Protecting the cloth during the break?

N

NervousNovice

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I saw two good players playing casual games with each other, and they would put a poker card under the cue ball during the break shot. I suppose that is used to protect the cloth. But....

I thought the cloth is "hurt" most where the cue tip strikes the cloth if you use a bend-your-shaft break. Or does the cue ball create so much heat and friction at the place where it takes off that you need to protect that spot instead?
 
depends how you're cueing the degree of friction at that point. no stroke is perfectly horizontal because it's not quite natural and plus the table has raised cushions and rails.

obviously the break stroke is completely different to a normal stroke in most cases and most of the time as the cue strikes the cue ball it's heading into the table. pushing the ball very hard into the cloth, which is where the 'damage' is done. same as a jump shot, just not to that extreme. although the ball still jumps on the break.

personally i think 'protecting' the cloth is pointless and silly. just play and relax. i always say in anything, that preventative/protective measures should not effect what you would normally do too much.

besides, a well worn in cloth with plenty of battle marks is pleasing to the eye i think.
 
I've done this for years. If you break from the same spot you will wear a hole in your cloth and have to change the cloth quicker. I've used a scrap of cloth instead of paper, but both works fine.
 
NervousNovice said:
I saw two good players playing casual games with each other, and they would put a poker card under the cue ball during the break shot. I suppose that is used to protect the cloth. But....

I thought the cloth is "hurt" most where the cue tip strikes the cloth if you use a bend-your-shaft break. Or does the cue ball create so much heat and friction at the place where it takes off that you need to protect that spot instead?
Click to expand...

I come down between worried beef and chevy. Because of the downward trajectory of the cue, you WILL wear a hole in the cloth IF you break from exactly the same spot every time.

To avoid that, I move the CB 1/4 inche or so to either side a spot in the middle and break from both side...which we ALL should do more of.

If you do that, then you won't wear a hole before the rest of the cloth needs changing anyway.

And if you change your head spot more often, you will avoid a big dent there too for a much longer time that would otherwise be the case.

Regards,
Jim
 
upon further review

my post probably belonged in its own thread... and has been moved there.
 
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Welcome NN

I always use a small piece of felt under my cue ball on the break. Welcome aboard. Enjoy!
 
This procedure works well & should be part of any table owner's policy, including Pool Rooms.

Many people don't know how or why the Spot becomes a divot. The reason is this.. when the cue ball strikes the lead ball, on a downward or upward arc, the obvious carom for the lead ball is downward. Since the cue ball does do some hopping toward the rack, it can be off the table surface at impact. In fact, if the cue ball does happen to be on the surface at impact, it will rebound back more than usual.
 
At hard times in bellflower, CA they make you use a breakcloth. Its silly because with my break the mark is always past the foot string.
 
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