I've seen the pros do it. and recently saw a very skilled player at the local pool hall doing it, and it was extremely effective.But, is there any instruction online about how to get the cueball to leave the table after hitting the headball and come back down on the table? Do you just simply elevate the butt a little and strike low? Can anyone help?
leaving the CB in the middle of the table on a break
- Thread starter DrClean
- Start date
Hitting the cue ball low is not the thing to do for the "jump back and plant" break shot. You have to hit the cue ball very slightly above center. If the rack is tight -- and that's a big if -- the cue ball will naturally bounce back from the rack because the rack will act like more weight than just one ball. The cue ball is always airborne during at least part of the break shot. If it's still in the air when it hits the rack, it will bounce up some. Speed, cue ball position and cue stick elevation determine the height of the cue ball when it hits the rack.
Some players address the cue ball low on the break and then hit near the center. Maybe they need to do that for accurate aiming, but I don't think it is a generally good idea as it complicates the motion on the final stroke. At least before your final stroke, address the cue ball where you intend to hit it.
Oh okay. Thanks bob, you were right then. The guy I was watching was practice stroking at the bottom of the ball, that's what made me think the bottom was where i should hit it! And, lee, I really wish I had the financial means to get one of those! I'm struggling to get to the pool hall twice a week to practice!
I have been told by a couple pros on different occasions that you need to make sure the cue ball stops behind the center of the table. This is right after I am complaining about what seems like a perfect break when the cue ball gets kicked in a pocket since its sitting dead center of the table. The idea is to keep it in the center but behind the crossing lanes of the table.
A caveat, at least for me, is that if one hits too high on the cue ball it can take a forward roll into the rack area. I am not one that needs to impress anyone with the cue ball jumping high off the table to plant it in the middle. I can get very nearly the same break, for me, by hitting below center so the CB stops & draws back just a bit.
It all depends on how the table is breaking for me to decide on what I want to do. Sometimes I want the CB to re-enter into the rack area & can make it do so by hitting the CB high and puttung high spin on it. Low draw type spin all but guarantees it will draw back & as has been said just a bit above center will get the ball to sit whether it jumps up or not & I don't care if it jumps up.
Hope this helps or at least gives you some 'food' for thought.
It all depends on how the table is breaking for me to decide on what I want to do. Sometimes I want the CB to re-enter into the rack area & can make it do so by hitting the CB high and puttung high spin on it. Low draw type spin all but guarantees it will draw back & as has been said just a bit above center will get the ball to sit whether it jumps up or not & I don't care if it jumps up.
Hope this helps or at least gives you some 'food' for thought.
You don't want the cue ball to hop up on the break - that's wasted energy that could be moving balls toward pockets. As Bob says, the cue ball hops on every break - the trick is to break from the right speed/distance so the CB reaches the rack at the bottom of a hop.
pj
chgo
Asked about it recently, got some advice from Brian Deska... He recommended (in my case) that I do a fairly high up closed bridge, like you would for heavy follow, but angle the stick a little bit. Bob's description covers what happens from there... Like any hard break the ball is airborne but elevating gets a little more hop. At the same time you're hitting high so that when it rebounds it doesn't roll backwards to the head of the table. He dressed that striking downward a little was important... Something about the airborne CB getting out if the way of the head ball.
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I played a guy who had the best break I've ever come up against. He broke from the right, about half a diamond from centre and hit the 1 dead straight. The CB rolled to centre table and the follow counteracted the CBs movement to the head rail and stopped it centre table. Did this every break and always had a shot at the 1 in the same corner. Needless to say I didn't stand much chance.
I've since tried it and get no where close. Cue ball flies in the air and smashes down mid table and the follow takes it towards the bottom rail. Do any pros try get the cue ball airborne on the break? From what I've seen they tend to go to cut the 1 and go to the side rail.
I've since tried it and get no where close. Cue ball flies in the air and smashes down mid table and the follow takes it towards the bottom rail. Do any pros try get the cue ball airborne on the break? From what I've seen they tend to go to cut the 1 and go to the side rail.
I agree, most non pro's should NOT want the cue ball taking flight, and should be able to break nicely with a good squat on the cb without all the "jumping".....
But why do you believe the cue ball is "hopping" when you use centerball? Striking the cue ball hard, above center actually pushes the cb into the table, and thus makes the cb hop all the way down the table. And thus, if the rack is hit when the cb is off the table, it will "jump" as they say...
I can jump over 4 pennies when breaking with top, but the cueball will not even go over one penny when breaking from center or below, with a level cue...... unless I'm missing something??
This seems to make most scientific sense, but when the cueball hops and pops, I tend to get my most explosive and controlled breaks. So, something else is going on. For me, the hop is a... sign that I hit the cueball the best for my best break.
Watching the TAR match ups, When Alex or Dennis (vs Shane in their respective matches) started hopping their break, their break caught up with Shane's as far as being a weapon. Shane's is always hopping, and his is known by most as the best 10- ball break ( which works nicey for box break games).
On the break app, my breaks that hop are always and I mean always faster than the ones that didn't hop. It's almost like my stroke has to be inefficient to make it not pop up. And that's backwards for what I want.
Freddie <~~~ doesn't try to make it hop or not hop
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The pros with the best breaks now a days use the hop to avoid getting kissed by the object balls. Getting complete energy transfer isn't important because they hit the balls plenty hard already and in 10 ball, there is actually such a thing a too hard because above a certain speed all the balls just tend to cluster behind the head string, which makes it more difficult to run out.
Ko Pin Yi, who has the best break in the world at the moment, hops his cue ball behind the center line where it stops dead for a good shot on the one which he has sent in front of the top right corner pocket.
Ko Pin Yi, who has the best break in the world at the moment, hops his cue ball behind the center line where it stops dead for a good shot on the one which he has sent in front of the top right corner pocket.
I break with the cue laying on the rail and it naturally bounces back. No tricks about it. It's a hair above center hit. You can bounce it off the table if you choose
Instruction and practice. The only way to do it is to try it, when it works, try to recall how you hit it and hit it the same way again.
Spot-on. There is no better way to figure the break shot out than the Break-Rak.
And fo me, Having the CB end up in the top third of the table yeilds more success than when it stays in the center of the table...but I don't play the 1 in the side.
I left this out my 1st post for selfish reasons I guess but this little tidbit of information helped me dial in a good break.
Years ago a road player told me to look at the CB during breaking and another great player told me to stay still and not stand up during my break. This information helped my break dramatically. You don't need power until you have CB control. Another bit of great information came from CJ when he was talking about a touch of inside. I use this deflection teqnique on my break. I will aim a little to one side of the 1 ball and counter it by using the TOI. I am not saying this is recommended but this works for me. This way I know I am not accidentally hitting off center on the CB.
Good Luck
Years ago a road player told me to look at the CB during breaking and another great player told me to stay still and not stand up during my break. This information helped my break dramatically. You don't need power until you have CB control. Another bit of great information came from CJ when he was talking about a touch of inside. I use this deflection teqnique on my break. I will aim a little to one side of the 1 ball and counter it by using the TOI. I am not saying this is recommended but this works for me. This way I know I am not accidentally hitting off center on the CB.
Good Luck
I've studied up quite a bit on the break shot. and these guys are right for the most part. Keep in mind it's just another shot, even though it's most important.
Good/same preshot routine. - stair down the rack, and exact spot you want to hit the head ball.
Hit half to full tip above center. - I have found that by adjusting your bridge hand to the correct height, so that when your cue is level it hits this spot naturally, helps tons!!!
Stay down throught your shot. - It looks like Shane rises as he pulls the trigger, but he only starts to move after contact with the ball. Leveraging his body through the follow through.
Hit SOFTER!!!! - Don't hammer away at the break. Less power = more control usually. I find that when my break is out of whack, I take some power out. If I still cant range it in, I move more to the center. YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON CONTROL, NOT POWER!
MOST IMPORTANT ~ PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! - atleast once a week (usually more) I practice my break shot only, for about half to one full hour. It is the only way you will get that good break down consistantly. I almost never dry break 9 or 10-ball. 8-ball can be a little more tricky depending on the table. Some times I'll even go second ball break, most of the above will still apply.
Good/same preshot routine. - stair down the rack, and exact spot you want to hit the head ball.
Hit half to full tip above center. - I have found that by adjusting your bridge hand to the correct height, so that when your cue is level it hits this spot naturally, helps tons!!!
Stay down throught your shot. - It looks like Shane rises as he pulls the trigger, but he only starts to move after contact with the ball. Leveraging his body through the follow through.
Hit SOFTER!!!! - Don't hammer away at the break. Less power = more control usually. I find that when my break is out of whack, I take some power out. If I still cant range it in, I move more to the center. YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON CONTROL, NOT POWER!
MOST IMPORTANT ~ PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! - atleast once a week (usually more) I practice my break shot only, for about half to one full hour. It is the only way you will get that good break down consistantly. I almost never dry break 9 or 10-ball. 8-ball can be a little more tricky depending on the table. Some times I'll even go second ball break, most of the above will still apply.
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Sure: more speed = longer hops = CB airborne at OB. But the hopping CB is an undesirable side effect, not an essential ingredient.
Trying just means moving the CB a little back or forward.
pj
chgo
You should NEVER look at the cue ball on ANY shot while pulling the trigger. Eyes should always be on the target ball. You will find even more success if you start stairing the rack down like a regular shot.
best,
Justin
Shane rises before contacting the cue ball. That's where he gets his speed - by straightening his arm and adding his shoulder muscles.
I agree with you that mere mortals probably shouldn't try to do that.
pj
chgo