Making a break in competitive matches

[martj]

Hi all me again

Really struggling to make a break in a match, 3 years of playing and my highest break in a match is a measly 44. I get plenty of chances but i just can't seem to knock a break in, even finding 30's hard to come by. I've had plenty of decent breaks in practice and over a practice session i'll have a few 50's etc but in a match i'm twitching like i've been zapped with a tazer.

Any advice?

Cheers

[DandyA]

play without fear ... it's difficult to do in a competitive environment with an audience watching but it can be done ... as Steve Davis once wisely said "play each shot as if it means nothing even if it means everything" ...

[lesedwards]

Check out my post. Shot making in practice vs. Shot making in a match. I am having the same problem, nice solid shots in practice with the cue driving right through then I go to my qualifier this past weekend and its like every shot I am afraid I am going to break the cue ball. Little jabby shots with my high run being 12. My high break is 43 in a match so it sounds like you and I could practice jabbing at them together. This game is one of the most addicting and frustrating games I have ever come across. I have started to work with the line up and I am not stopping until I run a century. I have a habit of trying something and if it is too tough I go on to something else.

[Csmith]

Couple of things to keep in mind. In a match, you might get 10 very good opportunities to make a good break, maybe less maybe more depending on the day and the player. In solo practice, you get as many tries as you want. So if you get 100 starts in practice and make five 50's, there is only a 5% chance that you'll make a break over 50 on any given try. Which means with 10 tries, you aren't likely to get that 50 break. If my math is off, forgive me but you get the idea.

There are other issues as well, like letting tension creep into your game which can change the way you approach the game between practice and competition. Perhaps a player has a long flowing stroke in practice but doesn't realize the moment he/she has an opponent he starts short stroking or jabbing at it.

Also I wouldn't focus too much on breaks, just play the right shot at the right time and play position to the best of your ability. The breaks will come if you let them, just relax focus on playing the right shot.

I also like the idea of video taping yourself when your playing well, and trying to tape yourself when you playing poorly. You can often find something that is different I think.

[lesedwards]

Couple of things to keep in mind. In a match, you might get 10 very good opportunities to make a good break, maybe less maybe more depending on the day and the player. In solo practice, you get as many tries as you want. So if you get 100 starts in practice and make five 50's, there is only a 5% chance that you'll make a break over 50 on any given try. Which means with 10 tries, you aren't likely to get that 50 break. If my math is off, forgive me but you get the idea.

There are other issues as well, like letting tension creep into your game which can change the way you approach the game between practice and competition. Perhaps a player has a long flowing stroke in practice but doesn't realize the moment he/she has an opponent he starts short stroking or jabbing at it.

Also I wouldn't focus too much on breaks, just play the right shot at the right time and play position to the best of your ability. The breaks will come if you let them, just relax focus on playing the right shot.

I also like the idea of video taping yourself when your playing well, and trying to tape yourself when you playing poorly. You can often find something that is different I think.

Great Post, Makes a lot of sense,

[damienlch]

Couple of things to keep in mind. In a match, you might get 10 very good opportunities to make a good break, maybe less maybe more depending on the day and the player. In solo practice, you get as many tries as you want. So if you get 100 starts in practice and make five 50's, there is only a 5% chance that you'll make a break over 50 on any given try. Which means with 10 tries, you aren't likely to get that 50 break. If my math is off, forgive me but you get the idea.
...

I agree wholeheartedly with this. There are only that many chances during a match to make a decent break and you've got to make each of them count. Not to mention an opponent who'll be trying his hardest to make your life miserable...

[luke-h]

For me where i mess up is i see a red on and i just get down and pot it, half the time i don't even look at where i need to be, which is a foolish way to play.
Slow down to a decent pace and always keep looking at what your going to play for next, potting the balls can be the easy part the position needs to be there otherwise you'll break down.
Many time's you will see the pros take a harder shot to gain better position.

[pottr]

Try and introduce a steady pace around the table that suits yourself.

Allow yourself the time to think the shot through and stay calm.

[lesedwards]

For me where i mess up is i see a red on and i just get down and pot it, half the time i don't even look at where i need to be, which is a foolish way to play.
Slow down to a decent pace and always keep looking at what your going to play for next, potting the balls can be the easy part the position needs to be there otherwise you'll break down.
Many time's you will see the pros take a harder shot to gain better position.

The big thing is POSITION. I find myself doing the same thing, just get down and take a crack at it and then I find myself trying to make some shot the pros couldn't make. I need to pay more attention to the table when i am on and also when I am sitting. So many things to think about.

[jrc750]

You might not get to where you hope to be, but you should at least have an idea in mind lol, no good just potting wildly

[jaikba]

eWhen you're break building you need to consider 3 things:
1 where do I need to put the white ball for my next shot
2 how hard do I need to hit it to get it there
3 where do I need to hit the white to get it there.
That sounds really complicated but it's actually really simple.
For a better insight search Nic Barrow break building, best YouTube video I ever watched.

[jaikba]

Keep things as simple as you can, move the white as little as possible and always do pre shot routine, trust me it works.

[martj]

Making a break in competitive matches

Still struggling to make anything in a match but they are coming regular in practice. The last 10-15 practice frames i've played i've knocked in a 70, 3 60's, a 50, and 3 40's so getting more consistant so hopefully a decent one in match play isn't too far away

[j6uk]

Be patient, they'll come. This is from my old coach alan bell: 'don't chalk your cue till you know what you wanna do', not all willy nilly between shots.. This small detail helped me develop a rhythm around the table, I became a more purposeful, decisive player. I would now sometimes not calk until I play with rotation or power, just so focused on the table and dropping onto my line.
I found in league matches, playing away I was very consistent in making frame winning breaks, I think because you have an undisturbed captured audience, but in a comp, when jammed between two tables where your play is disrupted, I may not have performed so well and making nice breaks became a bit of a struggle.

Still struggling to make anything in a match but they are coming regular in practice. The last 10-15 practice frames i've played i've knocked in a 70, 3 60's, a 50, and 3 40's so getting more consistant so hopefully a decent one in match play isn't too far away

[mythman69]

Be patient, they'll come. This is from my old coach alan bell: 'don't chalk your cue till you know what you wanna do', not all willy nilly between shots.

I chalk my cue while I am thinking about the next shot. Maybe I should wait until I know my next shot.