I dont know if this has already been mentioned, if so I apologize a head of time but my research was a bit half-assed. Are they implementing the no side-rail break this year. Ive been watching the matches online and I noticed that everyone is breaking from the box. Is this correct?
The Break
- Thread starter NOSAJ03
- Start date
Yes.........NOSAJ03 said:
Shorty,
Instead of the WEI table.. just visualize the end rail diamonds. The two closest to the corners and then go up to the headstring. This would be considered 'the box'
Or, you can't get any closer to the side rails on the headstring than a diamond.
The 9 ball on the spot has reduced the numbers of '9s on the break', I've not seen any in the last two days.
It has also reduced the number of balls being made on the break. In a match that Keith McCready had the other nite, he broke 11 times and didn't make a ball on the break any of those times. Keith later asked how anyone could win doing that.
Instead of the WEI table.. just visualize the end rail diamonds. The two closest to the corners and then go up to the headstring. This would be considered 'the box'
Or, you can't get any closer to the side rails on the headstring than a diamond.
The 9 ball on the spot has reduced the numbers of '9s on the break', I've not seen any in the last two days.
It has also reduced the number of balls being made on the break. In a match that Keith McCready had the other nite, he broke 11 times and didn't make a ball on the break any of those times. Keith later asked how anyone could win doing that.
The format of the U.S. Open is that one must break from the box. There have been MANY discussions between the players as to what has been working for them.
When Earl Strickland was playing against Timothy Hall, he said out of 11 games, there were 10 games in which he did not make a ball on the break. Keith McCready struggled with making balls on the break as well when he was playing against Shane from South Dakota. Earl Strickland was watching part of the match between Keith and Shane, and he suggested to Keith to shorten up his stroke when breaking. The next match, Keith took Earl's advice, and it did seem to help a little.
Shawn Putnam made three 9-balls in a row and almost made a fourth, leaving it hanging in the jaws of the pocket during one match several days ago.
Several players said that they were using the "cut break," and the way it was explained to me was that you place the cue-ball on one side of the box and aim for the 1-ball on the opposite side from the cue-ball placement, using low inside english.
Rob Saez was breaking with an open-hand bridge which seemed to work for him.
Since the break is such a big part of the game of 9-ball, there are many breaking strategies. How to execute them consistently, though, is the $64,000 question.
JAM
When Earl Strickland was playing against Timothy Hall, he said out of 11 games, there were 10 games in which he did not make a ball on the break. Keith McCready struggled with making balls on the break as well when he was playing against Shane from South Dakota. Earl Strickland was watching part of the match between Keith and Shane, and he suggested to Keith to shorten up his stroke when breaking. The next match, Keith took Earl's advice, and it did seem to help a little.
Shawn Putnam made three 9-balls in a row and almost made a fourth, leaving it hanging in the jaws of the pocket during one match several days ago.
Several players said that they were using the "cut break," and the way it was explained to me was that you place the cue-ball on one side of the box and aim for the 1-ball on the opposite side from the cue-ball placement, using low inside english.
Rob Saez was breaking with an open-hand bridge which seemed to work for him.
Since the break is such a big part of the game of 9-ball, there are many breaking strategies. How to execute them consistently, though, is the $64,000 question.
JAM