Most guys have this "macho thing" about blasting the balls real hard. Of
course it's real intimidating to watch three and four balls rocket into the
pockets off of the break, but if you have no control over the cue ball and the
one ball, your chances of running the rack are slim. Why? Not only do you need
to break and make a ball, you also have to get a shot on the lowest numbered
ball. Remember? We're trying to play this game at a higher level now, which
means that we need to abandon the idea of pot luck position. In "Breaking To
Win" I cover all of the bases of why I use the break that I use. I play the one
in the side (or bank the one to the corner which I'm breaking from) and I stop
the cue ball in the center of the table. I stroke the cue ball at medium speed
for maximum results.
Many of us get caught up with the excitement of having just won a game, and
now we're breaking. We want to smash the hell out of the balls before the other
guy lifts up the rack. We're already down in our breaking stance while the guys
racking the balls. STOP DOING THIS!!!
This will only heighten your excitement and cause you to rush the break shot.
Wait for the balls to get racked, examine the rack, and then set up your break
shot. A good way to remain calm before breaking is to hold the cue ball in your
bridge hand until the rack is lifted. Staying down in your stance only helps to
tense up your muscles and your brain. Remember, before we can control what is
happening on the table, we need to first control what is going on in our head.
If we have no control over what's occuring inside the coconut, bad things can
and will occur outside the coconut. Now to dispel a rumor: Power is not all that
important on the break. Accuracy is! Over a period of time, you will see that
being more accurate (as opposed to being more powerful) a ball is more likely to
drop on the break. Why is this? I'm not a physics major or anything, nor do I
really preach the physics of pool (I leave that to others) but I believe that
the less that's flying around the table, the better chances I have of a ball
dropping into the pockets. The Big Bang Theory of nine ball has always puzzled
me. I would rather know exactly where my cue ball is going, and where the one
ball is going. That way I know I will have a shot when something drops. How many
times have you made a ball on the break only to get stuck rolling out or to be
left with no shot at all? I bet that has happened plenty of times. This bad
habit can be eliminated from your game. I have argued this next point over
endlessly with countless people, but I still stand firm to my belief that the
when the balls are blasted on the break, they tend to spread out to the rails at
first, giving the illusion of a "nice break". After a about a second and a half,
the balls tend to zing around the table at various speeds, eventually
"mushrooming" back to or near the center of table. Why is this? What happens
when a ball travels to a rail at a high velocity? It contacts the cushion and
then goes to another cushion. These balls repeat the process until the ball
eventually stops. Usually, it stops back where it originally started, or it
clusters with two or three other balls. To put this in perspective, let's say
that you are running out a rack, and you are now shooting the four ball. As you
attempt to make the four and get position on the next ball, how many of the
balls need to be moving? Preferably just the cue ball (for position) and the
four going into the desired pocket. What would be your chances if you spread the
remainder of the balls around the table in that situation? The shot on the four
is no more and no less important than the break shot. If you have power, fine.
Control it. If you cannot control your power, take it down a notch or two. You'd
be surprised.
