Looking at the Atlarge stats, IMO, the B&R stats need to be higher. It would benefit our cause. Ratcheting down the rules and equipment are likely a drag on the advancement of this event and our sport.
US Open Break & Run % Is Too Low
- Thread starter Paul Schofield
- Start date
So I am confused. I am reading the discussion on the new break rules, and I am not sure what the goal is.
If we want a skill shot, isnt that what we had with the one on the spot, and maybe a magic/accu rack? A skilled player (e.g. the pros) can predict the outcome with a high degree of certainty.
If we dont want a repeatable shot, isnt that what we have now in the US Open, 9 on the spot?
If we dont want to slop in balls, shouldn't we either make it call ball on the break (like straight pool) or breaker shoots again regardless of making a ball ( barring a scratch)?
If we want a skill shot, isnt that what we had with the one on the spot, and maybe a magic/accu rack? A skilled player (e.g. the pros) can predict the outcome with a high degree of certainty.
If we dont want a repeatable shot, isnt that what we have now in the US Open, 9 on the spot?
If we dont want to slop in balls, shouldn't we either make it call ball on the break (like straight pool) or breaker shoots again regardless of making a ball ( barring a scratch)?
Yup, these rules are making the break more important and more lucky.
At least with the magic rack and the one on the spot, most pro players can reliably make a ball. Here it's like flipping a coin each rack to see who gets to shoot first.
And if someone figures out how to make a ball consistently, that player is going to have a huge advantage.
At least with the magic rack and the one on the spot, most pro players can reliably make a ball. Here it's like flipping a coin each rack to see who gets to shoot first.
And if someone figures out how to make a ball consistently, that player is going to have a huge advantage.
By it's very nature, 9-ball is an offensive, run & gun type of game. I love to see a player put together packages. Why take away the flash of the game by making it near impossible to make a ball on the break and eliminate the excitement of the game?
Anyone else miss the days of Johnny Archer breaking full-tilt & putting a 5-pack on his opponent? I know they were trying to kill the soft break, but the rules have throttled the game.
Anyone else miss the days of Johnny Archer breaking full-tilt & putting a 5-pack on his opponent? I know they were trying to kill the soft break, but the rules have throttled the game.
While I think any rule changes should be in the interest of viewership. I think with winner break format you have to change the rules. I would prefer alternating break and dont care how the balls are racked. Speed up racking. Dead air if it were on a network.
I dont get it????
Even with the wing ball going in every time, the breaker only wins 50% of the games!!!
So lets see some big runs, put the 1ball back on the spot and lets keep the game entertaining.
Even with the wing ball going in every time, the breaker only wins 50% of the games!!!
So lets see some big runs, put the 1ball back on the spot and lets keep the game entertaining.
Have to agree with this.
We all grew up watching 9-ball since the 80s with power breaks, and until Corey figured out a way to transform the shot into a percentage shot everybody was just slamming them. It was down to whoever could control the cueball and hit AS HARD AS POSSIBLE.
Now with the help of the tapped balls, sardo rack, magic rack and all this crap since the end of the 90s, we have discovered soft break, cut break, anything but the possibility for us (I speak as a professional of the sport's image) to creating exciting content.
It's an ongoing debate but until the players and the fans understand what's at stake, we're doomed. The pros will seek (and that's human) the percentage shot because their income depends on it and a lot of fans will enjoy seeing somebody as clever as Corey figuring out stuff.
But in the meantime, we've been without TV coverage for a while, because we don't have any recent footage of Johnny and the likes slamming balls about. That made us all dream and think "wow, this guy's a pro".
Show a footage of Daryl Peach soft breaking to his world title in 2007 to a teenager and please tell me at which moment this will inspire him/her to pick up a cue and go play?
The answer is never. Because it looks like a joke.
OH LOOK, EXCITING POOL ON TV FROM ESPN:
http://youtu.be/KIcOAHhHrng?t=8m5s
Oh yeah, that's 21 years ago...
Now with the help of the tapped balls, sardo rack, magic rack and all this crap since the end of the 90s, we have discovered soft break, cut break, anything but the possibility for us (I speak as a professional of the sport's image) to creating exciting content.
It's an ongoing debate but until the players and the fans understand what's at stake, we're doomed. The pros will seek (and that's human) the percentage shot because their income depends on it and a lot of fans will enjoy seeing somebody as clever as Corey figuring out stuff.
But in the meantime, we've been without TV coverage for a while, because we don't have any recent footage of Johnny and the likes slamming balls about. That made us all dream and think "wow, this guy's a pro".
Show a footage of Daryl Peach soft breaking to his world title in 2007 to a teenager and please tell me at which moment this will inspire him/her to pick up a cue and go play?
The answer is never. Because it looks like a joke.
OH LOOK, EXCITING POOL ON TV FROM ESPN:
http://youtu.be/KIcOAHhHrng?t=8m5s
Oh yeah, that's 21 years ago...
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Everybody always points to Corey's soft break as the point in time in which everything changed for 9-Ball. But in all reality, it was inevitable that the break would become WAY more important to all top players because there are SO many more top players today than there was 20 or 30 years ago. As the game became more international, the caliber of players improved dramatically. All these top players can run out from everywhere. This makes the break more important than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
A great player in the past could just hit the break hard and make sure not to scratch and if they were the better player they would more times than not come out on top. In today's game the difference in skill level between the top player in the world and the 50th best player in the world is so small the whole match can be decided by the break. It's become that important.
Having said that -- I love the 9 ball being on the spot since it eliminates the wired wing ball. Making the 1 in the side is a skill. I think having the 9 on the spot is a step in the right direction. Having a 20% break and run rate sounds about right to me. I would actually have this as the goal and if the players ever get to the point where they can determine where the 2 ball will end up you could move to a format where you rotate the 2 ball around the rack. You start it out right next to the 1 on the first break and it circles around the entire rack throughout the match. Luckily for us, I think we are a ways away from having to worry about this.
A great player in the past could just hit the break hard and make sure not to scratch and if they were the better player they would more times than not come out on top. In today's game the difference in skill level between the top player in the world and the 50th best player in the world is so small the whole match can be decided by the break. It's become that important.
Having said that -- I love the 9 ball being on the spot since it eliminates the wired wing ball. Making the 1 in the side is a skill. I think having the 9 on the spot is a step in the right direction. Having a 20% break and run rate sounds about right to me. I would actually have this as the goal and if the players ever get to the point where they can determine where the 2 ball will end up you could move to a format where you rotate the 2 ball around the rack. You start it out right next to the 1 on the first break and it circles around the entire rack throughout the match. Luckily for us, I think we are a ways away from having to worry about this.
But does it matter???
Corey played Busty in a TAR match and got ROASTED!! Busty said before the match that Corey had no chance because he (Corey) would be playing 8 ball and I will be playing 6 ball.
Let Corey soft break and play Jeff DeLuna or SVB or Busty when their break is working and lets see how that works.
Corey played Busty in a TAR match and got ROASTED!! Busty said before the match that Corey had no chance because he (Corey) would be playing 8 ball and I will be playing 6 ball.
Let Corey soft break and play Jeff DeLuna or SVB or Busty when their break is working and lets see how that works.
It just doesnt matter!
The best breakers don't always win, Archer, Larry Navel, Busty, Earl, Alex are not winning all the tournaments. SVB and Dennis O, Lee Van, Appleton all have good breaks and play the game strong at every phase.
The best breakers don't always win, Archer, Larry Navel, Busty, Earl, Alex are not winning all the tournaments. SVB and Dennis O, Lee Van, Appleton all have good breaks and play the game strong at every phase.
Paul, with matters like this....I'd prefer to let all current WPA members vote after each event, then at the end of year (total em up) then you'll know what's fair from their perspective. From our perch I don't know if we could make an informed decision for what they want.
No one thought that SVB could master a 10 ball rack better than a 9 ball rack, but he did. Give pros what they want and let em make decisions on this Important aspect of play.
But of equal importance, make sure the sports audience enjoys it along with the players.
Getting the audiences opinions after match play would be a very interesting perspective to look at, they ultimately will make this game more successful or not.......Match Room Sports has got it going'''''''''''''''''
This year I've seen much more safety play and tough shots, which is very interesting to me. Easy breaking in 9 ball makes the game really boring. Players can still and have run multiple racks with these rules. (Pinager 4 pack and Wang Can 5 pack)
Isn't this kind of how it ended up with the format at the Open this year. Mika and several other WPA members whining on Facebook about the 1 being on the spot vs the 9 on the spot. Then Jay comes here to AZB to take a poll as Barry asked him to, then the format change way too close to the start of the event. In the end where are all the whiny WPA members now, watching the final four from the sidelines with those like Feijen crying like a girl over Shane, Really? They cry before the tournament & the format changes, as the dust settles they're out & still crying. It's things like this that make me not give a twirl about the European WPA players opinion. The truth is most players in this tournament didn't like the format change.