Question for snooker players...

P

predator

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
preferably those who play american pool also...

I have a modest amount of snooker experience. However, I have noticed something which got me thinking...

When you play the game, you pretty much accept tough rounded pockets and that many 9ball shots are virtually unmakeable on a tight 12ft.

But...the combination of smaller balls and slower napped cloth...seems to me like there's more throw effect. Somehow I feel that I need to cut ball slightly more to achieve the same direction of the object ball as on Simonis equipped pool table. Does anyone feel the same?

Prior to playing snooker, I put some pocket reducers on my pool table which makes pockets extremely tough, even tougher than snooker at some angles. I do it not to be scared of small rounded pockets too much.

Then I get to a snooker table and try some reasonable distance shots...not too long. Ok, the pockets don't look that tough after playing on a pool table with 3.2 inch pockets, but on cut shots...I undercut, undercut, undercut...and once again undercut. Then I aim to slightly overcut, and the balls finally begin to fall as they should...:cool:

I'm I delusional, or is there really such a big difference between 57.2mm balls+Simonis cloth versus lighter 52.4mm balls+english napped cloth?

What if snooker tour decided to switch from slow napped cloth to Simonis that is used on pool tables? Wouldn't that change the game a lot?

Thanks.
 
personnaly i would say dont use side to throw the ball in as much but remember the smaller cue ball dflects more with side IMO

also depending which way you were shooting and how slow the nap will grab potting blacks in its corner pockets will pull it towards the short rail
 
Although I've never played snooker on napped cloth, I can certainly agree that there will be more throw with a stickier cloth (just from experience on heavy napped/dirty pool tables). It does seem logical that a lighter mass would be affected by the pull/friction of the cloth more. This is especially apparent when playing on a bar table with one of the older heavy cue balls. It is much harder to move around than a red circle. I play on 760 most of the time, so I don't get much of the throw effect with side. I agree with JP that for pure potting, you are much better off using center ball.
 
Ball size the big factor here?

predator said:
But...the combination of smaller balls and slower napped cloth...seems to me like there's more throw effect. Somehow I feel that I need to cut ball slightly more to achieve the same direction of the object ball as on Simonis equipped pool table. Does anyone feel the same?
Click to expand...

Is it possible that the smaller diameter of the balls is doing this? On any cut shot, the player estimates the aiming line for that cut angle based on the distance between the centers of the balls. It seems like someone who has played pool for a long time might have a tendency to apply the 'pool' angle/offset to snooker balls. Something tells me that this would result in wider-than-expected cuts though.

Ken
 
I play both games and I would say the cloth has little bearing on this aspect of the game, slower in most cases such as your heavy nap club cloth but a double shaved No10 match cloth on a heated table like they use in pro is pretty darn quick. :)
I would say it's an aiming adjustment you need to work on, I do find coming back to the bigger balls I struggle with the thin cuts for a while. Only because the edge of the cuball is not in the same place realative to my tip. Try taking one last good look at the cueball before you pull the trigger and it may help you adjust.
Hope this helps.

Cheers
Lance
 
I've played on snooker tables where the knap was not brushed properly and boy was that fun. *sarcasm*. If they are brushed all one way, no problem.

If you play snooker with either too big of a shaft or too small of a shaft, it will effect your accuracy tremendously. I have used an 11.5 mm since I learned that I was getting too much action with the 9 and 10 mm. I made that simple switch and all has been ok since. Playing snooker with a "pool" cue is just silly.

If you play snooker like you're playing on a bar table, you may as well forget it. Rolling balls is impossible as you have to stroke it in no matter what kind of shot you're playing. Snooker tables teach you that if nothing else and what is wrong with that?
 
predator said:
preferably those who play american pool also...

I have a modest amount of snooker experience. However, I have noticed something which got me thinking...

When you play the game, you pretty much accept tough rounded pockets and that many 9ball shots are virtually unmakeable on a tight 12ft.

But...the combination of smaller balls and slower napped cloth...seems to me like there's more throw effect. Somehow I feel that I need to cut ball slightly more to achieve the same direction of the object ball as on Simonis equipped pool table. Does anyone feel the same?

Prior to playing snooker, I put some pocket reducers on my pool table which makes pockets extremely tough, even tougher than snooker at some angles. I do it not to be scared of small rounded pockets too much.

Then I get to a snooker table and try some reasonable distance shots...not too long. Ok, the pockets don't look that tough after playing on a pool table with 3.2 inch pockets, but on cut shots...I undercut, undercut, undercut...and once again undercut. Then I aim to slightly overcut, and the balls finally begin to fall as they should...:cool:

I'm I delusional, or is there really such a big difference between 57.2mm balls+Simonis cloth versus lighter 52.4mm balls+english napped cloth?

What if snooker tour decided to switch from slow napped cloth to Simonis that is used on pool tables? Wouldn't that change the game a lot?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
In today's professional snooker the cloths are quite thin with only a slight nap on it, this in combination with the heated table, results in very fast playing conditions - almost as quick as playing with a pool cloth, but the balls tend to come to a stop sooner.

The quick playing conditions are much more desirable in today's professional snooker, as it helps making high-runs easier as it's not so difficult to open up the pack of red balls after cannoning into them from a colored ball.

Alan.
 
Heated tables? Nice, didn't know about that.

Anyway, back to difference between pool and snooker.

2 days ago a made a table clearence for the first time on a 12ft. Ok, it was with only 2 reds left plus all the colours, but still...I'm very very satisfied with a break of 42 (10 ball run).

I was also very surprised to find out how easy it was to beat inferior players at snooker. Not losing one single frame in something like 5 hours??? I mean at pool I have lost too many times to players far below my skill level, but at this game...even if you "sell out", your opponent has so much work to do to...you haven't really sold out, you just made him work.

I can't imagine a pro snooker player losing a match to snooker 'shortstop' player (someone close to pro ability, but not quite there)...has this ever happened?
9ball is a different story...any player who can run lots of racks is a threat to anyone in a tournament match, including top pro's...

I guess it is true what they say...any game is as difficult for you as it is for your opponent...
 
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