I break like a girl

[jsp]

I bought the Predator break speed app for my tablet last night. I was very humbled when I tried it out on my table. I can barely break over 20mph.

I used the app on the Dennis/Ko match this morning. Both of their medium-hard breaks register around 21.5mph, which is harder than my max break.

I need to try it on Deluna's break while he's playing right now, but alas I'm at work.

jsp <~~ needs to hit the weight room

 

[macguy]

I bought the Predator break speed app for my tablet last night. I was very humbled when I tried it out on my table. I can barely break over 20mph.

I used the app on the Dennis/Ko match this morning. Both of their medium-hard breaks register around 21.5mph, which is harder than my max break.

I need to try it on Deluna's break while he's playing right now, but alas I'm at work.

jsp <~~ needs to hit the weight room

The speed is not as important as a good hit on the head ball and controlling the cueball. Work on that and add speed till you start losing control then back off a little. A lot of those high speed breaks are negated by a poor hit and poor control. I don't believe Buddy Hall breaks any faster then you do right now. Don't get obsessed by numbers that don't really mean anything.

 

[bdorman]

What's Corey Deuel's 9-ball break? Maybe 17 mph?

He seems to do okay. Make a ball and have shot on the next OB.

 

[Jaden]

I used to break from the center playng nineball.

I bought the Predator break speed app for my tablet last night. I was very humbled when I tried it out on my table. I can barely break over 20mph.

I used the app on the Dennis/Ko match this morning. Both of their medium-hard breaks register around 21.5mph, which is harder than my max break.

I need to try it on Deluna's break while he's playing right now, but alas I'm at work.

jsp <~~ needs to hit the weight room

Here's a quick story...

back in the early two thousands, I was playing out of college billiards in San Diego and there were a couple of female pros in there matching up.

I was breaking from the center like I did back then practicing by myself and one of the female pros walks by and says "You break like a girl". I'm assuming a couple of things here. One, since I break on average close to 23-25mph I doubt it was because I was hitting soft. So I'm assuming she was referring to breaking from center, and also she was probably trying to drum up some action.

A little while later she came over and said, "You know what you could do to improve your game?". I had just been screwing around trying something different and I replied "I could try?" and then proceeded to put out a three pack.

I didn't hear from her again...

Jaden

 

[Pidge]

Speed is not as important as those with 30+mph breaks will lead you to believe. I registered my max break at 31mph but I break at around 22mph because I can't get an accurate hit with any consistency if I break harder.

My break used to be at around 19mph but I started practicing it a few times a week. Rather than set the entire rack up each time, just place a magic rack down and put a ball where the 1 should go and try hit a perfect stop shot. Start at a speed you can do this, then repeat this speed for a days practice. Next time try that speed again until you get your stroke going, but move up in speed slightly until you can perform a stop shot perfectly, not moving to the side, not drawing or following. Eventually you will be able to perform a stop shot at around 25mph with enough practice. That's more than enough to split the rack and keep the CB mid table.

 

[jsp]

I actually don't care about improving my break speed. It was just one of those things I've always wondered about, and I was pretty surprised by the results. But I'm really not going to put any effort trying to add some velocity on my break. 18mph with control seems like more than enough for most purposes.

 

[BMC361]

I bought the Predator break speed app for my tablet last night. I was very humbled when I tried it out on my table. I can barely break over 20mph.

I used the app on the Dennis/Ko match this morning. Both of their medium-hard breaks register around 21.5mph, which is harder than my max break.

I need to try it on Deluna's break while he's playing right now, but alas I'm at work.

jsp <~~ needs to hit the weight room

But, I thought you were a girl.:grin-square:

 

[pwd72s]

Anybody have a video of Sarah Rousey's break? Wish I broke like that girl...

 

[DAVE_M]

Speed isn't everything.

http://youtu.be/-8l6pVqoLXo?t=39m59s

http://youtu.be/-8l6pVqoLXo?t=45m42s

 

[naji]

I bought the Predator break speed app for my tablet last night. I was very humbled when I tried it out on my table. I can barely break over 20mph.

I used the app on the Dennis/Ko match this morning. Both of their medium-hard breaks register around 21.5mph, which is harder than my max break.

I need to try it on Deluna's break while he's playing right now, but alas I'm at work.

jsp <~~ needs to hit the weight room

Break with tip pause point about 5-6" away from CB, that will get the speed up too much up. Give feed back if it works.

 

[3andstop]

Ahhh..... its just a carnival game anyway, it just means you have to eat your wheaties to ring the bell and win a cheap cigar.

Forget the whole silly thing and play straight pool or 1 pocket, problem solved.:thumbup:

 

[jsp]

It's funny that whenever it comes to sports and speed, it seems that we're always slower than we think we are. In many cases, much slower.

When I a pitcher playing little league baseball, I usually had one of the better arms on the team. I thought that I must have been hitting 65mph on my fastball (I was ~11 at the time). I gave it a go in one of those carnival games with a radar gun, and I barely broke 50mph. Similarly humbling.

Right now I honestly think my tennis serve is over 100mph (if everything goes right). But if I ever do clock my serve, I guess shouldn't be too surprised if it's barely over 70...lol.

 

[Keith Jawahir]

I break consistently between 19-21 mph, but I'm perfectly happy with that. I get a solid hit, I can control the cue ball, and I make a ball more often than not. If you really want a great break, put the 1 on the spot, the cue ball where you normally break from, and practice stopping the cue ball dead after hitting the 1.

 

[Hits 'em Hard]

I bought the Predator break speed app for my tablet last night. I was very humbled when I tried it out on my table. I can barely break over 20mph.

I used the app on the Dennis/Ko match this morning. Both of their medium-hard breaks register around 21.5mph, which is harder than my max break.

I need to try it on Deluna's break while he's playing right now, but alas I'm at work.

jsp <~~ needs to hit the weight room

The easiest way to think of what you're doing wrong with a break is to look at someone who doesn't know how to throw a baseball. Their body becomes all twisted trying to generate power to throw it, that by the time the arm is ready to release the body is still bound up. It causes some kids to fall flat on their face at times. The same thing happens to far too many peoples break. Their body gets in the way of the arm releasing properly. Go look at some of SVB's breaks and how his wrist and shoulder both release at the same time. Don't try and break harder, break straighter through the cue ball.

 

[dr_dave]

The easiest way to think of what you're doing wrong with a break is to look at someone who doesn't know how to throw a baseball. Their body becomes all twisted trying to generate power to throw it, that by the time the arm is ready to release the body is still bound up. It causes some kids to fall flat on their face at times. The same thing happens to far too many peoples break. Their body gets in the way of the arm releasing properly. Go look at some of SVB's breaks and how his wrist and shoulder both release at the same time. Don't try and break harder, break straighter through the cue ball.

Good post. For those who are interested in breaking advice, lots of info (including videos) is available here:

break technique and equipment advice resource page

Enjoy,
Dave

 

[Ruark]

The more you try to "muscle" the break, the slower you'll hit it, because you're stiffening your arm. RELAX your shooting arm, and hold the cue VERY lightly, almost resting it in your fingers. Hold it with your fingers just tightly enough to keep it from sliding through your hand. Then quickly, sharply "snap" the cue through the cue ball (THROUGH, not AT).

 

[itsfroze]

Ahhh..... its just a carnival game anyway, it just means you have to eat your wheaties to ring the bell and win a cheap cigar.

Forget the whole silly thing and play straight pool or 1 pocket, problem solved.:thumbup:

I gotta say you're consistent anyway. LOL

 

[Jeff Rosen]

Ahhh..... its just a carnival game anyway, it just means you have to eat your wheaties to ring the bell and win a cheap cigar.

Forget the whole silly thing and play straight pool or 1 pocket, problem solved.:thumbup:

When I break in straight pool I go for the corner ball like everyone else and the cue ball usually goes right for the corner pocket like a magnet, LOL!!!!

 

[Jeff Rosen]

To the OP: Unless one can break and run the break isn't so important as people think. Besides, if you watch the pros on live stream or YouTube how many times do even the great ones not make a ball on the break?

 

[mnShooter]

If you can't break any harder the 20mph, you're probably not hitting center ball. Check and see if there is any spin on the cueball after the break and adjust your tip position accordingly. You can lose 5+mph by not hitting center ball.

My natural break I follow through to the left. So it ends up puts left spin on the cueball. So now I start with a half a tip of right and it ends up with no spin. I guess I could try fixing my mechanics but I'm not really sure how.