Best way to break?

[spotsand stripes]

not quite sure of the precise terminology. however the other two breaks are where yer play the front ball from either side of the the table and power into the pack. (once again yer dont have the control of the white) the cut brak is where yer play the second ball in the pack which splits the pack and after it hits the side cushion the white goes into the pack again. its an option and think mick hill uses that method quite alot, but yer talking about one of the very best players ever. have tried all over the years and a good whack is as good as any.
i am only slight frame, however a few of our teams say me break is big. its timing and making sure yer rack yer own balls as tight as poss. hold the bottom of the cue, and make sure not matter how hard yer smack em, always allow the cue to go all the way through. timing is everything.

[Watford]

I used to cut break I had some results with it for a while. I tended to get the same two balls but it came up dry more often then smacking into the point ball.

[spotsand stripes]

Watching the pros on TV play 9-ball, I see them thrust their cue upwards in the follow through!

technical experts will probo explain better but if yer put more than enough into yer break, yer have to get up pretty quickly anyway. so yer up on the action whilst going through with it. if yer stay on the shot, off a decent break half the balls will hit yer cue after being smashed.

[Animaniac]

I don't play 9 ball much but I tend to put alot of top on my 8ball breaks. I find that when i force the white through the pack I almost always make a ball from the break, and most of the time get the white back off the bottom cushion to a decent position.

[Mellow Yellow]

I used to cut break I had some results with it for a while. I tended to get the same two balls but it came up dry more often then smacking into the point ball.

I used it yesterday in the first interleague game of the season and potted off the break, it does seem to be working for me at the moment so i think i'm gonna stick with it.

[speacial147]

Ok, well, firstly there are heaps of different ways to break! There is really no 'right' or 'wrong' way to break. Its really what ever works for you!

I will tell you what works for me on the American (9 Ft) tables i play on:

9 BALL:
(Break 1) While ball on the bulk line about 2 Inches off the left side rail. Hit slightly below center with a small amount of left english/side. Hit as hard as you can!

(break 2) Put the White ball in the 'box'. This is in line with the first diamond on either side on the table, then move it upwards parralel with the first diamond on the side. Break with medium to soft pace, hitting the cue ball abit below centre.
(This is a soft break i use if the above break is not working. Also you can try breaking from the other side of the table, applying the opposite english/side)

8 BALL(American/International rules):

(Break 1) Place the cue ball on baulk line, roughtly 3/4 inches either side of centre of the table. Break hard. Hit the cue ball abit below centre.

(Break 2) Place the cue ball on baulk line, about 2 inches out from saide rail. Hit the SECOND ball down from front ball. Make sure you hit the second ball cleanly as you can. Apply bottle to the white (To avoid scratching/inoff).
At the moment on the table i am playing on, this is working very well, often getting 2 balls.

General tips:

Focus on SPEED and NOT power when breaking. Hitting the cue ball, at a fast pace will give you heaps of power. Make sure you FOLLOW THROUGH on every break.

When you grip the cue for the break, bring your back hand forward about a hand space. I find i get alot more power this way.
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As i said above, with the break there is no right or wrong break As long as you make a ball, and have good cue ball position after the break!

I hope this helps!

Cheers Alex

[ace man]

If you want to get more power on a break it would be advisable to stand differently, i.e. spread your feet wide at an angle like most 9ball players do. Snooker players stand with their feet nearly parallel to the table, very square. Such a stance great for stability, but very limiting for a powerful pool break because there's not a lot of room from free arm movement. Power break technique is completely different from normal shots in the game. Lots of body parts are moving on a power break, but at the same time you need to be smooth, get the timing right and hit the head ball as squarely as possible. Think of it as a massively powerful stun shot. Most challenging part is actually hitting the cueball on a center axis at that speed. If you can manage that, balls will explode.
Cut break might be ok on a new cloth, but you can easily lose the cueball in the middle pocket. It doesn't spread the rack all that great because you don't hit the head ball square.
Most important thing is to use only as much power as you can control. Don't go for full power if your cueball jumps off the table for instance.
Balls need to be racked as tight as possible otherwise even the best of breakers will fail.

[Rethunk]

The consensus among instructors appears to be to hit the cue ball at or near the center.

For a variety of reasons, there's no magic spot for cue ball placement that will work for all tables, though most players have a favorite spot. If you find you're not busting up the rack well enough, try moving the cue ball a bit closer to the rail. If you're busting up the rack but letting the cue ball go wild, move the cue ball a bit closer to the center of the table and/or refocus your efforts in striking the head ball dead center.

I haven't seen pros using a "cut break." Having the cue ball hit a side rail and loose momentum is a waste. If you're playing by 8-ball rules that reward sinking the 8-ball on the break then you can target the outside ball in the 2nd or 3rd row, but otherwise strike the head ball.

Here's a decent video on the power break:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1tsONEI_U

Look for videos of breaks made by Johnny Archer, Francisco Bustamente, Alex Pagulayan, and other strong breakers.

[1lawyer]

Break like this if you can

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jglizarUs6g

[tony9ball68]

Its trial and error. You need a decent break cue. With practice it is possible to jump the white and stop it in the middle of the table while potting one or more most times.
In 9 ball its easier to put the white on the headstring and near the cushion but I find it easier to have it more central in 8 ball or straight pool. Maybe its me being weird . . . again!!

[davestevies]

clunk! It one and hope for the best.

[grey]

I play league English 8 ball, and put a lot of time into analysing breaks last year.

A couple of things to bear in mind: on coin-pay tables, the white is smaller than the object balls; the speed of the cloth and cushions varies tremendously from table to table; the balls can be scuffed and lifeless; the cloth can be worn and create a loose rack. A good style of break on one table doesn't necessarily mean it will be good on another.

It sounds simple, but the objective is to force as many balls a possible, as far as possible to give the best chance of potting off the break, whilst leaving the white in the middle of the table to give the best chance of continuing the break - in practise this is rather more complex!

Generally; for a fast table it is best to break from the centre of the table, hard, hitting the front ball square with stun or a trace of backspin with the intention of shattering the pack and moving all the balls as far as possible. Topspin looks more impressive (and is more forgiving if you get it slightly wrong), but it will often leave the white on the top cushion. Because of the differenece of white/object ball sizes, too much backspin and your white will jump upon contact and not transfer all the power into the pack, or even jump off the table.

On a slow table, the whole pack will not move as much, and most balls will stall before nearing a pocket. In this case you need to transfer the power of the break into fewer balls and get those to move as fas as possible, to get the best chance of potting. This can be achieve by breaking from nearer the side cushion and hitting the front ball hard and square. It is more difficult to pot off the break on a slow table.

For tables that offer a loose rack or scuffed balls, it can sometimes be beneficial to break from very close to the side cushion and hitting the second ball in the pack with bottom side (opposite to the side you're breaking from) with controlled power, full power will send the white flying off the table (again because of the smaller white).

It's not just about power, good cueing and accuracy; establish the table's characteristics and you're likely to find the best technique.

I use a 17oz 54inch cue for English pool, but found I couldn't quite get the power for breaks; I now use a 24oz 59inch breakcue which allows me to really open out my stance and has made a positive difference. I recommend you pracitse hitting the ball hard; most players I see lose most of their accuracy when they attempt to do so.

[Granty1]

I changed my stance and now I get so much more power, its an arkward feeling but it works and as somebody said its standing square on, I wouldn't stand like that to play my game after the break! I'm right handed and I kind of force my right leg further forward than my left and crouch a little, I play standard 8 ball and place the cue ball 1 cm from the righ hand corner of the D and aim to hit the head ball of the pack 3/4 ball on the right side, I send the cue ball off the side cushion and back through the pack and almost always pot 2-3 balls although I have occasionally lost the white in the bottom corner but this is avoidable with practice, It works for me! I generally hit the cue ball center or slightly above to make sure the pack is being hit twice, this often leaves the colours so well spread that there is a good chance of a finish on.

[Supersmed92]

I'm guessing you try what works and what don't

[RuiF211287]

Hi,

8ball, 9 ball and 10 ball, are my game. That question was tricky, because that goes from player to player. I´m novice in snooker, but in Pool I compete a lot in National competition, and I think that question is a lot difficult to give you a 100% correct answer. First you have to have a good break cue. For me with 20 oz ou 21 oz are the best, because I like to feel the break. I open with one BK3 no wrap, and for each game.

8 ball:

In lenght divides the table in 4 parts, I open from the right side in the 1/4, close to the tables (about 15 ctms close to tables) and with the hand in the tables.

9 ball:

I open in the line, close to the right side of the table, and with the hand in the tables from right side

10 ball:

I open in the same place I open in 9 ball.

Until this moment is very difficult to not put any ball, but first you have to have a good break cue, because the break is essential.

Rui