Racking in Europe
- Thread starter cjr3559
- Start date
Tapped Tables.
The videos you have seen are using "tapped tables" When the cloth is brand new, they rack the balls perfectly and tap them in place.
This creates a dent in the cloth and the balls will rack the same everytime without using a rack.
The videos you have seen are using "tapped tables" When the cloth is brand new, they rack the balls perfectly and tap them in place.
This creates a dent in the cloth and the balls will rack the same everytime without using a rack.
I've seen this hand-racking done by at least one pro at a major US Tournament when the table was trained/tapped for use with the Sardo Tight Rack. Of course this wasn't during the televised rounds, because Sardo were a sponsor of the tournament.
Once well tapped the actual rack seems to be mostly redundant as far as I can tell. I guess it pushes the balls down a bit, but I personally could not tell the difference. I used to have my home table setup for the Sardo but got tired of the divots in the cloth that do get noticable over time. When practicing I'd often just hand-rack the balls.
Once well tapped the actual rack seems to be mostly redundant as far as I can tell. I guess it pushes the balls down a bit, but I personally could not tell the difference. I used to have my home table setup for the Sardo but got tired of the divots in the cloth that do get noticable over time. When practicing I'd often just hand-rack the balls.
Last edited:
Yes....and it is fast to do ,10-15s to perfect rack ...... problem come whit pro players in 9 ball, break is too easy to them ,when rack is allways exactly same ......even "not pro" like me ,can make wingball and leave nmr 1 to good position ...... so ,players who run table 1-2 of 10 or less ,it is great thing,but it can ruin pro?s game.maldito said:
it's no necessarily across the pond only. If you buy a Sardo Rack, it is supplied with a "cloth training template", which is much the same used in Europe. And that's the reason Sardo is helpless on used cloth (like any other means). So, important is that the cloth is new or the racking area is not yet damaged.
I don't believe you can rack as well by hand as with a good triangle. Using a proper triangle, you can apply pressure and "lock" the balls in place. This can't be done by hand.
I am not a proponent of "tapping" balls into place. Although sometimes a light tap can work to freeze the balls. No problem with that. But banging the balls hard to get them to stay in place is a big no-no as far as I'm concerned. Dents do occur in the cloth and they can and will affect the roll of the balls.
This is one reason I never liked Sardo racks. Purposely putting three pronounced dents in the cloth is not my idea of a good thing. In tournaments I run, I do not allow the players to pound balls into place. My personal experience has told me that you can get a good solid rack if you know how to prep the cloth. It's NEVER been a problem for me!
I am not a proponent of "tapping" balls into place. Although sometimes a light tap can work to freeze the balls. No problem with that. But banging the balls hard to get them to stay in place is a big no-no as far as I'm concerned. Dents do occur in the cloth and they can and will affect the roll of the balls.
This is one reason I never liked Sardo racks. Purposely putting three pronounced dents in the cloth is not my idea of a good thing. In tournaments I run, I do not allow the players to pound balls into place. My personal experience has told me that you can get a good solid rack if you know how to prep the cloth. It's NEVER been a problem for me!
jay helfert said:
I agree about applying pressure but clarify a proper rack. Something a cut above the usual cheap plastic racks you come across ina lot of rms? I came across a "Harley Davidson" rack in one rm and it was a very solidly made rack and looked to be a cut above what you normally find in a public pool rm.
Well Jay .....you can belive that earth is flat,but fact is that whit "tapping" rack is allways perfect and same .......and it is hard work to get same outcome whit any kind of triangle or sardojay helfert said:
in tapped cloth ,rack by hand is only right way to rack ball?s ....if you use triagle whit tapping, it can harm those dents
We have two year experience to playing on tapped cloth .... i think at all that time only couple of ball has make that 1-2mm move by dentsjay helfert said:
I believe they use a template (see this thread this) that has the ball spacing just slightly smaller than the actual widths of the balls. This causes the balls to fall towards each other when placed, getting an equivalent tightness to pressing up on the back of the balls with a normal rack.
I guess the question is if, using a tapped table and/or Sardo rack, all the balls are touching each other on all sides, in the "perfect" frozen rack how can it possibly be made tighter by hand?
I guess the question is if, using a tapped table and/or Sardo rack, all the balls are touching each other on all sides, in the "perfect" frozen rack how can it possibly be made tighter by hand?
I wonder if the reason I've had trouble getting a tight rack (using a rack) at my local pool room is because the tables have been tapped previously. If this is the case, then tapping shouldn't be allowed. Now if it's a table at your home this is a different story, tapping might actually work better.