Paul_Mon
12-31-2002, 12:41 PM
I was recently given a Break Rak by its inventor Charlie Bond. Over at the AZ Billiards message board Charlie and I got into a spirited discussion over the merits of the Break Rak. Site unseen I told him my thoughts about the Break Rak. At the time I doubted that the Break Rak would be a useful tool in developing a consistent break. I also felt that the cost of a Break Rak was extremely high and that for my money I would rather pay someone to rack real balls for me. I told Charlie that I would never consider buying one without first trying it out. He graciously agreed to send me one free of charge to experiment with.
First of all you need to know that the Break Rak is a training aid that develops cue ball control when using a hard break. It will not give you any feedback as to how the balls spread. It sole purpose is to provide feedback on where the cue ball ends up after breaking a rack of 9 balls. To that end the Break Rak is a complete success, IMO. I can say with complete honesty that I have better cue ball control after using the Break Rak for one week. I used it about ½ hour the first time I set it up and again for about 20 minutes later that day. Each day since I’ve used it about 15 minutes per day.
The next day I brought it to the pool hall and it met with mixed reviews. The counter man and another player believed that it would benefit their breaking ability. Neither one of them or I think that anyone would rent it for use at the pool hall. Most pool players believe that they “know it all” and any invention of this kind is a gimmick. In my initial conversation with Charlie I called this product a gimmick too. My thinking now is that the Break Rak is indeed a gimmick, but not in a negative way.
In today’s global marketplace we see new gimmicks all the time. Some of us buy them and love them others sit back and settle for the status quo. I own one of pools most expensive gimmicks the Predator 314 shaft. Golf is full of swing aids and training devices. Pool is long over due for a truly effective break training device and the Break Rak meets that need. It is now up to the marketplace to decide if the Break Rak is worth the price. I’ll not quote the retail price here as it may have changed since it was first introduced. Charlie will be in Valley Forge this March demonstrating and selling Break Rak’s.
In closing I want to acknowledge Charlie as a gentleman who proudly stood behind his product and its merits. I admire his ingenuity for a well-conceived product and wish him success with his business
Happy New Year to all
Paul Mon
First of all you need to know that the Break Rak is a training aid that develops cue ball control when using a hard break. It will not give you any feedback as to how the balls spread. It sole purpose is to provide feedback on where the cue ball ends up after breaking a rack of 9 balls. To that end the Break Rak is a complete success, IMO. I can say with complete honesty that I have better cue ball control after using the Break Rak for one week. I used it about ½ hour the first time I set it up and again for about 20 minutes later that day. Each day since I’ve used it about 15 minutes per day.
The next day I brought it to the pool hall and it met with mixed reviews. The counter man and another player believed that it would benefit their breaking ability. Neither one of them or I think that anyone would rent it for use at the pool hall. Most pool players believe that they “know it all” and any invention of this kind is a gimmick. In my initial conversation with Charlie I called this product a gimmick too. My thinking now is that the Break Rak is indeed a gimmick, but not in a negative way.
In today’s global marketplace we see new gimmicks all the time. Some of us buy them and love them others sit back and settle for the status quo. I own one of pools most expensive gimmicks the Predator 314 shaft. Golf is full of swing aids and training devices. Pool is long over due for a truly effective break training device and the Break Rak meets that need. It is now up to the marketplace to decide if the Break Rak is worth the price. I’ll not quote the retail price here as it may have changed since it was first introduced. Charlie will be in Valley Forge this March demonstrating and selling Break Rak’s.
In closing I want to acknowledge Charlie as a gentleman who proudly stood behind his product and its merits. I admire his ingenuity for a well-conceived product and wish him success with his business
Happy New Year to all
Paul Mon