When Balls Wont Rack Tight

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DrCue'sProtege

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What do you guys do, on your home table or in a tournament, when it just seems like you cant get the rack of 9-Ball to stay tight? are there any tips/tricks to help with this? moisten the spot help? tapping balls? rubbing the area with your hand? brushing?

Just wondering what some ways are to help ensure getting the rack tight? To me the #1 most important thing as far as having a good break in 9-Ball is to be sure the rack is tight.

Mike
 
I have the same problem...

I was told once by a man more in the know than I that- aside from the indentation under the 1- the chalk dust that accumulates under the cloth is to blame.

You don't play 1p, do you? Maybe one of them racking templates is for you?
 
If I can't get a tight rack, I lick the balls to hold them together. It's also freaks out my opponent.
 
One big cause is old/cheap/crappy balls. If they aren't using Centennial/Super Aramith Pro/Aramith Tournament balls the odds are that all the balls are not the exact same size. If they aren't the same size, you'll never get a tight rack. Another issue is the rack, if the rack isn't a perfect triangle, you also will never get a tight rack (especially true with the crappy flimsy plastic racks so many places have). Have a nice set of high quality balls and something like a Delta 13 rack and you'll have a tight rack every time (assuming there aren't issues with the cloth).

Brian
 
A Magic Rack is the answer, tight rack on the spot on any table....I love it. I use it gambling, league and practice:).

Bob B.
 
Neil said:
Totally agree! I got one for Christmas, and brought it to the local tourney Sun. night. Everyone loved it! No more bad racks! I will say though, that if the spot has too big a divot, you MIGHT have to move the rack back a hair to get the one to freeze.
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If the balls aren't all the same size, not even a Magic Rack will rack them tight :) Well, maybe if it was actually magical :)
 
Neil said:
Totally agree! I got one for Christmas, and brought it to the local tourney Sun. night. Everyone loved it! No more bad racks! I will say though, that if the spot has too big a divot, you MIGHT have to move the rack back a hair to get the one to freeze.
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The MR should be used with no spot. I don't like the idea of no spot as you can wear a hole in the cloth over time. But it dose spread the balls better with no spot and it's easier to control where the balls go on the break. Johnnyt
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
What do you guys do, on your home table or in a tournament, when it just seems like you cant get the rack of 9-Ball to stay tight? are there any tips/tricks to help with this? moisten the spot help? tapping balls? rubbing the area with your hand? brushing?

Just wondering what some ways are to help ensure getting the rack tight? To me the #1 most important thing as far as having a good break in 9-Ball is to be sure the rack is tight.

Mike
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A couple things to do, take your hand and brush back/forth/up/down on the cloth in the rack area, and if this doesn't do the trick do the same with a damp rag. You also might get another triangle or bring your own to events where this occurs. Another thing to think about, every ball has a different diameter either from the mfg or wear/tear. Keep switching the balls around till you get the best possible tight rack and ''remember'' the ball numbers and sequence you racked them in, write it down if necessary. I also carry extra new spots in my case and have sucessfully reguled/retapped the head ball hole and had success.
 
And, this is from the FAQ on Delta 13's website
Delta-13.com said:
Q:

The balls don't seem to rack any tighter. Why is that?

A:

The rack's job is to compact the balls into as near a perfect triangle (or diamond) as possible. Wooden and plastic racks have sides that flex under pressure. They can also warp and are not machined into a perfect triangle like the DELTA-13 ELITE. Therefore, the balls are never in perfect alignment with wooden and plastic racks. With many of them, you can't even get all the balls frozen together before removing the rack.



Also, unless you are using Super Pro Aramith balls, you cannot trust that the balls are all the same size. Here's the test: Rack 15 balls with the DELTA-13 ELITE. Place your hands in the back of the rack to tighten the rack. Now, roll the rack along the table with the balls still tight. Are any balls turning? If so, those balls are undersized and will negatively impact your ability to get a tight rack with any rack.

Another possible problem could be the cloth. Over time, the cloth gets worn and the slate underneath gets chipped, especially near the rack from breaking over time. The fabric also gets dented. The balls tend to fall into these hard-to-see dips when the rack is removed.

Lastly, humidity may also be a factor. In humid climates, the balls and cloth get moist and pick up dirt. They tend to cling more and it becomes extremely difficult to get the balls to stay in one place when you remove the rack.
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I disagree with the only balls are Super Aramith Pro balls, I'd add in as I said above Brunswick Centennial and the new Aramith Tournament balls. I'll also add in, that I have a Delta 13 rack and LOVE it!

Brian
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
What do you guys do, on your home table or in a tournament, when it just seems like you cant get the rack of 9-Ball to stay tight? are there any tips/tricks to help with this? moisten the spot help? tapping balls? rubbing the area with your hand? brushing?

Just wondering what some ways are to help ensure getting the rack tight? To me the #1 most important thing as far as having a good break in 9-Ball is to be sure the rack is tight.

Mike
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i found that moving them up, or high on the spot works many times. almost invariably, your opponent will think you are purposely trying to cheat. ironically, you are actually doing your opponent a favor if you move the rack up with respect to making the corner ball.... this is actually so funny, i have had so many times now in rack your own situations, where my opponent checks the rack and actually makes me correct something that would have helped him, haha.
 
Neil said:
I agree. What I was referring to is the divot at the spot area that results from using no spot sticker. If that gets worn just right, it can still be a little tricky even with the magic rack.
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Yeah, I won't use it w/o a spot often. I just change my spot often. Johnnyt
 
Just wondering what some ways are to help ensure getting the rack tight? To me the #1 most important thing as far as having a good break in 9-Ball is to be sure the rack is tight.

Mike[/QUOTE]



A very effective technique to ensure a tight rack, regardless of game being racked for, is to remove the head ball, while then applying tightening pressure as you normally do... When sisfied you have the rack as tight against the balls being racked as possible, hold the pressure in place while simultaneously placing the head ball back into the rack, tapping it ever so lightly in place... Wala, remove the rack and the balls will be tighter than a mouse's ear!

Tell em you heard it first from Cross-Side-Larry
 
the answer is simple, just take the 15 and beat the hell out of each of the nine in the rack until they stay in place.


I'm kidding!!! DON'T DO THAT!!!

Cleanliness is next to godliness. Clean rack, brushed cloth, clean balls = tight rack.

or get a magic rack.
 
I think Neil's advice is the most appropriate response to "what you do ...in a tournament" or on a table other than your own...and what I do as well in said situmation.

Also helpful are rearranging the balls and/ or using a different corner of the rack.

Neil said:
If you have to use a wooden rack, here's a little tip that I use. Rack the balls, then slide the rack forward a little bit without disturbing the balls. Odds are, the one will roll a little bit into a divot. Leave it there, and very gently, move the rack onto the one without disturbing the one. Then, push the other balls up tight.

The one is going to roll into that divot anyways, might as well start with it there.
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