What's up with 9-ball template racks?

bad_hit

bad_hit

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Am I doing something wrong or what?

All template racks I use (Magic rack, CSI's template, Turtle rack...), have issues with getting all the balls touching completely and leaving little gaps.

I've been trying the super-soft break recently (just to see if I can do it, let's leave that debate for another thread), and the rack is messing it up due to inconsistency. Some balls don't even move, which should be impossible if they're all touching right?

Is there a really good one out there or are they all a little imperfect (except for with a brand new clean set of balls)?
 
Are your balls bad? Try racking with the stripes, to see if you get better results maybe?

All the template racks I've seen have slots, that helps the balls "roll into" each other to be frozen.
 
Different tables, different balls....same results. That's not to say they're all wonky ball sets, but shouldn't these racks adjust for that enough to where it doesn't cause a big problem? I guess that's my gripe...is there one everyone uses they have the most luck with?
 
Watching this post, I'm having the same issue with 2 different template racks. If I turn one of them around backwards it works though.
 
The first time I made a nine-ball template -- around 1978 or so -- I soon discovered that if I put the holes 2-1/4 inch apart the balls were guaranteed to rack loose. Balls wear down in use. The holes have to be closer together for old, worn balls. I ended up making templates that had spacings of 57 (nominal, for new balls), 56, and 55 mm. At one room I played in I think they hadn't changed the balls in 15 years.
 
I had to flip my magic rack over to get a tight rack. I have since purchased the Accu-Rack (8,9,10 Ball Templates) and this template is far superior to the Magic rack. It can be purchased at;

http://www.outsville.com
 
I have some and I don't know if it is a result of long term use or not, but I have to fine tune the balls at the end, the 10b rack needs rows 3&4 snugged and rib rack needs row2 snugged to lateral mates.

Then they sit nice..ly

That said, I have given up on them plates for the most part. They don't replicate real world match play, for me.
 
I don't care to use them (I'm old and hate change) but do you think these will be as popular in 5years? We've seen a lot of special rack things in the last 30years and the old wooden triangle still seems to stick around! Don't forget the guys that spent 200$ on the first batch of sardo racks!
 
mvp said:
Don't forget the guys that spent 200$ on the first batch of sardo racks!
Click to expand...

You know what they say....there's a sucker born every minute.

FWIW, I bought a set (8&9-ball) of the Magic Racks four of five years ago. I'm not a huge fan and I only use them on my home table every once in a while.

It's just too easy to make two (or more) balls when breaking with them (which is why I think they shouldn't be used in pro tournaments).

My Magic Racks get the balls tight (with a little finger caressing) no matter which side of the rack I use.
 
I have a template for 9b/10b/ & 8b but I rarely use them. It takes much longer than my Delta 13 and I can not honestly say that I get better breaks with the template.
 
Not sure I can agree with the 'sucker' moniker. That was the technology then.
Were people who bought black/white tv, vcrs, corded phones, cars with 3 on the tree all suckers too?

I don't think so. Their investments helped progress.

Maniac said:
You know what they say....there's a sucker born every minute.

FWIW, I bought a set (8&9-ball) of the Magic Racks four of five years ago. I'm not a huge fan and I only use them on my home table every once in a while.

It's just too easy to make two (or more) balls when breaking with them (which is why I think they shouldn't be used in pro tournaments).

My Magic Racks get the balls tight (with a little finger caressing) no matter which side of the rack I use.
Click to expand...
 
Black-Balled said:
Not sure I can agree with the 'sucker' moniker. That was the technology then.
Were people who bought black/white tv, vcrs, corded phones, cars with 3 on the tree all suckers too?

I don't think so. Their investments helped progress.
Click to expand...

As far as the black/white TV's, VCRs, corded phones go, there was no other option. 3 on a tree shifting was an option. With the Sardo rack, they were trying to replace a simple, workable system (triangle rack) with something big, bulky, and somewhat complicated that required dinging the table. Imo, the best piece of racking technology over the past 20 years has been the Delta-13 rack, which isn't totally perfect but better than the old wooden racks and certainly better than the overly expensive and bulky Sardo.

Remember...this is just one man's opinion. I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm right...just agreeing to disagree.

Maniac
 
I've played with a Magic Rack and an Accu-rack for a long time. Of the two, I think the Accu-rack is far better.

Both racks will get a bit "looser" after continuous use over many months. I've noticed that the "looseness" seems to occur faster on the holes at the front of the rack and usually on the side that you break from the most.

I think part of the reason for that is because that is where the balls are impacted most by the speed and angle of the break. The balls go from sitting dead still to moving very quickly and it causes a lot of heat and friction when the balls skid out of the holes from the impact. The holes loosen up a bit and it seems to be on the inside edge of the holes nearest the center of the rack. I think the material surrounding the holes then tend to become a little bit thinner and misshapen on those sides.

In edit: forget to say that I can see the "burns" (skid marks) around the holes I'm talking about. Maybe my break is too hot.
 
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We have an interesting problem in our pool room: People steal 8-balls all over the world, and in our town we have a university whose primary color is purple, so they steal the 4-balls as well. As a result, the 4-balls and 8-balls are slightly larger than the rest of the balls because their replacements are not the exact same size as the originals. This makes tight racking, even with a template, a real challenge.
 
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