Soft break in 8 ball on a bar table?

[rubyrubin]

Hi all -

I am in a VNEA 8 Ball bar table league. I have noticed over the weeks that most tables that we play on are very poor quality. As a consequence (probably mostly due to extremely slow cloth), break shots are not much of an advantage. The best players step up these tables and break dry, time after time, leaving the rest of the table open for the opponent to run out.

My question is: can anybody diagram out a soft break (4 numbered balls need to hit a rail) that will make a run out very difficult so that I can get a turn on the table after the break?

I would like to add that even on the good tables, a break and run is extremely rare....much rarer than a run out after a dry break, therefore, I *still* believe that it is an advantage NOT to break!

- Aaron

 

[steev]

Break with the standard 2nd ball break at 60-70%. 1/2 tip of low inside, as full on the 2nd ball as you can. It'll be hard to run out, and you'll often make a ball. From there you can go for it or play safe.

-s

 

[bsmutz]

While I never practice a soft break in 8-ball, I've played my share on slow cloth. The scenario that seems to be best at making sure someone is going to get more than one turn at the table in my experience is when only the outside balls get broken off the rack and a cluster stays around the 8. If I was going to purposely break so that my opponent wouldn't have much to shoot at, I think I would break from the middle of the head string and try to stop the cue ball dead on the head ball with medium speed. This should get the 4 balls to the rail without leaving an easily runnable table. Experimentation should show you the best play for you.

 

[BillYards]

There are many ways to get a legal soft break on a bar table. I never used one in competition because my break generally worked for me. I have messed around with softbreaks that involved shooting from near the side rail, hitting the side of the rack.

I have also seen a straight-on hit to the head ball used in competition and it worked fine.

Remember that you are just trying for a messy rack, so it doesn't matter if more than 4 balls hit the rail, as long as a chunk of balls are still clustered in the rack area when you are done.

Instead of going to too much trouble with softbreaks, take some time to learn how to break on a bar table. Concentrate on your followthrough and change the position of the cueball until you find a sweet-spot that works for you.

Softbreak on a barbox should be saved for moments when you are severely overmatched or struggling with your game.

 

[rackem]

Softbreak on a barbox should be saved for moments when you are severely overmatched or struggling with your game.

[/QUOTE]
I don't think that is the case with Cory Duell.
I had an 8-ball break this week in league and I usually just pop them 80% speed on the second ball. I shoot from the rightside rail.

 

[RobertR]

Break with the standard 2nd ball break at 60-70%. 1/2 tip of low inside, as full on the 2nd ball as you can.

I prefer 1/2 tip of low *outside*. Decreases the chances of clipping the head ball (which is a disaster with the 2nd ball break).

 

[steev]

I prefer 1/2 tip of low *outside*. Decreases the chances of clipping the head ball (which is a disaster with the 2nd ball break).

how exactly does that decrease chances of aiming wrong (which is all it boils down to anyway)? the deflection on an outside hit there would actually push the CB _toward_ the headball, meaning you would have to aim even further from the headball.

-s

 

[renard]

Break from the side rail just like you were going to hit the second ball back. But hit the head ball on the opposite side of that second ball with a half ball hit. You can hit it hard and 4 balls make the rail not much more. The half ball hit takes all the power away and you don't have to guess what 70%, 60% breaking speed is... just hit it hard. The half ball hit works wonders.

Try it, you'll be sold.

 

[rubyrubin]

Break from the side rail just like you were going to hit the second ball back. But hit the head ball on the opposite side of that second ball with a half ball hit. You can hit it hard and 4 balls make the rail not much more. The half ball hit takes all the power away and you don't have to guess what 70%, 60% breaking speed is... just hit it hard. The half ball hit works wonders.

Try it, you'll be sold.

i'm not sure what a half ball hit is...what does that mean?

 

[cigardave]

i'm not sure what a half ball hit is...what does that mean?

... when you aim, 1/2 of the cue ball overlaps 1/2 of the object ball... when aligned for a half-ball hit, your cue tip should be aiming at the edge of the object ball.

 

[Slider]

i'm not sure what a half ball hit is...what does that mean?

A half-ball hit is when you aim the centerline of the cue ball at the edge of the object ball.

What I didn't understand was what side of the head ball was to be hit.

For instance, if you are breaking from the right side of the table, are you hitting the left side of the head ball with that half-ball hit?

 

[TheBook]

Break with the standard 2nd ball break at 60-70%. 1/2 tip of low inside, as full on the 2nd ball as you can. It'll be hard to run out, and you'll often make a ball. From there you can go for it or play safe.

-s

I will do this also. If you hit them hard enough all of the balls will end up along the long rail that you broke from. This leaves a ugly mess. If anyone then runs out they deserve to win.

 

[RobertR]

how exactly does that decrease chances of aiming wrong (which is all it boils down to anyway)? the deflection on an outside hit there would actually push the CB _toward_ the headball, meaning you would have to aim even further from the headball.

-s

That's easy. Because when hitting at 60-70 precent speed, the CB bends slightly away from the headball.

 

[SCCues]

Break with the standard 2nd ball break at 60-70%. 1/2 tip of low inside, as full on the 2nd ball as you can. It'll be hard to run out, and you'll often make a ball. From there you can go for it or play safe.

-s

I use this break most of the time playing bar table 8 ball and there is a bonus with this break and that is you make the 8 on the break once in a while. It counts as a win in the APA, but not the BCA or VNEA. I think it's important to stroke as level as possible to make good contact, but one draw back for me is it's rough on my break shaft on the 7 foot tables because you can't help but catch the metal cover over the corner pocket you are breaking from once in a while with the level stroke and it will put a scratch or two on your break shaft.

 

[renard]

i'm not sure what a half ball hit is...what does that mean?

The middle of the cueball to the outside edge of the object ball.

 

[renard]

A half-ball hit is when you aim the centerline of the cue ball at the edge of the object ball.

What I didn't understand was what side of the head ball was to be hit.

For instance, if you are breaking from the right side of the table, are you hitting the left side of the head ball with that half-ball hit?

Yes you are...

 

[Maniac]

I think it's important to stroke as level as possible to make good contact, but one draw back for me is it's rough on my break shaft on the 7 foot tables because you can't help but catch the metal cover over the corner pocket you are breaking from once in a while with the level stroke and it will put a scratch or two on your break shaft.

This is why I use a graphite break cue on these type of bar boxes.

Maniac

 

[mworkman]

I like using the 2nd ball break in 8-ball also sometimes. I dont put any english on it, just draw. Be careful not to draw it too much because you can draw off the side rail and into the opposite side pocket. Experiment with different speeds.

 

[BillYards]

I don't think that is the case with Cory Duell.
I had an 8-ball break this week in league and I usually just pop them 80% speed on the second ball. I shoot from the rightside rail.

Cory Duel uses his soft break in 9-ball because he knows where the balls are going to go. That is a bit different than this situation....

 

[Big Bad Bern]

third ball break

In this situation I usually like to break by contacting the third ball down either side of the rack with a medium speed draw stroke. I find that this twists the bottom half of the rack off the pile leaving the front half clustered.

Bern