Sardo taught people how to make a tight rack. Corey taught people how break a tight rack. Nine ball has not been the same since and probably never will be. Damn that Pandora!
People need to figure out how to move on. Going back is not possible.
Here's a rule idea for TV matches, or any match to be spectated by a sizable crowd...
1. Ref Racks.
2. No Re-Racks.
3. No Rack Inspections -
player may not cross the head string once the ref starts racking until after player has broken the rack.
4. No templates, just regular old fashion triangle.
This will speed things up, and reduce the unpleasant, visual undermining of the game. When crowds see players rack inspecting, it just shouldn't be a part of the game-flow. Slows things down. Brings things into question. Changes the focus and the flow.
Let the whiners pound sand. Sigel, Varner, Efren, Earl ...they all did fine in the era before rack gadgets existed. The best will still rise to the top.
I hate shot clocks. Because the quality of the game is diminished when a player cannot play the best possible shot due to time constraints particularly in a tough situation. However, the vast majority of shots shouldn't take long to make at all. If players play with a good pace, then the faster shooting during routine shots makes up for the longer time taken during tough situations. This is how it was at one time, with honorable and decent players.
Unfortunately, some players and many of them from Europe thinks that every shot, even the most routine, basic shot that an amateur can make - should take 5 minutes to shoot. These intentional slow-players are a disease upon the game and have ruined it for many.
I like the chess-timer type concept but it is not easy to implement. That and it would not be good for spectators. A player could harvest a good balance of time, and then use way too much of it later in the match making it miserable to watch. That said, shot clock is needed sadly, due to all the slow-pokes who destroyed the game.
A better shot clock system should be used. The standard is typically 30 seconds a shot with a 30-second extension per game. And often, 1 minute after the break.
Keep it 30 seconds a shot. Make it 45 seconds after the break. However, do away with the extension per rack. Most of the time, the extra 30 seconds doesn't do much in terms of the player figuring out the best approach. Instead, the extension merely keeps the player from running out of time when they are running behind on a tough situation
NOT that they resolved such situation with the best approach. Also, sometimes extensions are taken simply because the player wants it, not that they need it.
Instead, allow say 3 extensions PER MATCH, which are up to say, 2 or 3 minutes each. Players ought to be mindful of that, and use them in critical situations. No one likes to see a pivotal rack be decided in a critical shot situation by a rushed shot and have the whole match decided on that. But no one wants to watch paint dry which is what many modern players play like.
Slow play, rack nonsense. Cancer for the game and for the fans.
It is tragic that such rules and formats have to be created or experimented with to govern the play of the players. But left unchecked, they will send pool into the pits even faster and deeper than it is now.