Wing Ball Won't Go? Magic Rack...

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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.... In my case the short rail is slightly offset, at least on the spot end, yielding a spot that slightly offset to the side, rather than fore and aft.
That's really strange. Is the middle diamond on the foot rail half-way between the score wheels?
 

AngryTurtle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are no ball counters or Brunswick Labels on either end rail. Dont know if it came that way or this is an assembly of parts from a couple of pool tables. I will remeasure, as I could have measured wrong, and give more details, but its going to take me a few days...
 

kevoka

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just experienced the same problem. I have used the magic rack for quite awhile now and have been successful using it on many different tables with very repeatable results.

I just used it recently on a different table and the results were extraordinarily unpredictable. I was baffled for a time. Then I looked very closely at the rack and saw that there were gaps between some of the balls. I started to think I had worn out the magic rack.

Got the crazy idea to measure the diameter of the balls to see maybe some were different.

Yep, sure enough they were all 1/32 smaller than 2 1/4.

The magic rack requires the balls to be much closer in tolerance to 2 1/4"
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have played on many tables but for this thread I'm going to focus on a 9ft Diamond table. At home I have a 9ft Diamond Pro with Simonis 860HR. I practice breaking and the wing ball goes in almost every time. It just shoots into the corner and I basically just play shape on the 1 ball.
I've noticed that I go over a buddies house and he has a 9ft Diamond ProAm with Simonis 860HR. Neither one of us can make the wing ball to save our life. I figured there was something wrong with his table?
So...recently I play a challenge match on one of the local tables at a pool hall. It's a 9ft Diamond Pro Am with Simonis 860HR. The wing ball won't go in at all. I finally gave up during a match and just started swinging for the fences to make any ball. Luckily this worked and I eeked out the win.
The next week, the pool hall moved the camera to a different 9ft Diamond ProAm. I played a challenge match on it and made the wing every time, just like home.
So....has anybody else had a similar problem? What would cause the wing ball to not go in?(besides the obvious...balls not frozen). I'm using the same Magic Rack during all these matches...so it's not the rack.
And...GO....
If you are breaking off the side rail, if you can ballpark near to the same location to hit the 1-ball and the same speed, that wing ball should go virtually every time unless maybe you are hitting it too hard. That is precisely the reason why many tournaments switched to racking the 9-ball on the foot spot. The racker could be placing the template slightly high, low, or slightly twisting it, to prevent you from making the wing ball.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are no ball counters or Brunswick Labels on either end rail. Dont know if it came that way or this is an assembly of parts from a couple of pool tables. I will remeasure, as I could have measured wrong, and give more details, but its going to take me a few days...
I just looked at a bunch of pictures of GC IV's online, and I don't think any of them have labels or score counters on the rails.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just experienced the same problem. I have used the magic rack for quite awhile now and have been successful using it on many different tables with very repeatable results.

I just used it recently on a different table and the results were extraordinarily unpredictable. I was baffled for a time. Then I looked very closely at the rack and saw that there were gaps between some of the balls. I started to think I had worn out the magic rack.

Got the crazy idea to measure the diameter of the balls to see maybe some were different.

Yep, sure enough they were all 1/32 smaller than 2 1/4.

The magic rack requires the balls to be much closer in tolerance to 2 1/4"
The magic rack only works really well with relatively new high-quality balls. The Outsville Accu-Rack does a far better job when you have older sets of balls, although you often have to slightly shift the balls forward once you load them.
 

Paul Schofield

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I fixed this problem 12 years ago in all my leagues and tournaments (even the pro events). I removed the ball on the break requirement and alternated breaks for 8 & 9-ball. No complaints. Problem solved. You do what you want.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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What's that? Is there a rule that you must sink a ball on the break?
No. The breaker in Paul's events continues at the table on any legal break whether he makes a ball or not. That removes many of the problems with the 9-ball rack/break. He also has a system that avoids pattern racking.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
No. The breaker in Paul's events continues at the table on any legal break whether he makes a ball or not. That removes many of the problems with the 9-ball rack/break. He also has a system that avoids pattern racking.
Thanks, Bob, but is there a rule set where the breaker must make a ball on the break?
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
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Silver Member
Thanks, Bob, but is there a rule set where the breaker must make a ball on the break?
There is a form of pool in which the opponent always starts with ball in hand, which is more or less counting a dry break as a foul. But basically the answer is no.
 

boogieman

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I just experienced the same problem. I have used the magic rack for quite awhile now and have been successful using it on many different tables with very repeatable results.

I just used it recently on a different table and the results were extraordinarily unpredictable. I was baffled for a time. Then I looked very closely at the rack and saw that there were gaps between some of the balls. I started to think I had worn out the magic rack.

Got the crazy idea to measure the diameter of the balls to see maybe some were different.

Yep, sure enough they were all 1/32 smaller than 2 1/4.

The magic rack requires the balls to be much closer in tolerance to 2 1/4"
I've found that the Outsville rack works better with worn balls. The balls don't automatically touch each other like on the Magic rack, but you can fiddle them a bit and kind of brush them forward/wiggle them into place and get a tight rack. The Outsville really shines on balls in not perfect condition or cleanliness, it takes a bit more fiddling but you can get a very tight rack. Magic rack is great, but it allows for less adjustment.
 

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have played on many tables but for this thread I'm going to focus on a 9ft Diamond table. At home I have a 9ft Diamond Pro with Simonis 860HR. I practice breaking and the wing ball goes in almost every time. It just shoots into the corner and I basically just play shape on the 1 ball.
I've noticed that I go over a buddies house and he has a 9ft Diamond ProAm with Simonis 860HR. Neither one of us can make the wing ball to save our life. I figured there was something wrong with his table?
So...recently I play a challenge match on one of the local tables at a pool hall. It's a 9ft Diamond Pro Am with Simonis 860HR. The wing ball won't go in at all. I finally gave up during a match and just started swinging for the fences to make any ball. Luckily this worked and I eeked out the win.
The next week, the pool hall moved the camera to a different 9ft Diamond ProAm. I played a challenge match on it and made the wing every time, just like home.
So....has anybody else had a similar problem? What would cause the wing ball to not go in?(besides the obvious...balls not frozen). I'm using the same Magic Rack during all these matches...so it's not the rack.
And...GO....

Was it a real magic rack or one of the cheap copies that sell for like 1/5th from China? If you hit too hard the magic rack also won't make the corner ball. Or if the rack is in the wrong spot.
 
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