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Wood is  most usually used for breaking, since it may be broken with consistency. Board sizes may vary but the usual size is 12x12x1. These boards are always broken with the grain. Long boards, such as 2x4s are against the grain.

Practically any rigid part of the body may be used for breaking, including the head, elbow, hand, knee, and foot. Due to Taekwondo's stress on hand and foot techniques, hands and feet are most commonly used in breaking, primarily using the ball, outer edge, and heel of the foot.

Start light

Always use one board with untested techniques. Add boards as skill and confidence increase. Do not use a technique that is beyond your skill level, 

Punches fail because of fear, not because of lack of strength. The less your brain perceives the board as a barrier, the more likely the punch will succeed. For beginners, aim beyond the board, i.e., follow through! As any martial artist can attest, the hand hurts more when you fail to break than when you succeed.

Keep hand in a tight fist

Your punching arm should be tight, but all other body muscles should be relaxed. Some martial arts require the thumb of the fist to point upward in a punch. Taekwondo requires that the thumb face inward. Biologically speaking, the strongest support for the punching hand is when thumb is not up or inside but relaxed so it naturally points 45 degrees inside. Punch contact area should be first knuckles of index and middle fingers. This offers minimum contact area for a greater breaking force and it keeps the contact area in line with the forearm to reduce chances of spraining the wrist if the punch is not successful. Punching with other knuckles forces wrist to bend and may result in a sprained or broken wrist. Always punch in middle of board.

Relax

Relaxation brings speed and power. 

Body Conditioning

Body condition in itself does not aid in board breaking , but indirectly it helps generate speed and the ability to deliver the technique correctly and accurately.  To a certain limit, body mass will add more power to a technique, up to the point that the mass begins to slow the speed.

Speed, Power, and Contact time.

Factors that influence board breaking are:speed, power, and how long the hand or foot is in contact with the target. Collisions similar to a bouncing super ball are nearly elastic, since they conserve both kinetic energy and momentum. When punching a board, unless the hand has an apparent mass much larger than the board, it will be stopped on contact and the center of the board will begin to bend some from the impact. This type of impact will cause the greatest transfer of energy to the board. This type of strike, called a "speed break," is where a board is suspended by one side. This mean the board must break before it is knocked from the single supporting hand. This type of break requires much training and experience to generate the speed necessary to accomplish the break, so it is probably beyond the ability of a beginner.  

A simpler break involves an inelastic collision. In this type of collision, the hand and board remain in contact through out the strike. As the object is struck, the hand continues to exert force and the center of the board begins to bend with the velocity it gains from the collision. The strike continues to apply force past the point where the board reaches its breaking point, accelerating through the board as it breaks. If the hand is moving too slowly, the flex of the board will stop it before it breaks. It would be like trying to break the board by leaning a heavy object on it. At greater speed, the hand will slow as it contacts the board, however, the continued application of force by the arm that is larger than the force the board exert, will keeps the hand's speed high. Eventually, the board will reach maximum flex and break. With high speed punches, the hand will always be moving faster than the board can react.

So do not try to hit the board with all your strength, try to hit with the greatest speed possible. You are not trying the "kill" the board, you are trying to pass though it.

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