The initial break shot

[Williebetmore]

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?

I've never seen the winner of the lag choose the break. I do play regularly with a pro who doesn't mind losing the lag occasionally; feeling that there is a lot of pressure to make that first 9foot shot off the head rail. It's easy to miss that first shot.

 

[Bob Jewett]

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).

Irving Crane always used this shot on a full rack and from the right places near the head of the table. Ed Kelly used it as well. Depending on the stickiness of the table, the head spot may or may not be the "natural" starting point. There is a precise spot to aim at on most tables on the corner-pocket iron. This is discussed in the article at
http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/2000-07.pdf

The shot is in Mosconi's Winning Pocket Billiards, and if any reader of this forum doesn't have that book, they should be ashamed.