I broke down and bought the Break Rak trainer. After installing it, I've hits hundreds of shots trying different techniques spoken about here and on various videos. Standing up taller, using the hip, lunging into the shot, exaggerated follow through, choking up on the, choking back on the cue, etc.. I used the iPhone tool to measure the speed. While I have no way of calibrating the iPhone app to see if the actual measurement is accurate, I do think it is safe to say it's relative accuracy is good.
I eventually found one method that delivered the most convincing results for me, both in accuracy and speed. It turned out to be what Scott Lee has told me every time I asked him about it. Using a normal stroke, staying down and still, using SPF, keeping the grip, arm and shoulder as relaxed as possible and focusing on making solid contact with the head ball was consistently 2 mph plus better than anything else I tried. Certainly, the accuracy of my hit on the head ball and resultant placement of the CB (squatting it) were much better.
To be fair, I am sure it takes more talent than I presently have and hours upon hours of practice to coordinate all the extra movements so they flow together and yield the higher speeds. I would be willing to bet however, that many of the guys achieving those high twenty, low thirty mph break speeds could also achieve much higher than average break speeds with a normal stroke.
I will humbly point out that my best results were in the high 18 to low 19 mph range with the standard stroke. I personally believe my best alternative to gain speed is to do some weight training to strengthen my right bicep, that is the path I will take from here for improvement. I'm hoping that incorporating the break rak into my normal daily drills will also offer some improvement, both in accuracy and speed. Regardless, I'm realistic at being 55 years old, it's more than highly unlikely I'll be hitting break shots at 25 mph plus a year from now. Any way you cut it, this tool and technique will help me be better than I was and am at the moment.
The Break Rak certainly appears to be one of the best, if not the best, training tool I have purchased. You're able to hit 50 break shots in the time it would take to hit 5 were you racking the balls each time.
I've also heard many people here comment about how the SPF Certified Instructors are so much "this is the only way to do it" or "do it my way or the highway". When I've asked Scott, all he has ever done is explain his theory, the reasoning behind it and suggested I try it. I would go so far as to say I wish Scott would have been somewhat emphatic so that I could have possibly reached this point sooner. But then again, I'm often so hard headed I doubt that would have helped either. :embarrassed2:
I eventually found one method that delivered the most convincing results for me, both in accuracy and speed. It turned out to be what Scott Lee has told me every time I asked him about it. Using a normal stroke, staying down and still, using SPF, keeping the grip, arm and shoulder as relaxed as possible and focusing on making solid contact with the head ball was consistently 2 mph plus better than anything else I tried. Certainly, the accuracy of my hit on the head ball and resultant placement of the CB (squatting it) were much better.
To be fair, I am sure it takes more talent than I presently have and hours upon hours of practice to coordinate all the extra movements so they flow together and yield the higher speeds. I would be willing to bet however, that many of the guys achieving those high twenty, low thirty mph break speeds could also achieve much higher than average break speeds with a normal stroke.
I will humbly point out that my best results were in the high 18 to low 19 mph range with the standard stroke. I personally believe my best alternative to gain speed is to do some weight training to strengthen my right bicep, that is the path I will take from here for improvement. I'm hoping that incorporating the break rak into my normal daily drills will also offer some improvement, both in accuracy and speed. Regardless, I'm realistic at being 55 years old, it's more than highly unlikely I'll be hitting break shots at 25 mph plus a year from now. Any way you cut it, this tool and technique will help me be better than I was and am at the moment.
The Break Rak certainly appears to be one of the best, if not the best, training tool I have purchased. You're able to hit 50 break shots in the time it would take to hit 5 were you racking the balls each time.
I've also heard many people here comment about how the SPF Certified Instructors are so much "this is the only way to do it" or "do it my way or the highway". When I've asked Scott, all he has ever done is explain his theory, the reasoning behind it and suggested I try it. I would go so far as to say I wish Scott would have been somewhat emphatic so that I could have possibly reached this point sooner. But then again, I'm often so hard headed I doubt that would have helped either. :embarrassed2:
Greyghost is a member here and posts often.
