Unusual break shots that you like

mullyman

Hung Like a Gnat!
Silver Member
I know this isn't a preferred break for people but I saw Jim Rempe make this on a tape and I gave it a shot during practice. The ball went in smooth and the break was pretty satisfying for me. Enough so that I've practiced it enough that I'm most likely not going to miss the shot. If I don't have a really good break shot and there is one in the rack area I'll play for this break without batting an eye. Yes, the glance off the side and drop in the corner is there but if you don't try to do too much with it the scratch can be avoided.
MULLY
this is the cueball about 2 balls off center, center follow.

Like I said, I'll play for it if there's nothing better, it's not my first choice

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One of my favorites is this. I play it quite a bit (which is to say, maybe a couple times a month). I bat about 1.000 on it, and for some reason I've never seen anyone else play it. Once you learn the right combination of low and sidespin, you'll know the shot forever.

Finally, if I've ever scratched on it, I sure don't remember it.

Note how the the 1 is on the "wrong" side of the pocket for a classic side pocket break shot from the other side of the table. Don't fight it! I see guys trying to get on the other side of this ball and the results are usually pretty bad.

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- Steve
 
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I can't think of any unusual break shots that I like. I like them to be good and boring. I suppose I'm not into straight pool kink.
Mully, I really have to practice that head spot break shot. I don't often get the right combination of speed and english.

Interesting one Steve. I'll have to try that. The position of the 1-ball reminds me of a break shot that Irving Crane played in the 150 and out run against Joe Balsis.
He played position for a two railer, something like this:

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Steve Lipsky said:
One of my favorites is this. I play it quite a bit (which is to say, maybe a couple times a month). I bat about 1.000 on it, and for some reason I've never seen anyone else play it. Once you learn the right combination of low and sidespin, you'll know the shot forever.

Finally, if I've ever scratched on it, I sure don't remember it.

Note how the the 1 is on the "wrong" side of the pocket for a classic side pocket break shot from the other side of the table. Don't fight it! I see guys trying to get on the other side of this ball and the results are usually pretty bad.

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- Steve


This reminds me of a shot that Efren made against Mike Sigel on one of the 2000 14.1 US Open tapes. In the interview I think he said "I shooting Mike Sigel, what I supposed to do?". The only difference between his shot and yours is that he had to bank it.

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bluepepper said:
I can't think of any unusual break shots that I like. I like them to be good and boring. I suppose I'm not into straight pool kink.
Mully, I really have to practice that head spot break shot. I don't often get the right combination of speed and english.

That's the beauty of it. There is no english on it...........assuming you don't call top and bottom "english". Only thing you need is follow. Any spin on it, other than what it picks up off of the object ball, will lengthen it too much.
MULLY
 
Steve Lipsky said:
One of my favorites is this.
Finally, if I've ever scratched on it, I sure don't remember it.

Note how the the 1 is on the "wrong" side of the pocket for a classic side pocket break shot from the other side of the table. Don't fight it! I see guys trying to get on the other side of this ball and the results are usually pretty bad.- Steve

SL,
WHOAAA. I've never seen this one.

It just came up the other day, and I tried to play straight to the head rail, straight back to the rack. Scratched off the rack.

I will try this out this evening. Many thanks.

P.S. - my pace of play is picking up after a recent lesson from Hunter Lombardo. He's made my setup easier and quicker, so I don't have to spend as much time settling into the proper stance. I ran 34 yesterday in about 10-15 minutes (close and competitive game too, tight pockets).
 
I'm so bad it's embarassing...

This is a rather unusual shot that I see from time to time (rarely) in my runs. It occasionally comes out quite well.

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Sorry, I couldn't resist. :D I was reading all the replies and had one of those "I know so little" moments. Seriously though, I play straight pool so badly (and so rarely) this is an unusual shot for me to get. :(
 
I learned this shot when playing the game on slow cloth. I was infamous for coming up short - or - just picking the wrong path - and I would always end up like this, shooting in the wrong direction. lol

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The shot below isn't all that unusual, but Cowboy Jimmy Moore would use it all of the time. When he shot the one - the cue ball would come off of it like it was shot out of a cannon and the rack would literally explode. I took a lot of ass-kicking from him. He used to tease me about learning how to play from Cisero Murphy. Once he said that the best thing Murphy ever taught me was how to sit up straight. lol... It was joy to sit an learn from one of the best ever. He taught me so much about working through the balls and dealing with this and that - but above all, his break shots were incredible!

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3andstop said:
There was a thread on this a while back. Here is one I like a lot and is actually very practical yet not known by lots of players. The cue ball actually bends into the head balls on its way down the table.

You shoot this shot with force follow outside english

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and here's the link to the thread ...

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=80280

I shot one very similar to that tonight. Hit the side of the pack and almost scratched. hehe!
MULLY
 
He used to tease me about learning how to play from Cisero Murphy. Once he said that the best thing Murphy ever taught me was how to sit up straight. lol...

That's funny. Sounds like he and Murphy probably had a good relationship. (Or am I wrong about that?)
 
Dan White said:
Here's a website I archived a long time ago, and has some interesting break shots in it. I especially like #6. I've tried it out and it works a surprising amount of time. You won't see me doing it in a match, though!

http://www.jimloy.com/billiard/break.htm

Thanks Dan. I never saw that before. Nor the 5 ball combo for a pocket hanger. A couple of those are just plain nuts though. Like the cueball off of the side rail into the break ball into the rack.
 
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