Talking bout the breaks..............

darmoose

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Darmoose kicked off this fascinating thread with a question - 'Can anyone explain . . .?' Well, he must be happy today, after so many people have explained it for him. Surely it has been established by now that there is a right side from which to break a rack of one-pocket, and also another side - the left side? Or is it the wrong side? I feel certain that when Joe Blow is breaking he doesn't believe he has chosen the wrong side, but there are many variables that have helped him with his decision, and a lot of them have been noted by the responders here.

A table can have unique influences - the pocket, the roll, the banking rails, light and shadow. His opponent might have a bias or a weakness that can be exploited. Is the breaker adept at stretching and shooting over an over-long bridge, and is he comfortable with the mechanical bridge? Can he switch hands like Bata or go behind his back like Django? And above all, does he just like breaking from this side? Does he do it better? Common sense has been cited and conventional wisdom, pro players have been called by name, their breaking preferences examined and critiqued.

Has anything been decided? No, thank goodness, but it has been a fine forum that may continue for a while longer, and the initial question has discovered a lot of people who could explain. You did good, Darmoose.
Thank you, Bill........it has been interesting. While I appreciate the reasons offered up, and some are very creative in their justification, I don't believe any have overcome the natural advantage of reach that breaking to the "correct" hole carries with it. You'll note that I tried to remove any pocket peculiarities that would favor one pocket over the other. I prolly could'a done a better job of that, maybe by saying that no other factor should be considered other than the breaker's handedness.

So, not sure what to take from all this. I think I will assume when I see a player break from the wrong side in the future there is some consideration other than reach at play, which may be worthy and worthwhile for them, or not........
 

darmoose

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I need a good diagram app for pool, anyone know one ?
The ones I had no longer work.
ha ha.....that's good, Rod. On old dogs learning new tricks, try up is down, or left is right, or inside-out is outside-in, or the one we all know...less is more.... :D
 

gulfportdoc

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breaking from one side or the other has no correct or incorrect side. If it works for you than it’s correct
I agree. Whatever temporary advantage breaking to one side or the other gives you, it all evens out during the play of the game.
I hope "breaking to the correct pocket", or the reverse, does not find it's way into the one-pocket lexicon. We have quite enough fake truths in pool.
 

Jimmy B

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I need a good diagram app for pool, anyone know one ?
The ones I had no longer work.


I like Greenshot, Rod...





Here's Chalky Stick, also, for pool shots.

 
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Thecoats

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I am right handed and generally start a match breaking to the bottom right pocket from the breakers (top of the table) perspective unless the table dictates otherwise. However, I often play 10+ hour matches and depending on the flow of the match and where my opponent is breaking I may switch to the opposite pocket just to give them a different look.

I know some fairly good players that break much better to a specific pocket. Which always amazed me given how much they play and what they play for ($$$) they haven't put in the time to learn to break well from both sides.
 

androd

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The shot that's above is the one no one can reach from the off side, right handers can walk up to the shot slice it in and possibly break the stack.
left handers can not reach this shot, even Wilt Chamberlin.
 
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gulfportdoc

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The shot that's above is the one no one can reach from the off side, right handers can walk up to the shot slice it in and possibly break the stack.
left handers can not reach this shot, even Wilt Chamberlin.
They can in New Orleans. They allow 300 lb. guys to climb up on the table to shoot...😄
 

androd

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ha ha.....that's good, Rod. On old dogs learning new tricks, try up is down, or left is right, or inside-out is outside-in, or the one we all know...less is more.... :D
I've read this post a few times, if it was meant to be funny ? I didn't get the joke.
I admit to being a somewhat muddled Old Dog, but I got the shot posted. In the past I've posted a few wwyd's, I don't remember you posting any, of course my memory is not what it was.
Throw up one so I can give you credit.
Old Dog
 

darmoose

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I need a good diagram app for pool, anyone know one ?
The ones I had no longer work.
My bad, Rod. You are known to have a good and somewhat dry sense of humor, and not prone to pontificating with lots of words. You had previously agreed with me that there is a correct side to break from in one pocket. Since you posted this in this thread about the break, I took your above quote as a humorous and somewhat sarcastic comment on all the reasons why you and I are wrong, implying that you needed to rethink your game

Doesn't make as much sense to me now. I was prolly drinking at the time...the old dog reference was not about you, but just us old dogs having to learn anew things we thought we knew....... :unsure: .......that's the best I can splain it.....🤪

I do see from your diagram and latest post.......you haven't changed your mind.....and neither have I..(y)
 

Dennis "Whitey" Young

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Androd, I do find there are quite a few shots that I can not reach or can not reach comfortably when shooting to the wrong pocket.
A guy could diagram these hard to reach shots when going to the wrong pocket vs. the hard to reach shots going to the correct pocket.
A greyed in area representing the hard to reach area. I'd do it for right handers, the lefties can just reverse the results.
Whitey
 

androd

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My bad, Rod. You are known to have a good and somewhat dry sense of humor, and not prone to pontificating with lots of words. You had previously agreed with me that there is a correct side to break from in one pocket. Since you posted this in this thread about the break, I took your above quote as a humorous and somewhat sarcastic comment on all the reasons why you and I are wrong, implying that you needed to rethink your game

Doesn't make as much sense to me now. I was prolly drinking at the time...the old dog reference was not about you, but just us old dogs having to learn anew things we thought we knew....... :unsure: .......that's the best I can splain it.....🤪

I do see from your diagram and latest post.......you haven't changed your mind.....and neither have I..(y)
That's kewl !
 
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