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Who's the better breakbuilder?

Mark Selby
1
7%
Judd Trump
2
13%
Neil Robertson
3
20%
Ding Junhui
9
60%
Shaun Murphy
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 15

Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Iranu

These five guys are probably the best breakbuilders of the post-92 brigade, and are the only players other than Marcu Fu in the top 10 all time centuries list from after that era.

Centuries:

Neil Robertson - 612
Judd Trump - 590
Mark Selby - 566
Ding Junhui - 498
Shaun Murphy - 478

Maximums:
Ding Junhui - 6
Shaun Murphy - 5
Judd Trump - 4
Neil Robertson - 4
Mark Selby - 3

So, who's the best breakbuilder out of these guys? The above stats are pretty even and I guess the guys have different strengths.

Selby's the most all round breakbuilder. Good cue ball control, good pack splitting.

Ding is probably second best cue ball control on the tour. Doesn't have the power of the other guys when it comes to splitting the pack, but is a master at little cannons around the black and pink spots.

Robertson's cue ball control has improved immensely as we know, but still not quite to the level of Ding. But his mid-range potting is maybe the best around and he has a habit of making breaks look comfortable when with other players you'd think they'd lost position.

Shaun is probably the hardest to describe. When on song he's a beast at the top of the table and a relentless scorer. Lacks the finesse of the others but makes up for it with aggression. Poor at cannons but gret at all other aspects.

Judd is the best around at smashing everything into the open and making breaks easy for himself. When doing this he's great at the little stuns and screws, but is weaker when going up for blue/baulk colours. But there's no one better at recovering position by going in and out of baulk.

So: who do you think is the best of these 5 greats of the game?

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Iranu

Century tallies may not be entirely accurate depending on how quickly the site updates that I used.
Last edited by Iranu on 14 Feb 2019, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Iranu

Cloud Strife wrote:Ronnie O'Sullivan

Hi, Cloud! Thanks for the response.

Just to give you a little reminder of how polls work (I know it can be hard to keep track of these things): in a poll, you are given a finite selection of options. From those options you are tasked with choosing the one that you feel best answers the posed question.

An example of this may be: "Do you think the UK should leave the EU? Options: Yes / No." You would then respond with your choice e.g. "Yes, I believe the UK should leave the EU."

From this particular poll, then, the question posed is: out of the five players listed, which do you believe to be the best breakbuilder?

Unfortunately, Ronnie O'Sullivan is not featured in the poll and is therefore ineligible as an answer.

Now the good news! Because he is not a selection on the poll, you are still able to choose from the names that DO feature! Yay!

I look forward to seeing who you pick!

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Good poll Iranu :hatoff:

That said, I can't decide.

I would discount Murphy and Judd personally. I am a big fan of Judd but he goes astray too often. That is part of the excitement of watching him for me though.

Ding is the best at close control and cannons.

Selby constructs with class, touch and huge bottle.

Robertson (on fire) takes it I have decided as when his thrusters are on he can pot anything.

Not sure I am decided though.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Cloud Strife

Iranu wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Ronnie O'Sullivan

Hi, Cloud! Thanks for the response.

Just to give you a little reminder of how polls work (I know it can be hard to keep track of these things): in a poll, you are given a finite selection of options. From those options you are tasked with choosing the one that you feel best answers the posed question.

An example of this may be: "Do you think the UK should leave the EU? Options: Yes / No." You would then respond with your choice e.g. "Yes, I believe the UK should leave the EU."

From this particular poll, then, the question posed is: out of the five players listed, which do you believe to be the best breakbuilder?

Unfortunately, Ronnie O'Sullivan is not featured in the poll and is therefore ineligible as an answer.

Now the good news! Because he is not a selection on the poll, you are still able to choose from the names that DO feature! Yay!

I look forward to seeing who you pick!


Oh sorry! I just quickly read thread title and didn't bother with the OP. Apologies for the error.

Out of the options provided, I picked Ding.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Iranu

BSP, I had the same thoughts, instinctively I discounted them. But I decided to include them because:

Judd is on course to finish well ahead of Robertson in total centuries and is already ahead of the other three players who are all older than him. While centuries aren't everything I do think it's worth noting.

Shaun (surprisingly in my view) has more maximum breaks than everyone except Ding. Considering the 147 is considered the perfect break, it must therfore be considered an example of "perfect breakbuilding".

I agree with you though and although I haven't decided yet I don't think I'll go for Judd or Shaun.

Right now my gut says Ding but I'm gonna ponder it before voting.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Cloud Strife

Badsnookerplayer wrote:rofl Iranu - could you provide special needs polls so that Cloud can take part and feel properly included.


This is a good poll. Please let's not derail it with cheap barbs. <ok>

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Iranu

rofl sorry Cloud, I thought you were deliberately being a sausage and couldn't resist throwing a bit of sass back at you.

Think Ding's a good shout, I'll probably end up voting for him <ok>

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Iranu wrote:rofl sorry Cloud, I thought you were deliberately being a sausage and couldn't resist throwing a bit of sass back at you.

Think Ding's a good shout, I'll probably end up voting for him <ok>

No, Cloud does not mean to be a sausage.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Holden Chinaski

Ding John Wayne. When he plays his A game he's a break building artist who compiles beautiful breaks with perfect positional play.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Badsnookerplayer

Holden Chinaski wrote:Ding John Wayne. When he plays his A game he's a break building artist who compiles beautiful breaks with perfect positional play.

I am still pondering but I agree that Ding in touch is masterful. He can make a ton without needing a tough pot because of his mastery of the cue ball.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Andre147

Ding is the best to watch, his little canons and hardly moves the cue ball, which is quite difficult when constructing a break.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby D4P

Not that centuries are the only or best way to measure break building, but still:

Frames Per Century, All-time:

(1. Ronnie: 11.06)
2. Trump: 11.16
3. Robertson: 11.6
4. Ding: 12.04
7. Selby: 14.42
10: Murphy: 16.32

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby SnookerFan

Iranu wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Ronnie O'Sullivan

Hi, Cloud! Thanks for the response.

Just to give you a little reminder of how polls work (I know it can be hard to keep track of these things): in a poll, you are given a finite selection of options. From those options you are tasked with choosing the one that you feel best answers the posed question.

An example of this may be: "Do you think the UK should leave the EU? Options: Yes / No." You would then respond with your choice e.g. "Yes, I believe the UK should leave the EU."

From this particular poll, then, the question posed is: out of the five players listed, which do you believe to be the best breakbuilder?

Unfortunately, Ronnie O'Sullivan is not featured in the poll and is therefore ineligible as an answer.

Now the good news! Because he is not a selection on the poll, you are still able to choose from the names that DO feature! Yay!

I look forward to seeing who you pick!


rofl

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby eraserhead

Pink Ball wrote:Ding is certainly the best of these. He's not got the century count you'd expect from a breakbuilder of his quality, but I believe his 80+ count is very impressive, particularly if you break it down per frame played. Minnd you, it'd be worth double-checking that.

Ding hasn't had consistency across a season the past few years. Can't make tons if you go out first round.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby SnookerFan

eraserhead wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:Ding is certainly the best of these. He's not got the century count you'd expect from a breakbuilder of his quality, but I believe his 80+ count is very impressive, particularly if you break it down per frame played. Minnd you, it'd be worth double-checking that.

Ding hasn't had consistency across a season the past few years. Can't make tons if you go out first round.


You can make three tons and lose 4-3.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby eraserhead

Iranu wrote:Ding is probably second best cue ball control on the tour. Doesn't have the power of the other guys when it comes to splitting the pack, but is a master at little cannons around the black and pink spots.

Want to disagree with this. Ding is one of the best I've seen at splitting the pack off the blue.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby Andre147

SnookerFan wrote:
eraserhead wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:Ding is certainly the best of these. He's not got the century count you'd expect from a breakbuilder of his quality, but I believe his 80+ count is very impressive, particularly if you break it down per frame played. Minnd you, it'd be worth double-checking that.

Ding hasn't had consistency across a season the past few years. Can't make tons if you go out first round.


You can make three tons and lose 4-3.


MJW knows this too well..

made 4 tons in a Best of 9 and lost that match.

Re: Who's the better breakbuilder?

Postby SnookerFan

Andre147 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
eraserhead wrote:
Pink Ball wrote:Ding is certainly the best of these. He's not got the century count you'd expect from a breakbuilder of his quality, but I believe his 80+ count is very impressive, particularly if you break it down per frame played. Minnd you, it'd be worth double-checking that.

Ding hasn't had consistency across a season the past few years. Can't make tons if you go out first round.


You can make three tons and lose 4-3.


MJW knows this too well..

made 4 tons in a Best of 9 and lost that match.


I may remember that match. :chin: