9-ball Pattern Racking: 2 ball in the back

F

Flip_dat_Quarta

Banned
What are your thoughts on racking the 2 ball in the back of a 9-ball rack?

Many tournaments require the 2 ball to be racked in the back to make run outs more difficult. Is this only to prevent soft breaking?

On the other side of the spectrum, some people purposely rack the 2 in the back with the philosophy that when they hit the rack hard it will bounce off the back rail and out into the center of the table.

So what do you think? Is it good or bad to have the 2 in the back?

I think it's crazy how much the racking patterns vary from player to player. It surprises me that there is not one pattern that is obviously the best and is widely used. I've seen a few threads on here asking what the best racking pattern is and almost every comment was different lol.
 
And if you break normally the 2 comes off the bottom rail to the other end of the table with the 1. So what's your point?
 
The purpose of racking it in the back, at least in loser racks, is to ensure that the two isn't buried in the rack on purpose. An added benefit is it lessens the desire to soft break.
 
Flip_dat_Quarta said:
What are your thoughts on racking the 2 ball in the back of a 9-ball rack?

Many tournaments require the 2 ball to be racked in the back to make run outs more difficult. Is this only to prevent soft breaking?

On the other side of the spectrum, some people purposely rack the 2 in the back with the philosophy that when they hit the rack hard it will bounce off the back rail and out into the center of the table. In that position the 2 has the least amount of energy transfer and predictably ends up there.

So what do you think? Is it good or bad to have the 2 in the back?

I think it's crazy how much the racking patterns vary from player to player. It surprises me that there is not one pattern that is obviously the best and is widely used. I've seen a few threads on here asking what the best racking pattern is and almost every comment was different lol.
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Best place to rack the 2 is behind 9 on the same side your opponent breaks from. 1 goes up table and 2 stays down table, potentially in traffic.
 
Bank it said:
And if you break normally the 2 comes off the bottom rail to the other end of the table with the 1. So what's your point?
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Maybe. It depends if it makes it through all the traffic of the other balls. My point is to have a discussion on whether or not it is advantageous to rack the 2 in the back when racking for yourself.
 
It doesnt matter

Flip_dat_Quarta said:
Maybe. It depends if it makes it through all the traffic of the other balls. My point is to have a discussion on whether or not it is advantageous to rack the 2 in the back when racking for yourself.
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If a guy has a good break and its working then he's going to get out anyway, if he can get out. If the table is not giving up the break, then all bets are off no matter where you put the 2 ball.

If the breaker is only winning 54-60% of the time, you still have your chances to win in most matches.
 
Flip_dat_Quarta said:
Maybe. It depends if it makes it through all the traffic of the other balls. My point is to have a discussion on whether or not it is advantageous to rack the 2 in the back when racking for yourself.
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I dont think any of the explanationd this far state how 2 in tha back prevents pattern racking. Requiring it there creates a pattern, moreso than eliminating it.

I like it in the final spot when i break. I feel it has more limlihood of getting in a place that will leave it shootable.
 
Black-Balled said:
I dont think any of the explanationd this far state how 2 in tha back prevents pattern racking. Requiring it there creates a pattern, moreso than eliminating it.

I like it in the final spot when i break. I feel it has more limlihood of getting in a place that will leave it shootable.
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The 2 in the back is the most difficult position to control and is very likely to get kicked around even if you do successfully control it, so it leads to a more random outcome than the other positions. Of course if everyone played by the rules and racked all the balls besides the 1 and the 9 randomly like they are supposed to, that would be the most desireable outcome, but we all know, in practice, not everybody does and it's not easily enforceable.
 
Bank it said:
And if you break normally the 2 comes off the bottom rail to the other end of the table with the 1. So what's your point?
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This is what I strive for and it occurs most of the time, if you are breaking at the right speed and angle.
 
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