My Worst/Best Break

[Cornerman]

If your elbow doesn't bother you on normal shots, maybe you should just treat the break as a normal shot (this might be why getting lower is helping you, if you normally have a low stance).

Good suggestion. I think at this point, my break stroke is much closer to a normal stroke than it ever has been before. The main difference for me is that I can't finish at the body with a firm stroke. I have to drop the elbow and finish with my hands forward. Finishing at the body with, say, a firm stroke will tweak my elbow, even on normal firm shots.

It's a ***** getting older and having nagging sports injuries. My shoulder has always bothered me since I was a teen. My doctor tells me to keep playing.

Fred <~~~ don't get me started on jacked up shots

 

[Williebetmore]

I've been having problems breaking for about the last 5 months. Fred <~~~ can't win for losing

Fred,
Welcome to the ranks of the one-pocket/straight pool geeks - it won't be long before you come to your senses and quit those goofy power-breaking games. Of course you could try the very soft break (as soft as you can and still be legal), and enjoy the resulting cluster-filled strategic games (a lot of players HATE when I do this - everybody wants to run out, and seems a little frustrated by all the clusters I leave when breaking). I can tell you that if I miscued half the time on my straight pool break I would have to give it up (hell, I probably should give it up anyway). Mother Nature is trying to tell you something - if you refuse to listen she will get angry.

 

[Josh Palmer]

It's a ***** getting older and having nagging sports injuries. My shoulder has always bothered me since I was a teen. My doctor tells me to keep playing.

Well Fred, I can't even stand up and play anymore with my broken ankle.. no telling when it will heal, or if I will even be able to play for an hour at a time... Don't get down on yourself, just learn to deal with it. I know when I hurt my elbow from sports, that I had to take super care of it, and now I can't even throw a baseball without it acting up on me. Pretty hard to stomach after playing 14 years of ball! Pool doesn't require anything extremely physical, with the exception of the break, and maybe you could develop a safe break anyhow, and really work on your straight pool to manuever better within the rack. If I were you, I'd be doing that to ensure that I could play as long as I want. Fewer hard breaks here and there would probably lengthen your pain-free playing time by quite a bit. Good Luck!

 

[EddieFast]

A Great way to practice your break....

Fred,

I've read all of the responses to your question and I keep hearing that your main problem is that you are having a problem making good consistant contact with the cue ball. Like a number of the others that have made these great suggestions, I too have had to learn how to deal with the march of time and the results of sports injuries, etc.... It doesn't sound like lack of power is your problem, rather it's that you miscue and don't hit the cueball in the center. You don't have to hit them especially hard to make a good break but you do have to control the cueball in order to give yourself a chance at a runout.

After realizing a few months ago that, even though I was spreading the balls pretty good, I wasn't in control of the cue ball. It ended up all over the table and usually not in the middle. I knew that I needed to work on my break and knew that good cue ball contact without using side spin is a key.

I did some research [gotta love google!!] I found a device called the BreakRAK. The great thing about this device is that it allows you to practice your break without ever having to re-rack the balls. [how many of us have tried to practice our break and given up after a few racks because it was a royal PAIN ???] With this thing you can concentrate on making good contact with the cue ball and learn quickly how to make it end up in the center of the table every time [except, of course, for inadvertant kisses from other balls].

Practicing the break has become a regular part of my routine because I can do it endlessly without having to re-rack. In a relatively short time I have improved my break and consequently my runout percentage.

You can find the BreakRAK at www.breakrak.com. By the way, this device was created by a guy named Charlie Bond and he's also written a book titled "The GREAT Break Shot" which has tons of information about different breaks for different games and situations, as well as a section on how to read breaks contributed by a great player and instructor named Joe Tucker.

Good luck Fred....

 

[Cornerman]

I did some research [gotta love google!!] I found a device called the BreakRAK.

I have one and consider Charley Bond a friend. I wouldn't be able to work out a lot of these issues without the BreakRAK. Right now, however, my BreakRAK II is out of action as it is getting prepared for some updating

Fred