One Pocket break

imbeded diagrams

I was just curious about what I need to do to be able to view the imbeded diagrams. Thanks in advance for your help.

Zack
 
I've always used the standard break, inside follow hitting thin cutting the head ball from the side rail. I watched Varner and he comes in about 4" from the rail and shoots with inside draw and shoots at the same balls. I've tried this with some success but I am not as consistent with this break as the standard break.

I totally agree with the poster that said that if the opponent isn't racking the balls just right, you can have some problems, bigtime!!

The kick-break scares me because I feel like I'm not in as much control. Also, I believe you have to get two balls to the rail for it to be legal. If that corner ball heads for your opponent's corner, you're screwed! You don't see many really good players using that bank break either.
 
Rickw said:
Also, I believe you have to get two balls to the rail for it to be legal. QUOTE]

This is from the BCA website.:
OPENING BREAK
Starting player must (1) legally pocket an object ball into his targeted pocket, or (2) cause the cue ball to contact an object ball and after contact, at least one object ball must contact a cushion. Failure to do so is a foul. Note: The cue ball does not have to strike a rail on the opening break.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you Longhair. I stand corrected.


longhair said:
Rickw said:
Also, I believe you have to get two balls to the rail for it to be legal. QUOTE]

This is from the BCA website.:
OPENING BREAK
Starting player must (1) legally pocket an object ball into his targeted pocket, or (2) cause the cue ball to contact an object ball and after contact, at least one object ball must contact a cushion. Failure to do so is a foul. Note: The cue ball does not have to strike a rail on the opening break.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Since you can contact a rail with just one ball, you can shoot a break where the cueball sticks to the head ball and the corner ball rolls in front of your pocket. I think it's important to know this break, as well as some replies. That said, I don't see it used very often.
 
I knew a guy that could shoot the cb from the head spot into the head ball with straight follow and freeze the cb on the head ball knocking the corner balls only out of the pack. If I could do that break consistently, I think that would be pretty good. It would be tough for your opponent to play the safe. But, if they could, you could be in for a long game.


longhair said:
Since you can contact a rail with just one ball, you can shoot a break where the cueball sticks to the head ball and the corner ball rolls in front of your pocket. I think it's important to know this break, as well as some replies. That said, I don't see it used very often.
Click to expand...
 
Rickw said:
I knew a guy that could shoot the cb from the head spot into the head ball with straight follow and freeze the cb on the head ball knocking the corner balls only out of the pack. If I could do that break consistently, I think that would be pretty good. It would be tough for your opponent to play the safe. But, if they could, you could be in for a long game.
Click to expand...
If your opponent hasn't seen this break before it can be deadly. Eventually though, (s)he will figure it out, and you'll have to try something else. By the way, I think this break works pretty well even when the rack isn't tight. You might not get a ball to a rail, but the balls will be spread on your side, no balls will come to his side, and the cueball often gets really buried at the top of the rack.

As I write, it occurs to me that this break might not be possible on a smaller table. I've never tried it, but I will tonight.
 
To follow up on the loose rack idea, I believe in Upscale One Pocket Jack Koehler illustrates how a gap in the row of balls on the side of the rack you're breaking into transfers energy around the middle three balls of that row. This makes the corner ball come out and scratch or sell out problems occur. Also, I think it's very important to find out which way the table rolls before choosing a pocket. You almost always want to break the balls so that you're pushing balls towards the side where balls are rolling to the side cushion, not away from it. This makes a huge difference; with the right speed you can almost curve balls into the hole when the table rolls out towards your hole. When it rolls away from your hole, some shots are impossible to pocket at the speed required to leave balls near your hole.
 
longhair said:
If your opponent hasn't seen this break before it can be deadly. Eventually though, (s)he will figure it out, and you'll have to try something else. By the way, I think this break works pretty well even when the rack isn't tight. You might not get a ball to a rail, but the balls will be spread on your side, no balls will come to his side, and the cueball often gets really buried at the top of the rack.

As I write, it occurs to me that this break might not be possible on a smaller table. I've never tried it, but I will tonight.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think he is talking about the straight pool safety shot where you very softly roll the cue up and glue it dead center to the nose of the head ball in the stack, popping the two corner balls (or just the one in line with your shot) out but the rack is intact, no other ball moving more than a quarter inch or so, and only if there are gaps at that. The speed control this takes is so fine you better be warmed up and sharp mid-match, I wouldn't like to try it cold the first break of the match.

It definitely leaves opponent shotless, but according to several of Grady's videos, the break should work out to a ball and a half advantage for breaker, and this break simply isn't aggressive enough to measure up to the standard break offensively nudging 2/3 of the entire stack towards your pocket, plus the safety side of the shot protecting the balls you have moved with the break.

Never tried one-pocket on less than a 9-footer, beyond the cluster factor, how does a smaller table affect the game?
 
Kevin said:
Never tried one-pocket on less than a 9-footer, beyond the cluster factor, how does a smaller table affect the game?
Click to expand...

Well, on an 8 foot table it's not so different. As you say, there is the cluster factor, and it's a little easier to collect the loose balls at the head of the table. On a bar table, however, one pocket is totally different. Distance becomes almost meaningless, and cross corner and strait back banks become much more offensive. They are so easy that even moderately strong players can shoot for position instead of ducking. Actually, I think one pocket on a bar table is a much more offensive game generally. I prefer to play short racks on a little table. The pace of the game is more like nineball than like one pocket on a big table.
 
crawdaddio said:
Boyd (longhair) usually uses the standard(as I've seen it) break, something like this:
START(
%AN7O5%BL8P7%CJ7O4%DL8N2%EM7P1%FK7P1%GK7N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK8M6
%KJ7P7%LJ7N2%MK7Q3%NJ7Q9%OJ7M0%Pg6Y9%UN4P4%Vf9Y6%WO7[0%XC7V6
%YD1V0%ZN0P5%[I1F0%\L6M5%]D2H6%^I8L8%eC4a1
)END

http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/9egg/
Click to expand...

I cant see how this would be a good one pocket break at all, this actually leaves me a shot at my pocket?
 
where's your shot? unless i'm missing something, the breaker breaks to his pocket, top left corner, and leaves the cue behidn the stack with no balls near his pocket...i tried this a few times yesterday and it really gave me an advantage....
 
Standard break

Has anybody mentioned this? The standard break of clipping the first ball and sliding off the second provides the breaker with the only real chance of making a ball on the break. Because of this, no other break is better.
 
is it common for pros to make a ball off the break? or do they concentrate more on the position of the cue ball and push of balls towards their pocket?
 
jack said:
is it common for pros to make a ball off the break? or do they concentrate more on the position of the cue ball and push of balls towards their pocket?
Click to expand...


I don't have much experience at the game, but all the seasoned players I watched at the DCC broke very similar to the way I diagrammed. I have never seen anyone that I considered to be skilled at the game go for an offensive (putting a ball into their pocket) break. The percentage is just too low. How 'bout it Grady, what say ye?
peace,
David
 
jack said:
is it common for pros to make a ball off the break? or do they concentrate more on the position of the cue ball and push of balls towards their pocket?
Click to expand...

The main objective is to send balls towards your hole and place the cue ball in between the second and third diamonds. Sometimes, a ball goes in. I've never seen a ball pocketed on any other common one hole break.
 
jack said:
is it common for pros to make a ball off the break? or do they concentrate more on the position of the cue ball and push of balls towards their pocket?
Click to expand...

I have an Accustats Bill Incardona one-pocket tape and several of Grady's videos, clearly the push and position is paramount with the main point being to put your opponent in trouble with no decent response or way to get the cueball safely placed near your pocket where about all you can do is knock one away from your side. Trust me on this, if one could reliably be dropped on the break then the game would immediately tip towards being offense-oriented, instead of the incredibly deliciously epic defensive battle waged each shot.

Occasionally one will drop in your pocket, but it is much lower odds than even 9-ball where you are trying for it. BTW, the 9 supposedly falls about once every 33 breaks (mentioned by some columnist in Billiards Digest methinks).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top