Question for those familiar with racking templates

[bdorman]

The last few weeks I've been using my first racking template. I began with just the 9-ball template. No problems and love the ease of getting a tight rack.

Today I used the 15-ball template for some 8-ball practice. Initially I had some problems getting the balls to "lock" until I tried to make sure I placed balls in the template "from the inside-out." (place the inner balls first, then place the outer balls...primarily the two back rows). After that, it seemed easy.

Is that your experience, or a figment of my imagination?

 

[Allen Brown]

What kind do you have and where did you get it?

 

[The Renfro]

The last few weeks I've been using my first racking template. I began with just the 9-ball template. No problems and love the ease of getting a tight rack.

Today I used the 15-ball template for some 8-ball practice. Initially I had some problems getting the balls to "lock" until I tried to make sure I placed balls in the template "from the inside-out." (place the inner balls first, then place the outer balls...primarily the two back rows). After that, it seemed easy.

Is that your experience, or a figment of my imagination?

If it was one of ours you have to push forward as you load it.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUIvXHcRsrU

 

[bdorman]

What kind do you have and where did you get it?

Mine is an Accu-Rack. Great system.

I do the push-forward routine and it works like a charm on the 9-ball rack. It works great on the 15-ball rack too, if I load the last two rows from the inside-out (but the initial urge is to load from the outside since that's where the "divots" are).

I watched a few pro matches that used racking templates and each of them racked the last two rows from the inside-out, so I suspect that's the better way to do it.

 

[Patrick53212]

Rack Template

I use a Magic Rack and do the same thing...inside out on the last row or two for ten ball and nine ball. I then go back and insure that all of the balls are touching. It works well. I will purchase one of the Accu-Racks soon. I have read some reviews on them and want to try them out. I much prefer a template than a regular triangle. It just seems that you can be more consistent with the rack and thus your break. I have found that after practicing my breaking using the templates that I can now break better and more consistently using a regular rack as well (so long as I can get a tight rack).

 

[bdorman]

I much prefer a template than a regular triangle. It just seems that you can be more consistent with the rack and thus your break.

I actually prefer using a triangle if the cloth and foot-spot are in good shape; i.e. I can get a good rack.

But for the next five months I'm playing in a bar while our community center is undergoing renovation. It's a nice place, good people, free pool...but they don't maintain the tables. Hence, I got into racking templates. It will be interesting to see which one I choose to use when I'm back on the community center table.