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9 Ball Break Strategy

10/14/2006 3:07:09 AM

9 Ball Break Strategy

Is there a stragery that can be used off the break? I know that the goal is to pocket a ball, or if you can't pocket a ball, the goal is to snooker your opponent. Thats all fine, but is there a certain area of the table that will allow a ball to be pocketed off the break more offten than not? I've seen the the billiard pros on the local sports channel kicking in balls off the break almost every time, but there seems to be no pattern to where they place the cue ball. Does placement have anything to do with it whatsoever?

9 Ball Break Strategy

Replies & Comments
  1. lukebilliardsforum on 10/14/2006 3:10:36 AM

    There is no guaranteed place, or "sweet spot" to break from that will pocket a ball everytime in 9 ball. There is, however, one spot that is popular among 9 ball players and you will see the pros break from here a fair number of times as well. This secret spot is about six inches straight out from the second diamond directly on the headstring. You can break from either side of the table in this position. You should be aiming straight on at the one ball which will always be in front.

    You should hit the one as if you were hitting it in a straight line and not directly on the front. Don't put any english on the cueball, hit it in the center and follow through and hit it hard.

    You want the cueball to remain in the center of table and not get thrown around a lot. This will leave you a good chance to see the one. Alternatively, if you don't make one you can play a "push" from there if necessary.

  2. lukejana on 10/14/2006 3:12:00 AM

    One thing you missed is that you should try not to put top spin or "follow" on the ball which will get the ball thrown around a lot and increase the chance of a scratch.

    In this break position you are forced to bridge on the rail which will make you raise up the butt of the cue a little bit

  3. lukebilliardsforum on 10/14/2006 3:13:50 AM

    Exactly. You'll want to try to keep the cue as level as possible yet still hit the cueball in the center. If you elevate the butt too much you will hit low on the cueball and even though you won't see it with the naked eye, the cueball will leave the table before it hits the one ball When it does this, it loses speed and does not make solid contact with the one ball.

  4. lukecuebald on 10/14/2006 3:15:55 AM

    Excellent points. Id try a few practice breaks and see how you do. Once you find the "sweet spot" you should be able to pocket a ball off the break about 70% of the time. There is also a better than average chance you will knock the 9 ball in from here which is probably the reason why the pros break from this position.

  5. lukePlumb on 1/28/2007 11:52:36 AM

    One extra thing you can try to do in addition to what's been said already is to try to control where the 1 ball goes. There are a few goals for the break, here's a breakdown of what I think those goals are in order of importance:

    1. Pocket a ball
    2. Control the cue ball so that it stays somewhere in the center of the table
    3. Try to keep the 1 ball on the table. It's common to pocket the 1 ball in the middle pocket opposite to the side you choose to break from, but if you work on controlling power and impact position you can make the 1 ball skid to the side rail, missing the middle pocket, and then drift down the table towards one of the corner pockets, hopefully giving you a set up with the cue ball somewhere in the center of the table. It might seem like a lot to do but I think it's a really positive way to break in 9-ball, getting position for your first shot after the break is crucial. Once you've got that first shot you can start controlling your cue ball position to take control of the frame.
    4. Pocket the 9-ball. Sometimes if I'm feeling a bit cocky I might really go for this but it's very hard to do with any consistency. If your timing is sweet and you hit with decent power you'll get a few of these anyway.
  6. lukejana on 1/30/2007 8:51:20 PM

    Great suggestions, the break strategy really makes sense

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9 Ball Break Strategy

  • Title: 9 Ball Break Strategy
  • Author:
  • Published: 10/14/2006 3:07:09 AM