My breaks harder and better but the cue flies high, suggestions?

scottycoyote

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
after downloading and reading that article on bustamante's break, I decided to work on my own. I havent had alot of time to work with it but I have implemented a few changes in my break, and I have to say Im hitting the balls harder, the one fuller and i move the 9 all over the table. Heres the thing, im getting a pretty high cueball hop on every break. I concentrate completely on the cueball as I break now, so i dont really see how high it jumps, but in my peripheral vision id say its a foot at least, maybe more. It comes back down and normally dies mid table, but if it lands on another ball i realise its probably gonna foul. I know im probably semi-jumping the cueball into the pack which is making it fly up, but my break is so much better and harder....what can i do? Im breaking off the side, about 4 to 6 inches from the diamond. Is it just supposed to do that or am i doin something wrong?
 
Follow through as far as you can. Move the cueball out farther from the rail to get the cue as level as possible.
 
no more jumping

betcha the back of your cue is jacked up a bit, so the CB is getting airborne slightly.
 
I would suspect that you are driving down and through the CB on the break and your cue is following through on the cloth. The CB arcs across the table and lands just before the head ball. Then it pops up.

I actually like this break and have been getting pretty good results with it and just started using it after watching Sigel's latest video. I use a closed bridge so that the cue is elevated above the edge of the table rather than resting on the edge.

Video tape yourself from the side.

Jake
 
Please do not make a closed bridge on the rail. After you jump the ball off the table repeatedly and have to decrease the power you will realize this is not the best way to break.

You will also look like an idiot to all the people in the pool hall who do know how to play the game. They will be flocking to get a game from you. I'll take ball in hand after the break from anyone.
 
scottycoyote said:
I know im probably semi-jumping the cueball into the pack which is making it fly up, but my break is so much better and harder....what can i do? Im breaking off the side, about 4 to 6 inches from the diamond. Is it just supposed to do that or am i doin something wrong?
Click to expand...

A foot off the air isn't bad. If you're not popping the cueball off the table, you're probably ok. Video tape it, and upload it so we can see what you're talking about.

That being said, if you move your cueball forward closer to the line or back closer to the head rail by an inch, you'll probably see a difference in the bounce. It all depends on at what point your cueball hits the 1-ball during its bounce. RandyG calls this the "bounce factor." You can accomplish the same thing by reducing your speed by a hair.

Virtually every top player hits the break with some kind of non-level cue, and the cueball is going to bounce.

Fred
 
When I feel that I am breaking my best (hardest with full face hit on the one), the cueball has flown up and hit the lights on several different tables (upwards of 3-4 ft in some cases), but the cueball, as in your case, comes back down almost in the exact middle of the table, and will not move unless hit by another ball. I don't take it as a problem, but I will normally concentrate more on keeping my cue level at that point. I will also pocket an average of 2 balls when this happens. I wish I were consistent, though.

I have been very successful if I concentrate on not taking my bridge hand off of the table at all. My break may not be as hard as mentioned above, but the balls seem to scatter just as good.
 
Cornerman said:
A foot off the air isn't bad. If you're not popping the cueball off the table, you're probably ok. Video tape it, and upload it so we can see what you're talking about.

That being said, if you move your cueball forward closer to the line or back closer to the head rail by an inch, you'll probably see a difference in the bounce. It all depends on at what point your cueball hits the 1-ball during its bounce. RandyG calls this the "bounce factor." You can accomplish the same thing by reducing your speed by a hair.

Virtually every top player hits the break with some kind of non-level cue, and the cueball is going to bounce.

Fred
Click to expand...

yeah its been awhile since id seen any pro matches and i couldnt remember if theres hops bad or not. Like i said, my break results are awesome, i havent sent the ball off the table yet, just didnt know what im supposed to be striving for. Im not hitting it as hard as i can.....im going to work with more fillow thru and body later after tax season is over. I worked with randyg last year on the advanced class, im doing the expert this year......do they cover breaks in that one fred?
 
scottycoyote said:
after downloading and reading that article on bustamante's break, I decided to work on my own. I havent had alot of time to work with it but I have implemented a few changes in my break, and I have to say Im hitting the balls harder, the one fuller and i move the 9 all over the table. Heres the thing, im getting a pretty high cueball hop on every break. I concentrate completely on the cueball as I break now, so i dont really see how high it jumps, but in my peripheral vision id say its a foot at least, maybe more. It comes back down and normally dies mid table, but if it lands on another ball i realise its probably gonna foul. I know im probably semi-jumping the cueball into the pack which is making it fly up, but my break is so much better and harder....what can i do? Im breaking off the side, about 4 to 6 inches from the diamond. Is it just supposed to do that or am i doin something wrong?
Click to expand...

Are you implementing Bustamante's back hand being 10-14 inches high on the backswing? A read a post where Cornerman quoted Nick Varners advise for that type of break.
 
As long as the cue ball isn't popping off the table you should be ok. I also tried bustamante's break and was getting the cue ball 6- 9 inches off the table. As long as the cue ball died in the middle of the table I was ok. I have since changed my break and have been having more consistency. The pop that I am getting is now only 2-3 inches but the ball does not leave the table. According to a couple of the people I have been talking to a level cue will help with the "jumping" of the cue ball but as long as the cue ball is popping from power it shouldn't be an issue. Please correct me if I am wrong here.
 
no i havent gotten the cue up in the air yet. Right now body wise all i got is making sure my left arm is bent.......line up straight and i kind of gather myself up, shifting my weight back just a little as my final backstroke comes back then coming foward with it all. Im going to try alot more new stuff after april 15th when i can get some practice time. I have a friend who does the back arm coming vertical a foot or two but he sends the cue off the table more often than not.
I tell you something thats made a huge difference in my break is watching the cueball. I line up my break, few strokes then i completely focus on the cueball. I mean i stroke all the way thru it without taking my eye off it, thats why i dont know for sure how high it jumps, but its really made be able to hit the balls and move the rack.
 
I thought of another reason. On my table, the cloth is worn on the spot where my cueball sits in the kitchen for my side break in 8-ball. If I hit from that hole in the cloth, the cueball jumps and flies. I almost broke my Falstaff clock/light when the cb launched itself to about 5 feet in the air. Whew! it was close. So, I've patched the hole and/or break from elsewhere.

So, check the cloth and be sure you're not hitting out of a deep, worn spot.

Jeff Livingston
 
Breaking

Moving the cue ball a little towards center can help. Too extreme angle coming into the rack can sometimes cause the cue ball to fly around sometimes.

Making sure the butt of your stick is level or as low as possible.

Raise your bridge hand up a little for a higher bridge.

Moving your grip hand up just a little can also help (only on break though).

Just like when certain players 'rack' you, you have to know how to adjust the break to get optimum results with the rack given. Yes, you can make them rerack, but some rack mechanics are very good.

I always use a closed bridge when breaking, except for side breaking in 8 ball.
 
chefjeff said:
I almost broke my Falstaff clock/light when the cb launched itself to about 5 feet in the air.

Jeff Livingston
Click to expand...


Chef-man,
So you have a light commemorating a Shakespearian character???? Geez, most of us just have beer company lights.
 
Scotty, Move the cue ball a little, not side to side, but either closer or farther from the rack on the same line. Anyone who breaks hard gets the cue ball airborne to a certain extent and it "bounces" to the rack. If you can find that magical spot where it hits the rack and the table at the same time, then it sticks instead of jumping up in the air.

Edit: Just move it a little at a time, like a quarter ball or so. Don't move in big steps.


Bob
 
Williebetmore said:
Chef-man,
So you have a light commemorating a Shakespearian character???? Geez, most of us just have beer company lights.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have that light in my Hamlet. Light us to billiards. To beer or not to beer, that is the question.

Ye ol' Livingston
 
scottycoyote said:
yeah its been awhile since id seen any pro matches and i couldnt remember if theres hops bad or not. Like i said, my break results are awesome, i havent sent the ball off the table yet, just didnt know what im supposed to be striving for. Im not hitting it as hard as i can.....im going to work with more fillow thru and body later after tax season is over. I worked with randyg last year on the advanced class, im doing the expert this year......do they cover breaks in that one fred?
Click to expand...

Scott,
Randy will be back in Charlotte in October for two weekends of the Cue-Tech Road Show...one will be the advanced class, and one will be the expert class. Break shots are covered in the Expert class. Will look forward to seeing you there.
Steve
 
I up until a couple of weeks ago was having a simmilar problem but now I find that if I keep the CB in the centre of the table when I break and never take my focus off it I can power right through the ball and it jumps up and then squats perfect, SUCCESS AT LAST!.
 
Moving the cueball a little may help, but ultimately, this is a problem based on how you hit the cueball. Not where you hit it from. As you follow through on that final stroke and you make contact with the cue ball, you need to be sure your cue is as close to level as possible and that you are hitting center ball.

If you are hitting down even the slightest bit, you are driving the cueball into the table and thus, forcing it to come off the table ever so slightly. When it hits the one, its gonna jump straight up. And if you're off center on the one even a hair, its gonna send the cue ball off the table.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top