Tap or Template?

RickLafayette said:
I've been using the Perma Rack system for over a year now, got the idea ever since Jason Shaw used something similar when he set his record. I use the clear Avery hole savers instead of the white ones because they are thinner. They are about HALF the thickness of any template (and I have them all). Anyone who has played on my table has remarked how they completely forget that they're there once they start playing, they are that unobtrusive. Stun shots, cut shots, extreme draw shots, no problem. I usually have to replace one or two on an average of every two months or so as they will start to lift. I have never had one completely separate from the cloth. I have a custom made wood rack that I never use.
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Nice.... thx for the picture.

In 9 ball the only cost is the foot spot. When worn just replace it.

No one will steal it, and costs Always add$ up.

In this picture some 9 ball templates begin to curl, and now one has to $pend to get more, who's paying for it in tournament play?
 
These donuts are ~$8 per 1,000, so one box can do 67 tables (12¢ per table), they last for months, and are easily replaced as needed. And all you need for the initial template is one $30 Perma-Rack or one $16 Accu-Rack per room/tournament.

Hard to argue with that effectiveness:cost ratio.

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Island Drive said:
I'd rather play roll out.... but this threads not about that zar.
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My point is that as long as they play 1b on the spot there is NOTHING you can do to stop the wings from flying in. If the end result is a frozen rack these balls will go. Doesn't matter if the table is 'tapped', MagicRack, whatever.
 
ShootingArts said:
I bought a few sets of new balls playing around after I got my home pool table. I found out fast it was the balls, not the rack, that are the problem. The table came used with very cheap balls, one of the racks sold at walmart, mostly junk cues.

The $6.99 rack from wallyworld racked perfectly with new balls, so did two different templates. I didn't tap the table and had someone else tried to I would have tapped their fingers. Most people tapping a table either don't know how or don't care. I hear people tapping a table from across a busy poolroom with tables with new cloth.

One place I am going to go against the flow. Aside from anything else I can rack all fifteen balls by hand with less than a minute lost compared to using a rack and I suspect faster than someone racking with a template.

The templates are designed with CAD software so that they hold the balls together under pressure. The balls spread better and I think that is why the players are happier with a template aside from racks also being able to map.

One thing I will grant, slug racks are impossible with a template in good condition.

Hu
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Maybe slug racks are the real answer???
 
iusedtoberich said:
Magic Ball Racks and their knockoff templates are the best racks ever, IMO. They have ramps built in that cause the balls to lean against each other. They are not influenced by wear on the cloth, wear on the spot, or prior divots from tapping the balls in. They are dirt cheap. I don't see how tapping the table could be a substitute for that. Maybe it will work for a few days of a brand new cloth in a professional setting. After that, what happens when normal players rack the balls in the wrong spots, and mess up all the divots?
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Only drawback to accu-rack templates (IMO the best template) is the issue of getting the template off the table after the break. Some players like it taken off ASAP and some players could care less if it stays on or not.
 
garczar said:
My point is that as long as they play 1b on the spot there is NOTHING you can do to stop the wings from flying in. If the end result is a frozen rack these balls will go. Doesn't matter if the table is 'tapped', MagicRack, whatever.
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For most poolroom weekly tourneys, I don’t see balls flying in on the break as a problem. For most amateur play, break & runs are tough anyway. For that reason and to try to speed up play, in our weekly handicapped 9-ball tournament we switched back to 1-ball racked on the spot instead of the 9-ball on the spot, as well as removal of the break box and allowing players to break from anywhere behind the headstring.

IMO, anything to help speed up play is preferable, from the standpoint of players who don’t want to be here all night and employees and tournament directors who don’t wish to be here all night either!
 
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Tennesseejoe said:
Why 'push out' after the break?
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The push out suggestion is separate from the guaranteed slug rack. You can use any kind of rack you want that gets the balls reasonably tight.

Push out after every break because it stops all of the whining, moaning, rigged racks, dead balls, pattern racks, taking 5 minutes to rack, winner/alternate is best, and all of the other problems that we currently have with the rack at nine ball.

Also, it means that both players have a chance to shoot in every rack.

You can still get a 10-pack, but you have to be clever.
 
ChrisinNC said:
Only drawback to accu-rack templates (IMO the best template) is the issue of getting the template off the table after the break. Some players like it taken off ASAP and some players could care less if it stays on or not.
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On the break itself sometimes you see a ball deflected a little if it rolls slowly across the template. However, where that ball finally ends up is not under the precise control of the breaker anyway -- it's all just a tiny bit more randomness. Unless Corey is breaking.;)

Trying to play slowly over the template later in the rack is a problem. The stick-on spot can also do funny things to the balls but less often.
 
Bob Jewett said:
The push out suggestion is separate from the guaranteed slug rack. You can use any kind of rack you want that gets the balls reasonably tight.

Push out after every break because it stops all of the whining, moaning, rigged racks, dead balls, pattern racks, taking 5 minutes to rack, winner/alternate is best, and all of the other problems that we currently have with the rack at nine ball.

Also, it means that both players have a chance to shoot in every rack.

You can still get a 10-pack, but you have to be clever.
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I've watched these rules used in the Shark matches from the Filipines. Kinda weird to me but the players don't mind it.
 
ChrisinNC said:
Only drawback to accu-rack templates (IMO the best template) is the issue of getting the template off the table after the break. Some players like it taken off ASAP and some players could care less if it stays on or not.
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I agree that the accu-rack is the best template out there. Been that way for a while now. Was expecting someone to re-invent that wheel but I guess they have the market cornered.

As far as removing the template after the break.... I'm generally indifferent about it's removal unless I'm about to shoot something that will have soft pace while tracking toward the template. When it does require removal, it's uncommon to have a ball preventing it during 8b, and with 9/10b it's almost rare. On the off chance there is something that requires dealing with. I have found near zero drama with simply lifting the obstruction while having the opponent monitoring the process. I do carry a ball marker, but have yet to need it in these situations.

My experience has been that the drama over the use of a template really isn't an issue worth noting. The last hold outs are the 1pkt and 14.1 crowd. Can't image 1pkt ever making that switch. That game is all about slow rolling around the pack. 14.1 has opened up in this era... I use a template without issue.
 
Template racks of all kinds suck. Removing randomness from the game is NOT a good thing. However as ChrisinNC said above it’s good for speeding up play in theory.

I hate them.
 
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