How to play the 1 on a soft break

doitforthegame

doitforthegame

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So in our Saturday ring game I have been smashing the rack and coming up dry. So this week I tried a soft break. Balls spread great and made the wing ball 50% of the time but never got a clear shot on the 1. Most times the cue was in the center of the table but something was blinding me. Was this bad luck or is there another secret. Tried breaking from several spots. I never did break off the rail though. Broke from the box.

Any ideas?
 
I make the 1b a pretty fair % if the time and, yes sir, I'm breaking from the rail. :smile:

EDIT: I should have elaborated a little.

Tight rack is very important, I soft break from the right rail using slight draw right causing the cue ball to come straight into the right long rail and back to mid table.

The 1b and the wing ball both have a good chance to drop. If the 1b doesn't go in it should be in the vicinity of whitey with this soft break.

best,
brian kc
 
Last edited:
doitforthegame said:
So in our Saturday ring game I have been smashing the rack and coming up dry. So this week I tried a soft break. Balls spread great and made the wing ball 50% of the time but never got a clear shot on the 1. Most times the cue was in the center of the table but something was blinding me. Was this bad luck or is there another secret. Tried breaking from several spots. I never did break off the rail though. Broke from the box.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Now you know why the soft break only worked on the Sardo or Magic rack... Getting the one ball to travel consistently is the hardest part of the soft break... Putnam was trying the soft break on the Accu-Rack templates at Music City and had the same issue... couldn't count on a shot on the 1ball that wasn't a thin cut or bank.....

I'd move to the rail instead of the box and try to soft break the wing in and the 1 in the side... Might work on the tables you play on......
 
I like breaking from the box, making the corner ball, and trying to bring the one ball and CB back towards the head rail. CB off one long rail and back while one ball goes off the opposite long rail and back...good chance of getting a shot on the one if they both come back to same end of table
 
I know your working with a soft break. I use a hard break and 90% of the time the one ball ends up close to the lower left corner pocket. Sometimes I'm hooked but most of the time not. I place the CB about 3 inches to the right of the spot and hit the one ball head on hitting the CB center, no English.
 
Thanks guys for the help. I'm going to try from the rail. If there is no improvement I guess I'' go back to the old break. No sense beating my head against the wall. Results probably would be different with new cloth and polished Centennials.

Bob
 
Thanks Mike- IMHO I thought "Just Do It For The Money" was better. People have been a little slow to check it out.

Bob
 
I've been experimenting with the break a lot lately and I've found a few different methods that work well that I haven't seen used before. I'm sure they have but I haven't seen it done by anyone significant.

Medium/hard from first diamond in with low inside English will bring the cue ball back off the head rail and back towards the center of the table. I've noticed with the proper speed it will come to rest middle of the table and leave shape for the one in the opposite corner I'm breaking from. I've also noticed the cue ball does not come in contact with other balls nearly as often so I am able to have a more predictable leave.

Hard break from the side rail with half tip high and outside results in the cue ball squatting of center and helps me avoid a collision with the 2nd ball coming off the opposite rail back towards the side. It will also tend to send the 1 ball into the corner for easy shape. I've found this isn't quite as consistent as the other break I've been doing but works will for dirty balls and slow tables.
 
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