Many years ago there was a great thread on here. Colin, I believe his last name was Calypso or similar, worked on his break speed. I think he got it up two or three miles an hour best I recall.
Working from memory, there is a mile or two to be found in the wrist snap alone. That has to be perfectly timed of course.
Two things are important for speed, get as many body parts moving as possible, and timing. Watch, really watch, video of people breaking in matches. Many people get down on the break shot just like any other shot, then they stand with little or no forward motion, then they release their stroke. They freed up their body to move but they also left several miles on the table that they could have had for free!
For speed the best break starts at the balls of your feet. There is a little speed in the ankles and the knees. Then we come to the waist and lower to mid spine. A lot of types of motion in the hips and lower spine so speed is available from unfolding and from twisting like in a golf swing. Glossing over this because I no longer remember details but I think the hips and spine were worth over a mile an hour. Some speed picked up in shoulder movement, the same as always in the elbow, and most can find some speed in their wrists.
When it is all worked out, the parts that created the break before working on it aren't moving any faster than they ever did, or not significantly. However, a lot more parts are moving including some big joints with a lot of leverage. Aside from the wrist snap, a little added finger movement should create a last bit of speed.
The big key is timing. Most of this body movement is often done too early in the stroke, even before the forward stroke begins. This is wasted motion other than freeing the body to move. You could have stood up during or before the backstroke, stopped dead still, and got the same results you are getting now. The key to an easy "free" increase in break speed involves getting your whole body in motion, and getting it in motion at the right time.
I haven't worked on ultimate break speed. Before I returned to pool my low back was pretty much destroyed, explosive movement wasn't in the cards. However, I have worked on a speed move that relied on both speed and timing. The fast draw with a pistol. Your movements are important as is your timing. While it shouldn't be possible many people flash their weak hand or their, ahem, wedding tackle, when drawing. Much of their leg including their knees too. Everything they muzzle flash has been shot by somebody! Learning a fast draw is simple, a lot of slow draws, even very very slow draws making sure everything is in the right position during the draw. You can't shoot knee, nut, leg or hand if it never gets in front of the muzzle!
The paragraph above isn't off topic because your stroke for normal shots or the break can be created like the fast draw with a pistol. Put the parts and timing together with many slow repetitions. When everything is moving together properly you slowly increase speed. Watching fast draws, the best appear more smooth than fast. The jerkier draws are usually slower. With the perfect draw the hand swoops down and plucks the pistol out of the holster with no feeling of slap with the palm or snatch with the fingers, the pistol wasn't in your hand, now it is.
The kitchen table or whatever is handy can be used to get your break timing together. Watching some world class players, much of their break speed is lost because much of their body motion is too early. Free speed is a matter of timing. Get more parts in motion during the stroke. Have them still in maximum motion at cue ball contact.
Devote twenty or thirty minutes a day into the break shot, I think Shane does or did do an hour every long practice session on just the break. Hit one ball or a few if you don't have somebody to rack for you. If you rack full racks you will spend all of your time racking. Hit balls for thirty minutes, swap rackers and let your training partner hit balls for thirty minutes if you have or can find one. With home tables bribing children may be an option too.
The break and the lag may be the two most important shots in pool, and the least practiced!
Hu
