How hard do you break?

I use to be known for breaking fairly hard. Isn't getting old just wonderful. Now since I know I can't hit it hard, I'm just trying to be as accurate as I can.

It just seems to me that there isn't as much difference between when I'm trying to hit hard and when I'm taking off speed for accuracy. I don't really think I've lost any speed on my more accurate break, but I've lost a lot of speed on my hard break. So I don't think the hard break adds enough to make it worth while. Any other old farts notice this?
 
Size has very little to do with a good break as I found out this week. Angel Paglia, of the WPBA, was in town and I had a chance to play her for a couple days. She has harder and more controlled break than most of the men I have seen. She is about 5'4" and about 110 lbs. I never asked her if she ever clocked her break but she was working with Brieseth so I am sure he did check some of her speeds at one point. The break is more about hitting square than hard. If you don't hit the cue ball in the center than there will not be any power directed into the cue ball and you won't hit the rack square which means you will probably scratch, not make a ball, etc. and therefore end up losing the game. The best break is controlled with a good follow through, pause at the end of your backswing, and accelerate through he motion (According to the experts). I haven't clocked mine in a while but the last time I did I was around the low 30's on a bar table.
 
DEGAMO88 said:
Years ago in a BD article, George Breedlove, one of pbt's best breakers at the time, mentioned that he didn't break the balls with his hardest stroke. Instead, he said he broke the balls at roughly 75-80%. He also mentioned at one time that while playing Buddy, he dislocated his shoulder after a break and asked Buddy to pop it back in, which he declined to do. In another forum years ago, I remember reading about a match between Charlie Williams and Mizerak in which Charlie broke the balls harder than usual, even though he was losing the cueball, but still won the match anyways. So the questions are, how hard do you break the balls, what are the results, and what determines how hard you break them?
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22.45 mph at sea level. Really, you should see how hard I break in Colorado.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
22.45 mph at sea level. Really, you should see how hard I break in Colorado.
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I don't care how you break in Denver or in Death Valley. I've got .55mph on you plain and simple.
 
I've been clocked twice at 19mph. I get great spread on the balls, they fight to get in pockets, and I never fly off the table.

I tend to think its a bit slow for when I get my break really working.
 
zeeder said:
This is a fact. I was the second highest male at a meager 21-22mph break...lol. George Breedlove has an unbelievably impressive power stroke. Not to mention his one-handed, behind-the-back wing shot! Mind boggeling to say the least.
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Z,
Thanks for backing me up. It was pretty incredible, but if you watch him break, you are not surprised at the results - he gets every bit of power possible. It looks like he could easily hurt himself doing this - shoulder dislocation is a definite possibility - thats why he would only try maximum speed twice.

P.S. - Z, you are about twice George's size; shouldn't you be breaking about 68 MPH????
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Yeah but where are you?
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I'm in the DC area:

DC conditions:
91 degrees, 41% humidity
1 foot - 410 feet above sea level

NY conditions:
86 degrees 40% humidity
The Mean Elevation of the state of New York is 1,000 feet above sea level


Face it - I'm just 2.4% more man than you are
 
Egg McDogit said:
I'm in the DC area:

DC conditions:
91 degrees, 41% humidity
1 foot - 410 feet above sea level

NY conditions:
86 degrees 40% humidity
The Mean Elevation of the state of New York is 1,000 feet above sea level


Face it - I'm just 2.4% more man than you are
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I'm in New York City. Sea-Level is the same as DC and I've never dislocated anything!
 
The whole thing about breaking fast/hard depends on so many things.
Shorter slender arms can get a light cue moving very fast. Longer muscular arms do not move as fast but can get a heavier cue moving fast enough. Longer arms can have to much follow through,shorter sometimes not enough.
Basically it's all about technique, cue weight, cue speed, cue accuracy and finding the right combination for your body type. Like I said for myself I like to break 75%,with 19-20oz cue,1/2 tip follow. If I go 100% I'm not accurate and balls start flying.Same if I break 85% with a light cue.

Terry
 
I usually break with 70% speed or something. I don't find it useful to pound every break, it's more difficult to have any idea where the 1-ball might end up and it's too easy to lose the cueball.

I break from the left side of the table, and if I'm not making balls, I move to the right side, if I'm still missing the wing ball and the 1 into side, I move into the break box and use my 8-ball break. If that doesn't work, I go back to the left side again and increase the speed up to 85%-90%. Also, if the cloth is new, I tend to use softer break and controlling the wing ball. If the cloth is worn and old, I choose to increase the speed much quicker.

Once, while practising, I found myself in dead break stroke ! :) I could pound the break as hard as I ever could, with very relaxed arm movement and the cueball stopped in the center of the table every time !! It was so much fun I started shooting break shots only ! I think I averaged over 2 balls per break during that session on a table with relatively tight pockets. Sigh, I wanted to know how fast my breaks were during that session, but no radar guns for break shots around here... :confused:
 
Williebetmore said:
Z,
Thanks for backing me up. It was pretty incredible, but if you watch him break, you are not surprised at the results - he gets every bit of power possible. It looks like he could easily hurt himself doing this - shoulder dislocation is a definite possibility - thats why he would only try maximum speed twice.

P.S. - Z, you are about twice George's size; shouldn't you be breaking about 68 MPH????
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Perhaps if I could take a running start my extra mass could help somewhat...lol. I'm pretty sure that George is probably stronger than I am, not to mention obviously more coordinated with better timing...lol. Perhaps if that extra person that I carry around with me were all muscle instead of fat it'd be different! :) :D :P
 
zeeder said:
Perhaps if I could take a running start my extra mass could help somewhat:D :P
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Z,
YES!!! That's what I'm talking about. It's like a Happy Gilmour (?sp?) break - you need to start working on it tonight (but unfortunately you may NOT use that break in my house). At least if you break this way, there should be plenty of people wanting to play you.
 
Breaking ...

I have my old breaks which were at 'full' speed, and I was told
very often that I broke as hard as anyone in town. Considering
that I am only 5'7", and 155 lbs, that was a complement at the
time. BUT, I was not happy with my layouts or consistency
with my breaks, so I worked on my breaks for over a year, both
in 9 ball and 8 ball.

I used to get a lot of comments how much my cue bowed when
I broke.

I now 'side' break 9 ball mostly, but switch back to a front break
if my opponent is 'racking' me for a dead side break (and I can
tell if he is), and the front break does great when they think they
have me racked for the side break. It kind of bewilders them
somewhat.

I also side break 8 ball a lot nowdays, depending on the table.

So, using the side break is about at 60%, front break is at about
90% now.
 
mjantti said:
Sigh, I wanted to know how fast my breaks were during that session, but no radar guns for break shots around here... :confused:
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Don't you know anybody in the Finnish highway patrol? ;) I think the cops radar guns will work. Might have trouble finding a cigarette lighter to plug it into though. :(

Terry
 
Tbeaux said:
Don't you know anybody in the Finnish highway patrol? ;) I think the cops radar guns will work. Might have trouble finding a cigarette lighter to plug it into though. :(

Terry
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Nah, not many police officers in the pool scene. Maybe I should get myself arrested and praise pool and billiards for them.
 
mjantti said:
Nah, not many police officers in the pool scene. Maybe I should get myself arrested and praise pool and billiards for them.
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Seriously,you could just walk in, explain what you want to do and ask for their help. It might be just off the wall enough for them to say yes.
 
I've gone on the radar a few times, and I found that with the cue ball on the headstring and inside the break box , I break at about 22 mph, on average. I was only able to get up to about 24 mph if I broke with my cue resting on either the long rail (outside the break box) or the back rail.
 
sjm said:
... I break at about 22 mph, on average. I was only able to get up to about 24 mph if I broke with my cue resting on either the long rail (outside the break box) or the back rail.
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This is very interesting. What makes the difference ?

Dave
 
DaveK said:
This is very interesting. What makes the difference ?

Dave
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When you bridge on the rail you can be a little more free with your stroke as opposed to using a closed or open bridge in the middle of the table. At least that is what I would assume.
 
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