I am such a sissy.

CreeDo

CreeDo

Fargo Rating 597
Silver Member
Bought my copy of the break speed app and I can't hit 20 mph to save my life. It feels like I have to really try hard to hit 19.

I know it's just a number, and accuracy is more important. I know.

Setting that old lecture aside, what can I do to at least hit 20 mph? Just once. Don't care if it even flies off the table. Then I can go back to the controlled breaks that I'm supposed to practice.

I notice I get best results when I basically don't try new things :/ I tried leaning more forward, straightening the back leg, torquing the hips, adjusting the bridge length etc... and the results were always worse than when I just do it the way I naturally figured out over the years.

But then, if new things don't work... I may never break harder than 19 (more usually 17.5) mph. That sucks, there are 12 year old girls hitting 'em harder than that.
 
It might help if you tucked in your skirt.

(Sorry, had to!)

Try a wrist snap as you come through. Keep your wrist cocked back, and right before the cue makes contact with the cue ball, flick your wrist forward. It generates speed through those fast-twitch muscles you have. Play around with that and see what happens.
 
I bought the Android version and was surprised it was different than the iPhone app I had seen the previous day. The iPhone gave a range, whereas the droid gave a single number.

I'm also curious about it's calculation - by that thing, it says I'm breaking 19/20 mph consistently... I find that hard to believe, I mean, I haven't spent a whole lot of time working on my break. I work on it once in a while, but, I was expecting to see 15-18mph, since I really don't put anywhere near 100% nor do I throw my body into it.
 
stljohnny said:
I bought the Android version and was surprised it was different than the iPhone app I had seen the previous day. The iPhone gave a range, whereas the droid gave a single number.

I'm also curious about it's calculation - by that thing, it says I'm breaking 19/20 mph consistently... I find that hard to believe, I mean, I haven't spent a whole lot of time working on my break. I work on it once in a while, but, I was expecting to see 15-18mph, since I really don't put anywhere near 100% nor do I throw my body into it.
Click to expand...

Way to rub it in,,,your not even trying to give 100% and your 20 MPH. lol.

I don't think I will be able to go over 20mph unless I use my potato gun..hmmm, now that's a good use of old pool balls. lol.
 
LOL - Sorry, I didn't mean to rub it in.

I'm suggesting that maybe my mic or the droid version isn't converting something properly... I do change the table and ball layout accordingly, but it's really hard for me to buy those numbers.

On the other hand, I do use a phenloic tipped break cue - and everyone who has broke with it breaks an extra 1 or 2 mph with it, so... *shrug*

Okay - maybe I do put close to 100% cuz when i first got the app I did try and hit them as hard I could, giving up shape, etc and only got it to 23.5 - although I hardly ever hit the rack square. So, I'm hitting about 85%.

I do employ that super-stroke wrist-flick mentioned above...
 
CreeDo said:
Bought my copy of the break speed app and I can't hit 20 mph to save my life. It feels like I have to really try hard to hit 19.

I know it's just a number, and accuracy is more important. I know.

Setting that old lecture aside, what can I do to at least hit 20 mph? Just once. Don't care if it even flies off the table. Then I can go back to the controlled breaks that I'm supposed to practice.

I notice I get best results when I basically don't try new things :/ I tried leaning more forward, straightening the back leg, torquing the hips, adjusting the bridge length etc... and the results were always worse than when I just do it the way I naturally figured out over the years.

But then, if new things don't work... I may never break harder than 19 (more usually 17.5) mph. That sucks, there are 12 year old girls hitting 'em harder than that.
Click to expand...

make a loud sound when you break.
watch charlie bryant vids will help for sure.
 
Make a loud sound when you break... wind

real bartram said:
make a loud sound when you break.
watch charlie bryant vids will help for sure.
Click to expand...

Chris:

A loud sound normally results when I break, but it appears to emanate from immediately behind me. Is that supposed to happen? I don't like the green cloud that ensues either. Maybe if I alter my diet of stuffed cabbage, Slim Jims, and Guinness I won't get that cloud?

:D

-Sean
 
sfleinen said:
Chris:

A loud sound normally results when I break, but it appears to emanate from immediately behind me. Is that supposed to happen? I don't like the green cloud that ensues either. Maybe if I alter my diet of stuffed cabbage, Slim Jims, and Guinness I won't get that cloud?

:D

-Sean
Click to expand...

stick to one pocet and 14.1
pocket
 
i have the andriod app and it was really simple and wasnt really worth 6 bucks. but i do have a consistant 23.5-24 mph :D
 
adamlp said:
i have the andriod app and it was really simple and wasnt really worth 6 bucks. but i do have a consistant 23.5-24 mph :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, considering the iPhone has a free version, i was a little pissed about not having a "lite" version on the droid. oh well, it's the first app i actually paid for, and while i dont use it every day - it is pretty handy when people start bragging. lol
 
The Andriod app is very close to a proper "speed trap" break speed set-up. Between the both of them, I'm averaging almost 20MPH on the dot at my hardest, with both giving me readings right in that area.

If anything, I think 20MPH is the sweet spot of break speeds. You seem to get a lot of action out of the balls, great spreads while not hitting them so hard as to create clusters by having the balls travel too too far. If that makes sense, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't :p
 
CreeDo said:
Bought my copy of the break speed app and I can't hit 20 mph to save my life. It feels like I have to really try hard to hit 19.

I know it's just a number, and accuracy is more important. I know.

Setting that old lecture aside, what can I do to at least hit 20 mph? Just once. Don't care if it even flies off the table. Then I can go back to the controlled breaks that I'm supposed to practice.

I notice I get best results when I basically don't try new things :/ I tried leaning more forward, straightening the back leg, torquing the hips, adjusting the bridge length etc... and the results were always worse than when I just do it the way I naturally figured out over the years.

But then, if new things don't work... I may never break harder than 19 (more usually 17.5) mph. That sucks, there are 12 year old girls hitting 'em harder than that.
Click to expand...
Try adding a wrist snap at moment of impact, you should pick up 10% or more speed
 
I'm not sure where you are gripping your cue but you might be surprised at your speed increase if you choke up some on the but.
A friend downloaded this app last week while we were at a tournamentand my speed went from the 18 to 22.6
Also remember to hit dead center cue call and Follow thru.I do believe the
wrist snap increases speed also.
 
CreeDo said:
Bought my copy of the break speed app and I can't hit 20 mph to save my life. It feels like I have to really try hard to hit 19.

I know it's just a number, and accuracy is more important. I know.

Setting that old lecture aside, what can I do to at least hit 20 mph? Just once. Don't care if it even flies off the table. Then I can go back to the controlled breaks that I'm supposed to practice.

I notice I get best results when I basically don't try new things :/ I tried leaning more forward, straightening the back leg, torquing the hips, adjusting the bridge length etc... and the results were always worse than when I just do it the way I naturally figured out over the years.

But then, if new things don't work... I may never break harder than 19 (more usually 17.5) mph. That sucks, there are 12 year old girls hitting 'em harder than that.
Click to expand...

You once said that I could teach, and so, here I go to give it a try...I have not read anything in this thread.

I learned most of what I know about the speed in a break from Charlie Bryant. And converted it to my words. Here it is simply put.

It is impossible to catch your hand with your body. In order to get your body into the shot and get the extra power that comes from that, you must start to move foward with your body first...Because...Your hand can catch up your body. This allowing you to use the extra velocity from your body, and adding to your shot.

The next thing you must do is make sure you stare at the spot you are trying to hit the cue ball. Trust your body and look at where the cue ball needs to hit.

This will give you a mph at least. If I typed what I am trying to tell you correctly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3U-qUPU134
I found this before I posted my post...look at this video at 2min55sec to 3min15 sec most valuable info I have ever learned.

Charlie says a mistake in his sentence he means allows the hand to catch up to the body. But, watch what he is doing there it is genius. He says to move foward while your arm is going back and once you learn this you will be breaking harder..you must remember to be smooth think of it as one motion that needs to feel smooth not jerky.
 
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You might want try Colin Colenso's tecnique linked to below. It's similar to the one described by Jamison/Bryant above and is based, in part, on the notion of eccentric muscle contraction. I've tried it and generated significantly more cue/ball speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1tsONEI_U

[I see Colin's video has already been cited.]

Alternately, if you want to minimize body movement by employing a pendulum stroke, you can try a somewhat unorthodox technique. If there's room between the butt and your grip hand, try moving your grip hand back about 3" or so, such that you're making contact with the cueball before your forearm reaches perpendicular. It will feel a bit awkward, but should add more speed as well. It's based on the idea of (gulp) "accelerating through." (I've gotten significantly more draw distance with it.)

With Colin's method, you want the grip hand forward since you're dropping the elbow (i.e., using the shoulder/chest muscles to help propel the cue forward). The forward positioned hand and upward swing of the forearm compensate for the downward plunge of the elbow...if everything goes well. :)

One thing to keep in mind is that excessive bridge length is not only unnecessary but counter-productive if the cue is decelerating by the time it reaches the cueball. Start with a modest length and increase until maxed out on ball speed.

As a fellow power-challenged player, I certainly don't have any expertise, but both have worked for me.

Jim
 
I have to go 100% to hit 20mph. Ive hit 21 once but when im up in the 20's its anyones guess as to where the cueball goes.

Dont feel bad. Some people just break better than others. I had a freind over the other ngiht that hit 27 consistantly and he never works on his break. If he did he'd be over 30 easiily. And he isnt a big guy at all. Choking up does seem to help though.

Ive tried rasing my back arm like XTP but im lucky if I dont miscue when I do that. Id try that and if u can do that its gotta worth a few mph's just look how big she is and she hits 20mph.
 
The break app is as valuable as the increased amount of $ it wins you gambling. I love it. I use it to experiment with different techniques and you can easily tell what's helping. I got up to 23.5 and found that the biggest mistake that would always see me in the teens was putting topspin or any spin on the cue ball. I found that if I aimed lower to avoid the topspin my break was always in the 20s
 
The youtube video is a good video. Try to keep your arm relaxed when you break. The wrist "snap" does help and if you can afford it get a breakrak it is THE best practice device for pool. With the video, iphone app, and breakrak I went from a semi-controlled 18 mph break to a controlled 22 mph break in 1 hour. It is a very good tool if used correctly. Aim at a specific point on the one ball and you can learn how you miss (I have to aim a hair to the right of center of the one ball) Also check out SVB's break he has a lot less body movement than most and that imo is why he is so freaking consistent with his break.
 
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