Now that we have covered The Pool Algorithm philosophy in its entirety for this article I would like to discuss the Break Shot philosophy.  There are two (2) important parts to a successful break shot, first and most obvious is that we need to make a ball, and lastly we need to have an open shot afterwards.  Before we get into some of the details of this break shot philosophy I need to give credit where credit is due.  This philosophy comes from the advice of the late Gary ìFaceî McVay.  Garyís knowledge came from an empirical basis and I will compliment his experience with my analysis.

Gary was one of our areaís good players.  If there was action to be found Face was not far away.  Like a bulldog he wasnít afraid of any one or any game.  Face would even find himself playing games, which were not his forte.  You could be assured that over time his perseverance and drive would make him an accomplished player in these games as well.  He was a fierce competitor, which I would never have the opportunity to defeat.  He earned my respect and on one day in Starchers Billiards in Akron, Ohio he would share his philosophy of breaking which I will now share with you.

                Please refer to the plan view of the pool table provided.  At the head of the table you will notice three (3) Cue ball start positions.  These positions are not shown to be precise positions, but to illustrate that your Cue ball placement can be straight on, left, or right of center.  In essence, you can place your Cue ball any where behind the head string and the only change associated with your placement will be the contact point with the head ball of the rack.

                On the plan view you will also notice a desired Cue ball end position located in the center of the table.  You will need to aim at the appropriate point on the head ball of the rack to get the Cue ball to rebound toward the center of the table.  Now taking a look at elevation View A - A shows the actual hopping action of the cue ball from the head ball of the rack toward the Cue ball end position.  Pocketing a ball along with gaining this position will maximize your chances of making your first shot following the break.

                Lets analyze why this hopping action takes place.  Place a Cue ball on the table and just tap it.  It will begin to roll, right?  It rolls because of the friction imparted by the cloth of the table on the bottom of the Cue ball.  When we strike the Cue ball in the direction of the rack the English or spin of the Cue is that of a follow shot.

                The level of our cue stick also plays a roll in this break shot.  Where we try to keep our cue level in most shots we play, this break requires a slight incline of our cue stick.  The combination of the power delivered to the shot with this slightly downward impact of our cue stick will actually cause the cue ball to leave the surface of the table on the way to the head ball of the rack.

At the time of impact the Cue ball will still have the over spin while striking the head ball of the rack slightly above center which creates the hopping action.  You will notice that when this break is executed successfully the Cue ballís return to the table will be similar to a golf ballís action when it hits the green.  This checking up of the Cue ball is a result of the spin still left on the ball while it grabs at the tableís cloth.

The power for the break comes from your ability to accelerate the cue stick so that the maximum velocity is reached at the time of impact with the Cue ball.  The acceleration of the cue stick is achieved from the orchestration of muscles throughout your body.  From your leading foot which steps into the shot, to your upper body, which lunges toward the table, and the stroke of your arm which through all the movement must maintain your aim.

The break is the most complex shot in the game and requires regular practice to develop and improve your consistency.  Understand and master the concept of the break first while adding power through an improved stroke over time.  This break philosophy will provide you the opportunity to draw first blood in your games.  Good luck! And visit Mr. Billiards at www.ThePlayersLeague.com Do you have any thing that you would like Mr. Billiards to write about?  E-mail your subject to theplayersleague@home.com

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