I'm about to breakdown...

Peer

Peer

Norwegian in California
Silver Member
Well, admittedly my game has a few weaknesses -- combos, rail shots, banking, etc. -- but the most crucial and annoying is my pathetic break.

Although my stature isn't that of a quarterback, I'm still 6' and kind of physically "up & going" -- but yet, I see tiny players, with less muscle-mass and playing skills, break way way better than I could ever dream of.

I think I've tried everything -- long smooth backstroke, focus last on cue-ball, shorter/longer stroke, lighter/heavier break cues, shooting from different angles, hitting the top ball head on, etc, etc, -- but still, I'm the most pitiful breaker you'll find.

Any suggestions welcomed.

-- peer
 
I doubt it could be that bad!

First if your break is as bad as you say, then find someone who can help you out and teach you the proper stance for breaking.

And breaking isnt about being strong, its about being fluid and timming. If you look at someone like Johnny Archer, he is about 6'2 and 150lbs yet has one of the hardest breaks around.

And same goes with Alex Pagulayan, he is maybe 5'5 and 100lbs wet, with 2 50lbs weights tie'd to him. And just crushes the rack.

Even look as some of the girls like Sarah Rousey, I think i could pick her up with one arm, and she breaks just as hard as the men. Same goes with Tiffany Nelson.

And PRACTICE YOUR BREAK, I myself dont have a great break, but i practice my break every week for about 45mins or so. And it pays off. Because I can control the CB and still have a hard break, yet i see guys who just try to crush the rack and have the CB go all over the table.

dave
 
timing is everything

PM me your email address, Ill email you the Bustamante Article that someone else sent me. the main thing is timing really..its transferring of energy, if you can lunge forward with your cue (a snap like stroke--otherwise it gets long and drags out the energy spreads and doesnt do anything). Find the place where you break the best to make balls in and remember that spot. I usually break on the right side of the table right, use a half rail bridge and half closed bridge (my just rail bridge sucks). aim a tad below center like a stop cue shot. I line up my left foot pointing straight forward with both legs bent scrunched up but I think a bit more weight on my left foot (the front foot) and then i take practice strokes till I am ready to bust aim straight for the one, loose grip, stroke stroke pause, stroke stroke pause, then I imagine my stick bending on the table. If it bends good then you have followed through good. then with good timing I elevate my back hand a bit lunge forward with my cue in a snap like stroke and if I hit it square then its good, if not then opponent should run out :P. Im sure there are a few things I forgot to mention that i learned from the article. hopefully this helps a bit. Im fat so I use my body weight as a tool.

Ray.
 
Try This !!!

Hold the cue very loose (you might be gripping to tight on the cue)and follow through about 12 to 14 inches after contact with the cue ball. I use about a tip below center. You will notice the improvement right away :-)


Steve
 
Watch Johnny Archer break. Follow through is the key to good energy transfer. When my break is working, I'm dropping 2 or 3 balls (8 ball) and when it's not and I come up dry, the CB position sucks for the opponent. I "break from the box" ala IPT rules usually from just behind the headstring from the left (lined up on the diamond), I use a closed bridge about 10'' with my hand down on the felt (not the rail) using a low center ball hit at about 80%. My follow through looks similar to Archer as I don't bend the shaft on the table, or touch the table at all for that matter. My break cue is a 19oz cuetec with a graphite cored fiberglass shaft. Aside from the feel of the fiberglass (I prefer a wood shaft) I love it as a break cue.

McCue Banger McCue
 
Breaking ...

Peer ... I have been told several times that I break as hard as anyone in town, which I take to mean pretty darn hard. I used to jump the table a lot, and rededicated myself to break technique for over a year to gain consistency in my break. I am 5'7", weighted 142 most of my life until 10 years ago when I had to start taking medicine that put 15 lbs on me. I have always been real conscientious about my weight and worked out, but everyone tells me I look better now. I knew early on that I had to do something to get sufficient power into my break. I am strong for my size (can still press my own weight), but I worked on a complete body motion when I break, getting my hips and thighs into the final stroke, and following through. I shattered a ferrule within the last 2 years breaking.

I noticed improvement when I:

1) Got a break cue. (J&J with phenolic tip).
2) Shorten my stroke some (maybe 2").
3) Concentrated on where the tip was hitting the cue ball.
4) Being more careful where I hit the head ball.
5) Consciously thought about my follow through during the hit stroke.

Before I was more concerned with power of break, now I concern myself with quality of break, and I have noticed better breaks, and more importantly, a much more consistent break (and others have noticed too.... lol).

If you are not good at reading racks, then simply find a good player that breaks real good usually and steal the break. Get behind him, and watch where he breaks from, what english, if any, he puts on the cue ball, the exact point where he hits the head ball. Then go off by yourself, and practice it, adjusting slightly as needed until you are breaking good.
Even if you have a couple of breaks that are good, this is still a good way to add additional breaks to your game. I personally think that a player should have 6 breaks minimum (could be 3 breaks and then 3 more just reversed on other side of table) for each game played, 8 ball, 9 ball,.
BUT YOU SHOULD STILL KNOW HOW TO READ A RACK AS SOME OPPONENTS STILL KNOW HOW TO RACK YOU NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU CALL FOR A RERACK. When you know how to read a rack, you then know where you should break from, with what english, and how to hit the head ball. Having multiple breaks allows you to pick the one that WILL WORK with the rack you have been given. For example, I play a guy that is equal to me in skill, and he always racks me to begin with to get the jump on the set so he can get out front. He knows how to defeat a side break where it doesn't work, but if I see he has done that, I switch to one of my front breaks that makes either 2 or 3 balls everytime. (9 ball).
 
I'll try to help...

Peer said:
Well, admittedly my game has a few weaknesses -- combos, rail shots, banking, etc. -- but the most crucial and annoying is my pathetic break.

Although my stature isn't that of a quarterback, I'm still 6' and kind of physically "up & going" -- but yet, I see tiny players, with less muscle-mass and playing skills, break way way better than I could ever dream of.

I think I've tried everything -- long smooth backstroke, focus last on cue-ball, shorter/longer stroke, lighter/heavier break cues, shooting from different angles, hitting the top ball head on, etc, etc, -- but still, I'm the most pitiful breaker you'll find.

Any suggestions welcomed.

-- peer
Click to expand...


Here's my break...I step to the table ata 45º angle with feet shoulder length apart. I use a closed bridge hand, 6"-8" bridge to ball distance. Cueball 5" left or right of the spot, elbow slightly bent and forearm touching the table slightly. Right hand about 6' from the end of the cue, holding cue like you hold a a bird...not so tight you could kill it but tight enough that it cant fly away. I take several "groove" strokes to find my comfort zone, then I begin my zoning in on the head ball.

Taking 2 slow but smooth practice strokes I look at the cueball first, the next 2 strokes I find that spot on the head ball I want to make contact with. The final stroke is slow pullback staring at the object ball with a firm, slightly faster follow through. Using my hips as a baseball player does to generate power, I shift my weight from a 50/50 to a 75/25..pushing off from right to left. As I come through I always point my cue at the rack and my arm follows through towards it as well with the cue tip houvers the rack. I watched pro's break for years and this break is a combination of Wade Crane, Tony Robles, Jay Swanson & Earl. Hope it helps...works for me well.
 
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StormHotRod300 said:
I doubt it could be that bad!

First if your break is as bad as you say, then find someone who can help you out and teach you the proper stance for breaking.

And breaking isnt about being strong, its about being fluid and timming. If you look at someone like Johnny Archer, he is about 6'2 and 150lbs yet has one of the hardest breaks around.

And same goes with Alex Pagulayan, he is maybe 5'5 and 100lbs wet, with 2 50lbs weights tie'd to him. And just crushes the rack.

Even look as some of the girls like Sarah Rousey, I think i could pick her up with one arm, and she breaks just as hard as the men. Same goes with Tiffany Nelson.

And PRACTICE YOUR BREAK, I myself dont have a great break, but i practice my break every week for about 45mins or so. And it pays off. Because I can control the CB and still have a hard break, yet i see guys who just try to crush the rack and have the CB go all over the table.

dave
Click to expand...

I hate to burst your bubble, but Johnny is about 5'6-5'8.
 
For some players, a loud break is a testosterone competition. Once you get past that, and the break becomes a tool or means to an end, you'll be way ahead of most players.

If you search my back posts, there is a lot of info on breaking. Simply put, try to forget about too much technique, and start out at 1/2 speed on the break. When you can control the cue ball, slowly ramp up the speed and power. Going slow will let you, and your subconscious build muscle memory.

Remember, 1/2 speed or slower to find your stroke, then speed up as you get more comfortable. Not to mention, when I play in 9b tourneys in new rooms, I start out 1/2 speed breaking because alot of times this is the best way to make a ball and be more accurate.

More than once I've heard, "man that guy has a Gorilla break" yea, and he just lost to that little guy who parked the rock!:D

Gerry<<< a little guy!
 
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ironman said:
I hate to burst your bubble, but Johnny is about 5'6-5'8.
Click to expand...

Johnny is about 5 '11. I'm 5'9 and have been right next time him, and he is a good 2 inches taller than me. He might be 6'.
 
Matt_24 said:
Johnny is about 5 '11. I'm 5'9 and have been right next time him, and he is a good 2 inches taller than me. He might be 6'.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I'm 6'0 and he is quite a few inches shorter than me.
 
FWIW, I'm 5'11" and look Johnny eye to eye...

Peer-I think you need to have someone watch what you're doing to try to figger it out. A couple of things I can think of that may or may not be your problem is that you might be trying to smooth stroke thru the CB when you should be "punching" it. Your timing has to be such that you are anticipating the moment of impact on the CB. Also, make sure your backhand is IN FRONT of your back foot at impact. If your backhand is too far back, you will not have any power in your stroke.


Eric
 
I just seem a old match on ESPN classic Archer vs Pagulayan and i could of sworn they said he was around 6'2, because of a shot that Alex had to do, that was across the table and he ended up having to use a bridge.

Anyways I dont know if BlackJack has this websites still up, but the stuff he has about mastering the break is GOOD STUFF!

I usta be the same way, all Power no control, but now I'm all about control and just parkin Whitey, and adding power later.

dave
 
The OPEN Break Shot in Pool is complex. The balls are clumped together & you are going to use a lot of muscle groups, that you don't ordinarily use in your shooting stroke. The muscles need some repetitive practice, in order to work smoothly together. If consistancy is what you want, you will need to practice this shot, over & over, in order to develop your accuracy, your rhythm & cue ball control.

A good break shot is about a square hit, with some power, cue ball control & the pocketing of a ball. Please remember that perfect practice makes for perfect performance. When you practice, start off with a good medium speed break stroke, FOCUS on accuracy. Over a few weeks, your speed will increase, simply because you have learned a rhythm & you have incorporated good coordination.
 
I'd like to thank all of you who replied -- all good & useful info. (I tried to give you all positive reps, but evidentially it's only possible to give one rep per post..)

Thanks to all this good info/advice, during last Tuesday's 8-ball league, the laughingstock (over my pathetic breaks) subsided drastically (could only hear the occasional snicker ;^)

And I think Eric's advice about timing and posture helped me the most. Sure, I still got long way to go until also the snickering goes away. But I'm sure on the right track.

By the way, how bad is it to break with your playing cue? I like to break with my quite expensive Longoni, but I'm afraid to damage it. Besides, if I start breaking with my playing cue, how does that impact the tip?

Again, any advice highly appreciated.

-- peer
 
Peer, FWIW I personally wouldn't worry too much about damaging the cue if you break with it, and the break doesnt effect the tip all that much once it has been "broken in". However I have tried a break cue with a phenolic tip, and although I don't own one, I must say I think it is a worthwile investment. They allow for a harder break, period. Good luck and keep at it.
 
As has been said several times, Timing or what I call Rhythm is key.

Another thing is how straight your stroke is. Is all the movement from the elbow down with no shoulder drop and no swipe. Any variance from a straight stroke will drastically effect power. If you ever hear your cue hit the rail you've either tightened your wrist and or dropped your shoulder.

So here's the old drill with a slight change.
Cueball on the spot - Hit Dead Center, aiming at the center diamond on the short rail. The cueball should come back to the center diamond on the other short rail or hit your cue tip.

Now here's the added part of the drill. Mark the table with a piece of tape or chalk about 6-8" in front of the cueball. After you stroke the ball notice where your tip ended up. It must be right over your mark. Always notice where your tip lands, even when playing a game. What one pro told me "If you don't know where your tip landed, you missed the shot. Even if the ball drops."

Fine tune from here by using a training cueball that holds the chalk mark or lightly coat a regular ball with something like silicone and simply use the spot on the ball as your target. Are you hitting the cue EXACTLY where you intended? The object is to be perfect but if you can get to 1/4mm or less every time, this aspect of your stroke is approching pro status.
 
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