Greenleaf one of if not the best 14.1 player ever favored the side pocket break shot.
Any reason why?
Any reason why?
Side pocket break shot
- Thread starter measureman
- Start date
its my preferred when i practice
just easy to hit it hard and fast,
almost always great spread, almost never miss
just easy to hit it hard and fast,
almost always great spread, almost never miss
I couldn't possibly speak for Greenleaf, but here are a few possible explanations
1. Playing on 5 by 10s. I have never played on a 5 by 10 but I have played straight pool on a 6 by 12. What struck me was how often you could get in trouble with a side of the rack breakshot where the cue ball slid down. Because of the greater distance to the rack and to the pockets, you risked getting severe angles and tough to make combinations. The side pocket breakshot seems to get the cueball up slightly above the rack reliably. Getting into the third rack was as far as I could get on this table due to the tough pockets. If I were crazy enough to go back to that table, I would probably go for either below the rack breaks or side pocket breaks. On tough and large tables these tend to give you an easier shot after the break.
2. Playing on tough breaking tables. Side pocket breakshots usually means going into the rack at it's weakest spot near the top. Many players prefer high side of the rack breakshots for the same reason. Also, even though the rack is "weak" in the other corners, knocking a few balls loose at the top, usually gives excellent re-break opportunities. The balls that come out of the bottom corners of the rack are often obscured from going other than from very narrow position windows. Balls knocked out from the top are available from 3/4's of the entire table. Big difference.
3. There is more room on the 5 by 10 to play position for side pocket break shots, and it is an easier choice for that reason.
4. There is rarely a scratch (and you have to severely mishit the shot to risk it)
5. If you choose a slightly riskier strategy of hitting the breakshot with draw, it is very difficult to get stuck to the rack. It makes the scratch possible, but with low probability. If you keep gettting stuck with other breakshots, that is an option to try.
6. Depending on the type of break shot, you may be shooting into a bigger pocket than the corner.
7. It's not unusual for a top ball to leak out after the break, just to the side and above the rack. Getting on this typical ball for a side of the rack break shot is tricky. You need little angle, and the yield is typically not the best. Better to play for that in the side pocket. Some tables this ball comes out very reliably, others not so. It's just convenient to get this breakshot and not have to do anything special with it, just leaving it there to the end.
8. If you like below the rack break shots, you can play a strategy where you play these breaks in an alternating fashion, because each break tends to create breakballs for the other.
BIGGEST DISADVANTAGES:
1. Especially on a 4.5 by 9, the side pocket breakshots (especially with the breakshot close to the rack) require VERY exact position. So exact that you probably should strive for a stop shot (or near stop shot) key ball.
2. If you like to smash balls all over the table, you should probably not play for side pocket break shots with the break ball close to the rack. You could play for a side pocket break in the middle of the table, though.
3. For side pocket breaks with the break ball close to the rack, you very likely will be shooting from the rail. If you dislike that or have problems with such shots, it's something to take into consideration before selecting such a shot.
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Two more disadvantages: If you hit the rack too high, you can skid off and scratch in the opposite side. Also, if you hit the rack too low, because of the more square contact angle, you often get stuck to the pack. So, optimum target window is likely smaller than the typical ‘side-of-the-rack’ breakshot (?).