Pro break off shots

[mikeyd100]

Anybody remember when Steve Davis changed his break off shot dramatically as he was pis*ed off at leaving a long pot on all the time.

[Ethanat]

Anybody remember when Steve Davis changed his break off shot dramatically as he was pis*ed off at leaving a long pot on all the time.

You mean the roll up to the pack? Didn't do him much good in the end. Was funny in the beginning but it became irritating.

[fredkite]

Pro break off shots

I recall Alex Higgins trying that against Steve Davis, think Steve won 5-0 in the Lada Classic.

[Master Blaster]

You mean the roll up to the pack? Didn't do him much good in the end. Was funny in the beginning but it became irritating.

Loved that shot. Didn't really help much though cuz he was then in neg mode from shot 1.

[mikeyd100]

You mean the roll up to the pack? Didn't do him much good in the end. Was funny in the beginning but it became irritating.

Yeah it was something like that. Never caught on did it haha

[Leo]

Yeah it was something like that. Never caught on did it haha

No it didn't did it mikey

[mikeyd100]

No it didn't did it mikey

I'm just thinking now, dare I give it a try in the local club for a laugh ??

[blinky88]

I notice the pro's hit the last ball in the triangle whereby I found the second last ball was better for me, instead of playing to leave the cue ball behind the green I played to leave it in the centre of the table close to the cushion behind the brown. It tends to make it difficult to get back up the table whereby a snooker behind the green makes it easy to run into the bunch leaving no ball on.

[timcunnell]

I notice the pro's hit the last ball in the triangle whereby I found the second last ball was better for me, instead of playing to leave the cue ball behind the green I played to leave it in the centre of the table close to the cushion behind the brown. It tends to make it difficult to get back up the table whereby a snooker behind the green makes it easy to run into the bunch leaving no ball on.

I'm pretty sure this is why you see pros play the break off with screw. (It is why I play the break with screw and got to say I get pretty consistent results).
It does seem like the general consensus on here is to play with top, which I've found a bit surprising - but then it really does depend on which ball in the pack you're aiming for. If you watch pros break off, they do hit the end red fairly thin - and the reason for this is surely because it doesn't split the reds too much, which could mean leaving a shot to nothing. At that level that can easily be the end of the frame!
I know MB did comment that pros are playing with screw to hold the white because of the speed of the tables they're playing on. Not sure I agree with that. That would suggest they're playing drag, but the white is definitely still spinning backwards when it hits the pack, which has the effect of widening the deflection off the end red. Without playing screw, and hitting the end red only, the white wouldn't throw wide enough off the red and would either go the wrong side of the blue, or hit it.

[jonny66]

I tried hitting the last red with bottom side, didn't hit it hard enough, whit stopped just short of the baulk line, two reds came out of the pack hit a cushion and went straight back to the pack, so no shot to nothing left. My opponent then smashed the reds open and I made a 15 break, horses for courses.

[timcunnell]

I tried hitting the last red with bottom side, didn't hit it hard enough, whit stopped just short of the baulk line, two reds came out of the pack hit a cushion and went straight back to the pack, so no shot to nothing left. My opponent then smashed the reds open and I made a 15 break, horses for courses.

Haha! Oh well.... You're right though if you hit the end red just right, 2 balls usually come out sideways, then tend to bounce off the side cushions and return towards the pack. But like I say, I am sure you need to get a good amount of screw on the wide to throw it wide enough off the red.
Also worth mentioning when it comes to break off shots, if you're dealing in real precision it is important to rack the balls consistently. Too large a gap between the pink and the first red, or a wonky pack of reds and you're going to get inconsistent outcomes.
Really the Star triangles on wheels are the way to go - but I guess its not practical for everyone to have these!!

[Stantos]

Not sure, I always break off hitting just below centre. Almost stunning the White around

[tmax]

The pros break off in the 80's was RH side off the second last red - depending on where you placed the white, nearer the yellow meant more aggressive break opening more reds. Nearer the brown meant a more glancing blow, so therefore less aggressive.

The more modern break is to hit to end red of the pack - this will open the pack less, and give less chance of leaving a long pot. But trouble with end red is it needs more side to get around the top corner angles and back. So they use a little bottom - not to exactly screw off the pack, but to maintain the side as the back spin makes the white glide across the cloth maintaining the side spin - it also produces a slight curve away from the reds just before impact which helps get the white around the angle (think of a mini curve as the back spins wears off and the spinning ball grips the cloth just before impact)

The changes to the break is primarily down to the pro's great long potting, and of course the faster cloth.

As already mentioned a back break with extreme top spin, is great when the topspin changes to backspin from the cush, then screws back off the back of the pack as they fly everywhere.

Another interesting break is the old exhibition smack!!!! - Position white by the yellow with a ton of LHS hit like a pool break into the 3rd red from end. The white runs down the pack checks on the top cushion and returns down towards the yellow (if you avoid any double kisses from the scattered reds) - total disrespect !!!!!

T

[misspentoldage]

I'm loving these answers. Just slightly confused about one element of tmax's excellent post: with RHS from the right of the brown won't the curve be towards reds rather than away from them, or are you saying that by then the curve should have corrected and be swinging away by the time it hits the reds? I ask because although these days I break from the other side - into the left of the pack from an inch left of brown with LHS - I find that aiming onto the end red my white will swerve in and strike the second end red. Is it me?

[mikeyd100]

Quinten Hann had a few interesting break offs haha