Should i break from the front or side in 8ball?

Question

I've always broken from the front, and i almost always get a good spread and pot atleast one ball.

However ive noticed on TV and other players at my club breaking from the side. The players at my club atleast dont tend to have more success than me and when ive tried breaking from the side i dont get such a good spread of the balls and have occasionaly gone in off.

Is it down to personal preferance how to break or is one better than the other?

Answer 1

The reason why some people want to break from the side in 8-ball is because they are playing under modified rules where making the 8 ball on the break is a win.  This usually occurs with coin-op tables, because the balls cannot be spotted.  Certain professional organizations such as the IPT also play with this modified rule  There are techniques to increase your chances of making the 8 ball on the break by breaking from the side but it's still not a shot you can count on with any regularity.  Furthermore, exactly as you said, if you don't make the 8, you'll often have very poor separation of the balls and you're likely to lose control of your cue ball.  What you're doing now is exactly what you should be doing.  It doesn't matter if you're placing the cue ball directly in the middle or off to the side, the key is to make sure that you hit the head ball full-on.  When you do this, you are transferring all of the energy from the cue ball into the rack.  It's like a modified stop shot.  If you recall, on a stop shot you transfer all of the energy to the next ball and the cue ball stops dead in its tracks.  If you are breaking and you hit even a little bit to the left or right, you can lose anywhere from 10-50% of the effective force into the rack.  When this happens, you get poor separation of the balls and that extra energy stays with the cue ball and it runs all over the table, sometimes into a pocket.  If you're making a ball on the break, spreading the balls out nicely and keeping your cue ball in the center of the table, you can't ask for a better break.  Stick with what you're doing, just remember to try and hit the head ball full on try to park that cue ball in the center of the table.  You'll probably notice the you really don't need to break all that hard to have an effective break shot.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 2

this may sound stupid, but, i think you just have to practice where to break from and what break to use...it's no good these people saying oh break from here, they don't even know what handed you are so it could be opposite to thier opinion.

Just practice, after all practice makes perfect!

Answer 3

Breaking to the second ball is often used by top players, as it often provides a very good spread and pockets balls consistently. Most people who diss this type of break have little experience with it. Done correctly, it will usually NOT cluster the balls, and will often provide a better spread than a break to the head ball.

To correctly execute a second ball break, you must hit the ball as flush as possible, with a lot of draw a little bit of OUTSIDE english, to bring the cue ball off the side rail and back into the center of the table.

It does provide a greater chance of pocketing the 8 ball, in case you happen to play in a league or tournament where an 8 on the break is a win (which is most of them).

The biggest problem with a second ball break is that it is a lot more control sensitive than a head ball break. You must be accurate, so most players must hit considerably lighter than they do if they break to the head ball. And if you cannot consistently bring the cue ball back to the center of the table, you probably should not use it in competition without more practice.

Answer 4

You can break from the front, hitting th head ball a little on the

side this way the Q hits right or left rail, and hits rack again. try it, practice it a bit.

Breaking fromside hitting second ball with a little draw is also  a good beak,

How about straight on with a lot of top Englih, and Q going

through rack.

Answer 5

Always two schools of thought on anything....I go from the side....2nd ball in and with a little bit of draw to avoid the scratch.....it will most of the time also move the 8 toward the side pocket and with us.....8 on the snap is a win!!.....hit it as flush as you can or you will fly off the table!

Answer 6

there aint a true run break, but if u break from the top left , near the rail and behind the break line, try to aim the cue between the  yellow and the 2nd ball on the top. sometimes, u can get 2 to 3 balls in and a possiable run break to the 8 based on set ups. or u can break down like the old ways, and sometimes u can get the same runs in.. its all on yahoo..lol

Answer 7

Break from the middle because from the side it has a good chance of scratching the cue ball.

Answer 8

break from the front...because then u will be able to get both stripes in....which gives u an advantage in the start of the game...i wish i helped you.

Answer 9

Side with inside spin

Answer 10

It is true that most of players around the world break from side rail. The probability of pocketing the 1 in side pocket is in high percentage when you break from side rail while you can pocket a ball in low corner when you break  close to head spot. You can feel different strength and comfortability when you try to break from different position. You should break from a position where you are 100% comfortable.

Answer 11

I always put it to either rail right on the break line and aim off center on the 2nd or 3rd ball going down the side of the rack. I hit it firm with medium backspin and it goes off to hit the side rail and go back in to do some more damange.