Best way to rack your own nine ball?

Luxury

Luxury

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been gambling with rack your own with a magic rack.

I have been putting the 2 at the bottom of the rack and playing shape for the 1 and 2 in the kitchen with some success.

How was Donny Mills racking in his match with SVB? I know that it's not just about the pattern as SVB was unable to do what DM was doing but I'd like to give it a shot.

If I remember he was getting the 1, 2 and 3 up there. Any tips?
 
Luxury said:
I've been gambling with rack your own with a magic rack.

I have been putting the 2 at the bottom of the rack and playing shape for the 1 and 2 in the kitchen with some success.

How was Donny Mills racking in his match with SVB? I know that it's not just about the pattern as SVB was unable to do what DM was doing but I'd like to give it a shot.

If I remember he was getting the 1, 2 and 3 up there. Any tips?
Click to expand...

I have been breaking from the left rail now for about 3 weeks, and I hit a little bottom with no english. Note that I don't hit it hard, just medium spead. The cue ball comes back to the middle of the rail and bounces out toward the middle of the table. The one either goes in the side or ends up around the side pocket, just waiting for my cueball to knock it in. Meanwhile, I place the 2 at the back of the rack and 75% of the time it will come back to the head rail. I put a dark ball like the 8 ball or 6 ball on the wing and have been making it like 95% of the time. I put the 3 and 4 up front and the 3 usually ends up around a side pocket also.

This is so cool as you can really find out where the balls are supposed to go. I have to laugh out loud at my friend who comes over to play because he tries to smash the rack from the right side while not making the wing ball but 50% of the time. I told him he was not very observant cause I was making the wing ball all the time from the left. He was doubtful at first, but when I switched to the right side the other wing ball went in 90% of the time. He thinks using the Magic Rack is like cheating and he would rather rack the balls like in a real pool hall. I told him I use the Magic Rack because I was tired of his lousy racks - and I mean they are terrible.

I have switched to the slug doctor because you can rack the balls in the regular rack and slide it up on the clear reinforcements for a perfect rack every time. My friend likes this better because it is faster and less tedious, but he is a little angry because he can't give me sloppy racks anymore.:thumbup:
 
Try this:

Code: 
     o



  1
 3 6
4 9 7
 5 8
  2

If you are breaking from the other side, flip the entire rack. You want to shoot down the 1-3-4 side. This should help get 1,2,3,4 up table. If 1 goes in the side, you still have the 2,3,4.
 
The ideal rack your own is this (I think). I can't remember if I saw it in donny vs. shane or elsewhere.

1
46
395 or 593
78
2

The reasoning is like this. The one hits somewhere north of the side and ends up as a rail cut into one of the kitchen corners.

The 2 banks up to the head of the table also and will be near the opposite corner from the 1, letting you get in line right away.

You sink the 5 as a wing ball, so rack it on the side you break from. The 3 is the opposite wing ball because it hits a little above the corner... banks 3 rails around the table and ends up near the head of the table (so you get 1-2-3 in those kitchen pockets).

The 4 and the 6 end up near opposite sides, and are somewhat unpredictable.

The 7 and 8 always seem to hang out together near the bottom corners, which makes it easy to get to the 9, which should not have moved (much).

The only thing that can really wreck this is the speed and angle you use when breaking. A bit of draw, a lack of speed, or something else often causes the one to either drop in the side, or hit south of the side. I personally draw straight back to play the 1 in the side.

If you hit the ball hard, the 2 fairly consistently banks up to the head rail, but if you break soft (which is sort of the point) sometimes a weird kiss forms that kicks the 2 and causes it to stay trapped near the foot rail.
 
mohrt said:
Try this:

Code: 
     o



  1
 3 6
4 9 7
 5 8
  2

If you are breaking from the other side, flip the entire rack. You want to shoot down the 1-3-4 side. This should help get 1,2,3,4 up table. If 1 goes in the side, you still have the 2,3,4.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's how I beat the ghost. Johnnyt
 
what is, instead, the pattern to give the toughest rack to your opponent?
 
I was under the impression it was supposed to be random, except for the 1 and 9?

Just asking, I'm not a fan of or player of 9-ball.
 
CreeDo said:
The ideal rack your own is this (I think). I can't remember if I saw it in donny vs. shane or elsewhere.

1
46
395 or 593
78
2

The reasoning is like this. The one hits somewhere north of the side and ends up as a rail cut into one of the kitchen corners.

The 2 banks up to the head of the table also and will be near the opposite corner from the 1, letting you get in line right away.

You sink the 5 as a wing ball, so rack it on the side you break from. The 3 is the opposite wing ball because it hits a little above the corner... banks 3 rails around the table and ends up near the head of the table (so you get 1-2-3 in those kitchen pockets).

The 4 and the 6 end up near opposite sides, and are somewhat unpredictable.

The 7 and 8 always seem to hang out together near the bottom corners, which makes it easy to get to the 9, which should not have moved (much).

The only thing that can really wreck this is the speed and angle you use when breaking. A bit of draw, a lack of speed, or something else often causes the one to either drop in the side, or hit south of the side. I personally draw straight back to play the 1 in the side.

If you hit the ball hard, the 2 fairly consistently banks up to the head rail, but if you break soft (which is sort of the point) sometimes a weird kiss forms that kicks the 2 and causes it to stay trapped near the foot rail.
Click to expand...

I personally do not like to leave the cue ball in the center of the table with a 'little' draw. The likelihood of the cue ball getting kicked into a side pocket increases dramatically doing this.

Like I said earlier, I like to break from the side, hit the 1 ball square on so that the cue ball comes back to the head rail and bounces back towards the middle of the table. Just MHO.
 
Slh said:
what is, instead, the pattern to give the toughest rack to your opponent?
Click to expand...

Ideally you want the odd numbers up table, and even numbers down table. That in mind, I'd try something like:

Code: 
   1
 5   3
7  9  8
  4  2
    6

But here is how you do the real test: Set the balls like so:


Code: 
   1
 2   3
4  9  5
  6  7
    8

Now, break 10-20 racks in a row exactly the way you normally break. Record where each ball ends up on the table. Figure out which area is the most consistent for each ball.

After you gather this information, mark what balls tend to end up at the head rail, at the foot rail, and in the middle of the table.

Now you have that info, you can setup for yourself or opponent. For yourself, figure out where to place the balls in the rack so that the 1,2,3,4 can tend to go to the head, 6,7,8,9 tend to go to the foot (9 should pretty much stay still), and/or maybe have 4,5,6 somewhere toward the middle.

For your opponent, get odds (1,3,5,7) up table, and evens (2,4,6,8) down table. This will cause a table that warrants a lot of cue ball movement.

Find out what works best for YOUR rack and break. Everyone is different, but most tend to break consistently.
 
Last edited:
Maniac said:
Also, make sure none of the balls in the first two or three rows are touching ;).

Maniac (has seen his share of slug racks :mad:)
Click to expand...

It is actually the back balls that have to be tight. If the back balls are loose, you will get a slug rack for sure. The front balls are not as critical as one might think. Watch Joe Tucker's racking secrets I/II. It's eye opening.
 
tenzip said:
I was under the impression it was supposed to be random, except for the 1 and 9?

Just asking, I'm not a fan of or player of 9-ball.
Click to expand...

Ideally it probably is. Some leagues have specific rules about pattern racking, but most don't. And actually, most players are completely unaware of what it is and how it can drastically affect the game. Ever play that guy that just keeps getting lucky rolls ALL the time? Well, time to start watching his rack patterns, see if he's doing something consistently to you or for himself. If so, just do the same thing he does :D
 
whitewolf said:
I personally do not like to leave the cue ball in the center of the table with a 'little' draw. The likelihood of the cue ball getting kicked into a side pocket increases dramatically doing this.

Like I said earlier, I like to break from the side, hit the 1 ball square on so that the cue ball comes back to the head rail and bounces back towards the middle of the table. Just MHO.
Click to expand...

Here's a little tidbit many are unaware of. If you hit the cue ball squarely in the middle, it will bounce back off the rack. More-so in an 8-ball rack than a 9-ball rack. The answer is simple physics: The mass of a single ball colliding into the mass of 15 balls. The cue ball will most certainly bounce backwards. Just because the cue ball comes back and hits the head rail doesn't mean you put draw on it! So how to combat this? Hit the cue ball about 1/2 tip high, play with that until you can get it to squat center table.
 
mohrt said:
It is actually the back balls that have to be tight. If the back balls are loose, you will get a slug rack for sure. The front balls are not as critical as one might think. Watch Joe Tucker's racking secrets I/II. It's eye opening.
Click to expand...

I've always heard that the back two rows being loose is how the 9-ball gets made on-the-snap.

I am wanting to read Joe Tuckers books someday.

Maniac
 
So, pretty much everyone that responded here does not consider "pattern racking" as cheating.
Why not just scoop the 9 into a pocket with your hand whenever your opponent isn't watching?
 
That's way too obvious. Usually I just try to rack with the 9 ball in the wing ball position and break before my opponent notices. :)
 
Shortside K said:
So, pretty much everyone that responded here does not consider "pattern racking" as cheating.
Why not just scoop the 9 into a pocket with your hand whenever your opponent isn't watching?
Click to expand...

When gambling playing the ghost, some will agree to let you pattern rack.
 
mohrt said:
Here's a little tidbit many are unaware of. If you hit the cue ball squarely in the middle, it will bounce back off the rack. More-so in an 8-ball rack than a 9-ball rack. The answer is simple physics: The mass of a single ball colliding into the mass of 15 balls. The cue ball will most certainly bounce backwards. Just because the cue ball comes back and hits the head rail doesn't mean you put draw on it! So how to combat this? Hit the cue ball about 1/2 tip high, play with that until you can get it to squat center table.
Click to expand...

This is a good point, I went many years without realizing this.

I went years accidentally drawing the ball or at most hitting center ball and it's been difficult to train myself to hit a little high. But if you want the ball to just pop'n'stop that's the way to do it.

I draw because basically, the one ball never behaves like it's supposed to when I see donny or corey do their magical breaks. If I break medium speed and no draw, the one hits a little north of the side and then banks right to the middle of the head rail, leaving me no shot.

If I draw a little, it always seems to work out better. If the one goes in, no biggie, the 2 is somewhere near the top corner opposite where I broke. If the one doesn't go in, it hits a little below the side and banks to a place where I can shoot it straight into the side from my break position. So this is the break that gets me the most runouts.
 
Its funny this thread came up. Tonight the guy i was playing racked me the same time every game. In order.
 
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