Fixing the game of 9 ball.

I think the 1 ball racked on the spot with a magic rack and no 3 point rule is problematic. Although the recent match between Ko Ping Yi and Fong Pang Chao was entertaining, it seemed like I was watching almost the same exact rack repeatedly.

I would like to see a tournament played with these rules- Earl vs. Robles-rules were that you had to break exactly from the foot spot.

 
justnum said:
How can people keep the game interesting for future generations?
Click to expand...
Speaking as a fan, I'd say this is the crux of the matter, and I'm guessing it underscores some of the concerns expressed by the initial poster in this thread.

With respect to the break, we've already made some progress. I think that rack manipulation and pattern racking are starting to go by the wayside in top tournament play. Having neutral rackers makes the rack fair, and more and more, we are getting neutral rackers, at least on the stream table in the late rounds.

We get neutral rackers at the US Open 9-ball, the International 9-ball, the China Open 9-ball, the WPA World 9-ball, the World Cup of Pool, the World Pool Masters, the Mosconi Cup, the Predator Championship League event and in some other big events. The days of rack manipulation in the late rounds of the biggest events are almost behind us.

Nine ball and ten ball share the same problem at top pro level - the runouts are too easy. That's because the equipment hasn't been toughened to keep pace with the ever-increasing skills of the pro community. Personally, I don't care how easy or tough the break is as long as the runouts are as tough as befits the top players.

Once upon a time, pro pool was contested on 4 3/4" and even 5" pockets, and pool organizations came to understand that this did not represent a sufficient test of the skills of the elite, so 4 1/2" became the norm at pro level. I think we've come full circle and it's time to tighten things up once again.
 
westcoast said:
I think the 1 ball racked on the spot with a magic rack and no 3 point rule is problematic. Although the recent match between Ko Ping Yi and Fong Pang Chao was entertaining, it seemed like I was watching almost the same exact rack repeatedly.

I would like to see a tournament played with these rules- Earl vs. Robles-rules were that you had to break exactly from the foot spot.

Click to expand...
Love this idea. All the pros (within a very short time) find the sweet spot where that wing ball finds the corner. I would add putting the nine on the spot and breaking anywhere along a drawn straight line from the foot spot straight back to the rail.
 
I have a feeling that with the quality of balls and tables we have now that it is going to be difficult or impossible to keep people from doping out breaks.

Having said that, I believe template racks are an issue. Bear in mind that I only have experience with the Turtle rack, perhaps others are different. With new dynasphere balls I immediately noticed a difference between the turtle rack and a triangle. Both gave me racks with all balls touching properly. However, the Turtle rack design has the holes causing the balls to hold against each other under pressure. Although this pressure is slight, it gives a distinctly more explosive break, the balls open up better. This increases the chances of making a ball on the break, and of making a particular ball on the break. This needs to be addressed, I don't believe racks should be held together under pressure. This amounts to a dumbing down of the game.

What I would like to see tried just for grins is the opposite, a slug rack by design and repeatable. What if there were a one-eighth inch gap between all balls? Would the slug rack stop a consistent ball on the break or would the better players dope out the rack so that there is no advantage to the rack with gaps? Some more experimentation with moving the rack forwards and back might be worthwhile.

I haven't watched the video of breaking from the headspot yet, storms and a satellite, but I don't like something that restrictive. A very small break box maybe similar to the half circle in snooker or maybe a full circle with the center one diamond out or with the front edge on the headspot? A handful more options come to mind, near endless possibilities really. What if we had to break from the head rail only? Head rail between the diamonds? Half a diamond either side of center? Getting some pool halls with some free to low buy in tournaments to help with experiments might be helpful before trying new break rules in a major event.

One thing I don't want is seeing the same shot after the break over and over. It starts getting like the last six balls in snooker, basically a drill over and over. I like most everything about snooker but the rack finishing with a drill that all of the pros have ran countless times seems like a weak point in the game.

I do think that in the coming decades pool is going to be forced onto seven foot tables. We are going to have to have a solution to the break before then. I don't have the answer or answers but I think we need to be trying to find them.

Hu
 
9 ball does not need to be fixed. It's the most popular form of pool worldwide for several years running, so it seems like a lot of folks like it. There's nothing wrong w/ 8 ball, 10 ball, or any other game, either. The games are what they are. If you don't like one, play or watch another game. There's something out there for everyone.
 
ahhhh, :) great to see all is well and good!
home of the honest break has the resolve for such a perceived dilemma...
...money first, then place its representative (money ball) on the center spot, smashed it first (if you can) into the rack, doesn't matter if it be the old type of racks or the new world of fat and plotted, it's in the stroke.
 
Instead of ball in hand for the break why not have players play position for where the cue ball is during the break.

I am against ball in hand for a break shot.

I am for earning position on the break shot by skill.
 
terpdad said:
9 ball does not need to be fixed. It's the most popular form of pool worldwide for several years running, so it seems like a lot of folks like it. There's nothing wrong w/ 8 ball, 10 ball, or any other game, either. The games are what they are. If you don't like one, play or watch another game. There's something out there for everyone.
Click to expand...
Most popular form of pool worldwide? I’ve played in about a dozen countries and have only played 9 ball in the USA and Canada. Even in Canada, 99% of games people play are 8 ball. I play in two pool leagues and we never play 9 ball. I played pool on and off in the UK fir 50 years and can’t ever remember playing 9 ball.
 
ShootingArts said:
What I would like to see tried just for grins is the opposite, a slug rack by design and repeatable. What if there were a one-eighth inch gap between all balls? Would the slug rack stop a consistent ball on the break or would the better players dope out the rack so that there is no advantage to the rack with gaps?
Click to expand...
You only need 1/100" ball spacing to "slug" a rack.
A slugged rack makes a consistent CB contact end up with inconsistent post break ball positions.
 
justnum said:
Instead of ball in hand for the break why not have players play position for where the cue ball is during the break.

I am against ball in hand for a break shot.

I am for earning position on the break shot by skill.
Click to expand...

Much like 14.1. I like it and it could be a niche game for sure but I wouldn't see that going mainstream.
 
Z-Nole said:
Who had April in the betting pool?

And who said the break in 9 ball s broken? I like watching people run out. Even get to enjoy it every once in awhile myself. Sadly not enough.
Click to expand...
I agree. There are a couple of efren youtube videos with over 10 million views. People want to see the pros play like pros.
 
sjm said:
As we saw at the Mosconi and again at the Predator Championship league event, when the equipment is set up tough, nine ball is plenty challenging enough for even the world's most elite players.
Click to expand...

How much do you think COVID played a factor? It's my understanding that for a lot of the players at the PCL, that was their first time back into serious competition in almost a year.
 
  • Love
Reactions: sjm
BeiberLvr said:
How much do you think COVID played a factor? It's my understanding that for a lot of the players at the PCL, that was their first time back into serious competition in almost a year.
Click to expand...
A perfectly legitimate question that's impossible to answer. Guess we'll have to wait for the next edition before we can know for sure.
 
Of course we could always put 12 or 15 balls on the table and play nine ball rules. Amazing how much harder adding one ball makes ten ball, twelve or fifteen ball would make it an event when somebody ran a six pack! In tournament play start with nine balls the first round or two, then ten, twelve, and the finals have a full rack of fifteen balls!

Hu
 
Have ANY of you tried racking and breaking as I posted in my first post, or are all these comments just opinions again without facts???
 
realkingcobra said:
Question answered, how do you fix the break and runs in 9 ball.

Add a ghost cue ball to the rack of 9 balls. Rack the balls exactly the same as you would 10 ball, only make sure the ghost cue ball is on the spot, and the 1 ball is at the back of the rack behind the 9 ball either to the left or right of center. Use a magic rack to make sure the balls are racked tight.

After the break, the ghost cue ball is removed and play continues. No help making it on the break either, it don't count! good luck running a rack on those breaks!! Its harder than running a rack after a 10B break!!!
Click to expand...

realkingcobra said:
Have ANY of you tried racking and breaking as I posted in my first post, or are all these comments just opinions again without facts???
Click to expand...
I haven't but I will... However just as a theory before I prove it out hopefully... How would this be any different then just breaking a 10b rack and potting one of the other 4 balls that commonly drop with a 10b break...?.., (corners and/or second row). Sure you remove / don't count the head ball, but it's just a matter of tracking the 1 as it's placed in the rack.

Would you include the 3 point rule on the break as well...? That would necessitate a harder break that would mkae controling the outcome of the 1 more difficult.

Imo, the 9 ball break has been sorted out already by playing with the 9 on the spot, 3 point rule, and CB from the kitchen. Bonus points for still looking like you're playing 9ball...lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top