need help with my 9ball break...

[marek]

Hi people!
Its quite long since my last call for help but here it is...I have big trouble with my 9ball break. In the past I used to put my bridge hand on the cloth near the rail (not on the rail) and I tried to break rather softly. Wing ball usually went in and everything was ok. But there was one BIG flaw to this technique: it only worked on new (or very good conditioned) cloth with good balls which is not always the case. So I decided to learn the power break from the rail few months ago. And now I am becoming really desperate because of the consistency of my new breaking technique. The main reason why my technique is not consistent is the fact that I just cant get in the right position for the shot. Sometimes I just walk into the shot,put my bridge hand on the rail and the cue just go totally straight - then its absolutelly ok, wing ball goes in and one goes near the corner pocket and whitie sits in the middle of the table. Unfortunatelly its not that way all the time... well.... its like 50 percent of the time. The other 50 percent consists of troubles with make my cue going not straight - I walk into the shot, put my bridge hand on the rail and......the cue goes like zic-zac...I stand up, walk into the shot again, put my bridge hand on the rail and.....F..K!!!! again! its like some infection, when it gets there I cant get rid of it. I am aware that it has something to do with the stance but I dont know what...
So here are my questions: on which foot should be my weight during the shot? should I stand square to the table or not? how much should I bend my knees? position of my head - high or low? dynamics of the shot - how much should I followthrough - I dont drop my elbow on the normal shots - should I during the break?
P.s.: Dont tell me to put less power into the shot to control the shot...I know it and its not the problem - when I am in the right position for the shot (and I can recognize that postion prior to the shot) I can "sledgehammer" the shot and everything goes the right way...

[DSAPOLIS]

Marek,
I sent you something via e-mail. Let me know if this helps you with this problem.

First of all, it's not the table, it's you. The break is the most important shot of the match. What many call power, is actually generated by their full body extension during their follow through, combined with a level, fluid stroke. It sounds to me that this may be your problem (staying down). In my book I cover the break extensively and try to cover all of the bases. Along with the full extension of your body comes a weight transfer. The weight transfer occurs between distributing your weight on both feet evenly, to trasnferring it to your non shooting leg on the follow through and extension. It is recommended that your foot on your non-shooting side be slightly forward (ideally it sould be located directly under the shoulder of your bridge arm). When my students first come to me,a large percentage of them are either off balance, mis-aligned, or too close to the table during the break shot.

Off Balance - An unbalanced stance makes everything else in your game unbalanced, from your stroke to your breathing

Misaligned- Will alter the accuracy of your stroke, and direct your follow through in the angle of misalignment, not towards where you want it, which is the one ball, and the break angle I speak about in Breaking to Win.

Too Close to the Table - This limits your full extension of your body on the follow through.

Never underestimate the importance of a pre-shot routine. Your pre-break routine should differ from your normal pre-shot routine, and personally I concentrate on my points of balance, alignment, the break angle, controlling the one and controlling the cue ball, and full extension of my body on the follow through.

Hope this helps.