Anyone ever made their own pocket reducers? I'm trying to figure something out that would still be portable. I've seen the spring loaded ones but I think they don't make them any more.
Pocket reducers
- Thread starter LocalArtist
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If you want 4 inch pockets, put two balls beside and blocking part of the pocket. Affix self adhesive binder reinforcers under the balls to make it easier to replace once you bump one out of the way and easier to know where your chosen separation distance is. You may want to start with 4 1/2 inch separation and then work down to 4 inch. This is probably not what you wanted to hear but it is a temporary solution. Another thing you could do instead of using balls, use golf tees. Set them up to the amount of separation you want and then replace them on the self adhesive reinforcers.
I have the spring loaded ones I would be willing to let go of. if you are interested. PM me a reasonable offer.
I have also tried the ones from the UK (I believe) that sticks the pockets, they have a tendency to fall off and go in the pocket. This of course annoyed the hell out of me.
Pro Pocket Reducers work fine for practice and really do reject balls not hit to the direct center of the intended pocket.
I took a half inch rubber floor mat and made a pattern from thin cardboard then cut the mat to fit the corners and sides. Then I used double backed tape to hold them in place. It gave me 4" pockets. This would only be good on a home table unless you come up with another way to hold them in place for traveling.
I have pictures but can't seem to paste in this post.
I had a set of those spring loaded ones and a guy saw me using them and asked what they were? I said they are pocket tighteners. He then asked why we wanted to tighten the pockets? I answered that they help you to play better. He then said that he needed pocket wideners to help him play better. 
I had a set of those spring loaded ones and a guy saw me using them and asked what they were? I said they are pocket tighteners. He then asked why we wanted to tighten the pockets? I answered that they help you to play better. He then said that he needed pocket wideners to help him play better.
99% of pool players need pocket wideners and the most of those who think differently are just fooling themselves. Save yourself some money and spend 50% more time working on CUE BALL CONTROL and the STROKE needed to execute that control and you will be a 25% better player in six months - Smaller pockets should REALLY be reserved for those very few that have mastered every other part of this very difficult game.
If you can't cheat the pocket you'll learn a new way to get around the table.
It reduces most players ability to put english on the cb and forces to stay on the vertical axis.
It will teach you to be dead nuts center on your aim. Harvey Pennick "take dead aim".
My own words on becoming better at anything really..It's not until you have the passion to do something so much that you become bored, you become better, that's when you step out of the box you've been practicing in and start experimenting. So imo anything that keeps you on the table trying different things helps your game grow.
We no longer have a decent pool room w 9ft tables w pro cut pockets.
Last we had was a room w 8ft diamond tables w that kind of pocket. I used to go once a week after I learned of it. After the second week going I went to the bar table room the next day, I was on fire. Ran the table more times in that afternoon than I ever had.
If the money's not an issue I'd say go for it.
It reduces most players ability to put english on the cb and forces to stay on the vertical axis.
It will teach you to be dead nuts center on your aim. Harvey Pennick "take dead aim".
My own words on becoming better at anything really..It's not until you have the passion to do something so much that you become bored, you become better, that's when you step out of the box you've been practicing in and start experimenting. So imo anything that keeps you on the table trying different things helps your game grow.
We no longer have a decent pool room w 9ft tables w pro cut pockets.
Last we had was a room w 8ft diamond tables w that kind of pocket. I used to go once a week after I learned of it. After the second week going I went to the bar table room the next day, I was on fire. Ran the table more times in that afternoon than I ever had.
If the money's not an issue I'd say go for it.
Really? did you "run the table" against somebody who had such cue ball control and game knowledge that you were never safed out of any possible run outs? did you run the table against great players in competition? Small pockets do very little to really teach how to play this game correctly- just like you said- you cannot learn to cheat pockets and move the cue the WAY this GAME was designed. IMO, and on the sage advice of champions that I have known, learning this game on tight pockets will hinder your STROKE and KNOWLEDGE WAY MORE than advance your game- just my advice- take it or leave it.
LOL!! I agree!
Obviously if someone safed me out of a runout I didn't run out, kinda self evident there rt?
I was playing good players well above average and they were like damn what's up w you today.
How does learning on say pro cut pockets hinder your stroke, I have experienced first hand just the opposite, that makes no sense to me.
You play on a pro table, you'll learn how to cheat pockets, you'll learn your way around the table just fine. In fact you learn to cheat pockets on big pockets and then go to a tight pocket table your game will be lost, cause that shat don't fly there.
And when you do learn, you'll smoke ppl on a 7ft bar table.
I never said play w the pocket reducers all the time btw.
And since I bring up what I said, please tell me the falsehoods in what I said. There aren't any.
And I believe I already read your champion advice, so I'll leave it.
If you can't run a 100 balls at 14.1, or 5 racks of 10b, you don't need tighter pockets to get better, you need more practice at making balls in 4 1/2" pockets....just my opinion.
Agree 100% with you! pro baseball does not reduce the strike zone from minor league baseball , pro basketball does not reduce the rim circumference, pro tennis does not raise the net level or reduce the playing field dimensions, pro football fields are not 150 yards long, pro golf does not reduce the cup size -- Everybody today wants a quick fix to improve- so they think that buying a $3,000 cue and playing on 4 inch pockets is the ticket to success in pool! Why not go out and spend $10,000 on a Searing cue- of course that will instantly make you a pro! Playing any sport at a very high level requires much, much more than equipment alterations or altering playing conditions of ANY form - those are probably the very LAST things that one should consider to improve- as this last contributor has stated so well! Do you REALLY enjoy hitting a difficult shot perfectly as it should be played and then watching it jar out of the hole- I don't see any purpose to that at all.
I have the Practise Pro pocket reducers. When I install them in my club on double shimmed pockets, the pocket just becomes ridiculously small. So small that nobody on earth could ever run a rack on them. Trying to beat the 9 ball ghost on those pockets is just torture, and serves no purpose. Covering them with cloth helps them play more reasonably, but I'd still like to see the person who can actually beat the ghost on those pockets...I sometimes try to beat the ghost on the Chinese 8 ball table, and that actually is easier, though extremely difficult as well! By that I mean, I think a person COULD be able to do it at a humanly achievable skill level, though you'd have to be upper echelon. I of course am nowhere near that skill. With the practise pro on the allready tight pocket, I don't think it can be done by anyone, not in any repeatable way, anyway. My friend who is an expert snooker player says it's impossible to "see the pocket". It definitely takes a lot of "feel" when you have to back-cut something close to the rail, there is no opening to shoot at.
That being said, they are a quality product, and if you have more reasonable pockets to start with, say 5 inches or 4 3/4 inches, then they become much more practical.
I have three complaints:
1. They sometimes randomly launch themselves out of the pocket, especially the sides.
2. When hit, they must sometimes be readjusted, not often though.
3. They should have come with cloth from the factory. Cloth makes them play so much more like a real pocket. As is, with the "naked" rubber, they just play insanely difficult, especially when the pocket is small to begin with.
If you are a complete masochist, I suppose you could practise having them installed "permanently", though personally I think they'd destroy your game if used that way. When the pocket is small and then you install the naked rubber version of these, you end up missing shots that were good and then go crazy trying to figure out why the ball stayed out. If your pocket is 51/2-5 inches then I think you could play with them on. They play pretty close to the Chinese 8 ball table that way, with the naked rubber, that is the degree of difficulty is pretty similar, they obviously play a bit differently from a rounded pocket. You cannot slam in the shots on the practise pro, you can on the Chineese table.
That being said, they are a quality product, and if you have more reasonable pockets to start with, say 5 inches or 4 3/4 inches, then they become much more practical.
I have three complaints:
1. They sometimes randomly launch themselves out of the pocket, especially the sides.
2. When hit, they must sometimes be readjusted, not often though.
3. They should have come with cloth from the factory. Cloth makes them play so much more like a real pocket. As is, with the "naked" rubber, they just play insanely difficult, especially when the pocket is small to begin with.
If you are a complete masochist, I suppose you could practise having them installed "permanently", though personally I think they'd destroy your game if used that way. When the pocket is small and then you install the naked rubber version of these, you end up missing shots that were good and then go crazy trying to figure out why the ball stayed out. If your pocket is 51/2-5 inches then I think you could play with them on. They play pretty close to the Chinese 8 ball table that way, with the naked rubber, that is the degree of difficulty is pretty similar, they obviously play a bit differently from a rounded pocket. You cannot slam in the shots on the practise pro, you can on the Chineese table.
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I want to see someone beat the ghost in a race to 11, with 4 1/2" pro cut pocket....with NO bih to start after the break!!!! AND...no racking aid, just a good old triangle for racking the balls!!
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