The Sardo

[StormHotRod300]

Why is it, nobody seems to like the Sardo? I mean when i first seen this thingy being used a couple yrs ago, i thought it was a great invention, cuz you would always have a tight rack, and not a Hater Rack to be shooting at.

Yet as i was reading a post on here, it seems nobody likes the Sardo, cuz you cant do a hard break on it.


I also heard you can only use it on brand new felt also.

 

[condor]

Why is it, nobody seems to like the Sardo? I mean when i first seen this thingy being used a couple yrs ago, i thought it was a great invention, cuz you would always have a tight rack, and not a Hater Rack to be shooting at.

Yet as i was reading a post on here, it seems nobody likes the Sardo, cuz you cant do a hard break on it.


I also heard you can only use it on brand new felt also.

Perhaps Melissa will differ on this issue but imo, the Sardo rack neutralizes the playing field to some degree. Ever witnessed Archer breaking? That is a definite skill, being able to fully hit the head ball and still squat the cue ball. One of many reasons why Archer is the player that he is, I think. Because the break is so crucial in the game of 9-ball, the big breakers like Melissa loses some of her advantage. Utilizing the Sardo rack allows players with weak breaks to "soft-break", almost assuring them of potting a ball on the break. The rack evens out the playing field against weaker players and against formidable opponents like Allison and Karen, it can be devastating as they are almost guaranteed to make a ball on the break and run out. Personally, I much prefer watching top players like Melissa come with a sledgehammer break and run out...

 

[Melissa Herndon]

Personally, I much prefer watching top players like Melissa come with a sledgehammer break and run out...

First of all, Condor, thank you for the comment above! I love breaking and making a couple balls and running out....it justs feels like that is the way pool should be played.

Second, I think that Condor pretty much answered HotRod's question correctly. Here are the biggest issues players have with the rack:

#1 If you use the Sardo and rack the 1-ball on the spot, the wing ball goes in almost every time. In the men's event, this created situations where players wouldn't have to break hard but they would still pocket a ball and could run out. Unfortunately, for players like Earl and Johnny, it meant that all the hard work they had done over the years learning a power break...well, it was meaningless. They could be beat by a 2nd tier player who was soft-breaking and running out. So, they changed it so that the 9-ball got racked on the spot. Now, player's had to learn how to break all over again because the balls reacted differently.

#2 You have to "train" the cloth in order to use the Sardo rack. This means tapping the balls in order to get the first perfect rack. Unfortunately, if the cloth becomes untrained and you don't have a perfect rack, then you get the same bad rack everytime instead of the same perfect rack everytime. Either that, or you have to stop the match and have the TD come out and "retrain" the cloth. Using a conventional rack, players could rack slightly higher or slightly lower in order to find a good spot.

#3 Learning to rack is an art in itself. I have seen many racks that I thought were perfectly tight, but I cannot make a ball. I have given less than perfect racks, only to see 3 balls fly into holes on the break. Personally, I have yet to learn the art of a good "bad rack"....but then again, I haven't felt the need to do so yet. When you use the Sardo rack, it takes that away.

I would have no problem using the Sardo rack, as long as the 1-ball was racked on the spot...and we used alternating breaks.

BTW, for 1-pocket players, the Sardo rack is great tool because it will freeze all the balls together everytime.

Melissa