As my name suggests I like straight pool. There is no better rack for this than the delta rack. I've tried everything else. Template racks, tapped racks (those reinforcer thingies as well) are all unnatural. They either "load" the rack or produce unnatural results for other reasons, and the cueball and other balls roll off on them. I don't care what anyone says, for one pocket or straight pool that is unacceptable! I don't even like template racks for 8 ball, which i know is a minority opinion, but I still feel it's not right. Sometimes there are balls in the rack area and the template cannot easily be removed. I don't like fiddling with the balls, rolling them back into position etc. It just shouldn't be necessary, and it isn't. 2 extra seconds, a good set of balls and a delta rack will serve you. For 9 and 10 ball, sure, go ahead and use those templates or whatever fad nonsense Predator dreams up with springs and carbon and plastic feet and stuff, IDK. I've never seen any rack, of any material outperform the delta without leaving something on the cloth or damaging it, and I doubt I ever will, keep in mind I've pretty much tried everything. That includes specialty equipment from other cuesports (English pool, snooker). English pool has specialty racks as well. They're garbage, IMO. Delta should make one for English pool and we'd be done with these stupid "trap door racks", plastic 10 cents racks etc.
In summary anything left on the table after the break is bad. That includes templates, reinforcers or tapped dimples in the cloth. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen someone get f'ed over by this, including myself. 9 ball and 10 ball, it's still bad, but since the break has become so fiddly in the last years, with all the requirements and constantly changing rules, it's arguably the lesser of two evils. Still not great, but acceptable.
