self-help for under 30 break players ...

[pottr]

Just standard.
four below the black, six between black and pink and five from the pink to the blue.

Usually start with a long red, cue ball in baulk and the red to the corner, either a stun for the pink or stun run for the black... Then attempt to clear.

Nothing flash, but it keeps my arm going. Matches on Mondays and Thursdays and I usually have a knock on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.
Give my boys some pointers on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays before his bedtime.

[alabadi]

in my humble opinion, i think position is king and shot selection second when it comes to break building.

i would say that most of us can pot a 3/4 - 1/2 ball red from 1 foot away which is 2-3 feet from a pocket. so the problem becomes once potting that red can you get on to the colour to make it a similar shot.

in theory if we always landed a foot away from our intended ball we should be able to pot it, therefor we need to understand what height and power to use to get onto that next ball, this will only come with practice.

i spend at least 6 hours a week on solo practice i use this time to practice shots mostly on blue, pink and black and use it to get position. plus some other exercises like line up.

until a few days ago i was a sub 30 break player with a high break of 28 then on Thursday i got a 48 in that break i had 3 blacks two pinks and two blues, had it not been for an awkward last red touching the green i could have possibly got more, however i am delighted that finally i have broken that 30 barrier. now my next target is to get into the 50+ break.

i would also like to add that practicing black off its spot for hours on end over the last 4 weeks have paid off big time, it was one of my weaknesses being high on the black, but now i am more confident that i have got the angle right so all i have to concentrate on is delivering the cue straight.

Alabbadi

[pottr]

in my humble opinion, i think position is king and shot selection second when it comes to break building.

They are one and the same. Shot selection should encompass all aspects of the shot.

i would also like to add that practicing black off its spot for hours on end over the last 4 weeks have paid off big time, it was one of my weaknesses being high on the black, but now i am more confident that i have got the angle right so all i have to concentrate on is delivering the cue straight.

That's really all it comes down to. It's what separates good players from poor players; the ability to push the cue through straight.

If you can spot the line of the shot, then all you need to do is work out how to deliver the cue. The rest comes with practice.

Congrats on the new Personal Best, I remember that feeling... just about.

[alabadi]

They are one and the same. Shot selection should encompass all aspects of the shot.

thanks pottr for the kind words, but what i mean by shot selection. is which ball to take, not how to hit the ball on.

there are so many occasions that you can have a choice of 2, 3 or 4 reds so making the right choice that will keep the break going is important. i have seen players pot a red and they are on an easy baulk colour. yet they chose to play a difficult long black or pink just for the points yet they have no chance being on the next red.

if they just thought about it for a minute they would realise that they can pot say a green be on the next red and from there be on one of the higher colours.

this is where i think those under 30 break need to think about when they are on a break, look at all the options and chose the one that will keep the break going even if it was the yellow you have to take.

Alabbadi

[lesedwards]

I agree I have seen it time and time again. I have been going through an interesting routine with the pink. Make 10 pinks leaving the cue ball where it ends up but you cannot let it hit the rail. Tougher then it sounds, I got to 20 tonight. I always finish off my practice session by running the colours.