Breakoff - which side of the pack?

[Joe99]

Is there any rational reason for a player to breakoff by hitting the right hand side of the pack?

Or is it purely a "convention"?

[Semih_Sayginer]

Is there any rational reason for a player to breakoff by hitting the right hand side of the pack?

Or is it purely a "convention"?

this is purely MHO...

i think in the early days, it was purely convention, and probably what most folk being right handed "went to do" naturally.

in latter years where the break off is generally played using spin on the cueball to swing it round off cushions between pink and blue, i think its more down to there being more right handers than left, and most folk i know or have discussed with, find it easier to play right hand side if right handed, and so play off the pack on their right hand side.

not always the case, but from experience of discussions, its been a mix of it being the norm, and or it being more natural to play RHS when right handed and vice versa when left.

personally, i dont know why players dont mix it up more (some do), as the white if not going safe generally sits in a similar area near the green, and id reckon that mixing it up, making sure its practiced enough would perhaps throw some of the better known long potters (who are most atacking) off taking the first shot after break, on.....

[The Statman]

Quite a good break is to put the white very close to the green, and go between blue and pink to hit the right-hand side of the pack!

It is one of those shots that is excellent if done right, but disastrous if you catch a red too thick.

[Ginger Freak]

I'm right handed, but I have always broke off from the left hand side, not entirely sure why, other than by force of habit!

I always feel uncomfortable whenever I try to break off from the right now!

[thinsy]

I am also right handed but break from the left side.

My reasoning is that I have always cued across the ball slightly and as a result get more left hand side than right, breaking from the right hand side I would always hit the blue so tried it from the left and done it ever since.

[MrRottweiler]

I'm right handed and I also break off from the left of the pack by placing the cueball tight against the left of the brown. I discovered my success rate of tucking the white up behind the green was far higher than behind the yellow for some reason. I also only chalk with my left hand so my grip remains almost undisturbed. Do any players break off from the left or the right of the pack at random to psyche out their opponent or change depending on how the match is going?

[Rane]

I´m lefthanded and break off from the right hand side. I had seen a lot of snooker before I actually had a chance of playing on a table, so mayby that´s why. Another point could be that most coaches are righthanded so you grow up breaking up on the right hand side. I do it in all types of billiard (kegler danish game, caroom, pool).

I saw someone breaking from the lefthand side at the cruicible. I can´t remember who.

[Semih_Sayginer]

seen dott change breaking sides quite a lot during matches....more than most pros anyway

[DawRef]

Break off....

I've gone back to breaking off the 'old fashioned' way. Place the cue-ball midway between the yellow and brown, a touch of RHS and aim for the 2nd red up on RHS of pack. Trouble is, if you get it wrong, you sit down for a while.
Still confuses my opponent though.