Shrinking Balls

Poolhall60561 · Dec 19, 2017

I have read that over time pool balls get pounded into a smaller size. Well it’s true.

My used GC1 came with an old set of centennials and I recently upgraded to a set of Super Pro Aramith. I’m pretty sure the old set is from the 60’s. The new ball set looked larger and it looked and felt a little strange.

I used an unscientific method to prove it that in fact they did shrink.

I hope my game does not get worse playing all those years with big pockets and small balls.

Bob Jewett · Dec 19, 2017

If you put six of the old balls around one of the new balls (like the six balls that touch the nine ball in a nine ball rack) and adjust them so that there is only one gap, that gap is three times the diameter error of the old balls.

RiverCity · Dec 19, 2017

As balls get older, they do sometimes get a little bit smaller. But they hang lower, so its a bit of a trade off..... :thumbup:

Seriously though, that looks like a 2 1/8" ball to me. Could just be the photo, but looks snooker sized compared to the other ball.

WildWing · Dec 19, 2017

Our balls get smaller as we get older, true. However, your picture appears to be misleading, as it is shot at an angle with the older ball farther from the center of the picture. This photo technique makes anything look smaller, rather than a head-on shot. Balls do shrink over time though.

All the best,
WW

Bob Jewett · Dec 19, 2017

WildWing said:
Our balls get smaller as we get older, true. However, your picture appears to be misleading, as it is shot at an angle with the older ball farther from the center of the picture. This photo technique makes anything look smaller, rather than a head-on shot. Balls do shrink over time though.

All the best,
WW

If you look only at the gaps in the two pictures between the 6 and the 3, one of which is zero, you can see that the centennial is about 1 or 2 mm smaller than the new super pro.

WildWing · Dec 19, 2017

Quote: If you look only at the gaps in the two pictures between the 6 and the 3, one of which is zero, you can see that the centennial is about 1 or 2 mm smaller than the new super pro.

Agree, there has been some wear, but probably not as much as it seems. Which butt looks bigger in this picture?

All the best,
WW

Neil · Dec 19, 2017

WildWing said:
Quote: If you look only at the gaps in the two pictures between the 6 and the 3, one of which is zero, you can see that the centennial is about 1 or 2 mm smaller than the new super pro.

Agree, there has been some wear, but probably not as much as it seems. Which butt looks bigger in this picture?

All the best,
WW

You post a picture of your "girls", and then want US to say which one has a bigger butt?

I fell for that one once. Not doing it again.

RiverCity · Dec 19, 2017

Im guessing you dont have a caliper or a 2-3" mic. But if you have a rack with flat sides (or a flat piece of wood or anything), take 3 balls, 2 new, 1 old. Put the old one in the middle and the flat side of the rack on top. If the gap is an 1/8", the old ones are for sure snooker size balls.

Even the cue ball, the most hit/collided with ball on the table, would never loose .125" off its diameter through use.

As pointed out, angled photos can be deceiving about what is actually being seen.

QuietStorm · Dec 19, 2017

We need a ceramics engineer to solve this mystery! I believe it's impossible for a pool ball to shrink in size to that extent and still maintain perfect spherical shape. Also, I'm assuming high quality ceramic was used to make those pool balls, which would be resistant to that type of degradation.

At least your old pool balls makes it easier to play chinese eight ball.

RiverCity · Dec 20, 2017

mrknight411 said:
We need a ceramics engineer to solve this mystery! I believe it's impossible for a pool ball to shrink in size to that extent and still maintain perfect spherical shape. Also, I'm assuming high quality ceramic was used to make those pool balls, which would be resistant to that type of degradation.

At least your old pool balls makes it easier to play chinese eight ball.

Those balls are phenolic, not ceramic.

Here is a brief history of pool/billiard balls. :thumbup:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiard_ball

Bob Jewett · Dec 20, 2017

Chuck Fields said:
Im guessing you dont have a caliper or a 2-3" mic. But if you have a rack with flat sides (or a flat piece of wood or anything), take 3 balls, 2 new, 1 old. Put the old one in the middle and the flat side of the rack on top. If the gap is an 1/8", the old ones are for sure snooker size balls.
...

In the picture the old ball is smaller by about 1-2 millimeters. That is not abnormal wear if the balls have gotten a lot of use. Many old cue balls are a lot smaller than that.

sonny_burnett · Dec 20, 2017

WildWing said:
Quote: If you look only at the gaps in the two pictures between the 6 and the 3, one of which is zero, you can see that the centennial is about 1 or 2 mm smaller than the new super pro.

Agree, there has been some wear, but probably not as much as it seems. Which butt looks bigger in this picture?

All the best,
WW

Send me the top cue for extensive evaluation. Should take several years. That cue is awesome. Who made it?

QuietStorm · Dec 20, 2017

Chuck Fields said:
Those balls are phenolic, not ceramic.

Here is a brief history of pool/billiard balls. :thumbup:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiard_ball

LOL... I got schooled. I always thought cue balls were made of ceramic. Thanks for the correction.

Kevin Lindstrom · Dec 20, 2017

Smaller balls are harder to pocket not because of the size ratio of ball to pocket size. It is a diameter accuracy thing. If you don't believe me try using two golf balls on a table sometime and see how hard it is to make a golf ball using a golf ball as a cue ball. No Kidding.

Kevin

PoppaSaun · Dec 20, 2017

Bob Jewett said:
If you look only at the gaps in the two pictures between the 6 and the 3, one of which is zero, you can see that the centennial is about 1 or 2 mm smaller than the new super pro.

The gap is an amplification of the actual diameter difference because the ball rests against the angle of the rail, and above center of the ball, not against the tip of the rail, and not at center-line.

WildWing · Dec 20, 2017

sonny_burnett said:
Send me the top cue for extensive evaluation. Should take several years. That cue is awesome. Who made it?

LOL... Top cue is from Jerry Rauenzahn. Appreciate the compliment.

All the best,
WW

Poolhall60561 · Dec 20, 2017

I used a tripod to fix the angle,

Poolhall60561 · Dec 20, 2017

Bob Jewett said:
If you put six of the old balls around one of the new balls (like the six balls that touch the nine ball in a nine ball rack) and adjust them so that there is only one gap, that gap is three times the diameter error of the old balls.

My photo skills are a bit lacking, but I did give this a try.

Bob Jewett · Dec 20, 2017

Thanks for checking. You can do it without a triangle if you tap the balls into frozen positions.

I think from the first picture it's pretty obvious that the Centennials are small -- they don't come close to reaching around the SuperPro. From the second it's clear that the Super Pros are all the same size.

You can also make the ring with the larger balls on the outside but then the gap will be between the small ball and one of the larger balls. You have to be a little more careful to have only one gap. The same 1/3 rule applies. This is the pattern that you should use to measure a small cue ball.

Shrinking Balls

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