some time ago i got my hands on the russian Magic Chalk. i finally got a chance to perform a test drive. below are my impressions.
i’ve tried other brands of chalk before (the NIR, blue diamond, & predator), and i’ve seen the name Magic Chalk floating around, but i never decided to give Magic Chalk a whirl until recently. it’s dr. dave’s experiment that changed my mind.
after my brush with the so-called super chalks, i personally feel that while those chalks do offer an improvement in grip, the effect is slight at best. thus my own experiments stopped at blue diamond chalks, since i didn’t feel the need to mess with other stuff. BD chalks has remained my favorite super chalk, until now.
i came across dr. dave at random. according to his bio, he’s a mechanical engineering professor at Colorado State University, and he has posted a number of pool videos online exploring various topics in pool. (read dr. dave’s bio here.) one such video was his experiment on chalks and their ability to keep generating friction after chalking only once. the actual experiement covered a lot more ground than that, so i’ll let you read the article yourself and watch the video on your own time.
according to dr. dave’s results, if you chalk after every shot, it does not matter what brand you use. however, if you don’t like to chalk after every shot, then Magic chalk is the clear winner of the bunch, even beating the very expensive kamui by a wide margin. based on the results, i decided to give Magic Chalk a spin. i do like solid evidence derived from experiments. frankly, i’m sick of some hypeman giving lip service without providing a shred of evidence. and i don’t ever want to hear stuff like “i shot a hunnert consecutive shots after chalking only once with the (insert super chalk of the month here) without proof.
subjectively, the chalk dust from the Magic chalk seem to be a little finer than the BD dust. when i apply the chalk to the tip, the Magic Chalk has less build-up than the BD, meaning the Magic Chalk does not cake up as much as the BD. when i shoot with heavy spin, the Magic Chalk is less prone to miscue than the BD, especially after shooting two or three shots without chalking. i know that chalking after every shot is good practice, but personally i feel that you gain some mental momentum when you can shoot three shots without chalking. that’s just me though; don’t copy my bad habits. chalk afer every shot and save yourself some money.
is Magic Chalk worth the money? i think it’s worth my money. i like that it generates a bit more friction than the BD chalk, and i like not having to chalk after every shot. (i’m lazy. there.) i like that the chalk gives me more confidence on heavy spin shots and power draws. will i buy some more? absolutely. do i recommend it? yes. should you buy it? i can’t answer for your wallet. you decide.
p00lriah. 