Break Building

Make Your First Break: 24 on the Blue

Making your first proper break is a milestone. This drill sets it up for you: four reds lined up either side of the blue, with the blue as the colour after each red. Four reds and four blues make 24, a realistic first target that teaches the rhythm of red, colour, red, colour.

Snooker table top viewTop-down view of a full-size snooker table at 1mm = 1px scale.100 mmFull-size snooker table · 3569 × 1778 mm · 1 px = 1 mm
Table layout for the 24-point break on the blue drill

Setup

  1. Place the blue on its spot and four reds in a line with it, two on each side (see the diagram).
  2. Place the cue ball as shown in the diagram.

Rules

  1. Pot a red, then the blue, then a red, then the blue, until all four reds are gone.
  2. Re-spot the blue after each pot.
  3. If you complete the 24, re-spot four reds and carry on from wherever the cue ball finished to make a higher break.
  4. The attempt ends on a miss or a foul. Your score is the total points.

Targets by level

Beginner
6–12 points
Club player
The full 24, regularly
Advanced
48+ points (two or more sets)

Tips

  • Short, controlled pace is everything. Most positions here need very little power.
  • After each red, aim to finish with an angle on the blue so you can move the cue ball to the next red.
  • Think "red, then where for the blue" before every shot.

Common mistakes

  • Hitting the reds too hard and spreading them away from the blue.
  • Getting dead straight on the blue and having no way to reach the next red.
  • Celebrating the 24 and forgetting to keep going with a fresh set of reds.

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