UK 8-Ball Pool - Best Technique for Break?

[SideShowKeith]

I quite a lot of pool (8-Ball rules) and was just wondering what technique people employ for a consistent and powerful break?

Poisition of cue ball in baulk; angle of striking the first object ball; power; where to strike the cue ball etc etc.

[elvaago]

Try this one mate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s353u03bCQ

There's more on youtube, knock yourself out, really valuable stuff.

[elvaago]

This is the one I was originally looking for. It's brilliant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW1tsONEI_U

[LWB]

I quite a lot of pool (8-Ball rules) and was just wondering what technique people employ for a consistent and powerful break?

Poisition of cue ball in baulk; angle of striking the first object ball; power; where to strike the cue ball etc etc.


I'd go with positioning the cue ball to line up with the front ball in the pack, in other words, dead centre. This makes it easier to keep a good cue ball and good connection with the pack. I'd also keep your hand off the cloth, because with a normal bridge it's more difficult to get power needed and keep stability. You should ideally (in my opinion) play through your fingers as you may already when the cue ball is a certain distance from the cush. TIMING AND STOP! Crucial technique in any shot, including the break shot. I aim slightly lower than centre ball, this allows me to screw the white straight back and bounce of the top cush near centre table again. Make sure you hit dead centre of the top ball of the rack. Another thing that needs to be checked is the pack itself. If you're playing in a competition or a money match make absoloute sure every ball is touching. With a poorly set-up rack good technique is wasted.

[Darth_Spud]

Another thing that needs to be checked is the pack itself. If you're playing in a competition or a money match make absoloute sure every ball is touching. With a poorly set-up rack good technique is wasted.

Good tip, this is vey important when breaking! If the balls are not touching then the power you put into the break dissipates with each canon in the pack so your break will appear weaker and there will be less chance of potting balls off the break. Depending on the rules you play (old/new) I usually prefer to break to the far right of the table aiming just bottom centre of the white as I find I pot more balls off the break this way. I also personally prefer a looped bridge on the break shot as I feel it’s more accurate.

[Nott]

Just copy this guy and you'll be fine ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLDCnivOTS4&feature=related

[Watford]

Are we talking on a UK spec table here!
If so.....
I was told how to break by an ex pro. Some cross over with Spud!
Balls touching important. Not just point ball check the balls at all points of triangle.
White ball in middle of baulk area, slightly to right of point ball.
Bridge from cushion. Hit white just below center.
Hit firm and push cue through to middle of table.
You can't not pot, you can't not split the balls nicely!

[Wity]

I've never played world rules in a league only the old tippty tap lot which was so boring I almost only ever play snooker now and yes I can see that a good old thump can pot a couple, spread them out giving you a chance of a clearance from the break but is there any perhaps statistical evidence that a power break is better than just a legal break that leaves the other guy a very remote chance of a clearance?

[Robert602]

I've never played world rules in a league only the old tippty tap lot which was so boring I almost only ever play snooker now and yes I can see that a good old thump can pot a couple, spread them out giving you a chance of a clearance from the break but is there any perhaps statistical evidence that a power break is better than just a legal break that leaves the other guy a very remote chance of a clearance?

It's not always about clearances. If you soft break you're handing the first shot to your opponent and probably giving them the opportunity to take the advantage (including choice of colours - a huge bonus). If you can power break successfully more often than not then it's worth it.

It's also not that easy to soft break effectively in world rules. Four balls have to hit cushions (it was two in old EPA rules), and the penalty for a foul break is severe. I understand soft breaking used to be fairly common in old rules pool but as far I can tell it just doesn't make sense in world rules.

[dantuck_7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1GRakzWfI&feature=related

How about this one?

[steedee]

i play in a uk 8 ball league with a fair amount of success. i always break from dead centre of the baulk line directly into the front ball with a lot of topspin to go through the pack, more often than not i get an even spread and a pot or two. im only in a pub league so it may be slighty risky against a higher standard of player because if you dont pot you'l be in trouble.

[SideShowKeith]

Started breaking from quite far right on the baulk like with quite good succes thus far. Don't have a massive break (tend to mis-cue if I try to over-do it) but it's working quite well at the moment.

Tight pack is definitely high on the list though.

[Jlaix]

Do what was mentioned earlier - break centre/just right of the bulk line, aiming for the top of the pack full ball ball, and strike low. (as though you're playing a stun/screw shot) Main thing is to bring the cue back to your thumb/forefinger and a looong follow through with POWER. Where you bridge is more to do with preference.. If you bridge on the dike with a looped, control of the cue is the main thing.

[Wity]

"If you bridge on the dike with a looped, control of the cue is the main thing."

Come again? :confused:

[TheStranger]

Come again? :confused:

I'm assuming he's referring to the edge of the cushion/rail, and a bridge with a finger looping over the cue to prevent it from rising in an unwanted direction.

[Jlaix]

Come again? :confused:

see above :rolleyes:

[Wity]

It's a sad day when our colonial cousin has to translate into English for an Englishman what another Englishman has said in a language that was supposedly English. :D

[TheStranger]

It's a sad day when our colonial cousin has to translate into English for an Englishman what another Englishman has said in a language that was supposedly English. :D

Not just that, but since both my parents are from the Phillippines, I'm only a first generation American at that! :p

[Jlaix]

I ain't no englishman :mad:

[Rodney]

I`m going to check those vids when I go home (work bans you tube access)
but are these applicable for the american tables?

thanks

[BITTER]

For 8 ball try to Strike second ball in the pack from as wide as you can with as much left hand side as possible.

You find you will pot on most breaks, only problem is keeping white on table.

It's good when playing on a crap table and they can't get front ball touching pack.

[Rodney]

thanks mate

[eightballtom]

The break is the most important shot in a frame of pool, but many players think of little more than whacking them as hard as they can. If you can settle on a technique that you're happy with and that gives consistent results, you can give yourself an edge over many opponents.

Here's what I've found works for me (I'm no superstar mind)...

On a standard 7' English pool table, I always use a looped bridge off the cushion, as this allows you to bridge nice and long but still keep the cue under control when hitting with power.

It's not really important where you place the cueball in the 'D' - just wherever's comfortable, giving yourself room for a good backswing. You want to concentrate on getting a full-ball hit on the front ball, in order that all the power behind the shot is going into splitting the pack (rather than sending the white careering round the table). Hitting the front ball dead centre also allows you to control the white better. The alternative is Bitter's suggestion of going for the second ball down - in which case you should again be trying to hit as much of it as possible. This is a useful option when you're not getting a good split from a conventional break.

I aim to strike the cueball just above centre (kind of stun-run-through-ish). The idea of this is to counteract the white naturally bouncing back off the heavier pack of balls - stopping it somewhere near the centre of the table and hopefully leaving plenty of options for your next shot (get it wrong though and it's white in centre pocket every time :mad:). The more centrally you strike the cueball, the more velocity you're getting into the shot (rather than just making the cueball spin a lot).

In order to aid power and follow through, I alter my stance for breaking - standing a bit more upright and open, with my left foot in font and pointing forwards (I'm right-handed by the way). This works for me, allowing a bit more room to swing through the shot, and meaning you can use your back foot to launch yourself into it.

The main things I concentrate on when breaking are (1) hitting the front ball full-on, and (2) where I'm striking the cueball. I also find it useful to have an idea of where the cue will be on follow-through (I aim to get it past the blue spot).

In summary (doing my best Yoda impression!) - "Power is nothing without control".

;)

[dantuck_7]

I used to play a few league games when I was meant to be studying - I really liked the first break described above but with plenty of top-spin. When cueing well you could guarentee a couple of balls from the break and the white in the middle of the table somewhere near where the black satrts off.

[Rodney]

For 8 ball try to Strike second ball in the pack from as wide as you can with as much left hand side as possible.

You find you will pot on most breaks, only problem is keeping white on table.

It's good when playing on a crap table and they can't get front ball touching pack.

on an american table, playing 8 ball, I am finding this the best technique. I need to start putting some left hand side on the ball though, combining this with power.

cheers:)

[gus]

I prefer to play from nearly the right hand edge of the D and hit the top of the pack ball slightly left of centre from my perspective. This allows the white to sit spinning in the middle of the table while the object balls perform their chaotic frenzy. Obviously any of them can strike the white and send it into no-man's land, but I believe the mere act of centring the white ball pays real dividends if you consistently pot off the break like most decent players do.

[trigger666]

JUST MAKE SURE THE PACK IS TIGHT !!!! AND FOLLOW THROUGH !!!!

sounds simple but youll be suprized how many people cant/or dont set up properly

[Shanghai Matt]

first post on here, but as i play more pool than snooker thats quite apt i guess.

I've recently adopted a bit of an unconventional break, as i'm using a 9ball cue with a 12mm phonelic (hard plastic) tip as a break cue. because the tip has almost no grip and is a nightmare to controll i bridge from the cloth rather than the top of the rail. and alsostraighten up my hand (in line with the pack) so i can keep the cue in the groove between thumb and forefinger better.

employing a wide stance, with my head about 4 inches higher than normal, and my back hand slightly further up the cue.

with the cue ball bang on centre of the line. i hit very slightly below centre as hard as possible (snapping the back wrist slightly forward at the end of the stroke and following through the centre of the white), with the aim being to stun the cueball at around centre table (leaving the folow up shot easy) with maximum spread of the balls.

the only drawback i've found is that if you dont get the front ball bang on in the centre, the white tend to go in a side pocket. I recon i average out of 10 breaks 2 will be white in-off, and the rest will be at least one ball potted (out of 4 breaks in a singles leage match the other night, 2 were 4 balls down each).

[joellubay]

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