Billiards Articles

A well-made break on in pool can bring a lot of advantage for the player who does it right. One that sends the head ball or corner ball on the side pockets gets the early edge in the game. In addition, a consistently good break can result in the cue ball getting a good striking position with most of the balls. This gives the player better chances on sending the next ball on the pocket for his next shot.

There seems to be different ways to break in a billiard pool game. Knowing your physics definitely is basic. It is commonly believed that different pool tables may determine which break is best. Speed and power are essential but being able to control that power is crucial. Practice develops the player’s recollection of how best to make a break. But there are some known techniques to make a consistent good break at the pool table.

Power Breaking
Power may be just as important as full contact on the 1 ball. There is a consensus that professional billiard players generally break at around 20 mph. The faster and more powerful the break is, the better. At least not to the point of having the balls fly across the room. The fastest breaks are said to hover around 30 mph. Break only as powerful as you can without losing control.

There are a few techniques to achieve power breaking. The trick is to have a good transfer of body weight to assist your arm and shoulder strength in wielding the break. One technique is to rock back and forth, transferring the weight from the front leg to the back leg. Some players lift their front legs before the stroke, thus bringing their weight to be transferred to the back leg and then stomp that front leg down on contact to do the reverse.

A Better Break on the 8 and 9 ball game
A Break is often the one critical shot that can determine the rest of the game. One technique is to shoot the cue ball between the 1 ball and 3 ball at a slight angle almost parallel to the triangle’s adjacent side. This is done from a distance far enough to give the player enough room to deliver the most power.

On the diamond 9 ball rack, it is common practice to hit the head 1 ball parallel to one of its adjacent side. Experimentation and practice will acquaint the player with what power and stance suit him best to sink the wing ball.

Using the Break Cue
The break cue can be critical. Every time the cue tip hits the cue ball, the cue tip shape gets altered somewhat. The more times the cue tip changes, sooner or later you would need to replace the tip. Cue weight also matters. A lot of professional players prefer lighter break cues. That’s essentially physics. The lighter the cue, the easier it is for the player to wield it with the power and speed he can muster.

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