after watching the break with the 9-ball on the spot I'm sure the run out is easier than with the one on the spot. The balls are spread out more evenly on the table and to keep wing balls from going easily is now a dead one ball in the side.. the best have figured it out..lets go back to the one on spot and make history legitimate.:grin:
about the rack
- Thread starter 1sttbone
- Start date
Problem is, when using a template rack, it's far easier to make a wing ball in the corner pocket on the break when racking the 1-ball on the spot than it is to make the 1-ball in the side pocket or a wing ball in the corner pocket on the break, when racking the 9-ball on the spot. This is somewhat lessened if you require players to break from a break box and eliminate breaking from near the side rail. Still, most of your top pro players have figured out how to make a ball on the break regardless of where you rack, what you rack with, or where are required to break from.
it's actually tougher that the 1 ball goes than it doesn't and wing ball goes. playing position for the one ball is easier than playing position for a randomly placed 2-ball
Really the major change to rack 9 on the spot is that you need to use a cut break to make the corner ball and the 1 ball in the side. Corner ball still goes quite a lot.
Probably as big of an impact to breaking is the rule that often goes with rack 9 on the spot, the 3 point rule where you need to send 3 balls past the string and/or pocket balls so it's equal to 3.
Probably as big of an impact to breaking is the rule that often goes with rack 9 on the spot, the 3 point rule where you need to send 3 balls past the string and/or pocket balls so it's equal to 3.
Players still deserve to make a ball on the break if they hit the rack good. However, the one on the spot makes it too easy to soft break, make the corner and play position on the one. With the 9 on the spot, making the 1 in the side is possible but not very easy. It takes a lot of skill to figure out and you have to use a cut break which sends the cue ball flying around the table which brings a scratch into play and makes the layout more random.
What do you suppose the effect would be if you racked this way:
Rack the nine balls normally, then drop the remaining six balls into the corners of the rack as filler balls and break with all fifteen. Then simply remove any of the "filler balls" before beginning to shoot. If any ball, including a filler ball, goes in on the break the breaker remains at the table for a shot or a pushout.
I haven't tried this, but am curious about it. Has anyone experimented with this?
Rack the nine balls normally, then drop the remaining six balls into the corners of the rack as filler balls and break with all fifteen. Then simply remove any of the "filler balls" before beginning to shoot. If any ball, including a filler ball, goes in on the break the breaker remains at the table for a shot or a pushout.
I haven't tried this, but am curious about it. Has anyone experimented with this?
Isn’t pool great? It would definitely make things more random. I’m going to do this today just to see was’happenin
This will end up with the middle balls in the same spot in the top half of the table since all the force will go to the outside balls. It will act pretty much like a slug rack.
What you can try with this, is just do a random rack like you do for 14.1 or one pocket, and then remove the stripped balls except for the 9 after the break. That would give you a real break distribution.
Yes a soft break is easier with magic rack, pattern racking and 9 on the spot, but most tournaments and tours now state that there is no soft breaking or pattern racking, so we are trying to fix something that no longer is an issue.
I would disagree that the cut break with the high rack sends the cue ball flying around the table. For a good player, playing the cut break from near the side rail, with a little bottom outside and hitting the one ball just left of a full hit (if placing the cue ball near the left side rail to break from), the cue ball pretty consistently should come straight over in to the left side rail then back out somewhat towards the middle of the table.
If there's no 3-point rule, then making a ball is still fairly automatic,
but getting shape for the next ball isn't. You just put the CB center table and hope.
But with a 3-point rule, this break becomes really chaotic. You have to hit harder,
you lose the cue ball or get it kicked around more often, the wing ball seems less likely to go.
You still make the 1 in the side, but maybe miss it occasionally because if your speed is off,
you might deflect more or less than intended and change the cut angle on the 1.
Or you might not hit with the exact amount of outside you tried for.
I think it's a pretty good compromise - it's still a rack where a skilled player can make a ball,
but it's not so easy that you make the ball 95% or anything.
More like 70% for the best, and only 55% for the rest. Even with a template.
That's what we want, or at least what I want... something where the player's skill matters
and it's not just about luck or how much time you fuss over the rack.
But not something where making a ball is so predictable, and the first shot is always
hanging, making it boring to watch.
but getting shape for the next ball isn't. You just put the CB center table and hope.
But with a 3-point rule, this break becomes really chaotic. You have to hit harder,
you lose the cue ball or get it kicked around more often, the wing ball seems less likely to go.
You still make the 1 in the side, but maybe miss it occasionally because if your speed is off,
you might deflect more or less than intended and change the cut angle on the 1.
Or you might not hit with the exact amount of outside you tried for.
I think it's a pretty good compromise - it's still a rack where a skilled player can make a ball,
but it's not so easy that you make the ball 95% or anything.
More like 70% for the best, and only 55% for the rest. Even with a template.
That's what we want, or at least what I want... something where the player's skill matters
and it's not just about luck or how much time you fuss over the rack.
But not something where making a ball is so predictable, and the first shot is always
hanging, making it boring to watch.