Magic rack for 8 ball
- Thread starter brigeton
- Start date
Is it the original Magic Rack or something cheaper?
The thinner the template, the faster it gets worn out and it’s harder to get all the balls to touch.
The original is thicker and works better.
The balls are also to blame, if the set is worn or just not clean, it’ll be harder to impossible to freeze all the balls.
The thinner the template, the faster it gets worn out and it’s harder to get all the balls to touch.
The original is thicker and works better.
The balls are also to blame, if the set is worn or just not clean, it’ll be harder to impossible to freeze all the balls.
Twocylndr
Well-known member
I've been using one (real cheapo from Amazon) for several years, too. Had the same issue, about as tight as the triangle.
I found if I move the ball at the apex, it will nudge the rest of the rack into a tight rack (I sometimes gotta nudge some of the balls, too).
I got three in the pack I ordered; been using the same one all along.
I found if I move the ball at the apex, it will nudge the rest of the rack into a tight rack (I sometimes gotta nudge some of the balls, too).
I got three in the pack I ordered; been using the same one all along.
Post in thread 'Best template rack?' https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/best-template-rack.476223/post-6923161
See above post 20, if it's the original Magic Rack.
See above post 20, if it's the original Magic Rack.
Last edited:
Post in thread 'Magic Rack not holding balls tight' https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/magic-rack-not-holding-balls-tight.534396/post-7040980
See post 15 in link above for a picture Bob Jewett posted.
See post 15 in link above for a picture Bob Jewett posted.
Quit 8 ball and play 9 ball
sudocrushms
Well-known member
I have these and the 8-ball rack works really well (use the 9/10b far more, but have used the 8b enough to say it works).
Possibly worn/mismatched balls? I've noticed most house sets don't work in a template at all.
Possibly worn/mismatched balls? I've noticed most house sets don't work in a template at all.
Yeah, not sure why they don't put the proper instructions for the 8 ball rack.
Cheap copies of the "Magic Rack" can be crappy. Many models are also specific to how you orient them since the diamond cut-outs are oriented differently. Another issue may be old, cheap, worn out balls or the table has divots in areas causing the balls to try to roll off. On some tables I need to move the headball spot lower or higher for them to get tight.
Look at the photo, the correct front of the rack in it is the lower right corner, you can see the diamond cut-out shapes match that way on the opposite side. Any other orientation is not ideal.
The rack orientation (for the Magic Rack) is a good and helpful point. Some other notes:
Balls wear out over time, and some balls wear out more quickly (in my view the 1b gets worn out faster because it is always the head ball in 9b/10b and often the head ball in 8b). For this reason I hide the 1b on the back row - where it matters less.
Especially if you are at a pool hall where balls can get replaced (either because one goes missing or just sets get mixed up) you sometimes get mismatched sets. Try moving the balls around to see if you can find ones that DO match and put those at key locations. Even then you may have to massage the rack a bit to get key balls touching. Here is a rack from a pool hall with balls from many different sets! It was a nightmare to find balls that matched enough to get a good rack.
If I’m dealing with worn or mismatched sets, I also find that templates with additional bits in the middle of the rack (like the Taom rack) work better than the simple Magic Rack triangle shape. The downside is they can be harder to remove post break because there is more material for balls to sit on.
Balls wear out over time, and some balls wear out more quickly (in my view the 1b gets worn out faster because it is always the head ball in 9b/10b and often the head ball in 8b). For this reason I hide the 1b on the back row - where it matters less.
Especially if you are at a pool hall where balls can get replaced (either because one goes missing or just sets get mixed up) you sometimes get mismatched sets. Try moving the balls around to see if you can find ones that DO match and put those at key locations. Even then you may have to massage the rack a bit to get key balls touching. Here is a rack from a pool hall with balls from many different sets! It was a nightmare to find balls that matched enough to get a good rack.
If I’m dealing with worn or mismatched sets, I also find that templates with additional bits in the middle of the rack (like the Taom rack) work better than the simple Magic Rack triangle shape. The downside is they can be harder to remove post break because there is more material for balls to sit on.