Questions!

8pack

8pack

They call me 2 county !
Silver Member
Does the Break really make Shane who he is?Make his break the same as all the other pro's how would he compete?Is the game all about the break at a certain level? Can a guy with lesser ability compete with the best just because of the break?Is the game all about control and that is the break?
Is Shane one of are top players because of his breaks? What do you think?
 
I think Shane is one of the top pro's because of many things.
1. Heart
2. Personality
3. Age
4. Ability to play under pressure.
5. Respect for the game.

I could go on for along time with this but the wife just called me up for dinner(yep we eat late).
 
Not an answer to all of your individual questions, but if SVB's overall pool game was only about and as good as his break, he wouldn't be able to snap off multiple one pocket titles.

IMHO, ICBW.

Peace,

~Razor

Edit to add: But yes, his 10-ball ball break can be very good. :)
 
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Remember in his match against Alex when Shane ran like a bazillion racks, but the score was still close? I think that says more for Alex's game than Shane's. It means that Alex was
forcing a lot more turnovers than Shane was forcing on him. Imagine how the match would be different if they both had a designated breaker with a weak break.
 
Shane's definitely more than his break. If anyone tries to claim he's all break and just average in other ways, they weren't paying attention to his kick safes, his railfirst shots, or the way he just drills in long tough shots like they're routine.

AtLarge posted stats about the breaking on Day 3 of the shane vs. johnny match. On paper, johnny broke a little better. He's always hit 'em reasonably hard and figured out how to milk the magic rack to get the same ball on the break about 80% of the time.

But with fewer breaking opportunities, shane got just as many break'n'runs, which tells you that he has the ability to run out with the best of them after the dust clears.
 
8pack said:
Does the Break really make Shane who he is?Make his break the same as all the other pro's how would he compete?Is the game all about the break at a certain level? Can a guy with lesser ability compete with the best just because of the break?Is the game all about control and that is the break?
Is Shane one of are top players because of his breaks? What do you think?
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Shane is without a doubt one of the best - without question. Having said that though, to answer your general question - in 9 & 10 Ball the break is pretty important at the professional level. Obviously it is not the only thing, but it means more at that level than say for typical amateurs.
 
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The break

Its big when its working, but if you dont get a chance to break...., Playing Efren who's break is ok or Lee Van or Mika or Ralf..., guys that can play can still put you in the chair for a long time with a good but not great break.
 
King T said:
Its big when its working, but if you dont get a chance to break...., Playing Efren who's break is ok or Lee Van or Mika or Ralf..., guys that can play can still put you in the chair for a long time with a good but not great break.
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I don't know, but if a guy is keeping you stuck in your chair 4-5 games at a clip, he's breaking pretty f'ing great imho. But in any event, all the guys you named are still great payers so yeah, they can keep anyone in a chair for a while with a good break. But it's a little tougher to run the gauntlet through a strong field with just an OK break.
 
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Break'n

Yea its hard, its almost never done, taking down the big breakers when they get the break going, Archer, Busta, SVB and now Orcollo, but there are some guys that can just get there because they do everything else at that high speed..., may not run as many racks, but they get as many wins.
 
King T said:
Yea its hard, its almost never done, taking down the big breakers when they get the break going, Archer, Busta, SVB and now Orcollo, but there are some guys that can just get there because they do everything else at that high speed..., may not run as many racks, but they get as many wins.
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We are both a little bit right.;) One guy you mentioned, Mika, won 2 US Open 9 Ball Championships in a row. While he may not be known for a huge break, the point I'm making is I suspect if we went back and examined it, we would find his break was working very well those two weeks.

So, going into an event we look at guys like Orcollo, Alex, Django or Shane as favorites because they are well known to break well consistently. But any of the top players, if they come breaking great that week, are cabable of winning.
 
King T

Hey your right (DogsPlayingPool) I went back and looked at some of the AccuStat numbers and most of the guys that won that are not known for the big break, had a very good day breaking...., looks like i better keep working on mine!
 
8pack said:
Does the Break really make Shane who he is?Make his break the same as all the other pro's how would he compete?Is the game all about the break at a certain level? Can a guy with lesser ability compete with the best just because of the break?Is the game all about control and that is the break?
Is Shane one of are top players because of his breaks? What do you think?
Click to expand...


If the format is winner breaks, the edge goes to Shane or the better breaker. Take away his break and he would have to control the table the way Efren does, with better kicks and safeties. So I do think the stronger break is a major key, especially in 9 ball. Can guys with lesser ability compete with the best because of their break alone? I vote no. A great breaker like Larry Nevel would be a serious underdog against any top player.
 
Cuebuddy said:
I think Shane is one of the top pro's because of many things.
1. Heart
2. Personality
3. Age
4. Ability to play under pressure.
5. Respect for the game.

I could go on for along time with this but the wife just called me up for dinner(yep we eat late).
Click to expand...

You can add "work ethic" to this list (when you get done eating).

I've seen matches won by players with a much lower accu-stat rating than the loser. I've seen matches won/lost by the roll of the balls/cueball. I've seen many-a-pro lose matches because they fail to pocket a ball on the break (or scratch on the break multiple times in a single match). Unforced errors play a large part in a player's success/failure. There are many variables that can determine the outcome of a given match. If a particular player is winning a decent share of tournaments he enters, I'd have to say that he's got a good toehold on the many variables, whether through hard work or by luck. It's never going to be one, single thing that makes/keeps one at a level of greatness.

Simply put, "hard work/work ethic" is the one variable that the player can easiest control. And...........SVB has that going for him plenty!!!

Maniac
 
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King T said:
Hey your right (DogsPlayingPool) I went back and looked at some of the AccuStat numbers and most of the guys that won that are not known for the big break, had a very good day breaking...., looks like i better keep working on mine!
Click to expand...

Wow, I can't remember the last time I was accused of being right! :eek:

What can I say, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day. :D
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I wonder how many guys that have had all the talent to become great but fell short because of opportunity that a great break gives one.
 
8pack said:
Thanks for all the replies.

I wonder how many guys that have had all the talent to become great but fell short because of opportunity that a great break gives one.
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If they had the talent, they would become great regardless. Look at Efren, Parica, and Buddy, for example. Arguably the 3 best 9 ball players ever, even though they never had a top notch break. A great break lets a good player compete with slightly better players that don't have a great break, especially in 10 ball where there are no balls that can be made consistently with a soft break.
 
Take it from an old schooler

Anyone can learn to run out a table, or even several. It is what I call the accessory things that make the difference; Break, kicking, banking, jumping, and decision making.

SVB had the jump over other pros in 10 ball breaking, but not anymore, they have caught up, maybe not making as many balls as he does, but they are making 1 or 2 off the break.

If you guys think Archer is going to take off his match with Bustamante, you are crazy. Bustamante breaks 10 ball good, and he can run tables with the best of them. He never gets beat badly. The only reason he lost to Burford was because he accidently hooked himself on the 7 ball of the last rack. It will be a tough match for both of them.
 
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