Racking technique, why don't we see more of this?

B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
Like any player, I like to know that I've got a frozen rack. But I see players spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get a frozen rack by constantly re-racking and re-racking.

The problem is the one-ball: if it's not sitting squarely in the footspot divot (all footspots develop a divot) it's going to move and cause other balls not to freeze.

I place the one-ball in the divot by hand and roll it around a little to make sure it's squarely in the divot. THEN I put the rack in place, sliding it back slowly until it's in contact with the one-ball. Then I place the other balls in the rack two at a time while keeping the palm of one hand on the rack to make sure it doesn't move. (it's like placing the balls on a MagicRack; you don't put them all on the MR at the same time)

Perfectly frozen rack every time. Occasionally I'll have to press/spin a ball in the back row (of a ten-ball rack) to make it sit tight, but never anything more than that.

Put the one-ball where it wants to be and everything else happens easily. Don't fight the one-ball. Like training a dog (my other hobby): figure out what the dog WANTS to do, and then train it to do that.
 
I hold the rack firmly with my hands over as many balls as I can touch, holding the balls from rolling, I skid the rack firmly over the racking area, back and fourth about two or three times, center of the rack over the spot, it heats up the cloth, and the spot...removing any divots, then I place the rack into the warm raised area, and I spin, like squeeze, the 2 balls behind the head ball with my pointer fingers, and 2 balls in the back row with my thumbs...I just kind of pinch my hand closed rotating a couple back balls and couple front balls, then remove the rack...using this method, I RARELY need to re-rack and I could care less where the divots are...and it's lightning fast...the rack just sinks into the warm cloth making 15 temporary divots! The key is to SKID the balls, not roll them.

I find that being able to rack with confidence in pressure situations has value, there's nothing worse than looking like an idiot when the pressure is on, and letting it chip away from your confidence at a critical time. Having an opponent make u re rack em can potentially throw your mindset off too. I find its important to get it done rit the first time.

Try it, it works amazing.
 
bdorman said:
Like any player, I like to know that I've got a frozen rack. But I see players spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get a frozen rack by constantly re-racking and re-racking.

The problem is the one-ball: if it's not sitting squarely in the footspot divot (all footspots develop a divot) it's going to move and cause other balls not to freeze.

I place the one-ball in the divot by hand and roll it around a little to make sure it's squarely in the divot. THEN I put the rack in place, sliding it back slowly until it's in contact with the one-ball. Then I place the other balls in the rack two at a time while keeping the palm of one hand on the rack to make sure it doesn't move. (it's like placing the balls on a MagicRack; you don't put them all on the MR at the same time)

Perfectly frozen rack every time. Occasionally I'll have to press/spin a ball in the back row (of a ten-ball rack) to make it sit tight, but never anything more than that.

Put the one-ball where it wants to be and everything else happens easily. Don't fight the one-ball. Like training a dog (my other hobby): figure out what the dog WANTS to do, and then train it to do that.
Click to expand...

yeah its called hi-raking, the one goes in front of the divot. that was ok back in the day. Now with guys making the wing ball, hi-racking can piss them off. It changes everythig. for banging around its ok. Thats why 10 ball came along.With a cut break the hi-rack its still possible to make the head ball with a few minor adjustments
 
No need to go through all that. You can see the divot. Put all the balls in the rack as normal. Roll the rack forward. Roll the one ball forward through the divot. Look down into the triangle hole between the one ball and the two balls behind it. Push the rack forward until you see the divot spot in the triangle hole then stop. When you can see the divot through the hole slowly pull the rack back until you see the one ball start to settle into the divot. Stop right there. Put both hands on the balls at the back of the rack and squeeze them down and forward onto the one ball. The one ball should be pinned on the uphill side of the divot.

Near perfect rack every time and I can do it so fast you would not know I was doing anything.
 
I punch a small hole in the center of all my spots before I put them on the table. Someone should sell spots pre punched like this. Racking becomes way less dramatic.

JC
 
ChopStick said:
No need to go through all that. You can see the divot. Put all the balls in the rack as normal. Roll the rack forward. Roll the one ball forward through the divot. Look down into the triangle hole between the one ball and the two balls behind it. Push the rack forward until you see the divot spot in the triangle hole then stop. When you can see the divot through the hole slowly pull the rack back until you see the one ball start to settle into the divot. Stop right there. Put both hands on the balls at the back of the rack and squeeze them down and forward onto the one ball. The one ball should be pinned on the uphill side of the divot.

Near perfect rack every time and I can do it so fast you would not know I was doing anything.
Click to expand...

Yes, this works almost 100%. Johnnyt
 
Unless the spot is new, there are usually other divots surrounding the spot area. Often there is another divot above the original. Sometimes they overlap, making it hard to feel for the original divot. What I do is try to find the one that works best.

If the rack sits nice in the divot, great. If not, I try to balance the head ball on the top lip of the divot. I'm trying to get the weight of the head ball to fall back slightly towards the rack. If that still doesn't work, I tap in a new divot.
 
Many good suggestions, thanks. I've tried most of them before, and they work...sort of.

Try it my way and you'll be amazed at how frozen your rack is. It really doesn't take any extra time, especially compared to repositioning the entire rack for the umpteenth time. And the confidence of knowing the rack is as tight as possible is more than worth it.
 
Get good at whatever method u choose :-)

bdorman said:
Many good suggestions, thanks. I've tried most of them before, and they work...sort of.

Try it my way and you'll be amazed at how frozen your rack is. It really doesn't take any extra time, especially compared to repositioning the entire rack for the umpteenth time. And the confidence of knowing the rack is as tight as possible is more than worth it.
Click to expand...

I was feeling to post the same about my method...
I feel like its so easy to remove the divots in literally 3 seconds, why go thru all the trouble to FIND AND POSITION the rack INTO a divot...with no divots on the spot, you can rack lightning fast, and place the rack WHERE YOU WANT IT, not where a divot suggests u put it.

I guess it's what you know, I've been doing it my way for years, I can rack a tight rack on the WORST table the first time usually in less than 10 seconds.

I'm guessing that dorman could do it his way just as well, just as fast, cuz it's what he knows. I guess any good method is fine, then get good at it so you can do it in your sleep:thumbup:
 
Thanks guys - learned something new. I've used the divot / 1 ball settle and rack around it technique before but that divot never seems to be exactly where I want it. I'm going to try the friction approach.

Oh - and Bambu - you tap in another divot, really? I want to smack people every time I see them do that. People claim it doesn't hurt anything but if the ball suddenly sits then it clearly did something - and how do you figure those permanent divots show up except for people tapping balls into the table over time. Maybe I'm being over sensitive but tapping the 1 ball and smearing hand chalk all over the table are #1 and #2 on my pet peeve list.
 
I do use the divot when forced to use triangles, but mostly stick with the MBR.
Without it, I just accept that the rack is random.

People swear up and down "I have great racking technique, I can get a perfect rack with a wooden triangle
every time"... but if you lean in and check the rack, you will always find multiple tiny gaps
unless the equipment is new or well maintained.

Basically I'm only going through the motions when I get the 1 to settle in the divot, spin the back balls, and so on.
I know that nothing I do will make a 100% perfect rack. It just makes something that's 'good enough'.
And a lot of people will call that a tight rack even though it's not.
 
bdorman said:
...Perfectly frozen rack every time. Occasionally I'll have to press/spin a ball in the back row (of a ten-ball rack) to make it sit tight, but never anything more than that...
Click to expand...

You got action. I pick the equipment.

CreeDo said:
I do use the divot when forced to use triangles,
... but if you lean in and check the rack, you will always find multiple tiny gaps...when I get the 1 to settle in the divot...I know that nothing I do will make a 100% perfect rack. It just makes something that's 'good enough'.
And a lot of people will call that a tight rack even though it's not.
Click to expand...
Yup...good enough is often the best you are gonna get.
 
cyork2 said:
you tap in another divot, really? I want to smack people every time I see them do that. People claim it doesn't hurt anything but if the ball suddenly sits then it clearly did something - and how do you figure those permanent divots show up except for people tapping balls into the table over time?
Click to expand...
I hate seeing people banging on the head ball to create a divot as well, but can answer your second question...

Even on a table where nobody taps on the balls, like my home table, a divot will develop on the spot if you are playing any game with an open break. Every time you break, part of the force on the head ball drives it into the table, gradually forming a divot.
 
Matt said:
...Even on a table where nobody taps on the balls, like my home table, a divot will develop on the spot if you are playing any game with an open break. Every time you break, part of the force on the head ball drives it into the table, gradually forming a divot.
Click to expand...

which is precisely why JC should be put in the bad advice chair for a full day:

JC said:
I punch a small hole in the center of all my spots before I put them on the table. Someone should sell spots pre punched like this. Racking becomes way less dramatic.

JC
Click to expand...
whip11.jpg
 
IMHO most racks are random and if you have different size balls, its an issue. the magic rack helps, but again, if a rooms been in business for years, and the balls get swiped set to set... its really tough.

JV (---racks real good from years of losing
 
On some tables, you couldn't keep the balls together epoxy.

There is one trick that seems to help make the rack get a bit tighter.

First, slap the racking area several times with the open palm of your hand. This knocks the chalk dust down into the the cloth

Second, place hand flat on the table below the rack, brush up past the spot.

Doesn't always make a perfect rack, but does make a better rack.
 
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