rack mechanics, what's your take?

Egg McDogit

Egg McDogit

street player
Silver Member
This comes up a lot in tournaments and in action. It was mentioned in a thread about Keith McCready. It takes him about 5 seconds to rack - get the rack over the balls, lift it up - done. He racks this way both for himself and his opponents. I see him at tournaments crying about the other guys' racks. The reason is it can take them minutes to rack - then they make the wingball everytime. It's easy to see why Keith gets so frustrated when he's coming up dry and the other guy's spending a lot of time and making the wingball every single time. Most of you have probably played a rack mechanic. What's your take on it? Where do you draw the line?
 
I think it totally depends on the cloth, really. Some high level tourneys have next to new equipment, so racking is not usually that difficult. But when the tables are broken in (or worse), it may be next to impossible to keep all the balls in the rack frozen.

If it becomes that big a deal, some people feel that people should have the option of racking the balls for themselves.
 
oh and btw, just out of curiosity, how many of you know how to set these racks:

- wingball
- wingball + money ball
- wingball + bottom ball
- wingball + 9 ball
- wingball + 9 ball + bottom ball
- wingball + 1 ball
- wingball + 1 ball + 9 ball
- wingball + 1 ball + 9 ball + bottom ball
- both wingballs
- both wingballs + 9 ball + money ball
- slug rack (wingball may go but table is messed up)
- slug rack (the classic)
 
Gregg said:
I think it totally depends on the cloth, really. Some high level tourneys have next to new equipment, so racking is not usually that difficult. But when the tables are broken in (or worse), it may be next to impossible to keep all the balls in the rack frozen.

If it becomes that big a deal, some people feel that people should have the option of racking the balls for themselves.
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It is naive to think that rack-your-own alleviates any racking issues.
 
Black-Balled said:
It is naive to think that rack-your-own alleviates any racking issues.
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Oh, OK. I have seen some top players recommending this as a rule change over on the EPT MB, so I guess they too are naive.

I don't just pull junk out of my butt around here, I am just repeating some things I read that I agreed with. Not saying this is an end all be all solution, but could be a step in the right direction.
 
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Gregg said:
Oh, OK. I have seen some top players recommending this as a rule change over on the EPT MB, so I guess they too are naive.

I don't just pull junk out of my butt around here, I am just repeating some things I read that I agreed with.
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Follow the herd!;)

Quote from Jose Parica: Rack your own is worst thing happen in 9ball.

Quuote from master player, Egg McDoggit:
how many of you know how to set these racks:

- wingball
- wingball + money ball
- wingball + bottom ball
- wingball + 9 ball
- wingball + 9 ball + bottom ball
- wingball + 1 ball
- wingball + 1 ball + 9 ball
- wingball + 1 ball + 9 ball + bottom ball
- both wingballs
- both wingballs + 9 ball + money ball

So, there are equal amounts of ways to rack to the benefit, or to the detriment, of the breaker.

Solution: 10 ball!:D
 
I think this is going over your head

Gregg said:
Oh, OK. I have seen some top players recommending this as a rule change over on the EPT MB, so I guess they too are naive.

I don't just pull junk out of my butt around here, I am just repeating some things I read that I agreed with. Not saying this is an end all be all solution, but could be a step in the right direction.
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As I have said before ...

Racking is the 'other half' of breaking. You are wise to be knowledgable about both of them, and you should not locate your cue ball for breaking before the balls are finished being racked. And when you ARE being racked
ever so slightly, a good player can change his break to nullify 'being racked'.

EVERY good player has racking secrets, every one of them, and they do not talk about them unless they have taken another player or protegee under their wing, and then only a little, and never all of their secrets....EVER.

Getting a good break or a good rack IS UP TO YOU. That's Pool. Get over it.
 
Egg McDogit said:
I think this is going over your head
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Don't come onto some MB with all 72 of your posts, shoot a zinger by telling someone is "over their head", and then proceed to offer zero incite to the topic at hand.

Frankly I don't think you even know what these people are talking about, or you would have something, anything, to offer with your post.
 
I'll lay down an open challenge right now to anyone on this forum. You can rack any way you want. Slug rack, tight rack, whatever. And I guarantee you I will still pocket the cue ball in the side pocket 3 out of 5 times, and jump it clear off the one and onto the floor at least 1 out of 5 times! :D

What can I say? I suck at breaking!
 
you're right, gregg, obviously this is over my head too, even though I'm an accomplished apa SL5. just to keep the charade going though, here is my reponse to your original post.

Gregg said:
Oh, OK. I have seen some top players recommending this as a rule change over on the EPT MB, so I guess they too are naive.
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Have you even seen a "top player" rack their own before? Do you know why top players are recommending a rack-your-own format? To end racking disputes? LOL. That has to be one of the top 10 most misinformed and ignorant opinions I've ever read on this board. And that's saying a lot haha

Gregg said:
I don't just pull junk out of my butt around here, I am just repeating some things I read that I agreed with. Not saying this is an end all be all solution, but could be a step in the right direction.
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that's great. I too am capable of regurgitating a bunch of garbage I don't really understand. See? We have something in common - now let's be friends!
 
Gregg said:
Don't come onto some MB with all 72 of your posts, shoot a zinger by telling someone is "over their head", and then proceed to offer zero incite to the topic at hand.

Frankly I don't think you even know what these people are talking about, or you would have something, anything, to offer with your post.
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Maybe there's something wrong with your computer or monitor, not sure which, but Egg has more than 700 posts on here... Hmmm... If your monitor and puter are ok, how's your eyesight?

Flex
 
Gregg said:
Don't come onto some MB with all 72 of your posts, shoot a zinger by telling someone is "over their head", and then proceed to offer zero incite to the topic at hand.

Frankly I don't think you even know what these people are talking about, or you would have something, anything, to offer with your post.
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I think he has more than 72 posts, more like 723.......

oops someone beat me to it!!!!
 
Flex said:
Maybe there's something wrong with your computer or monitor, not sure which, but Egg has more than 700 posts on here... Hmmm... If your monitor and puter are ok, how's your eyesight?

Flex
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So neither one of you have anything better to say than "Gregg is an idiot" and a crappy pool shooter at that, and now that I have poor eyesight. True, I did miss the "3" thinking he had 72 posts, so maybe there is some merit to what you said.

I never claimed here or anywhere to be a quality pool shooter. I was just trying to give some input, and got blasted.

You guys gave zero input, but gave zingers. Great job.

BTW, if this is some kind of MB "initiation", where a few of the silver back vets gang up on a new guy to try to rattle him to see if he is "worthy", skip it, kid. I don't rattle!@# I can post like a champ, but shrink at the pool table!@#
 
Gregg said:
Gregg is an idiot"

You guys gave zero input, but gave zingers. Great job.

I don't rattle!@# I can post like a champ, but shrink at the pool table!@#
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and that is what we like to hear! Welcome to the idiot gang, you are every bit as at home here as the rest of us idiots! And...we're glad to have another member!

I don't think anyone is out to hurt your feelings, or felt hurt by you; AU CONTRAIRE, MON FREIRE ! We are all insensitive morons and, well, we are glad to have another member;)
 
Gregg said:
So neither one of you have anything better to say than "Gregg is an idiot" and a crappy pool shooter at that, and now that I have poor eyesight. True, I did miss the "3" thinking he had 72 posts, so maybe there is some merit to what you said.

I never claimed here or anywhere to be a quality pool shooter. I was just trying to give some input, and got blasted.

You guys gave zero input, but gave zingers. Great job.

BTW, if this is some kind of MB "initiation", where a few of the silver back vets gang up on a new guy to try to rattle him to see if he is "worthy", skip it, kid. I don't rattle!@# I can post like a champ, but shrink at the pool table!@#
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So you're a new guy on here? That wasn't my understanding. After all you have posted almost 300 times. As for the zingers, I thought you kind of jumped the gun on Egg with that 72 thing. It's true that Egg often is quite concise with his comments, but brevity is the spirit of wit. And he is no slouch at the table either. His post about the multiple ways to rack and the question about pocketing specific balls in the rack got me thinking: where did he learn all that? Wherever it was, it sounds like pretty good stuff. Just posting a question with no explanation is enough for some people to figure some things out.


Flex
 
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