Checking the rack

[Cuebacca]

cool

I would say a tiny space up front (somewhere??/ ), 4 ball track in tact, breaking from corner of the box is the easiest to make corner ball and stop cb. Easiest probably because of the speed and control you can have but you are pretty much putting all your eggs in one basket with that one.
I once had them tapped in like this and an older player (Tallman) racking them for me with his hands and I broke and got out 35x out of 100. I had that ball dead, 1 going straight back to the corner and at the time I was playing a lot. I can't remember how many times I made a ball on the break out of the 100 but it was a lot and I remember being barley hooked on the 1 quite few times also.

But you are totally correct with a tight rack breaking from the side being very effective and shape on the 1 isn't that tough there either but I end up with the 1 on the end rail with that a lot of the time.

Thanks for the clarification and the story. This makes sense to me. Actually, that sounds very similar to how my home table is breaking right now (except, unfortunately, I'm not getting out 35% of the time ). My cloth has only been used with the Sardo rack, but the divots still seem to move slightly over time. Right now they are such that there is a gap in one of those spots and the wing ball is going in almost every time with the cue ball placed about half way between the rail and the spot. It is really easy to control the rock when breaking from there, and the 1-ball tends to creep up towards the top corner pocket and park there.

So what you said makes a lot of sense to me now, when factoring in the first shot after the break. Even with this understanding, though, I still think rack-your-own is the way to go in 9-ball (with no 9's on the break).

 

[accustatsfan]

Thanks to Joe T! Some things on the DVD I knew but a lot of things I didn't I recently used it in my 9 ball game and it was valuable information.

People do look when you check racks but what was funny is that when your consistently pocketing balls on the break the racks get really tight like they are worried about giving something up.

A funny thing Joe T mentions that it isn't the pool gods punishing you for an opponents 9 ball on the break after you miss but bad racking (I didn't believe him when I watched the DVD but I do now).

 

[av84fun]

I'm not a fan of people checking racks. That being said, I've hardly ever been asked to re-rack as I like to think I'm racking as good as the rack will allow me. Also, I don't think you should really have the audacity to ask someone to re-rack unless you're a high-skill level player. That's just my biased opinion and one of my pool quirks.

For me breaking, I don't check racks unless I see some glaring gap or watch a ball roll off. I figure the break is random enough and feel confident enough to sink a ball on the break (although I sure as heck don't sink a ball as often as I would like).

Maybe I need to watch Racking Secrets . . .

Yep you should Derek unless you're just playing recreationally or in a league where pool is mostly an excuse to drink beer! (No disrespect to the serious leagues...but there ARE plenty of the other kind tool.)

I can't tell you how many times...back in the day when I didn't check racks...that the racks have been fine until, seemingly by coincidence at a critical stage, I get a plug rack.

Say at 3-5 in a race to 7...my break. Well 3/Hill is a WHOLE lot worse deal than 4-5 but it is always such situations that I seemed to get plugged.

No serious gambler our tournament player is going to mind a bit about getting his racks checked.

If you don't, you're just asking to get plugged and when the cash is on the light, there are PLENTY of guys who will be happy to give you what you are asking for...at JUST the right time!

(-:

Regards,
Jim

 

[av84fun]

Thanks for the clarification and the story. This makes sense to me. Actually, that sounds very similar to how my home table is breaking right now (except, unfortunately, I'm not getting out 35% of the time ). My cloth has only been used with the Sardo rack, but the divots still seem to move slightly over time. Right now they are such that there is a gap in one of those spots and the wing ball is going in almost every time with the cue ball placed about half way between the rail and the spot. It is really easy to control the rock when breaking from there, and the 1-ball tends to creep up towards the top corner pocket and park there.

So what you said makes a lot of sense to me now, when factoring in the first shot after the break. Even with this understanding, though, I still think rack-your-own is the way to go in 9-ball (with no 9's on the break).

I couldn't agree more that the 9 should be spotted. Given a frozen rack, the 9 only goes by getting a blind luck kick which shouldn't win you anything.

Regards,
Jim

 

[mullyman]

You wanna make a ball on the break? If you're a side rail breaker start with the CB on the head string. If the 1 ball goes below the side pocket move your CB back about a half inch and try it again. Keep moving it back until you make the 1 in the side. Personally, I hate making the 1 on the break.
MULLY

 

[Inaction]

During my college days, a friend came to my home town for an eight ball tournament. Once after checking the rack, someone commented out loud, "he must have seen that on ESPN". No response was given. Later in the match, he pulled off a great safety, then came up to me and said "I saw that on ESPN too".

For 8 ball, I always watch the front of the rack for movement when the rack is removed. If there is some movement, I might hit the 3rd ball instead of asking for a rerack. Unless a big win is needed, I don't mind playing a mush break.

In 92, I attended a pro tournament in Lake Charles, IL at the Pheasant Run as a spectator. (names might not be correct). There was an above average group watching a match, so I went over to check it out. One of the players appeared to be nuts. He had 6 to 8 cues lined up and would switch between shots, looking like he was asking for spiritual guidance with his arms in the air looking upward, to help with his selection. But the weirdest thing he did was when he checking the rack... he would put his head directly above the rack, just inches away and would then bob up and down several times almost like having a seizure.

I watched a few games until Steve Mizerak walked over, watched for a little while, then stated "this is ridiculus" and walked away. He was right, so I left too.

 

[soulcatcher]

Playing the last week in APA session last year, we were so far ahead in first place we did not even need to play that day, so I did not care if I won or lost. The team we are playing is shhoting for 3rd, and a place in the playoffs.

But....

The guy I was playing was loose racking me. The first 2 times I let it go, but had dud breaks. On the 3rd one, I told him to rerack after the 1 ball rolled a half inch off the rack before he even left the table. He did the rerack, but now the 1 was frozen on one side, and 1/4 inch gap on the other. I told him to rerack again. He gets this one right and I break. Next game, he is racking again, and he cocks the rack by about 3/4 inch. I tell him and he says no it's not, so I lay my cue down the middle of the table tip to the rack and say "Here's the line, now fix it." Now I get another rack with the 1 ball frozen on one side and gap on the other. Now I'm getting more than a little perturbed about his crappy racks so I just knock the 1 ball off the rack with my cue and tell him to redo it.

End result, I decided I did not want to loose to this guy, so I played with a lot more concentration than I would have otherwise that day, and beat him badly. I ended up having him rerack 6 times during the match. They missed the playoffs by 1 point.

This was the only time I have ever had to have someone rerack more than once in a match.

 

[Dawgie]

How do you get to see the products JT has for sale. I go to his website and click on products and it tells me to submit email to see "secret" videos. I would like to buy a book and maybe a video.

 

[klockdoc]

I had two instances that happened to me with racking.

The first, we were in the final game for the winner of the rounds. Tied 2-2. I had to play their best player. I went to check the 8 ball rack and the guy had the 8 ball on the spot.. After having him move it back. I proceeded to run out and took the score 8-0. We won 3-2 plus ball count. (ball count league)

Another, I was playing a 9 ball tournament; Final 6 players; I was breaking and I was spreading the balls, but, not making anything. The opponent was breaking and making between 2 to 3 balls every time. Score was 6-2, him. I decided to check the positioning of the rack and find out that the opponent had the rack moved forward about 1 ball. After I had him move it back into the correct position, he couldn't make a ball. I went on to beat him 9-7.

Don't trust anyone if the balls are going in for them and not you. Something's up.