Cue ball control on the break?

Question

My question here has to do with the advice that many people give when suggesting how to break the balls. I often hear people say that the breaker should have a tip position slightly below center to bring the cue ball back to the center of the table. In my observation, that rarely happens unless the break is quite soft. When you've got a 6 oz. cue ball hitting 15 object balls that are touching, it's essentially like hitting a 90 oz. ball. It might as well be a brick wall, and repeatedly I see the cue ball rebound off the rack and up to the head cushion and usually get buried at the head of the table, unless it rebounds hard enough to make it all the way back to the center. Either way, it's either bad cue ball shape, or lucky shape. Why do you suppose this is the accepted logic for breaking? Personally, I like to go either dead center or even a half a tip above center. I tend to have much better cue ball control on power breaks. M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 1

Your break is right on-I will even raise my cue a small amount the cue will hit a c hair off the table but will 80% of the time stop in its tracks within a 3inch circle

PS I do break off to the side but my hit is center ball on the head ball

Answer 2

Since you mentioned 15 ball, I assume you are talking about 8-ball. I remember hearing that they kept stats at a pro tournament a while back, and they found that the pros wre having a fair bit better success breaking from or near the center as opposed to breaking from the side. I know you are familiar with the second ball break from the side but again that is not what you were referring to.

As far as parking the cue ball, I think that the people that are "hitting the cue ball a shade below center" are probably trying to hit it hard. Most likely dropping there elbow before contacting the cueball, and therefore not actually hitting where they think they are, but rather a bit higher.

The only other possibility is that they are hitting down on the cue ball slightly too much, causing it to jump and  bounce and come to a stop in the center of the table. Although some seem to use this with great consistancy, it is difinitely less controlled. Any time the cueball is airborne at high speed, I just don't feel like I'm in control of the result. LOL

Bottom line is that if you can pocket a ball on the break, spread the balls decently, and consistantly control the cue ball, you have no need to mess with your break. Just keep doing what your doing.

Answer 3

I agree with Johnny H. I position the cue ball to one side or the other (depending on rack) about 10 inches. I prefer to hit dead center. The best advise is, whichever way your comfortable, practice it time and time again. If you practice one way enough, none of these things will matter.

Answer 4

I was going to say basically what dj said. I believe most people who think they are hitting the cue ball below center and end up parking the cue ball are actually lifting the tip before impact and striking the cue ball higher than they think. If hitting it below center actually worked, you could park the cue ball using a medium-hard stroke, and if you've tried that, you've probably noticed that more often than not you end up drawing the cue ball almost back to the end rail.

The only time I hit the cue ball below center on a break is with a second ball break playing 8 ball. Otherwise, I shoot for center ball or a little above.

Answer 5

i personally hit straight on with and go slightly above center when breaking 8 ball same thing but from the side for 9 ball. use to break 8 from the side but was drunk one night and kept scratching so i went straight one and got 8 off the break been doing it that way again ever since .

Answer 6

If you break head on, it is usually better to cue a little above center, so the ball drives through the rack & gets a better spread, if the break works well, the cue ball will hit the 8 after the head ball moves out of the way. Don't aim too high, or the ball will jump off the surface.

Breaking from the side, most people I know aim for the second ball in, & aim a little below center on the ball, so it hits the rack, then off the near rail toward the center of the table.  Beacuse this second ball is touching the 8, this also gets the 8-ball moving fairly well.

The main thing to remember is to not hit so hard that you don't have control of the cue ball.