How To Break a Rack in Pool

Hold the cue correctly, which means as level as possible with the tip poking through a loop made with the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand. The forearm on your dominant hand should be at a 90-degree angle to the floor.

Aim your cue so that it will hit the cue ball at dead center. Hitting the ball even a fraction to the side will result in a bad break.

Target the closest or “head” ball, which is usually the number one ball.

Stand up straighter than you normally would when taking a shot, but keep your knees bent.

Experiment with different backswings. Some pros like to reach their arm back a few inches farther than usual when they break, while others like to shorten their reach.

Hit the cue ball as hard as you can while still maintaining accuracy. Move your hips and torso forward for more power, and follow straight through with the cue. If you’re doing it right, your back foot should end up in a little kick.

Test your focus. Break a few times while looking at the cue ball, then break while focusing on the head ball. Use whichever style works better for you.

Practice over and over, noting how the balls are breaking so you can adjust your speed or stance. In a standard break of a rack of 15 balls, you’re most likely to sink the two balls directly behind the head ball. If you’re getting wild results, try hitting with less power.