Is this line significant to you?

C

CueAndMe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When choosing, setting up or striking a side-of-rack break ball do you find the following blue line, where the path of the break ball to the pocket would be parallel to the rack's outline, to be of any significance?
If the break ball is closer to the rack than this line, do you change anything?
If it's further from the rack than this line do you change anything?

CueTable Help

 
If I understand the question, for me at least, the relative position of the cue ball to the OB (no matter where the OB lies) is much more significant than this specific blue distance line.

Also, how high or how low the OB lies relative to the rack is more important to me. Of course how close the OB lies to the rack (relative to your line) will have much to do with how much of the CBs velocity vs speed vs angle of the cue ball hit needed to get into the rack.

In other words, the closer the OB is to the rack, the less steep of an angle you will need to obtain a good spread.

For me, given a choice of final position, I'd alway opt to force follow into a rack than to pick an angle that demanded a draw stroke.
 
Thanks for the reply 3andstop. I see your points, and I agree that this line probably isn't as significant as other factors.

But I'm bringing this up to show something that we might want to take into minor consideration. It seems to me that the closer to the rack the break ball is, the greater the tendency the cueball will go toward the foot end of the table after contact with the stack.
This parallel blue line is the transition point from the cueball's up-table path into the rack to its down-table path into the rack.

Here are 3 pages illustrating this:

CueTable Help

 
I attempted to reply yesterday, but azb was down... so yey for it bein' back up


All I can really add is that when I'm looking for a break ball on the side of the rack, I try and find something inside this yellow square...

CueTable Help

 
Thanks Duane. So you like them pretty close to the rack.
I haven't given this much thought until now, but I was trying to think of where I would place the break ball if I could choose the optimum position for it. I don't know. But I'll take a guess.

I'm thinking that I'd want the cueball to strike a ball full in the face for maximum spread. It should go in near 90 degrees so somewhere on the blue line would be good. I'd also think that striking one of the 2 interior balls would be good as well, probably best being the second ball from the top. All of this assumes that I've left the cueball for an angle 45 degrees or more so that I can use some topspin to drive through the rack. Maybe a little further away from the rack than the blue line would be slightly better because the direction of topspin would be pointing at an angle lower than 90 degrees to the rack. Therefore, if the cueball is going in at a slightly uptable angle the downtable topspin may counteract this to allow a pause after striking the rack then a second coming from the topspin.

So here's where I think I'd want to be for the ideal break shot. Maybe the second page is better for the reason above:

CueTable Help

 
I'm not as concerned how close to the rack the ball is, but as to what attack angle the CB is hitting the first ball in the rack. I never want to go into the side of the rack at exactly 90deg. this can cause you to "stick" in the rack if hitting the first ball square in the face. Having just a slight up or down angle will cause the CB to pop out nicely IMO.

G.
 
Gerry said:
I'm not as concerned how close to the rack the ball is, but as to what attack angle the CB is hitting the first ball in the rack. I never want to go into the side of the rack at exactly 90deg. this can cause you to "stick" in the rack if hitting the first ball square in the face. Having just a slight up or down angle will cause the CB to pop out nicely IMO.

G.
Click to expand...

I think sticking in the rack can happen no matter what angle the cueball is heading in if it catches a ball squarely and doesn't have the appropriate spin to free itself. But when coming in from a steep angle and using follow, I don't see sticking being a concern since the cueball will be driving further in after the first strike.
I do agree with you when follow isn't being used.
 
Sticking in the rack is more likely with a center ball hit or even a less than forceful draw stroke. Outside english seems to stick it more also.

If you get a slightly steeper angle into the break ball and are able to use a force follow into the rack (this is what I play for) then its been my experience that its more likely the cue ball will bounce off the rack and re enter without sticking.

I like the OB higher on the the rack and close to it.

Close and low are dangerous if you decide to gently go into the rack with a medium draw stroke. At least for me, it seems the draw (if not pronounced) takes the CB into the pocket. On these type shots without a steep angle in, I still opt for force follow so long as I can catch the second or last row.

Another high percentage yield break (slightly more difficult to make) but also a favorite of mine is behind the rack with both CB and OB parallel to the rack. A touch of inside english takes the CB three rails around the back of the rack and stays out of the way of the balls spreading. I never seem to get stuck after this type break.
 
Yeah, I do like 'em pretty close to the rack. It's mostly for a visual reference, plus I feel I can control the cueball a little better if it's that close. I guess this is all theory, but I like it lol
 
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