Should I use sidespin on a power break shot?

The short answer is:
NO, you should not use sidespin on a break.

Here’s the long answer:
If you hit the CB off center, some of the cue’s energy will go into spinning the CB and less will go into moving the CB forward. Therefore, for a given stroke speed, the CB will have less forward speed when sidespin is used (i.e., you will have less breaking power). Also, if using sidespin, you need to adjust your aim for squirt; otherwise, you won’t get a square hit on the lead ball, which is very important for power. Luckily, with a power break shot, swerve is not a significant factor, so if you have a breaking cue with a natural pivot length well matched to your preferred break bridge length, squirt compensation can be automatic for both intentional sidespin (if you use BHE) and unintentional sidespin. For more info, see Diagram 4 (and the related discussion) in “Squirt – Part IV: BHE, FHE, and pivot-length calibration” (BD, November, 2007).

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