In billiards, what are the strategies in making a good break?

Question

how important are power and speed? and where should i aim the cue ball? at the center?

layman's terms please. thanks!

Answer 1

Ok, first off, all of the previous answers assume you're playing 8-ball, or 9-ball.  I'll give you a rundown on different games, different break tecniques for each, and why.

8-Ball, 9-Ball, 7-Ball, 3-Ball, Bowling.  For each of these games, maximum spread is the optimal break.  This is achieved by using as much force and speed as you can.  If you can generate good speed with a regular cue great, for me when I was in my teens, I used to do carpentry, so I was muscular, but couldn't generate the speed needed so I used a heavy cue (24 oz).  This let me transfer more energy to the cueball since I could get this same weight up to the same speed I could with an 18oz stick. Force x Mass = Accelleration.  As for how to strike the cue, there are 2 schools of thought.  One is to use top english (Pure top, or top and to the side) This pushes the cue ball back into the rack after the initial break.  The second one, is to use center ball, or just a tiny amount of bottom, this lets the cue come back to mid table where it should be a little more open and easier to make a follow-up shot.  I suggest trying both and see which you prefer, and what works best for you.  As for striking the rack, again 2 schools of thought.  One is to hit the rack head on on the first ball (Note: for rotation games such as 9-ball, 7-ball, etc, this is the only choice as you must hit the lowest ball on the table first.)  This allows for a fairly even distribution of the balls and lets the cue stay in the center of the table mostly.  Second option, hit behind the first ball (2nd ball, 3rd, etc).  This can force more balls up to the head of the table, and produces a little more side to side motion (Note:  there are specific break shots that are designed to pocket balls off the break.  Ex.  Hit the 3rd ball down the side of the rack, as if it were the only ball on the table, the ball on the oposite corner of the rack should pocket in the corner pocket).  Downside to this is that if you do it wrong, it's easy to scratch.

Straight pool (aka, 14.1), one pocket, 15 ball rotation:  These games only require you to put 2 balls to a rail on the break.  A common break tecnique for these is a very light break, often hitting the last ball in line at a sharp angle, this will usually only drive the balls at the corner of the rack off (Note: rotation requires you to strike the lowest ball on the table, that will be the 1-ball on the footspot at the head of the rack), the one struck, the one on the opposite corner should both drive straight to the rail and come back to the rack, also the ball at the head of the rack will seperate from the rack.  Practice will allow you to hit lightly enough that the rack will still hide that ball from a straight shot with the cue.  For straight pool and 1-pocket, the breaks mentioned earlier which are designed to pocket balls again very useful.  English on a soft break is usually intended to put the cue ball back into the rack, minimizing shots available to the next player.

The "F U" break:  a different style of break that should only be used among friends.  a small amount of bottom english, with the cue above the headstring, near one of the side rails, use maximum force to drive the cue ball off the foot rail back into the middle of the back of the rack.  This will leave the cue in the middle of a cluster of balls, while all the balls on the outside will spread out up the table.

Answer 2

The best strategy that I use is to put some "English" on the cue ball...That way you will usually get a ricochet off the bank and hopefully kick a ball into a pocket. The point of a good break is to be able to continue shooting while your in control of the table...

Answer 3

For starters you need a good tight rack. If your playing for anything , like in a tournament or a money game, feel free to check the rack and make sure all the balls are touching. Where you place the cue ball is up to you. Some guys like it back so they can bridge off the rail , others like myself put it up closer to the rack. If your not making any balls off the break try moving the cue ball to different spots when you break, you may find a sweet spot. You don't want to put a bunch of english on the cue ball. I may use about a half a tip of high english in order to stun the cue ball and keep it in the middle of the table. Sometimes I use no english at all. You want to hit as much of the head ball as you possibly can in order to transfer as much power as possible into the rack. Keep your cue stick as level as you can so you don't scoop at the cue ball. Keep your stroke arm and cue hand as loose as possible. If you tighten up your gonna lose stroke speed. I'm not saying you have to blast the balls but you do want to hit them fairly hard with a nice smooth stroke and follow through. I'm assuming your talking 8 ball or 9 ball seeing how they are the most widely played games. Of course the object of a good break is to spread the balls nicely , make one or more, and leave the cue ball near the center of the table. It's the most important shot in a game of 8 or 9 ball. If you can get it working for you it will help you to run a lot more racks and win a lot more matches. Try what i said and practice a lot. Good luck to ya.

Answer 4

I'm not sur you can get the info you need from the two previou answers.

the goal of course is to spread the balls around alot so speed and power are veryimportant. Some player will even use a heavier break stick then switch to a lighter cue to play follow up shots.

as far as english goes it is helpfull to have the cue ball folllow through the rack.You do this by striking the ball above center.

striking below center creates draw and pulls the cue ball back after striking hte object ball.

As fa as positioning goes ,you would like the cue ball to get back out in the open a little bit so you have more oportunities for a follow up shot. So rather than aim at he from of the ball in the point of the rack, aim slightly off center so your cue ball comes diagonaly through the rack to a rail and has enough power to re bound to an open position.

Answer 5

As long as your sure where your positioning the cue ball you should be right. Put some 'english' on so the ball will bounce off and get you in position for your next shot. Also try to hit hard enough to make the balls split.

Answer 6

To make a good break, you need to transfer as much power as possible into the rack while giving yourself a good chance of having a shot after the break. To do this you must aim to hit the head ball as flush as possible (aim to hit it in a straight line, regardless of where you put the cue ball) and make the cue ball park where it is immediately after it hits the rack.

You do NOT want to put english on the cue ball! That is ridiculous! You're losing power when you do that, and have no control over where the cue ball ends up.

The ideal power for a break is always as much as you can control. You do not want to overpower it and send the cue ball flying all over the place. A medium, controlled break will have much better results than a "power" break without a good hit on the head ball.

I suggest you take at least one full practice day to work on nothing but your break. Start by racking the balls and breaking them up with a medium break, focusing on keeping the cue ball in the center of the table. Immediately re-rack the balls and try again, gradually increasing the power you use until you reach the hardest hit at which you can park the cue ball in the center of the table. That is your optimum break.

Continue to practice your break from time to time. It's a very important part of the game, and most people neglect it. Try to slowly integrate some "power" moves into your break that will increase your power without sacrificing control. They can be found all over the internet. There's a great video on utube, but I can't seem to find it at the moment.

BTW, There's a specialty break in 8 ball that gives you a greater chance at pocketing the 8 ball. If you happen to play on bar tables and would like to know what it is, email me and I'll describe it to you.

Answer 7

hit the side of the triangle