What problems you have with your break?
- Thread starter X Breaker
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Getting a shot on the lowest ball next and controlling whitey.
I am currently working on both problems with Charley Bond's book "The Great Break Shot" which I should receive end of the week and the BreakRak II.
I am currently working on both problems with Charley Bond's book "The Great Break Shot" which I should receive end of the week and the BreakRak II.
Both the book and the break rak are EXCELLENT.
Nice avater!TannerPruess said:Getting a shot on the lowest ball next and controlling whitey.
I am currently working on both problems with Charley Bond's book "The Great Break Shot" which I should receive end of the week and the BreakRak II.
Look at all the trophies in the background!
Have you read Joe Tucker's book on breaking?
Richard
The Great Break Shot book has Joe Tucker's Racking Secrets and a chapter by Joe on precision breaking. I have found out from using the breakrak and reading this forum that I can now get the best break by lowering my break speed and be precise. It is now easier to control the cueball, make some balls, get a decent spread, and all I needed to do was hit about 70%. I worked on my break after school for 45 minutes and really like it.
9 ball break, eh?
My problem is with reading the friction of the table and how to adjust how much low to put on the cue ball.
A poster here, Blackjack, has/had a web page that I need to reread to understand how to compensate. The last known web address that I had was http://www.geocities.com/blkjackds12/The_Break.html. That link no longer exsists. I guess I'm going to have to start "copy|paste" to notepad to keep these gems of info from now on.
That man has more knowledge of "the break" than anyone I've read, seen, or heard. And, his verbage on stance makes perfect sense for any size person (from what I remember).
My problem is with reading the friction of the table and how to adjust how much low to put on the cue ball.
A poster here, Blackjack, has/had a web page that I need to reread to understand how to compensate. The last known web address that I had was http://www.geocities.com/blkjackds12/The_Break.html. That link no longer exsists. I guess I'm going to have to start "copy|paste" to notepad to keep these gems of info from now on.
That man has more knowledge of "the break" than anyone I've read, seen, or heard. And, his verbage on stance makes perfect sense for any size person (from what I remember).
PoolSleuth
Banned
Inconsistancy, I have skunk as many as 4 Balls on Break in 9 Ball, but that is not how I shoot each time I BREAK.
The break seems to need to be so precise. I break rather hard I think. Not sure how hard, I've never been timed and I'm getting old. Anyway, what I'm wondering about is what seems to happen when I just barely miss hitting the one ball perfect. When I hit it hard and park it I get great breaks but when I just miss the cue ball goes straight to one of the side pockets. I'm talking about when I'm so close to perfect that as I'm watching it happen my mind is saying 'this is going to be a good one', and the cue ball looks like it is going to park and makes its way straight to the side pocket. When I miss a just a little worse than that the cue ball doesn't go anywhere near the side pocket, but I don't know where it is going so that is not good. This happens often enough that I'm beginning to think about taking something off the break, but I have tried that and still can have the cue go toward the side pocket when I just barely miss hitting the one ball perfect.
Sort of in a dilemma here because I know that I'm not going to hit the one perfect every time. And when I don't hit is perfect there is a pretty good chance that I won't miss by much and thus the cue ball can head straight for the side pocket.
Oh, one other thing. I get so much better break from a diamond in from the side along the head string. I don't normally break from the side rail. I don't have this problem when I break from the side rail, but my breaks are not as good.
Anyone dealt with this or had same observation?
Sort of in a dilemma here because I know that I'm not going to hit the one perfect every time. And when I don't hit is perfect there is a pretty good chance that I won't miss by much and thus the cue ball can head straight for the side pocket.
Oh, one other thing. I get so much better break from a diamond in from the side along the head string. I don't normally break from the side rail. I don't have this problem when I break from the side rail, but my breaks are not as good.
Anyone dealt with this or had same observation?
CaptainJR said:
In my opinion, if you hit the "wrong" side of the 1 ball, you have a big chance of scratching in the side pocket. By "wrong" side I am referring to the side of the one ball which is opposite to where you are breaking from, and your cue ball will scratch to the side pocket of the "wrong" side when this happens.
For me, I hit the "wrong" side usually when I am a bit tight or when I turn my wrist. I try to relax my wrist and my shoulder when I break and I have better result when that is acheived.
Also, someone told me to pretend that the 1 ball is the only ball and just try to hit it head on with a stop shot. It helps me to aim the "right" side of the 1 ball when I try this. I hope this helps.
Richard
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I break better from one diamond away from the side rail too. That is actually the sweetspot for the table I practice on and I can sink the corner ball virtually every time at 70% speed.
My problem has been that I can't get the cueball to end up in the middle of the table consistently. I make a ball on the break, but am constantly pushing-out, playing safe, or shooting a nasty shot on the one ball.
I noticed that I got a really weird reaction when I put a touch of draw on the cueball. The one just died or moved down towards one of the corner pockets. I think I might be able to find a way to control that, to keep the one and cueball near the center of the table....
My problem has been that I can't get the cueball to end up in the middle of the table consistently. I make a ball on the break, but am constantly pushing-out, playing safe, or shooting a nasty shot on the one ball.
I noticed that I got a really weird reaction when I put a touch of draw on the cueball. The one just died or moved down towards one of the corner pockets. I think I might be able to find a way to control that, to keep the one and cueball near the center of the table....
In all honesty, I think that the largets problem with my break, along with the general majority of players, is the inconsistency of the rack. I can hit the same rack on the same table, same night, same speed, same position, and get different action every time. I might find a sweet break during a certain match with a certain player, only to find it goes out the window when I play somebody else simply because they're racking differently!
dave
dave
I don't worry too much about my 9-ball break. I break nearly head-on and probably make a ball and have a shot on the 1-ball 50% of the time. I break with decent speed, but I have found that breaking accurately with decent force is much better than breaking uncontrolled with a lot of force.
Running out is my main problem!
However, I have found that my 8-ball break is terrible. I just can't hit accurately and with enough force to make a ball very often in 8-ball... at least when I break the same way I break in 9-ball. I think that in 9-ball the balls are more aligned towards the pockets and that having fewer balls scatters the balls much better. I think that in 8-ball, without a tight rack, it is hard to make a ball consistently.
In 9-ball, I think you have to worry less about a tight rack, IMHO.
Running out is my main problem!
However, I have found that my 8-ball break is terrible. I just can't hit accurately and with enough force to make a ball very often in 8-ball... at least when I break the same way I break in 9-ball. I think that in 9-ball the balls are more aligned towards the pockets and that having fewer balls scatters the balls much better. I think that in 8-ball, without a tight rack, it is hard to make a ball consistently.
In 9-ball, I think you have to worry less about a tight rack, IMHO.
I have 2 problems with my break(9 ball). First is that I hit on the wrong side of the 1 ball as mentioned in an earlier post. So much so that I have to conciously try to cut the 1 a little bit in order to hit it where I want to.
But even worse than that is the problem of getting the cueball to stop and not go backwards or forwards. I believe the problem is that most times the cueball is a little bit off the table when it hits the rack. This creates top spin and causes the cueball to hop up in the air. Usually stopping or rolling forward.
If the cueball is on the table at impact the mass of the rack will send it backwards if there is no spin on the cueball. So in order to stop the cueball it has to be in the air when it hits the rack or follow needs to be used.
But even worse than that is the problem of getting the cueball to stop and not go backwards or forwards. I believe the problem is that most times the cueball is a little bit off the table when it hits the rack. This creates top spin and causes the cueball to hop up in the air. Usually stopping or rolling forward.
If the cueball is on the table at impact the mass of the rack will send it backwards if there is no spin on the cueball. So in order to stop the cueball it has to be in the air when it hits the rack or follow needs to be used.
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I use Mike Sigel's 9 Ball break and it has worked great for me for years and years. My problem breaking came up last friday. We closed up early and went to the local bar. I had not played on a bar box in 15 years. My 9 ball break was not working on the bar box. I held the table all afternoon and despite moving the cue ball and trying different breaks i never made a ball on the break?
My biggest problem is definitely controlling the CB, I can control it if I soft break but then I simply have too many dry breaks especially on my table which breaks rather hard for an eight footer. I have been working on gradually increasing my power while still planting whitey near the middle of the table but it's definitely a work in progress. I would definitely recomend the article that blackjack introduced to us but I don't know the link Perhaps he can post it when he sees this thread.
Perhaps he can post it when he sees this thread.
upwards
Sometimes I have a tendency to go upwards through the cueball when breaking. There is a slight weight shift when I get ready to hit them. The upwards angle sometimes is not as pronounced and the ball sticks and dies. But when it is too much it goes forward. This happens the most when I am trying to hit them too hard. At 80% I can stick the ball. The one moves downtable a lot and ends up in the lower left quadrant of the table. I prefer the left side to break all the way out or in between the corner of the box and all the way out.
Sometimes I have a tendency to go upwards through the cueball when breaking. There is a slight weight shift when I get ready to hit them. The upwards angle sometimes is not as pronounced and the ball sticks and dies. But when it is too much it goes forward. This happens the most when I am trying to hit them too hard. At 80% I can stick the ball. The one moves downtable a lot and ends up in the lower left quadrant of the table. I prefer the left side to break all the way out or in between the corner of the box and all the way out.
I can usually stop the cue ball within 1 diamond of the side pockets either way. But my biggest problem is the table -I think-that I play on. It is a Steepleton 4x8 with nappy cloth at the local pool hall. The cloth needs to be replaced desperately and the owner, even with my constant pleading, insists that a spot be placed on the table to know where to rack 'em. I want a mark on the cloth with a marker or something. The spot is not where it should be and is almost impossible to rack balls same way everytime. I started tapping them 1 day and he had a cow. Yeah, he is a d***head!!!! Thinks he knows everything about pool. But my problem is I have trouble making a ball on the break. I have a really HARD break. I just purchased a Fury J/B and really like it. It moves balls really well. But none fall! I have tried a soft break and hard break everywhere in the kitchen. You guys must have played on these kind tables in the past. So what did you do to overcome!
sniper said:My biggest problem is definitely controlling the CB, I can control it if I soft break but then I simply have too many dry breaks especially on my table which breaks rather hard for an eight footer. I have been working on gradually increasing my power while still planting whitey near the middle of the table but it's definitely a work in progress. I would definitely recomend the article that blackjack introduced to us but I don't know the link
Ask and you shall receive...
Breaking To Win
Mastering The Break
Hope it helps.