breaking off during solo practice?

[JoeNut]

I was just wondering what the best way to break off during a solo practice is? i've been breaking off like i would vs somebody else but it seems a bit pointless cos im making things harder for myself with the reds in dodgy positions?

Should i just smash the reds up, and if so, how so?

cheers for the advice

[vainparasite]

I was just wondering what the best way to break off during a solo practice is? i've been breaking off like i would vs somebody else but it seems a bit pointless cos im making things harder for myself with the reds in dodgy positions?

Should i just smash the reds up, and if so, how so?

cheers for the advice

I had this same thing last week and thought it pointless to break as i would playing someone so i either just spread the balls all over the table by hand and just potted until i cleared up or set the balls as i would normaly and come off the bottom cushion with left hand side into the bottom of the pack and spreading them like that. If i play it the latter way i tend to pot red colour as the reds and colours are more similarly placed to a proper game.

Hope this makes some sense

[matt123]

Is it not better to break off like you would in a match so then if you leave a hard situtation it will improve your long shots/ safety back to bualk shots??

[MattCash]

But, if you leave yourself in a similar position as your opponent would, you could practice potting a long opening red. This definitely helps because i play the standard break in solo practice to get used to being able to get the long red, and now i get it 6/10 times in practice or matches.

matt you beat me to it

[Johnnycash]

why don't you set the balls up as normal and then play the black first shot and try to develop some reds from the pack? You can carry on from there?

[JoeNut]

because im rubbish and if i get 3 balls in a row im fairly happy!

[vainparasite]

Is it not better to break off like you would in a match so then if you leave a hard situtation it will improve your long shots/ safety back to bualk shots??

With my current skill level i prefer to be practising in amongst the balls just to get a feel for the potting angles also i know that stratergy and safety is a big part of the game, but when im on my own if i just did that i would get bored quickly. I find it fun to play an attacking game and 8 out of 10 times i will break off the bottom rail when im playing someone else.

[vainparasite]

because im rubbish and if i get 3 balls in a row im fairly happy!

Me too m8, I always seem to get beaten by my 10 year old...

But when it happens those 3 pots in a row make it all worthwile

[MattCash]

Me too m8, I always seem to get beaten by my 10 year old...

Adult abuse

[Johnnycash]

because im rubbish and if i get 3 balls in a row im fairly happy!

in that case why don't you practise some routines to help you improve your basic play, like line ups for instance?

[Jonny]

you could play with left side down to the right hand side of the pack and smash into it from behind although the problem with that is the pink ussually ends up in baulk lol. Or just spread them with your hand

[JoeNut]

in that case why don't you practise some routines to help you improve your basic play, like line ups for instance?

I usually do an half an hour to 45mins of routines and then a full game.

Ive only done this 3 times though, but i don't want it to become a chore, doing routines when i don't want to.

[mooneyy]

Just place the cue-ball right next to the brown and go for the second red
from the right as usual. But try to hit it softer, so that the cue-ball ends up
in the middle of the table. The reds will be slightly spread and there should
be a fairly easy red to start with.

If you want to practice your safety play and/or long pots go for the last red
on the right or left and try to get the cue-ball back to baulk. If you get it
right, there should only move two reds: The one you hit goes straight to
the black cushion and back to the pack. The one on the other side will go to
the side cushion and back to the pack as well...

cheers

[RocketRoy1983]

Is it not better to break off like you would in a match so then if you leave a hard situtation it will improve your long shots/ safety back to bualk shots??

Yes. I would place just the reds on the table and practice your break off then you could practice your shots to nothing as well. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

[DandyA]

If you want to practice your safety play and/or long pots go for the last red
on the right or left and try to get the cue-ball back to baulk. If you get it
right, there should only move two reds: The one you hit goes straight to
the black cushion and back to the pack. The one on the other side will go to
the side cushion and back to the pack as well...

try telling the pro's that ... on the tables they use, using that break they more often than not leave a shot-for-nothing ... hence Steve Davis's roll-up break or in the Welsh Open, most of them seemd to be playing a conventional break but a wee bit harder trying to get the "pesky" red back into the pack whilst risking leaving the white close to the baulk line (having hit 4 cushions) ...