The break is a fascinating part of any pool game. Many games, matches, and even tournaments are won or lost because of the break. I have watched many players over the years and studied how they break. Most players are convinced that it is necessary to knock the living crap out of the cue ball and that is what they try to do. Many players have developed techniques that are much like a gymnast or acrobat. At times I have thought a player was going to literally jump up onto the table. Once many years ago I was playing a fellow in Lake Charles Louisiana that slipped and punched his hand into the end of the pool table and broke four fingers of his right hand. Needless to say I won that game.

What makes a good break? First what game are you playing? 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, one pocket, straight pool, they all are different and the strategy of the break may vary. Another consideration is the skill level of your opponent. Example, there are 2 types of breaks I use in 8-ball. If I am playing a run out player I will break to the second ball down on the rack. This will knock the ball to one side of the table and back leaving clusters that are difficult to clear and run out. If I am playing a lower skilled player I break for the head ball to make the head ball in a side pocket or corner pocket and scatter the balls over the table.
Playing 9-ball, it is very important to make a ball on the break. If you don't you may not get back to the table. It is the same with 10-ball. Now one pocket and straight pool are very different. You will seldom break the balls out because you place yourself at such high risk if you don't make a ball.

Well all this says one important thing to me about breaking. If you have played with me you have heard me say often there is nothing to pool except luck and ….. surgical skill. The break shot is no different. It is a shot very much like any other shot that you will encounter in the game. If you believe that if you hit the balls hard and make them roll around enough on the table you have a better chance of making a ball then you are a luck player. I like luck as much as the next player but I would rather depend on logic, reason, and skill just as I do on any other shot that I make. Remember when you break hard you turn the cue ball loose and increase your chances of loosing.

When you break you should be trying to control the rack distribution and the landing point of the cue ball. How and where you hit the rack can increase your chances of making a ball. The more balls you make and the longer you stay at the table the better chance you have to win.

When you break and do not make a ball, remember that even the best pool players in the world make a ball on the break only 56% of the time. They come up dry 44% and that is a big chunck of the games. Therefore your distribution strategy and placement of the cue ball is very important. Have a goal, a strategy, and execute your shot with the same mechanics and methodical precision as you would any other shot and let luck fall where it may. It is not force it is accuracy in applying that force that really counts.

The Break Cue