Carmine Sardo is a stone smooth pimp but I don't care much for the rack, we had to use them for our TAP league and it was a major pain in the ass
Does anybody actually LIKE the Sardo Tight-Rack?
- Thread starter gobrian77
- Start date
Hehe- this is kinda disheartening- my Sardo is sitting on my computer desk right now (darned ugly thing, really)- the reviews are running about 10-1 against it.
Ah well- I'll be starting out with new cloth and balls- I'll give it a shot and see if I'm in the minority.
I gotta remember to research this type of thing before I buy.
Ah well- I'll be starting out with new cloth and balls- I'll give it a shot and see if I'm in the minority.
I gotta remember to research this type of thing before I buy.
Deal!
I'll try hard to make it back to Samui this year. I haven't been there since October.
PS: Are you buying your table from Henning?
gobrian77 said:I've stopped into "Ball In Hand" (I usually stay at the Majestic Grande when I'm in BKK, and it's right across the street)- nice set -up (though they really need to update their website).
Stop by anytime you're in town (hopefully my house will be done and my table will be set up- we can shoot a few racks).
I'll try hard to make it back to Samui this year. I haven't been there since October.
PS: Are you buying your table from Henning?
Okay, here's the thing. When I see someone making dents in the table, I want to throw up. HELLO! Balls roll over those dents! And they can cause the balls to roll off.
I still contend I can make just as tight a rack with my bare hands and a good triangle. And do it three times as fast.
I still contend I can make just as tight a rack with my bare hands and a good triangle. And do it three times as fast.
The SARDO RACK is piece of sh*t.
sounds like everyone's against it, but the TV players don't seem to be suffering roll-off problems from the table-tapping, and obviously they get fine action on the break.
On the other hand, I've seen plain old regular racking with an independent racker lead to 37 consecutive breaks where something fell... and every time except twice it was the wing ball on the shooter's side. If you can get that kind of consistency with a cheaper rack, and a lot faster, the sardo may not be necessary even if it works as advertised.
On the other hand, I've seen plain old regular racking with an independent racker lead to 37 consecutive breaks where something fell... and every time except twice it was the wing ball on the shooter's side. If you can get that kind of consistency with a cheaper rack, and a lot faster, the sardo may not be necessary even if it works as advertised.
I like the Sardo family! 
I'm kind of neutral on the rack though. One thing that I DO like about the rack is that, for the most part, it stops the rack mechanics from having their way with you. However, aside from that, I find it to be a little cumbersome to use, especially after I dog my brains out and want to just hurry up, throw the balls into the rack, and get the next game started. In that moment of disgust, the Sardo rack doesn't seem to help matters at all. Nothing is worse than stewing over dogging it and then having to fiddle with the rack! 
I'm kind of neutral on the rack though. One thing that I DO like about the rack is that, for the most part, it stops the rack mechanics from having their way with you. However, aside from that, I find it to be a little cumbersome to use, especially after I dog my brains out and want to just hurry up, throw the balls into the rack, and get the next game started. In that moment of disgust, the Sardo rack doesn't seem to help matters at all. Nothing is worse than stewing over dogging it and then having to fiddle with the rack!
Cuaba said:
I'm going with an 8-foot Tournament Pro from Patana Billiards ( probably could have squeezed in a 9-footer as I have 14'2" width in the room, but the woman really didn't want the thing encroaching into her kitchen more than it already is... (http://www.patana.co.th/index1.html)
They are making it to my specs and it won't look exactly like this table (it won't say "SOVEREIGN" in huge letters on the side and it will have diamond sights, and will be covered in burgundy 860 i.e.- they are also making me a fitted table-top as I'm giving up my dining room for the table.
- everything is 100% compliant with international specs- they're the only local manufacturer who can make that claim )
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I thought the Sardo was ok, but based on experience, it's pretty much most useful in tournament situations where tables are set up, 'Sardo-set', played on for a couple of days, and then taken down. We tried using them on the top 3 tables in the club I used to work for, and the tapping or setting of the cloth only lasts for about a week or two at the most on a table that gets 8-10 hours of play daily. After about a week or two, the cloth needs to be re-trained. And, because the template is made based on the exact space between balls of the same size, it doesn't work well with an older set of balls.
New balls, new cloth, and a 3-4 day tournament? Yes
Tables that get heavy play in a club? No
A home table? Maybe
dave
New balls, new cloth, and a 3-4 day tournament? Yes
Tables that get heavy play in a club? No
A home table? Maybe
dave
At the Eurotour and in many many poolhalls in Europe we use this tool (see attached picture) to get a perfect rack.
Lay it where the rack is supposed to be. Put the 15 balls in it, and use the cueball to give each ball 3 medium taps each.
Now the balls will be perfectly frozen to eachother all the time, for maybe as much as 3 - 6 months. (In a club!!!)
And no, Sir Jay Helfert, it doesn't affect the balls rolling over it. (Only for 14-1 and One Pocket in safetyplay inside the rack. Then sometimes a ball can end up in one of the dents. But that is when a ball is really really slowrolling over it (so slow that it is supposed to stop any second). But because of this we normally play 14-1 and One Pocket on the other side of the table, using the wooden rack.
But for 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball it's perfect. Great rack each time, the same for both players, and you use only a few seconds to rack the balls.
EDITED: Btw, the picture is "stolen" from www.ine.no, a cueshop in Norway where you can order the tool. Really cheap
Lay it where the rack is supposed to be. Put the 15 balls in it, and use the cueball to give each ball 3 medium taps each.
Now the balls will be perfectly frozen to eachother all the time, for maybe as much as 3 - 6 months. (In a club!!!)
And no, Sir Jay Helfert, it doesn't affect the balls rolling over it. (Only for 14-1 and One Pocket in safetyplay inside the rack. Then sometimes a ball can end up in one of the dents. But that is when a ball is really really slowrolling over it (so slow that it is supposed to stop any second). But because of this we normally play 14-1 and One Pocket on the other side of the table, using the wooden rack.
But for 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball it's perfect. Great rack each time, the same for both players, and you use only a few seconds to rack the balls.
EDITED: Btw, the picture is "stolen" from www.ine.no, a cueshop in Norway where you can order the tool. Really cheap
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Roy Steffensen said:
Sorry Roy... I have had this happen to me during a match and it really pissed me off. I have also had my cue ball end up in what I call a "Sardo divot" - that's no fun either. IMO, if its bad for the cloth, its bad for my game. It ranks right up there with those a$$holes that put too much chalk on their tip and get it all over the cloth. Those people should be shot, or hit over the head with a Sardo rack.
Roy Steffensen said:At the Eurotour and in many many poolhalls in Europe we use this tool (see attached picture) to get a perfect rack.
Lay it where the rack is supposed to be. Put the 15 balls in it, and use the cueball to give each ball 3 medium taps each.
Now the balls will be perfectly frozen to eachother all the time, for maybe as much as 3 - 6 months. (In a club!!!)
And no, Sir Jay Helfert, it doesn't affect the balls rolling over it. (Only for 14-1 and One Pocket in safetyplay inside the rack. Then sometimes a ball can end up in one of the dents. But that is when a ball is really really slowrolling over it (so slow that it is supposed to stop any second). But because of this we normally play 14-1 and One Pocket on the other side of the table, using the wooden rack.
But for 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball it's perfect. Great rack each time, the same for both players, and you use only a few seconds to rack the balls.
EDITED: Btw, the picture is "stolen" from www.ine.no, a cueshop in Norway where you can order the tool. Really cheap
It doesn't affect a slow rolling ball, but a ball can stop in the dent. Roy my boy, you have written an oxymoron.
Roy Steffensen said:At the Eurotour and in many many poolhalls in Europe we use this tool (see attached picture) to get a perfect rack.
Lay it where the rack is supposed to be. Put the 15 balls in it, and use the cueball to give each ball 3 medium taps each.
Now the balls will be perfectly frozen to eachother all the time, for maybe as much as 3 - 6 months. (In a club!!!)
And no, Sir Jay Helfert, it doesn't affect the balls rolling over it. (Only for 14-1 and One Pocket in safetyplay inside the rack. Then sometimes a ball can end up in one of the dents. But that is when a ball is really really slowrolling over it (so slow that it is supposed to stop any second). But because of this we normally play 14-1 and One Pocket on the other side of the table, using the wooden rack.
But for 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball it's perfect. Great rack each time, the same for both players, and you use only a few seconds to rack the balls.
EDITED: Btw, the picture is "stolen" from www.ine.no, a cueshop in Norway where you can order the tool. Really cheap
This is good stuff actually, especially in 10-ball. In 9-ball, the wing ball goes about 100% of the time, so it sucks, but with 10-ball it's a different story, and really helps the game.
The advantage it gives, is 1000 times bigger, than the disturbance of the minimal chance it affects the balls rolling. It has never distubed me, only once I've heard that it really mattered, and that's more than two year's ago..
And with this, you can easily rack perfect '11-ball', '12-ball', '13-ball', '14-ball', '15-ball' racks, if you want to play the ghost or try something different when gambling or wateva. You cannot rack 11-ball rack with normal triangle, but with this 'tapped rack', it's always PERFECT, and takes few seconds..
Ps. They were actually using this also at WPC and WCOP 2006. Now, I understood that they are tapping only the 1 and the last three balls on the bottom, because of the wing ball/soft break issue..
Pps. Still, I doubt it will be a succes in USA, bcos of the 'harm' it does for the cloth. In tournaments it really works, but at clubs, it will wear out by time, like Roy said. Last May, after a long period with only tapped rack, I went to a tournament in Germany, where I had to rack with triangle, and it was about 32?C (about 90?F) inside the pool hall. It was a murder, and breaking felt so stupid as the rack still sucked so badly after all that sweating and aching muscles on my back.
TAPPED RACK AND 10-BALL AS DISCIPLINE RULES!!!
achro1416 said:
You can order both from Nielsen's- http://stores.ebay.com/Nielsens-Billiards_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZ1QQfsubZQ2d33QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Great service and they don't gouge on shipping rates.
Those who don't play constantly with a perfect rack that takes less than 5 seconds don't know how true this is. For rotation games it is the best thing around. If you play a LOT then you will have a ball fall in a divot every few months. You will have many more balls skid. And you have to break most every game. The difference in the break is phenomenal between those where the 9 shoots down to the bottom of the table and when it sits still.Marvel said:
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