My 8 ball break (video)

RDeca

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member

This was my first break as soon as i picked up the cue . I like to keep the ball planted better but the hop happens 50% of time. This is pretty much my standard 8 ball break technique and speed. I adjust contact on headball slightly depending on results. If I get dialed in I can send the headball to the side half the time

Any tips to improve?
 
Last edited:

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
your break is primarily rated by how many balls go in on the average. along with where your cueball ends up secondly on the times a ball goes in. if you understand that.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
You made a random ball. These days the pros are playing for specific balls on the smash breaks. Some of them approach 90% on their intended ball.

You squatted the cue ball perfectly and had plenty of power.
 

RDeca

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's hard to give any improvement advice without seeing your body/mechanics
My mechanics are just a small weight shift. I dont throw myself at the table like some guys and I'm only breaking about 65 percent power.
Not much going on with my mechanics .
I tried closed bridge for a few weeks and couldn't get used to it. (I've always broke open bridge) I notice most pros break closed bridge. Only time i close it is if I'm soft breaking and focus on freezing the cueball on the headball to mess with my opponent. Lol

I haven't messed around too much with pocketing specific balls. thats the next step i suppose. But I dont have the luxury of same table with same cloth or even same cueball all the time. Also I do NOT Believe template should ever be used.

Mostly I've just been focusing on cueball control when I do take time practice my break. I pretty much have the stroke for squatting the cueball down.

Am I correct in thinking the ball hop might be dialed out with a slight adjustment in bridge length? And pocketing specific balls is down to moving the cueball a inch or so left or right untill you get it right?
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Am I correct in thinking the ball hop might be dialed out with a slight adjustment in bridge length?
Doubt it.

The CB hopping up off the head ball happens because the CB takes a hop or two off the table surface on its way to the rack and hits the head ball above center. You can try moving the CB back a little until the "table hops" are just the right length to bring the CB down to the perfect spot on the head ball.

Or, for a similar result, you could try hitting a little softer/harder, and/or leveling your cue as much as possible...

pj
chgo
 

RDeca

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'd say that qualifies for the 600 club...
I don't even have a fargo. (No time for tournaments ...just mid week bar league.) But your pretty close. I'm competitive against guys around there...and a little better if I'm rested and been practicing
 

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Doubt it.

The CB hopping up off the head ball happens because the CB takes a hop or two off the table surface on its way to the rack and hits the head ball above center. You can try moving the CB back a little until the "table hops" are just the right length to bring the CB down to the perfect spot on the head ball.

Or, for a similar result, you could try hitting a little softer/harder, and/or leveling your cue as much as possible...

pj
chgo
This.^^^^ I will parrot PJ's response a bit.

Slow your video down to 1/4 speed in YouTube settings and watch it again.

It looks like the cue ball is in the air more 3/4 of the way to the rack (normal), lands, and hops (normal), and then hits the head ball above center.

If you want to use the same speed, move the cue ball back 2 or 3 inches at a time and watch the results.

Don't get too far back or the cue elevation becomes a problem.
 

RDeca

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yea it seems to be off the table an 8th of an inch or so. I think you can hear it bounce a twice before hitting head ball. No burn marks on the side I always break from. Lol
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Yea it seems to be off the table an 8th of an inch or so. I think you can hear it bounce a twice before hitting head ball. No burn marks on the side I always break from. Lol
If you can fix it, the energy going into popping the CB up will go into spreading the rack.

pj <- but of course you'll get laid less
chgo
 
Top