So, if you are racking for your opponent, do you screw him as thoroughly as he will let you? If racking for yourself, do you rack one dead? I've seen a major tournament won by an "I'll rack one dead for myself" guy.
is the break the most difficult shot in pool?
- Thread starter evergruven
- Start date
So, if you are racking for your opponent, do you screw him as thoroughly as he will let you? If racking for yourself, do you rack one dead? I've seen a major tournament won by an "I'll rack one dead for myself" guy.
I prefer a third party racking...I won’t look...I’ll take what I get.
Sorry. Not a problem for you but is still a problem for others.
Players really have little say about the rack & break rules. Tournament promoters set the rules. When they get completely fed-up, then and only then will things change. They are not there yet.
kenny hall
Registered
I say the break has to have precise aim and hit. I agree that it is not the most important shot at lower levels of skill, where most always you get another turn at the table. Some of the players who hit it real hard on the break lose control of whitey a lot. That is no good. On a power break it is essential that you hit the head ball very square. The cue ball should lose all its energy after contact and maybe retreat 6 to 12 inches straight back.A rack of eight ball on a bar table can be devastated. If your break is tuned up, you can put yourself way ahead of the game by precise 'hard' breaking, making a least a ball and lots of time 2/3. The rack spreads all over the table most cases, and makes a run out likely, if you can play a lick. 9 ball is the same. 10 ball I think depends a lot on the table and figuring out where to break from. I stick with the same starting place in 8 and 9 ball, but even they are different spots.
Just witness Eclent Kaci running the 10 ball match out on Alex. Awesome pool there but could never have happened but for a great break shot by Kaci..
I am going start selling dedicated break and j/b cues soon. I am planning on sending a video out with them on "The Power Break". Cheers to all !!!
By rack one dead, do you mean "a tight rack"? A good frozen 9 ball rack broken square from the correct spot...the corner ball is dead every time. I haven't read this whole thread, but this one comment seems to involve some confusion about the nature of a 9 ball rack. When I rack for myself, I rack them very tight, and my success is measured by the corner ball going directly in. I'm one of those "rack them properly" kind of guys.
KMRUNOUT
No, it was with intentional gaps.
If I have to pick between these two shots...
1. My CB is frozen on the bottom rail on any of the Diamonds and my OB is frozen on top rail mid diamond and I have to cut into one of the top corner pockets.
or
2. Break and make a ball and leave the CB somewhere in the center of the table.
I believe my chances are much easier for option #2
1. My CB is frozen on the bottom rail on any of the Diamonds and my OB is frozen on top rail mid diamond and I have to cut into one of the top corner pockets.
or
2. Break and make a ball and leave the CB somewhere in the center of the table.
I believe my chances are much easier for option #2
Personally, I've always felt the toughest shot in pool was the long straight in... for the dough
Lou Figueroa
+1 on this... corner to opposite corner long straight in, bridging over a corner
pocket, OB is in the center of the table... for the cheese. :angry:
Personally, I've always felt the toughest shot in pool was the long straight in... for the dough
Lou Figueroa
I've heard that the difficulty of a straight-in shot (of total distance x) can be calculated by multiplying the CB-to-OB distance times the OB-to-pocket distance - the bigger the result, the harder the shot. The mathematical result is biggest when the distances are equal - which supports the claim that corner-to-corner (longest possible total distance) with the OB in the middle is hardest.
pj
chgo
I think the Break Shot requires the most skill, yet you hardly ever see anyone practicing their Break Shot. Just about all physical games require practice & some instruction/coaching, to become a good player, yet Pool Players just won't do it. Van Boening does it & he's proven there's value to practice & learning.
Even with a map & demonstration, Pool Players don't see the value in practicing the first shot in every game, even after they've learned, If you don't have a good break shot, Winning is just a Wish.
Even with a map & demonstration, Pool Players don't see the value in practicing the first shot in every game, even after they've learned, If you don't have a good break shot, Winning is just a Wish.
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Thanks, AtLarge
AtLarge just posted some stats on the recent open 9Ball tourney. The most interesting datum, imo, is the finding:
He won 63% (274 of 435) of the games in which he broke legally, made at least one ball, and did not foul (successful breaks).
Oops, forgot to add the link to his thread.
https://forums.azbilliards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6&order=desc
AtLarge just posted some stats on the recent open 9Ball tourney. The most interesting datum, imo, is the finding:
He won 63% (274 of 435) of the games in which he broke legally, made at least one ball, and did not foul (successful breaks).
Oops, forgot to add the link to his thread.
https://forums.azbilliards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6&order=desc
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But the breaker won overall by only the usual couple of percentage points:
Unless 2% is way more important than I think, it's still not much of an advantage, even (especially?) among elite players.
pj
chgo
Didn't that come from Ron Shepard, or was it Bob J.? What ever happened to Ron, anyway?
One or the other, or both, I'm pretty sure (or maybe Mike Page?).
I don't think Ron ever made the jump from RSB to AzB. Far as I know he's still around the Chicago area (still at Argonne National Lab?) playing pool and trying to talk some sense into us schlubs.
pj
chgo
Thanks. I'm trying to be good.
pj
chgo
Ha! Lemme know how that works out for yaz!
:duck: :duck: :duck:
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