What to look for in 8 Ball rack

L

luv1pocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Does anybody have a theory on what to look for in an 8 ball rack, I mean as far as gaps go on certain balls in the rack. Joe Tucker really doesn't go over anything but mostly 9 ball and some straight pool in his material.
I'm not interested in making the 8 just making a ball easier and running out. If the corner ball is only frozen to 1 ball will it have a higher % of going 4 rails in the corner if I break from the opposite side.
 
.

I'm no instructor and this is a good question. I would think that all the balls should be touching... head ball frozen to the second row for sure. But that is not always the case when someone is racking for me:angry:
 
8 Ball Racking

I'm assuming that balls would be frozen or as much as they could be. If it's on bad equipment then only half might be close to frozen. I also think if it's more frozen on one side break from there.
But I really want to know from someone who knows if it's not frozen on one of the corner balls a certain way does it go more often 4 rails or straight into the corner easier like in 9 ball with the wing ball?


Apocalypse2012 said:
I'm no instructor and this is a good question. I would think that all the balls should be touching... head ball frozen to the second row for sure. But that is not always the case when someone is racking for me:angry:
Click to expand...
 
What to look for in 8 Ball rack?

I'm guessing someone has some good info on this but might not want to share it.


luv1pocket said:
Does anybody have a theory on what to look for in an 8 ball rack, I mean as far as gaps go on certain balls in the rack. Joe Tucker really doesn't go over anything but mostly 9 ball and some straight pool in his material.
I'm not interested in making the 8 just making a ball easier and running out. If the corner ball is only frozen to 1 ball will it have a higher % of going 4 rails in the corner if I break from the opposite side.
Click to expand...
 
luv1pocket...Baloney. There are no secrets. Joe Tucker's dvd, although mostly on 9 ball racks, gives you the information, that will crossover for 8-ball. Nobody makes a ball all the time...even the top pros, playing 8Ball, do not make a ball on the break all the time. Learn to hit the head ball of the rack SQUARE, and learn to control the CB, off of the break.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

luv1pocket said:
I'm guessing someone has some good info on this but might not want to share it.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
luv1pocket...Baloney. There are no secrets. Joe Tucker's dvd, although mostly on 9 ball racks, gives you the information, that will crossover for 8-ball. Nobody makes a ball all the time...even the top pros, playing 8Ball, do not make a ball on the break all the time. Learn to hit the head ball of the rack SQUARE, and learn to control the CB, off of the break.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

Absolutely! Accuracy and control on the break are keys.
Betsy and Bruno

Steve
 
What to look for in an 8 Ball rack

I'm aware that pros might only make a ball on an easy table 60% of the time. If there are gaps it makes the ball dead a higher % of the time because of the diamond configuration of the rack in 9 Ball.
With 8 Ball of course you don't have a wing ball so it doesn't fly dead in the pocket.
As far as pros making it all the time I believe there was a video maybe Sigel vs. Varner about 15 yrs ago at the Sands annd the wing ball went pretty close to everytime maybe 20 out of 22 times. I guess you could say it was dead.

Scott Lee said:
luv1pocket...Baloney. There are no secrets. Joe Tucker's dvd, although mostly on 9 ball racks, gives you the information, that will crossover for 8-ball. Nobody makes a ball all the time...even the top pros, playing 8Ball, do not make a ball on the break all the time. Learn to hit the head ball of the rack SQUARE, and learn to control the CB, off of the break.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...
 
luv1pocket...That was one match, on one table. The statistics bear out, for the pros, over a 20+ year period. They were even tougher, during the IPT tournaments, where making balls on the break was around 25%, playing 8-ball...and these were the top players in the game. It's just not as high a percentage as people believe.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

luv1pocket said:
As far as pros making it all the time I believe there was a video maybe Sigel vs. Varner about 15 yrs ago at the Sands annd the wing ball went pretty close to everytime maybe 20 out of 22 times. I guess you could say it was dead.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
luv1pocket...That was one match, on one table. The statistics bear out, for the pros, over a 20+ year period. They were even tougher, during the IPT tournaments, where making balls on the break was around 25%, playing 8-ball...and these were the top players in the game. It's just not as high a percentage as people believe.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

They were playing on the slower cloth in the IPT matches, hence fewer balls pocketed on the break. A tight rack will produce more ball movement and hitting the rack solidly moves the balls better than a glancing blow. Quicker cloth keeps the balls moving longer offering additional time for a ball to drop. If you ever get a chance to see the Accustats 8ball match between Efren and Mika you will be amazed. They played alternating break and the first 8 racks were break and run. And they broke to hit the front ball solid.

ps: One more thing :) if you see spaces in an 8ball rack ask for a rerack ............its called a slug rack.
 
Last edited:
its my best game....and this is why

8 ball has probably always been my best game, to I got 4th in one of the mcdermott all american stops and had quiet a many break and runs and strung many racks together, I was making a ball on the break consistently and opening the pack very well, that break and the spread is why i was able to reel in 4th.

To me I'm not trying to break so hard like in 9 ball, its more solid and i what I'm looking for is to be able to make a ball and get the greatest expansion of the balls i can get without having them contract again and create clusters. I hit from the corner of the box with what i would say is a punch stroke, no english and just bring my cue ball about a foot back to squat in the center.

Before that I was gambling for really cheap on a valley box and ran 7 racks off the break. I remember i hit every break perfect dead square, and wide open while makin 2,3,+ balls, I moved the cue ball very conservatively and only got in trouble when i had to bank an 8 in the side but i did leave an pretty easy one. I ended up dry breaking the 8th rack, my friend made two balls and missed and i ran out and i shut it down.

I very much think that specific speed i was hitting the rack on all those situations was definately magnifiying my chances of a run out. I didn't have to move as much furniture because of it. I spent a ton of time just racking and breaking finding those sweetspots in the differient games. You have to do it over and over and over to be able to start to disconcern your stroke speeds and find the ability to consistently adjust. Always start with a base and be able to find it quickly.

Last but not least, the break is the most important shot in the game...if you do not break the game never starts, so its best to take your time everytime and you have to pay attention to be able to adjust. Learn to be extremely consistent so as when you do find sweet spots you can keep hitting them. All I know is when i got my break down, I dont have to rely on shooting skills nearly as much.

Best Wishes,
Grey Ghost

Remember Maximum Expansion with out contraction will leave the table in run out fashion lol
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top