follow-through. A lot of things moving and the results weren't that impressive other than turning heads and annoying other people. Even now the first couple of balls to go in a pocket on a bar table tend to pop right back out if I break full power eight ball but some usually find their way in later. Back off the gas and that first couple stay in.
When I first started playing again a few years back the back leg still flew in the air as I broke from my toes as somebody else mentioned. Decided it was silly and I had parts moving it really wasn't wise to have moving.
A little food for thought, various ramblings:
Boxes get speed and power punching from their toes, sparring with a former pro boxer every punch he threw had wicked power compared to a backyard boxer, even his jabs. I truly believe there was a solid bridge of compressed muscles from his toes up.
I haven't kept up with the latest theories but the last I knew it was believed that we could change our ratio of fast and slow twitch muscles and that there were some fibers that were neither one or the other and the type of training we did would affect which they became. No question at all that hand speed can be increased hugely by training. Why is open to debate.
A friend fought chickens back when it was legal. Every day of a bird's life from the time it came out the egg until it fought or before every fight was carefully controlled. He threw birds with a weight tied to them to strengthen their wings and increase speed. Interestingly he had a very set number of times he would throw a bird and an exact number of sessions he would throw one. He strongly believed that throwing a bird too much made it slower and too muscle bound. A youngster trying to learn the game from him insisted on throwing the birds he was training more seeking an edge. Every one of them lost first time out.
Moving everything from the toes up and getting the timing right can increase break speed. Legs moving, body twist, lots of movement in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. The question is how far should you go in an attempt to increase break speed? There is a real possibility of injury trying to maximize break speed. A small strain or pull in a muscle can throw your whole game off. I would seek small gains and perhaps better consistency in your break. Seeking a radical increase, and fifteen percent or more is pretty radical, can lead to injuries large or small and it can also lead to bad motions bleeding over from your break into your normal stroke.
A good break pockets a ball a high percentage of the time, leaves a shot on the next ball, and doesn't result in clusters often. If somebody's break is already doing that I wouldn't make many changes looking for more. Look at the ball pattern on the table like looking at a shotgun pattern. are you getting a good even distribution of balls? The importance of the break is what it allows you to do next.
Hu
A lot of things moving can speed up the break quite a bit. I used to break off the end rail with a lot of motion. I broke much faster then of course with no app to make a liar out of me but one reason I didn't use my big break except when I was being silly was it hurt my ears and made them ring so bad it was annoying. A foot flew in the air and I had to make an effort to keep from bashing lights with the cue stick on the follow-through. A lot of things moving and the results weren't that impressive other than turning heads and annoying other people. Even now the first couple of balls to go in a pocket on a bar table tend to pop right back out if I break full power eight ball but some usually find their way in later. Back off the gas and that first couple stay in.
When I first started playing again a few years back the back leg still flew in the air as I broke from my toes as somebody else mentioned. Decided it was silly and I had parts moving it really wasn't wise to have moving.
A little food for thought, various ramblings:
Boxes get speed and power punching from their toes, sparring with a former pro boxer every punch he threw had wicked power compared to a backyard boxer, even his jabs. I truly believe there was a solid bridge of compressed muscles from his toes up.
I haven't kept up with the latest theories but the last I knew it was believed that we could change our ratio of fast and slow twitch muscles and that there were some fibers that were neither one or the other and the type of training we did would affect which they became. No question at all that hand speed can be increased hugely by training. Why is open to debate.
A friend fought chickens back when it was legal. Every day of a bird's life from the time it came out the egg until it fought or before every fight was carefully controlled. He threw birds with a weight tied to them to strengthen their wings and increase speed. Interestingly he had a very set number of times he would throw a bird and an exact number of sessions he would throw one. He strongly believed that throwing a bird too much made it slower and too muscle bound. A youngster trying to learn the game from him insisted on throwing the birds he was training more seeking an edge. Every one of them lost first time out.
Moving everything from the toes up and getting the timing right can increase break speed. Legs moving, body twist, lots of movement in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. The question is how far should you go in an attempt to increase break speed? There is a real possibility of injury trying to maximize break speed. A small strain or pull in a muscle can throw your whole game off. I would seek small gains and perhaps better consistency in your break. Seeking a radical increase, and fifteen percent or more is pretty radical, can lead to injuries large or small and it can also lead to bad motions bleeding over from your break into your normal stroke.
A good break pockets a ball a high percentage of the time, leaves a shot on the next ball, and doesn't result in clusters often. If somebody's break is already doing that I wouldn't make many changes looking for more. Look at the ball pattern on the table like looking at a shotgun pattern. are you getting a good even distribution of balls? The importance of the break is what it allows you to do next.
Hu
Carolina Kid67
New member
brake speed
Your. Brake. Speed. Is. Just. Right. Plus. Your. Stragtigy.
Your. Brake. Speed. Is. Just. Right. Plus. Your. Stragtigy.