Do you practice your break?

Yes, I do practice my break a lot. I always have and probably always will. I strongly believe it's a big part of the game of 9-ball and i think that players at all levels should practice their breaks. You should take one aspect of your break at a time to concentrate on and try to improve, such as cue ball control or pocketing the one in the side off the break.

Do you break from the same side every time?

I prefer to break from the right side of the table but if it's not working for me I have no problem changing to the left side of the table.

How fast is your break?

I believe that my fastest recorded break was at 25.3!

How important is a good break?

In my opinion, it can be a great advantage to have a strong break in the game of 9-ball today! On the WPBA tour we play alternating breaks in most of our competitions so it's especially important to concentrate on winning most of your breaks. You need to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are concerning the break shot and then work on them an equally amount of time during your normal practice routine.

Is it better to slam the balls or control the cueball?

It's best to have a consistent break because you will ultimately win more racks! It takes more skill to control "the rock," so cue ball control is a key element to practice when you are working to improve your break shot. It's important to get different opinions on the break shot and to also watch and study what people do when they perform the break shot. A few things to study: pre-break shot routing, stance, grip, and length of follow through stroke.

Where do you hit the cueball? Middle, low?

I aim to hit just below center on the cue ball.

Do you lift weights to keep your break strong?

Currently, I haven't been regularly lifting weights but I think that it's a great idea. Pool is not a physical sport but I believe it helps your game to be in good shape. I used to practice martial arts and I played a lot of sports growing up and I think that really helped me to develop a strong break. I do know that being a big tough guy is not a requirement for a player to have a strong break. To have a good break it's all about timing and technique, not muscles!

Who picked your nickname? It fits perfect.

A good friend of mine named Alex from Staten Island. We were hanging out with some friends in the poolroom one night and I happened to raise one eye brow at him and he said I did it just like the wrestler "the Rock." The nickname just kind of stuck after that.

Do you recommend a separate break cue?

Yes. Absolutely. I would recommend a slightly lighter cue for breaking with a hard tip.