1. Use a special break cue stick.
2. Make sure the rack is tight.
3. Adjust your stance and bridge for your break shot.
4. Put your whole body into the shot and move with it.
5. Practice your break shots.

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• by Darcy Logan

• It doesn't matter if you are a beginning or advanced pool player; chances are you are looking for ways to improve your break shot. A good break shot can make the difference between winning and losing a game.MNBilliards.com: How Can I Improve My 8-Ball Game? No matter what type of pool game you are playing, a good break shot should:

1. Scatter the balls, hopefully so that no two balls are touching or in clusters.Billiard Coach: Effective 8-Ball Break Shots, Part I
2. Sink at least one ball, which will keep you at the table.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
3. Keep the cue ball at the center of the table, or at least ensure you don't scratch.Men's Health: Improve Your Break Shot in 8-Ball

• If your break shots are not accomplishing these three things, then you want to improve it. Here are a few of the best tips you can try to manage this feat.

• YouTube: Best Break in Pool (Time: 0:10)

• How you form your bridge for your break shot can affect your accuracy, power and aim. Therefore, you may want to use a different bridge formation for your break shot than you would your other shots.

1. Use a closed bridge formation because it will give you more accuracy and it will keep your tip down.Men's Health: Improve Your Break Shot in 8-Ball
2. Relax your bridge arm and bend it slightly to allow your body to move into the shot.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
3. Move your bridge distance further back from the cue ball to allow for more acceleration.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
4. You may want to consider breaking from the rail because the angle of approach is more conducive to pocketing balls.AZBilliards.com: Power Break

• Expert Village: How to Break on the Rail in Pool

• Like your bridge, your stance should also be slightly different for your break shot as for your other shots.

1. Stand more upright. This allows for one long flowing motion with your shooting arm.About.com: How To Snap the Break
2. Shift your weight to your front foot, which will give you more energy for your swing.Men's Health: Improve Your Break Shot in 8-Ball
3. Pivot your shooting side foot. This will free up and lengthen your arm motion and body which in turn adds power.About.com: Ten Top Break Shot Tips
4. Narrow your stance, which should help you propel your hips and torso forward on the break stroke.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
5. Keep your legs bent, which helps generate momentum.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack

• After you have hit the ball, your cue should continue moving forward. This is called "follow-through." Don't be afraid to drive 12 inches past the contact point, as this will increase your stroke's accuracy and power.Men's Health: Improve Your Break Shot in 8-Ball Since your cue may be descending into the shot at a short angle, don't be surprised if your cue tip hits the cloth and slides. During one pool tournament, a player fouled after his cue tip struck the head ball because his follow-through was so long.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack

• Where you place your cue ball will affect where you aim it. For this tip, there is no right answer. However, your goal should be to hit the head ball as fully as possible in order to transfer all the ball's power into the rack.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack

1. Inspect the table before deciding on a position. Look for signs of wear that could indicate a "sweet spot," or optimal spot for breaking.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
2. If you are a beginner, you may find it easier to control the ball if you break closer to the side of the table.About.com: How To Snap the Break
3. Try to hit the head ball so the cue ball bounces back toward the center of the table, which will make it easier for you to make your next shot.About.com: How To Snap the Break
4. In 9-ball, most pros will break a few inches from either the left or right rail, unless rules mandate otherwise.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
5. In 8-ball, many pros will break within the first diamond from center on the left or right, which gives them a solid hit directed straight into the head ball and rack.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack
6. If you are playing a game of 8-ball where you can win automatically by sinking the eight ball, you may want to aim for the second ball. This will send the ball towards the pockets and likely sink it.Billiard Coach: Effective 8-Ball Break Shots, Part II To see an example, check out one of the following videos:
   1. YouTube: Dr. Cue - Lesson 21 - Making the 8 - Ball on the Break! (Time: 2:51)
   2. Expert Village: The 8 Ball Break in Pool

• 5MinLife Videopedia: 9 Ball Break by Sigel (1:05)

• For your shot, you want a nice clean hit on the cue ball. This will usually mean you will be aiming for the center of the ball or just below it.

1. Many experts suggest you should aim slightly below center (anywhere from a hair to a full tip below), which will create back spin.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack This is known as draw.Tom Simpson: Draw Like Crazy (November 2003)
2. Do not hit the ball above center, which will create topspin. Top spin can cause the ball to jump in the air, which loses energy for the shot, or leave the table.About.com: How To Snap the Break
3. Avoid hitting the ball to the left or right (also known as English).AZBilliards.com: Breaking To Win Side English will propel the cue ball around the table, which increases the danger of scratching. If you are unintentionally hitting the ball to the left or right, you might not be keeping your stroke straight or your bridge might be too long.Tom Simpson: Micro Bridging (April 2003)

• A good break shot is basically a firm stop shot.Brightcove: Breaking the Balls (Time: 5:11) If you don't have a good stop shot, then chances are you won't have a good break shot. A stop shot is when the cue ball stops after it contacts the object ball.

1. Depending on how far away your cue ball is from the object ball, you will either need to hit the ball at the center or slightly below center.easypooltutor.com: The Stop Shot
2. If you hit the ball too low, you will either miscue or have a draw shot, which means the cue ball will come back towards you.easypooltutor.com: The Stop Shot
3. Practicing your stop shots is the best way to learn how much draw you need to add. The Tip Jar: Calibrate Your Stroke: The Stop Shot is Your Friend (November 20, 2005)

• YouTube: Dr. Cue - Lesson 16 -Stop Shot Practice (Time: 1:54)

• Nobody gets better without the most basic of elements: practice. Although it might seem like a pain to continually rack up the balls, practicing your break shot is important. After each practice shot, look at the table and evaluate your shot.Men's Health: Improve Your Break Shot in 8-Ball

1. Are the balls scattered?
2. Are there any clusters of balls?
3. Where is the cue ball?

• You might want to make a chart and track your results. Try switching positions and speed to see what happens. Don't try to maximize power as you start out. Instead, wait until you can consistently and accurately hit the head ball before increasing your power.Billiards Digest: Break It Down!: 28 Tips for Smashing the Rack You should always start with easy shots and then move on to progressively harder ones.AZBilliards.com: Shut up and Practice! If you are looking for some aids to help you with your practice, check out some of the following:

1. Amazon.com: Rempe Training Ball
2. Amazon.com: Ghost Ball Aim Trainer
3. Amazon.com: Elephant Practice Balls Pool Balls

• As you may have learned, a good break shot combines power and accuracy into one fluid stroke.Billiard Coach: Effective 8-Ball Break Shots, Part I It is not something that develops overnight or with a quick fix. Instead, it takes trial and error until you find the perfect blend, giving you a good, consistent break shot. However, the results will be well worth the effort if you are successful.