Question about cloth and table size

The table mechanic section here on AZ can answer you best.
IMO and having a 7' table a lot depends how fast the rails are. Even with standard (on the slow side) rails the three mentioned cloths will be fast in low humidity. If your table has superspeed, ridgebacks, or some othe type fast rail those cloths will be too fast for most good players liking IMO. Look here
http://www.poolfelt.com/pool_table_felt_buyers_guide.html

I had 860HR put on my 9-foot Gold Crown last year. Eight months later, I had it replaced with 860. The HR was too fast for my taste. I think it would be a really bad idea on a seven footer.

Just my opinion; your mileage may vary.

Baby PacMan said:

First I want to start by saying I know there is a million threads about cloth and which is the best. I've looked through most of them. However I never seen any relating to size of table.

I was at the local dealer the other day talking to him about what table I'm looking to purchase in the near furture. We got to talking about cloth, I told him I was looking to get 3030 or 860HR, he said that both were too fast for a 7 footer. Is that true? If so, would 860 be just as well then. I wanted 860HR because I wanted the most durable cloth I get, but is it really too fast for 7ft.

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Well....all the Diamond 7ft's at the BCA playoffs had Simonis 860HR on them....they played just fine....does that answer your question? Fast tables are often miss-understood as it's the cloths fault the table plays so fast...when in fact it's the design of the rails and cushions that determine the speed of the balls off the cushions...and NOT the cloth...that's a fact, not an opinion

Glen

The rationale, I assume, for having a slower cloth on a 7' home table is that you will need less stroke speed adjustment when playing on a 9' with worsted cloth.

For example, if I have on OB in the center of the table, and shoot a standard speed 15 degree stun shot into a side pocket on my home table (Championship Titan cloth, which is none too fast), the CB will come to rest right by the short rail. When I play on a 9' with Simonis, I get the same final CB position with the same shot, even though the CB travels an extra foot or so. So, I don't have to adjust stroke speed much when moving between tables.

If making a transition to a 9' table is important to you, you might want a slower cloth for your home table. Otherwise, I would just put whatever flavor of Simonis you prefer on it.

Dead Crab said:

The rationale, I assume, for having a slower cloth on a 7' home table is that you will need less stroke speed adjustment when playing on a 9' with worsted cloth.

For example, if I have on OB in the center of the table, and shoot a standard speed 15 degree stun shot into a side pocket on my home table (Championship Titan cloth, which is none too fast), the CB will come to rest right by the short rail. When I play on a 9' with Simonis, I get the same final CB position with the same shot, even though the CB travels an extra foot or so. So, I don't have to adjust stroke speed much when moving between tables.

If making a transition to a 9' table is important to you, you might want a slower cloth for your home table. Otherwise, I would just put whatever flavor of Simonis you prefer on it.

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Having played pool for more than 40 years, the key word with any table and cloth....is learn to "adjust" your game...instead of always trying to "adjust" the table and cloth to "your" game...as that's one of the keys needed to be a "pool player"

Glen

realkingcobra said:

Having played pool for more than 40 years, the key word with any table and cloth....is learn to "adjust" your game...instead of always trying to "adjust" the table and cloth to "your" game...as that's one of the keys needed to be a "pool player"

Glen

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Outstanding advice.

Much like, e.g., bowling or curling where you deal with objects and different surface personalities where your playing surface is the dominant factor, in pool the table always wins.

realkingcobra said:

Having played pool for more than 40 years, the key word with any table and cloth....is learn to "adjust" your game...instead of always trying to "adjust" the table and cloth to "your" game...as that's one of the keys needed to be a "pool player"

Glen

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Can't argue with that, but minimizing variables also has it's upside.

If someone were preparing for the DCC banks, wouldn't they be better off practicing on a Diamond than a Valley?

Dead Crab said:

Can't argue with that, but minimizing variables also has it's upside.

If someone were preparing for the DCC banks, wouldn't they be better off practicing on a Diamond than a Valley?

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This is somewhat true, but the key word there is "practice"...on any kind of table beats not practicing at all. I've ran into many a great players that can bank just as well on a Valley...as they can a Diamond as well

Baby PacMan said:

I was at the local dealer the other day talking to him about what table I'm looking to purchase in the near furture. We got to talking about cloth, I told him I was looking to get 3030 or 860HR, he said that both were too fast for a 7 footer. Is that true? If so, would 860 be just as well then. I wanted 860HR because I wanted the most durable cloth I get, but is it really too fast for 7ft.

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860 is probably too fast for a 7 footer but it depends on what you want the table to do. Let me expalin:

On my 8-foot table, I put Simonis 760 because I wanted to develop the delicate end of my game; and in th eyear it has been on the table i has, indeed, helped me in that department.

It has also come with what I consider a big advantage. The table is too fast for others when they come to play against me. It takes them about an hour to finally dial back the power end oftheir game. Conversely, it takes almost no time to add power to your game when playing on slower tables.

The fast cloth also comes with a medium advantage: On a fast table the physics of spinning balls is easier to see. So, you see the ball come off the rail and then bend as the spin is converted into direction. Thus, it is easier to figure hout how much of <this> and how much of <that> a shot needs because you see the physics effects as independent variables, if you watch carefully. Therefore, it is easier to advance your game in the area of touch, spin and, cue-ball control on a table with fast cloth.

So back to your question: If you want a table that plays "normal" 860 is probably too fast. However, if you want to advance the delicate end of your game, it might be ideal; and it might give you and advantage. 760 would simply be too fast for an 7 foot table, kind of like 300 is simply too fast for an 8-foot table.

Baby PacMan said:

One last thing to add, is that the table is going to be an Olhausen. I don't know if that makes much of a difference.

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860HR is fine, as it don't play any faster on a 7 or 8ft table than it does on a 9ft table. A ramp meter rolling a ball 36" on a 9ft....rolls the ball the same 36" on any other table as well, so no table plays faster because of the cloth, that's nothing but a myth

Glen