K-rest

[stegorjus]

It would be interesting to know what readers think of the K-Rest. It's a rest used in snooker that lets players use their normal stance, i.e. with the chin on the cue. The player uses an extended cue and the rest acts like a sort of arm extension for the bridge-hand.
Steve Davis reviewed it favourably for the BBC in 2006. The clip is still available:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/ukfs_sport/hi/av/bb_rm_fs.stm?news=1&bbram=1&bbwm=1&nol_storyid=4956338
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/ukfs_sport/hi/av/bb_rm_fs.stm?news=1&bbram=1&bbwm=1&nol_storyid=4956338)
There is also a website

http://www.k-rest.co.uk

[hegeland]

I would say it's got nothing to do with the rest, as you can play the same shot with the same stance using a normal rest. But the interesting things is why we never see anyone play like this? I'll go down the club today and give it a try. But as Steve said, for a pro, you got to be more accurate than with your normal way of cuing a rest shot before you can start using it. And as pros have played 10-20 years with the old method, it will take a long time before they get better with this new technique than they are today with the old one, and I think that's probably the reason we never see it used on TV. But it's definitely one for the future I think.

[GOMH71]

I was sat with a few Players in Wales and Joe Swail produced the K-Rest he was given outside the venue after losing to Judd.

You will not believe the hilarity it caused amongst us.

It will NEVER have any impact on the game...trust me...

[Semih_Sayginer]

I was sat with a few Players in Wales and Joe Swail produced the K-Rest he was given outside the venue after losing to Judd.

You will not believe the hilarity it caused amongst us.

It will NEVER have any impact on the game...trust me...


agree there GOMH.

it would appear theres much more cue in front of your chin than "normal" shots and so id not think its anything like a natural shots feel to it

[ferret]

I am not going to get into the in's and out's of the K-rest but I have one and it is just what I have been looking for, for ages!!!

You have to know what you are looking for to understand it and how it can advantage you in a game. Many players do get what it is about (Steve Davis for one) but go out and use a standard rest then the k-rest on the same shot!

EDIT: You will see what I mean in a few weeks as I am writing an article about it.

[ADR147]

I was sat with a few Players in Wales and Joe Swail produced the K-Rest he was given outside the venue after losing to Judd.

You will not believe the hilarity it caused amongst us.

It will NEVER have any impact on the game...trust me...

i agree aswell - snooker is not a game that welcomes change!

[hegeland]

It will NEVER have any impact on the game...trust me...Maybe so... but that says more about the game than the rest. Just look at the blue Steve potted. That shot is virtually impossible to play with a normal rest. Says enough me thinks.

[ADR147]

maybe - flexi rest and hook rest both good ideas and yet i have never seen anyone in a club using either!

[Alex0paul]

Whats the point in it? You could do the same thing with a normal rest.

[Theguywithaplan]

Whats the point in it? You could do the same thing with a normal rest.

Well why don't you play all your shots with the rest then?

[Alex0paul]

Well why don't you play all your shots with the rest then?

Because I wouldn't need the rest all the time. What I am saying is the normal rest could be used in the same way as the k rest. I am not sure what your comment has got to do with anything?

[hegeland]

I agree, you could use this "new" rest technique on normal rests as well. There is one advantage with the K-rest, however; it can be lowered more than the conventional one.

[frameandfortunereturns]

What happened to 'The Sniper Cue'? It was shown on BBC a few years back but I have yet to see anyone play with it. Is it banned? Does anyone else remember it?

[Deano82]

maybe - flexi rest and hook rest both good ideas and yet i have never seen anyone in a club using either!


im guessing thats cause the clubs done own any the other day i tried to take a shot needing a rest the x rest was no good as i had a bunch of balls in the way and searched the hole club for a spider rest but only found the small version which still didnt help so tryed using the x rest as well but that didn't work either so had to play off the side cushion first so the other day i ordered
the flexi rest which arrived yesterday so not tried it yet but looks great and well worth the £15 as it looks like it will come in handy.

[Semih_Sayginer]

maybe - flexi rest and hook rest both good ideas and yet i have never seen anyone in a club using either!

and id say these are both better than the K rest. of the k rest allows a more natural stance, but i dont imagine thousands of top players to start playing "every" shot with a cut down normal rest, just the same as i cant see the k rest taking off. it has its uses, but IMO the other two mentioned by ADR have theirs, and their uses are more common place to the majority of players, and yet they havent been "overused"

(as a side note ADR, some clubs dont have the correct rests etc per table as the "normal" equipment stands as it is, so i doubt therll be an huge rise in even the 2 you mentioned.

[stegorjus]

OK it's time to come clean. I started this thread because I designed the K-Rest and I want to understand people's perceptions of it. Although It's taken a bit of a battering here, it is reassuring to see that the only person to have actually tried the K-Rest gave a positive reply. Thanks Ferret.

It's clear there's a problem getting the idea across. I don't know whether it's with me or whether the concept is simply too far removed from standard rest-play to be understood quickly. I've explained the K-Rest to some of the world's best known players and although many understand it, the response from some of them is just mind-boggling: "Yeah, it's another twist on the hookrest" and "It's a bit short isn't it?" for example.

I am very disappointed that the K-Rest I gave to Joe Swail caused so much hilarity. I know that Joe saw a demonstration by one of my customers in John Parris's shop last year. My customer wanted to buy one to send to Joe as he understood he was interested in it. Of course I didn't let him pay.

I would say to those who doubt. Try playing some rest shots in this way using a normal cross-head rest. Ideally chop one down to about 1 metre long or put a cross head on a child's cue. Stay in your regular stance, use an extended cue and keep the cue level. Don't try to screw, you'll have to raise the butt of the cue and this will change your stance. Just try a few shots and see how different it feels. The sighting of the shot and the amount of power and control you have will be noticeably different. With a standard cross-head, you should be able to apply a lot of top, much more than in traditional rest-play.

Give it a go and see how it goes.

[ADR147]

feel free to send me one and i will pass it around forum members etc and give it an honest and fair review - interestingly I actually use a cross head rest in a similar way to how the k rest would be used.

[stegorjus]

feel free to send me one and i will pass it around forum members etc and give it an honest and fair review - interestingly I actually use a cross head rest in a similar way to how the k rest would be used.

Ha! Consider that one 'pending further enquiries'. Possibly.

[ADR147]

maybe you should read my acuerate review first!!! - PM me by the way i am in the trade.

[poolqjunkie]

I have heard of the flex rest and the hook rest but have never seen them being used in any professional tournament. May be the snooker crowd is a bit more conservative.

By the way, you can let the rest butt end rest on your shoulder and shoot using the normal stance. I have seen 9 ball players do that. I have tried it myself even with the long rest! But I will be too embarassed to do it in front of a crowd in a tournament to be honest.

The problem with the rest shot using the normal stance is not the stance, but the bridge length which is causing the problem(control, accurancy...etc) in my opinion.

[Nott]

I think its a good idea. Not that its a new revolution or anything. As pooljunkie mentioned some poolplayers have been doin similar for a long time.

I probably should try it. I'm pretty horrible with the rest but I would hate haveing to go get my extension on every other restshot. I know it shouldn't feel like a hazzle but it actually does. I guess I'm lazy :-)

I would say its a good product to try if you're uncomfortable cueing with the rest

btw: You should definitely send one of these to Tony Drago, maybe Matthew Stevens. Tony's been quoted holding the rest saying "This thing has cost me millions!" :-D

[stegorjus]

The problem with the rest shot using the normal stance is not the stance, but the bridge length which is causing the problem(control, accuracy...etc) in my opinion.

Remember that the K-Rest is for rest-play. Whichever rest you use, the bridge will be long. When you use the K-Rest your eye is actually closer to the action than with traditional rests. Most players will be more accurate and controlled because they are using their regular stance and cue-action.

I'm not saying that the K-Rest could replace traditional rest-play, sometimes it's just too convenient to grab the X-head. But there are times when the shot is important enough to warrant the time.

When you see a player using the X-head, ask yourself if they would be using it if the their bridging arms was twice as long. That's the idea behind the K-Rest.

[ADR147]

well i am looking forward to trying it as are the other people i asked you to send one to. we will sort some sort of deal out.

[stegorjus]

well i am looking forward to trying it as are the other people i asked you to send one to. we will sort some sort of deal out.

Having read your acuerate review, I am a little nervous :eek:

[ADR147]

lol but you are not asking £350-£400 for a cheap chinese cue!!

[archalf1471]

andrew, whereabouts is the acuerate cue review please?

[ADR147]

not sure mate under cues somewhere - don't drag it up just now i have an acuerate cue to sell!

[ADR147]

its arrived and has been tested and forwarded on !! i like it its a good idea and its a pretty well put together bit of kit. i like the left handed right handed option that would be useful for people, also i notice that if i removed the k and the foam handle i could put it in my cue case, it has much more chance of being used if thats the case!! as for the playing with it i found that the reach for me was very good and in reality it would allow a normal stance and cue action on the vast majority of rest shots. even as just a head design i rather like it and would prefer it to a standard rest for some reason i found it easier to cue through the ball than with a cross head rest. - i will maybe do a full review later - i am working on one for the spoony just now - expensive bit of wire that!

[stegorjus]

its arrived and has been tested and forwarded on !! i like it its a good idea and its a pretty well put together bit of kit.........

Phew!

I'll settle for that. Did the foam handle come off? It should have been glued! :confused:

[Z-E-N-I-T]

Well I like the idea! I tested it on the X rest today and potting success rate increased rapidly :) so I'm about to buy one for sure!

[moglet]

Phew!

I'll settle for that. Did the foam handle come off? It should have been glued! :confused:

Steve (?), since you exposed yourself, I have one of your rests. It works well, but I have to say that the fuzzy foam rubber "handle" is a nuisance in that it makes the most unholy mess of the table cloth unless you are extremely careful to place it down and lift it off (I'm tempted to try using this material to "block" the cloth before ironing!). Mine was not glued and I removed it - no longer a problem. Perhaps a woody or smooth handle?

Best wishes to you.

[ADR147]

Phew!

I'll settle for that. Did the foam handle come off? It should have been glued! :confused:

no no it was all fine and we are now playing pass the parcel with it so anyone who wants to try it from the forum let me know it will just cost you one set of postage i.e £2.38.

[stegorjus]

It works well, but I have to say that the fuzzy foam rubber "handle" is a nuisance in that it makes the most unholy mess of the table cloth unless you are extremely careful......

Ben(?) There was a small batch of fuzzy handles. Perhaps you got one of those. If you'd like to try a smoother handle (still foam), PM your address and I'll send you one.

The foam handle was only meant for prototypes but it turned out to be better at preventing movement, so it stuck. (Literally in your case.):o

[ADR147]

i would take the foam off and strap it in leather the way you did with bike handles as a kid!

[stegorjus]

i would take the foam off and strap it in leather the way you did with bike handles as a kid!

You must be from a good background. We had to make do with insulation tape, and blisters. Interesting idea though; like a tennis racquet perhaps.

[ADR147]

well mate you have spoken to me do i sound like your typical scot?

I learned that trick myself redoing the steering wheel on an aston but i didn't want to sound too posh!

[stegorjus]

Shouldn't one's staff undertake such tasks. It would be simply unforgivable to roughen one's fingertips to such an extent that one might be considered a manual worker.

[ADR147]

really looking after ones vintage aston is the only exercise one gets, you just can get the staff these days.

(actually i have a friend who owns an aston and when its dirty he takes it back to the factory for a clean and polish!)

[ADR147]

this rest is now on ebay with no reserve - might be a bargin for somebody!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250233059215&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015

[stegorjus]

I might have a bid on that myself Andrew. Do you know how much they cost to make? :)

I see you're still taking credit for my perfectly controlled cue-action on the GIFs. "Far from great player" eh?

[ADR147]

lol i am too lazy to change it! - it has 13 watchers so far so it will sell for a decent price i think - just an idea to put the item in the public eye. it should be at the bottom of the listing for the expensive cues!

[Semih_Sayginer]

sell "well" then?

[ADR147]

sold a few not many - mostly not in the uk actually.

[stegorjus]

That's the same for me. There's a steady trickle, mostly outside the UK. In fact one of ADR's customers in Japan came back and immediately bought 3 heads off me. Sorry ADR, first you know about that! It really needs some investment in marketing but the patent agent seems to get most of the available funds. The real job keeps me busy too.

Do you want to try one Semih?

[ADR147]

no problem mate.

i think it will catch on eventually - its a good idea.

[poolqjunkie]

That's the same for me. There's a steady trickle, mostly outside the UK. In fact one of ADR's customers in Japan came back and immediately bought 3 heads off me. Sorry ADR, first you know about that! It really needs some investment in marketing but the patent agent seems to get most of the available funds. The real job keeps me busy too.

Do you want to try one Semih?

Once I receive mine, I will try it, show it to as many people here as possible, and write up a review here. Hopefully, i can have some orders for you real soon. Thank you.:)

[Semih_Sayginer]

That's the same for me. There's a steady trickle, mostly outside the UK. In fact one of ADR's customers in Japan came back and immediately bought 3 heads off me. Sorry ADR, first you know about that! It really needs some investment in marketing but the patent agent seems to get most of the available funds. The real job keeps me busy too.

Do you want to try one Semih?

no thank you. hope it does well for you though....