The initial break shot
- Thread starter softshot
- Start date
Ok, I am not a 100 ball runner (yet!!!) - but would'nt it make more sense to concentrate on leaving the cueball frozen on the headrail, maybe close to the corner pocket?
I think you could give the best straight pool players in the world 10 tries at leaving the cueball "titty hooked in the corner pocket" off the break and the # of succesfull attempts would be very slim. Don't you think?
Not to mention the scratching possiblities while flirting with the corner pocket.
I think you could give the best straight pool players in the world 10 tries at leaving the cueball "titty hooked in the corner pocket" off the break and the # of succesfull attempts would be very slim. Don't you think?
Not to mention the scratching possiblities while flirting with the corner pocket.
softshot said:
Maybe you could be a bit more specific.
The ideal break leaves both OBs back into the pack, or close,
enough to be unmakeable, with the CB frozen to the head rail.
Essintially, no shot and frozen on the rail. Some players, IMHO,
intend to leave a makeable but very difficult shot,
hoping for a miss that sells out.
What result other than this do you want? Or are you looking
for a different way to get there.
Dale
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A couple years ago, I was playing a goofy game of 3-way cut throat with two friends from work, one male and one a gorgeous female. While trying to make a side pocket shot I hit the point of the pocket and remarked, "Ahh man, I tittied that one". My female friend looked at me with a smile on her face and said, "Did you just say, 'tittie'?" What a lovely moment.
softshot said:
SS,
One recipe.
I've seen hundreds of games played by the best players in the world....the same opening break every time.
Here's my recipe (right handed player). Set whitey on the right side of the table along the head string at the intersection of the first diamond on the short rail, and the second diamond on the long rail. I then move the cue ball slightly a bit further away from the long rail. Aim for a half ball hit on the corner ball of the rack. Using 2 tips of parallel right English (which curves the cue ball as it travels so you get about a third-ball hit instead of a half-ball hit) use the proper speed to strike that corner ball and come 3 rails (not 2) back to the head rail. If you are getting too much spread, adjust your speed and thickness of hit. Remember that the extra English adds speed to the ball off the rails so you don't have to hit the pack as hard. Good luck.
Williebetmore said:
that is the standard break shot and I have been working on that for quite some time... but I am looking for other ways to accomplish the same goal.
this game has been played by too many people for far too long.. there has to be another way to get there.
I knew a guy who would hit two rails bring the cue ball up from the bottom of the pack and call the head ball in the top corner AND MAKE IT more often than not. I was never able to figure out how he did that.
thats obscure and an old memory LOL.... but
there has to be more than one way to achieve a legitimate consistent safety break.
there just has to be.
just for the sake of leaving your opponent in an unfamiliar situation.
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S
Scottster
Guest
Let me suggest to you that you select a different discipline to make a mockery of. You made a totally assanine comment about the 9-ball break here: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=1037492&postcount=8
Now you're in this forum contradicting the best explanation of the opening break as described by willibetmore.
Don't even bother with this game, you dont have the intellectual mind to handle it.
Go have a beer and enjoy your bar pool.
Now you're in this forum contradicting the best explanation of the opening break as described by willibetmore.
Don't even bother with this game, you dont have the intellectual mind to handle it.
Go have a beer and enjoy your bar pool.
Scottster said:
I am not contradicting his explanation that is the time honored way to do it. and he explained it very well.
I just was looking for other ways to get the job done.
why is everyone getting so pissy?
Am I the only guy on earth who like to experiment with shots?
and just for the record I'm not making a mockery of any game you obviously didn't understand my comments on the other thread. but that has nothing to do with this one.
Straight Pool is the first game I ever learned I have been playing it since I was 7. I honestly love the game.
If your put off because I don't hold your precious 9-ball in high esteem get over it.. 9-ball is far and away the easiest pocket billiard discipline.
Williebetmore said:
Normally, at this point I would be admonishing people to
please not feed the TROLL - howsomever, your post is an
outstanding example one of the many great things about
this forum, ie, a treasure trove of info for the less experienced.
Only wish you had been around when I was 18.
Dale
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I think that the rules that describe a legal 14.1 break make any other shot less desirable than the standard one. If you didn't have to get the cueball to a rail, you could stick it to the pack; if you didn't have to get 2 object balls to a rail you could skim the rack and return to the head rail. However, you do have to do both of those things.
I suppose that if you are playing somone who can't handle distance at all and you wanted to spread the balls to temp him, you could hit the back corner ball with inside english instead of outside and return to the head rail on the same side you broke from instead of the opposite side. The back row will scatter and leave at least one ball available to the corner pocket. I don't recommend this against anyone strong enough to know what 14.1 is.
I suppose that if you are playing somone who can't handle distance at all and you wanted to spread the balls to temp him, you could hit the back corner ball with inside english instead of outside and return to the head rail on the same side you broke from instead of the opposite side. The back row will scatter and leave at least one ball available to the corner pocket. I don't recommend this against anyone strong enough to know what 14.1 is.
Williebetmore said:
I like this. Thanks for the worldly advice. I lack a lot of straight pool knowledge, but do enjoy playing it. Therefore, a question about this opening break shot. I've always heard that the perfect break is for the two corner balls to hit the rail and then roll back into the rack.
What's realistic? I haven't watched much straight pool, so I don't have anything to compare to. Are the pros able to return the two balls to the rack with consistency? Or is it more realistic to expect some balls to be off the rack by an inch or two?
I can get the corner to side rail ball to return to the rack consistently, but I'm having a little more trouble with the corner to foot rail ball returning to the rack and seem to be selling it out to a long cut shot into the corner pocket. My guess is I'm hitting this corner ball too full.
softshot said:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7439107515878837032
Watch Irving Crane's break shot at the start of this video. His opponent is forced to play a safety.
Derek said:
Perhaps I haven't seen quite as many initial breakshots as
Mr. Bettmore, but I have seen hundreds by top pros.
The 'perfect' both balls back into the rack is extremely rare,
less than 10%, maybe less than 1%(??).
What is common in an overwhelming majority is the cueball close to,
or frozen on the headrail with only very tuff, very long shots available.
This layout also makes a return safety much more difficult to play
properly. Maybe they know something.
Dale
Derek said:
D-man,
My experience has been the same as "pdcue's"; the perfect break (as you describe) is rarely seen even by the best professional players.
I would estimate it occurs less than 5% of the time. About 20% of the time you will get lucky and your opponent will have no shot. About 80% of the time your opponent WILL have a shot (and at least half of these will lead to pack-opening subsequent shots). THE BREAK IS A DISADVANTAGE EVEN FOR THE PRO'S. JMO.
softshot said:
Softshot (may you rest in peace),
There is actually another safety break, but I have never seen it used in competition...it's somewhat hard to execute.
Place whitey on the head spot. Kicking 2 rails towards the far corner pocket, whitey goes 2 rails, then skims lightly off the side of the pack back towards the kitchen. Skillful players can skim the pack so thinly that there is almost no disruption of the pack (so really can't be used on the opening break; but can be used later in the game when confronted with an intact 14 or 15 ball rack).
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Thanks, Willie and Dale (if I may call you that).
Willie's breakdown, rough percentage-wise, tells me a lot after practicing the opening break shot more the past couple of days. Not that I'm making highly, skillful, pro-caliber shots, but those percentages seem to coincide with the results I'm seeing.
So being one to lack a lot of straight pool knowledge, does the winner of the lag/coin flip/ro-sham-bo typically choose to pass the opening break to their opponent versus take it on?
Willie's breakdown, rough percentage-wise, tells me a lot after practicing the opening break shot more the past couple of days. Not that I'm making highly, skillful, pro-caliber shots, but those percentages seem to coincide with the results I'm seeing.
So being one to lack a lot of straight pool knowledge, does the winner of the lag/coin flip/ro-sham-bo typically choose to pass the opening break to their opponent versus take it on?