9 Ball Break Question.....9 off break

[Gatz]

I saw a player playing nine ball at a local pool hall he had an amazing 9 ball break he would always get the 9ball to go in the corner pocket or very close to it to hit it with another ball. If he did miss the 9 going in another ball would go in so atleast 2 would be pocketed. Now i watched where he breaks from and what english he uses.

I have practiced this many many hours days on, and beleive me it does work but i can only do it say 1-5 times. This guy did it sometimes 3 times in a row. Now question is how come pro players always break from the left or far right cushion? i know some don't but most do.

The way u do this break is at the headstring at 1st diamond on buttom rail, with buttom right, aim at 1 straight on from direction ball is at. I find i can get just as much power as i can using cushion from left or right, also getting cueball to stay in middle of table after break easily.

If u also find out how to do that break more effective please tell me, cuz i can't do it as much as this one guy could, it was very impressive.

[dags_lax]

Perhaps the guy you saw was just on a roll. Streaks happen. If you are at the point where you are poceting the nine one out of five times my hat is off to you. I don't know of any one that can make the nine on 20% of his breaks.

[audiopro]

Yeah, that is an accomplishment. I suppose if I did nothing all day but practice that, maybe in a few years I could have similiar results.. My breaks are like that of a frail ole lady.. :(

[sonnic]

I think their is a way to get the nine going to that pocket but im not sure how. Remember in the Color of Money when Eddie calls the nine on the break and it just misses. I believe there is a way just like in eight ball when you hit the second ball. Im sure the negitive here is that you will lose controll of the cue ball easier. but if you could do it 1 out of 5 i surely would be willing to practice it. Also there is a way that you can hit the one ball in the rack and pocket it in the side pocket pretty consistantly. Again i dont know how this is done but i have seen it countless times. If anyone knows how to hit either of these shots please let us know...

[wobster]

I can get the 9 ball about 1 out of ten, but last thursay I was playing league and got it 2 out of 4. Here is my strategy.

Line up just behind the head string, at the center of the table. Move 1 ball width to either side and pound the 1 ball as hard as you can, with center english and hit the one ball dead center. If it doesn't go, I make at least 1 and the table is set up nice. The nine always goes right to the corner pocket, given you have a tight rack.

After the break, is where I tend to lose my games. :)

The 8 is tougher though. The way to do it is:

Line up at the headstring 1 cue ball width off the rail. Hit the second ball as straight on as possible (this is the tough part, as you will probably scratch 2 out of 5 when you are first trying this) with bottom english and english towards the rack (left if you are shooting from the right rail). You cannot hit this extremely hard, as your cue will shoot off the table (I watched a guy squirt the cue ball off the table 3 out of 3 times we played trying this break). The 8 ball will move towards the side pocket every time. That is the key. If you get the 8 or 9 moving, it will eventually fall.

[wobster]

there is an alternate way to make the 8, but it requires a lot more practice.

Line up same as before and hit rack in same spot with bottom english and away from the rack (right if shooting from right) and the cue will impact the side cushion and hit the rack again from the side, squirting the 8 ball towards the side pocket. This one takes a lot of practice.

[KGeeEd]

The pros were getting so good at making the 9 on the break that some tournaments made them break out of a small "box" area around the spot. Then some tournaments did not count making the 9 on the break. The pros were getting so good that shimming the pockets to make them a little smaller was tried for a while. I think Strickland won the million dollar challenge by breaking and running 11 racks in a row in the final match of a championship tournament on a table that had shimmed pockets.

The way to make the head ball is to hit it a little off center. The ball will squirt to the side pocket. If it is short hit it harder, long a little softer.

[skor]

Pros Play safe, they play the percentage
No one can tell for sure if the 9 will drop, what's going to happen if the 9 hangs in the pocket and no other balls go in or you miss your shot, that's a sure loss.
There is only one ball that you can control on the break and that's the CB, on a break you'll want to keep the CB in the center of the table, in order to do that you have to hit the 1ball dead center and you want the CB to jump into the rack so the CB will go up in the air after hitting the 1ball and land back in the center of the table.
The reson that they break from the rail is because if the rack is tight and the 1ball is right on the spot then the wing ball on the side that you are breaking from will go into the corner (if you hit it with right speed), Because it became realy easy to do with the Sardo rack, in most events these days that use the Sardo rack they rack the 9ball on the spot instead of the 1ball, but now breaking from the rail with right speed will pocket the 1ball in the side pocket.
Again a good break is one that leaves the CB in the center of the table, not how many balls has droped.

free tip : never use side spin on a 9ball break :)
Good luck

[audiopro]

I have to generally agree with Skor. Playing the odds, I try to keep the cue ball in the center of the table off the break. It's a rare case that something will not drop off a break, allowing me the next shot or option to push in 9-ball.

[Gatz]

Ya if u read my post i did say that the ball hops and stays in middle of table its very easy to do. I also said that atleast 2 balls go in if not the 9. It works well what i was trying to figure out is if any1 knows how to get that 9 in alot more consitantly and wondering why pros dont do it. Cuz it works just 100% great for me. Just wish i could figure that 9 thing out alittle better.

[skor]

Once you'll know how to sink the 9 on the break every time, you'll be very rich from selling this secret, but then no one will play 9ball anymore :)

[wobster]

I didn't say I normally try to make the 8 on the break, unless I am either ahead or playing a player I know I can beat. Sonnic asked how to do it, I posted my answer. In 8 ball, I normally break a little left of center and go for a good scatter shot.

In 9, the way I break happens to make the 9 quite a bit. I didn't say I had a special system for it. I hit it almost dead on and the balls scatter excellent and the 9 falls pretty often, I was just sharing how I do it.

[sonnic]

and we do appreciate that thank you wobster. for eight ball you can also aim to hit the 3rd ball in the rack from the side this scatters the balls well and usually shoots the 8 out of the rack. see unlike 9 ball you can go for the 8 ball break more because if you leave it hanging in the pocket your opponent wont be able to win so easy. I do go for the 8 more than a center table smash. Why not try and win? Isn't that the object of the game???? but understandably in 9 ball going for the 9 could backfire in a big way. but like wobster said he usually pockets 2 balls on the break if that is true why not try and make the 9 if it hangs no problem he's still shooting and can make it later.

[wobster]

I was under the impression, at least in APA that you have to hit either the first or second ball. I know different leagues have different rules, but I thought this was pretty standard.

[sonnic]

never heard of that rule, I play in a bar pool league and the rules are very lax. If its illegal than dont do it. oh by the way you hit the third ball with straight bottom

[audiopro]

In my APA league you have to hit the head ball first. Different divisions can create local rules to allow other break types, but ours has left it standard.

[DZ314]

I can hit the second ball in my APA league. :P

From the APA Rulebook: "3. Breaking - Players must break from behind the head string. To be a legal break, the head ball or second ball must be struck first and at least four balls must be driven to the rails or a ball must be pocketed. The cue ball may not be shot into a rail before the rack. An attempt to break does not count unless the rack is
broken as above."

[audiopro]

Must be flip flopped then that we have a bylaw stating we have to hit head first.. Forget which way it went, but I know we have to hit head first.

[skor]

I don't like that second ball rule, although it is becoming the standard in most leagues and tournaments.
Hit the first ball as hard as you can without missing the point that you aimed at is the way to go in my opinion (and yes, I know my opinion does not count :) )

[DZ314]

No, it doesn't. :lol: J/K! I respect your veteran opinion, skor.

[DEATHTRON]

I pretty much do what Skor does, point and hit the cue ball as hard as i can, the best strategy if you ask me.

Zach

[skor]

If you realy want to see a great 8-ball break then check out sample#3 at this link:
http://www.accu-stats.com/samples.html

[wobster]

I play with a guy who can do it 1 out of 5 and when he doesn't make the 8, he makes at least 1 ball and the balls scatter pretty good.

[audiopro]

1 out of 5 is pretty immpressive.

[DZ314]

That is super! Efren is the man!

[wobster]

That is the only way he breaks in 8-ball. He has been playing for about 25 years, and has broke that way for about 15. This is also the same guy who makes cues.

[audiopro]

So I guess you dont really play him, you just kinda sit back and watch.. :)

[wobster]

Naw, he lets me play, he just practices his defense shots against me. Every once in a while I will get a 6 or 7 ball run and win, but most of the time he runs me out.

[sonnic]

so to get back to the topic... It was actually a two part question 1. what is the best way to break in 9 ball(? How do you purposely try to get the 9 to drop?

Also, so i know someone said hit the head ball just off center and it will squirt in the side... I have seen pros do that time and time again. Do they put any kind of english on the cue ball? I forget where do they position the cue ball?

[skor]

if you hit the 1ball of center you might scratch in the side, to get the 1ball in the side you should break from the rail and hit the 1ball dead center with no spin at all, change the speed of your break untill you find the right speed that will make the 1ball go in the side.
tip - it should be a soft-medium break