The weakest part of my game right now is my break. This was very apparent last night. I played 8-ball at a bar that I regularly frequent. I played from 2 pm until 7:30 pm. I held the table playing average bar players from 2 pm until 6 pm and then loss a couple times. I then played a strong player and his wife a total of four games, splitting two games with the strong player. (I lost the last of the four games and then my wife dragged me out…lol).
The guy’s wife even pointed out that I’m a good player, but I never seem make anything on the break (and I think that I hit them pretty hard). Out of the four games I played with the couple (playing singles), I didn’t make anything on the break during the four games that I broke. From 2 pm until 6 pm when I had the table, I think that I only made a ball on the break a total of three games! The guys that I was playing remarked the same thing…I never seem to make balls on the break. (Luckily when I broke them...the spread wasn't that great...so I always ended-up getting back to the table).
Today I decided to work on my break and take down some statistics. I broke 20 times from the right side of table, about 3 balls across from the 2nd diamond on the side rail. (Near where I see many pros and better players breaking from). My attempt was to try to make the 1-ball in the left side pocket by hitting the one ball (always racked at the top of rack) low with a tip of right english.
I racked the balls in the same way every time—using the “J” rack and racking the balls from top to bottom and left to right like so: 1—9, 2—3, 8, 10—11, 4, 12, 5—6, 13, 14, 7, 15. The stats that I recorded were: Balls Made; CB position after break; and spread of balls after break. All positions on table are viewed from standing at the head of table. Here were the results:
Break -- Balls Made -- CB Position -- Spread of Balls
1 -- 0 -- very low right -- good
2 -- 5 in low left -- low -- average
3 -- 0 -- middle -- poor
4 -- 0 -- very low right -- average
5 -- 10 in upper right -- low -- good
6 -- 1 in left side; 11 in low left -- low left -- average
7 -- 0 -- middle right -- average
8 -- 0 -- low left -- poor
9 -- 1 in left side -- very low right -- average
10 -- CB in left side; 1 in left side; -- scratch -- average
6 in upper right
11 -- 0 -- high -- average
12 -- 1 in upper left; 2 in upper left -- middle -- average
13 -- 5 in lower left -- low left -- average
14 -- 15 in left side -- very high -- good
15 -- 0 -- middle left -- average
16 -- 0 -- high -- good
17 -- 0 -- low -- good
18 -- 1 in left side; 13 in upper right -- middle -- poor
19 -- 0 -- high right -- average
20 -- 0 -- middle right -- poor
My observations were:
1) CB ended up high on table when I knew that I didn’t hit CB low enough as soon as I hit it.
2) Hitting the CB low, usually resulted in CB moving off to right to bottom of table.
3) Many times when the 1-ball did not go into the left side pocket, the 2-ball had interfered with its path to the pocket.
Stats:
1) Only made a ball on the break (when I didn’t scratch) 40% of the time.
2) Only 10% of the time did I have a really good spread of balls after the break.
3) Only made the 1-ball in the left side pocket 20% of the time.
4) The CB ended-up in the middle of the table only 30% of the time.
Any suggestions that you could provide for making the 1-ball in the side pocket more often and any general suggestions would be appreciated. Also, I was wondering what english I should be using to make the 1-ball (head-ball) in the side pocket or if there is a way that I should be evaluating the rack first and then changing how I hit the head-ball or the english I’m putting on the cue ball to get the head-ball into the side pocket.
I would also like to see someone who considers themself a good breaker to try the same excercise and post their stats. I would like to see how things come out for someone who breaks them good.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions that you could give me (except for having someone else break for me…lol). And no offers to match up with me after seeing my breaking stats...lol.
The guy’s wife even pointed out that I’m a good player, but I never seem make anything on the break (and I think that I hit them pretty hard). Out of the four games I played with the couple (playing singles), I didn’t make anything on the break during the four games that I broke. From 2 pm until 6 pm when I had the table, I think that I only made a ball on the break a total of three games! The guys that I was playing remarked the same thing…I never seem to make balls on the break. (Luckily when I broke them...the spread wasn't that great...so I always ended-up getting back to the table).
Today I decided to work on my break and take down some statistics. I broke 20 times from the right side of table, about 3 balls across from the 2nd diamond on the side rail. (Near where I see many pros and better players breaking from). My attempt was to try to make the 1-ball in the left side pocket by hitting the one ball (always racked at the top of rack) low with a tip of right english.
I racked the balls in the same way every time—using the “J” rack and racking the balls from top to bottom and left to right like so: 1—9, 2—3, 8, 10—11, 4, 12, 5—6, 13, 14, 7, 15. The stats that I recorded were: Balls Made; CB position after break; and spread of balls after break. All positions on table are viewed from standing at the head of table. Here were the results:
Break -- Balls Made -- CB Position -- Spread of Balls
1 -- 0 -- very low right -- good
2 -- 5 in low left -- low -- average
3 -- 0 -- middle -- poor
4 -- 0 -- very low right -- average
5 -- 10 in upper right -- low -- good
6 -- 1 in left side; 11 in low left -- low left -- average
7 -- 0 -- middle right -- average
8 -- 0 -- low left -- poor
9 -- 1 in left side -- very low right -- average
10 -- CB in left side; 1 in left side; -- scratch -- average
6 in upper right
11 -- 0 -- high -- average
12 -- 1 in upper left; 2 in upper left -- middle -- average
13 -- 5 in lower left -- low left -- average
14 -- 15 in left side -- very high -- good
15 -- 0 -- middle left -- average
16 -- 0 -- high -- good
17 -- 0 -- low -- good
18 -- 1 in left side; 13 in upper right -- middle -- poor
19 -- 0 -- high right -- average
20 -- 0 -- middle right -- poor
My observations were:
1) CB ended up high on table when I knew that I didn’t hit CB low enough as soon as I hit it.
2) Hitting the CB low, usually resulted in CB moving off to right to bottom of table.
3) Many times when the 1-ball did not go into the left side pocket, the 2-ball had interfered with its path to the pocket.
Stats:
1) Only made a ball on the break (when I didn’t scratch) 40% of the time.
2) Only 10% of the time did I have a really good spread of balls after the break.
3) Only made the 1-ball in the left side pocket 20% of the time.
4) The CB ended-up in the middle of the table only 30% of the time.
Any suggestions that you could provide for making the 1-ball in the side pocket more often and any general suggestions would be appreciated. Also, I was wondering what english I should be using to make the 1-ball (head-ball) in the side pocket or if there is a way that I should be evaluating the rack first and then changing how I hit the head-ball or the english I’m putting on the cue ball to get the head-ball into the side pocket.
I would also like to see someone who considers themself a good breaker to try the same excercise and post their stats. I would like to see how things come out for someone who breaks them good.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions that you could give me (except for having someone else break for me…lol). And no offers to match up with me after seeing my breaking stats...lol.
