Recently Dennis Orcullo won a 9 ball event where players
were allowed to rack their own and pattern rack. He ran a 3-pack and after a brief counterattack
by Jayson Shaw, a 6-pack.
This of course led to complaints that pattern racking should be banned,
and under some rule sets it is.
This is a visual breakdown of which balls go in which pockets
using Dennis Orcullo's pattern.
He actually used 4 different patterns, most of which were the same except for swapping a ball or 2.
It looks like he was experimenting on the fly to perfect the pattern.
So the visuals might look a little more consistent if he'd stuck to 1 pattern.
What he eventually settled on was this:
167 895 342
He cut the 1 ball (hitting to the right of center, for a right-side break) using low outside,
hitting the side rail with the CB and then spinning it into the kitchen on most breaks.
He uses his playing cue and may hit around 12 mph.
He always made the wing ball except on 1 break where it bobbled and then another ball knocked it in.
I think his goal is to have either the 1 in the side (but it often goes in) or the 2 in the opposite side.
If his CB goes too far he often had the 1 in the corner instead.
A couple of racks ended early when the 9 wired up to the 8 (and later the 6).
In the image, "left foot" and "right foot" refer to the bottom left corner (from the breaker's POV)
and bottom right corner, near the rack. "left head" and "right head" refer to the other corners in the kitchen.
Observations:
• While certain parts of the rack are repeating, no 2 racks were identical, where every ball
went into the same pocket.
• Wing ball on breaker's side always goes.
• 1 may go in the side but I think the goal is to have it hit below the side and then bounce off a bit,
and if the CB ends up in the kitchen you have an easy 1 in the side.
• If the 1 goes, the 2's position is a little unpredictable. On a hard break the 2 banks up
to the head of the table. On a soft break it kisses the ball above it on the breaker's side and usually
gets stuck near the foot rail, but sometimes escapes uptable.
• The other ball above the 2, the 4 ball, seems to get the least energy and therefore has
the most predictable outcome. It just drifts gentle to the bottom rail and is always set up
to go into the bottom left corner.
• The last 3 are very predictable. There's a ball near the 9 / foot spot that gets shot into the corner
with draw, leaving him straightish on 7 in the side, setting up for the 9 in the opposite corner.
This is where pattern racking would help many players, a lot of runs end when a player must shoot
the 8 in one of the kitchen corners, then swing around the table for the 9.
were allowed to rack their own and pattern rack. He ran a 3-pack and after a brief counterattack
by Jayson Shaw, a 6-pack.
This of course led to complaints that pattern racking should be banned,
and under some rule sets it is.
This is a visual breakdown of which balls go in which pockets
using Dennis Orcullo's pattern.
He actually used 4 different patterns, most of which were the same except for swapping a ball or 2.
It looks like he was experimenting on the fly to perfect the pattern.
So the visuals might look a little more consistent if he'd stuck to 1 pattern.
What he eventually settled on was this:
167 895 342
He cut the 1 ball (hitting to the right of center, for a right-side break) using low outside,
hitting the side rail with the CB and then spinning it into the kitchen on most breaks.
He uses his playing cue and may hit around 12 mph.
He always made the wing ball except on 1 break where it bobbled and then another ball knocked it in.
I think his goal is to have either the 1 in the side (but it often goes in) or the 2 in the opposite side.
If his CB goes too far he often had the 1 in the corner instead.
A couple of racks ended early when the 9 wired up to the 8 (and later the 6).
In the image, "left foot" and "right foot" refer to the bottom left corner (from the breaker's POV)
and bottom right corner, near the rack. "left head" and "right head" refer to the other corners in the kitchen.
Observations:
• While certain parts of the rack are repeating, no 2 racks were identical, where every ball
went into the same pocket.
• Wing ball on breaker's side always goes.
• 1 may go in the side but I think the goal is to have it hit below the side and then bounce off a bit,
and if the CB ends up in the kitchen you have an easy 1 in the side.
• If the 1 goes, the 2's position is a little unpredictable. On a hard break the 2 banks up
to the head of the table. On a soft break it kisses the ball above it on the breaker's side and usually
gets stuck near the foot rail, but sometimes escapes uptable.
• The other ball above the 2, the 4 ball, seems to get the least energy and therefore has
the most predictable outcome. It just drifts gentle to the bottom rail and is always set up
to go into the bottom left corner.
• The last 3 are very predictable. There's a ball near the 9 / foot spot that gets shot into the corner
with draw, leaving him straightish on 7 in the side, setting up for the 9 in the opposite corner.
This is where pattern racking would help many players, a lot of runs end when a player must shoot
the 8 in one of the kitchen corners, then swing around the table for the 9.
