Diamonds tables....

[Ken_4fun]

All -

I happened to go back to my hometown and went to the latest new pool room. I think it has been there about a year or so.

It was a Saturday afternoon and I was the only one there for over an hour and I left. I knew the owner and we were able to have a great discussion about the place and his choices.

I was banging balls around on a really a pretty Diamond table. It was a "Diamond" room with almost all of the tables are Diamond and two Connelly tables. He made the comment that he thought that on the "bar tables" they play so much tougher than the typical Valley tables he thought it hurt business....

Ok, I was hooked, I asked him to explain it.

We both agreed that the money, if any, is made by leagues. (I have said that for years.) He continued that the league players really preferred to play on Valleys, at least in that area. Now these aren't beat up tables, he bought all brand new Diamond 7, 8 and 9 foot tables. He said that these players get frustrated that they don't "accept" balls like a Valley table. The result, league players didn't want to play there on Diamond tables.

He added the table I was playing on, he would like to sell to get another Connelly 9 foot table. He said they play much better, the rails are like night and day, and the "real" pool players that play during the day always take the Connelly tables first. WOW.

Then he went to tell me the difference in price of the Connelly and the Diamond tables.... He did mention that the Diamond folks were awesome to work with, and had an awesome financing plan....while nice, what you are really buying the table or the financing plans?

What does all this mean? Nothing, just interesting for discussion.

Best of rolls,

Ken

 

[bmsclayton]

same issues

A pool hall in St. Louis got all Diamonds and our big league here, Missouri 8 ball, quit having the tournament there because all the teams complained. Every night/week they play on vallys and then have to play the big tourney on diamonds. He had to give them all back.

My favorite table to play 8/9/10 on is a 7 ft diamond at Hillsboro. I usually only play one pocket and I play bad, really bad, and much more of a mover than shooter so I don't really care if I play on a GC or a Diamond. We only have a couple Diamonds anywhere near St. Louis so most players don't want to play on them.

 

[pooladdiction]

Opposite experience here. Most bars in town have switched over to the diamond 7'. Long story short- around here if there's 2 bars next to each other and 1 has a valley and 1 has a diamond, 9 times out of ten the player wlll choose the diamond. I lump myself in that group.

 

[RunoutJJ]

I fricking love em!!! They give you the upper hand to ball bangers and thats why they hate the diamonds... Because they can rub the rail a diamond away from the pocket and have it go in. Learn to play better and stop your whining

 

[1on1pooltournys]

All -

I happened to go back to my hometown and went to the latest new pool room. I think it has been there about a year or so.

It was a Saturday afternoon and I was the only one there for over an hour and I left. I knew the owner and we were able to have a great discussion about the place and his choices.

I was banging balls around on a really a pretty Diamond table. It was a "Diamond" room with almost all of the tables are Diamond and two Connelly tables. He made the comment that he thought that on the "bar tables" they play so much tougher than the typical Valley tables he thought it hurt business....

Ok, I was hooked, I asked him to explain it.

We both agreed that the money, if any, is made by leagues. (I have said that for years.) He continued that the league players really preferred to play on Valleys, at least in that area. Now these aren't beat up tables, he bought all brand new Diamond 7, 8 and 9 foot tables. He said that these players get frustrated that they don't "accept" balls like a Valley table. The result, league players didn't want to play there on Diamond tables.

He added the table I was playing on, he would like to sell to get another Connelly 9 foot table. He said they play much better, the rails are like night and day, and the "real" pool players that play during the day always take the Connelly tables first. WOW.

Then he went to tell me the difference in price of the Connelly and the Diamond tables.... He did mention that the Diamond folks were awesome to work with, and had an awesome financing plan....while nice, what you are really buying the table or the financing plans?

What does all this mean? Nothing, just interesting for discussion.

Best of rolls,

Ken

This is why you were the only one there.

 

[1on1pooltournys]

Opposite experience here. Most bars in town have switched over to the diamond 7'. Long story short- around here if there's 2 bars next to each other and 1 has a valley and 1 has a diamond, 9 times out of ten the player wlll choose the diamond. I lump myself in that group.

Most people do. Once they get used to the diamonds they are better.

 

[cuesmith]

I fricking love em!!! They give you the upper hand to ball bangers and thats why they hate the diamonds... Because they can rub the rail a diamond away from the pocket and have it go in. Learn to play better and stop your whining

This is the "league player mentality". They are not interested in improving, they're out for a social night drinking. They want it to be easy to pocket balls. This is a good example why I feel the APA is not good for the sport of billiards. JMHO

Sherm

 

[mattb]

Reality

The bangers pay the bills not the players. They never have and they never will. As players we love them but the reality is if they had to live off of us, they would starve.

I fricking love em!!! They give you the upper hand to ball bangers and thats why they hate the diamonds... Because they can rub the rail a diamond away from the pocket and have it go in. Learn to play better and stop your whining

 

[1on1pooltournys]

He added the table I was playing on, he would like to sell to get another Connelly 9 foot table. He said they play much better, the rails are like night and day, and the "real" pool players that play during the day always take the Connelly tables first. WOW.

LMAO...I must have missed this part earlier. He has no idea what a good playing table plays like.

 

[Banks]

Aside from one of the local halls, if a bar around here has diamond boxes, they're getting multiple teams. I could understand the avoidance of diamond 9s, because the night would go on too long in many cases. It takes a little getting used to, but they play very consistent. People will complain about anything, pool is just another thing.

 

[RFranklin]

diamonds

I Love The 8-9 Footers But In My Opinion The Rails ARe Too "Strong" For A 7. I Overheard Strickland At Bca Nationals Saying The Same Thing In The Juniors Instructional Room. He Said That The Rails Promoted Too Much Of A Poke Stroke On TheDiamOnd BaR tables.

 

[rayjay]

I Love The 8-9 Footers But In My Opinion The Rails ARe Too "Strong" For A 7. I Overheard Strickland At Bca Nationals Saying The Same Thing In The Juniors Instructional Room. He Said That The Rails Promoted Too Much Of A Poke Stroke On TheDiamOnd BaR tables.

What do you think he meant by that?

 

[Nullus]

Having played on both, I certainly prefer the Diamond tables. That being said, I can see where most beginner players might prefer the Valley bar boxes. Sad part of that is that they don't realize the Diamonds will make them better players in the long run.

 

[Ken_4fun]

Having played on both, I certainly prefer the Diamond tables. That being said, I can see where most beginner players might prefer the Valley bar boxes. Sad part of that is that they don't realize the Diamonds will make them better players in the long run.

In fact he mentioned that too.

He said that occasionally he gets guys bringing their dates in to play pool for something to do. Can you imagine playing a game where they cant make a ball?

Wow. I never thought of that either.

Ken

 

[Ken_4fun]

LMAO...I must have missed this part earlier. He has no idea what a good playing table plays like.

Bobby -

Are the Jr Nationals on Diamond tables too?

If they have, do know how long they have been? Were they on Gold Crowns before?

Thanks,

Ken

 

[1on1pooltournys]

Bobby -

Are the Jr Nationals on Diamond tables too?

If they have, do know how long they have been? Were they on Gold Crowns before?

Thanks,

Ken

Think it is now.

One year at Magoos in Tulsa it was played on diamonds and goldcrowns.

Now it is in Vegas I think and played on Diamonds. Not 100% though.

 

[44Runner]

Good lord. Its not like its THAT hard to pocket a ball on a Diamond. The play is consistent and that is important. I wonder how much of it has to do with the cloth?

I know when the bar our team used to play in switched to Diamonds my low ranked players had a hard time adjusting to the speed on good cloth that is not your normal crappy bar felt...

 

[RFranklin]

Strickland Comment

What do you think he meant by that?

He said he didn't like they way they played. Too much speed for that small of a table. He talked about how much he loves their 9's and said 10 foot Diamonds was the way to go for the pros. He was there with Mike Dechaine doing the dog and pony for the kids. You know how he likes to pontificate but he was pretty adamant about the 7 foot Diamonds. Said it wasn't real pool.

.....and I agree 44runner. Diamond 7 footer pockets feel like buckets if you play good pocket speed.

 

[trob]

I fricking love em!!! They give you the upper hand to ball bangers and thats why they hate the diamonds... Because they can rub the rail a diamond away from the pocket and have it go in. Learn to play better and stop your whining

Yep...I actually have a valley at home but the pockets were tightened up. I hit shots sometimes on the valleys at leagues and for a second think I missed it and then remember I'm not at home lol I tell the bangers at leagues they wouldn't like playing at my house..you can't miss a shot by a diamond and still have it go in lol

 

[CantEverWin]

It has amazed me the job Diamond has done in the billiard industry. They might have the best marketing of any company in the industry.
They've taken a product that is the basis of the game, and changed it from just about every other design out there. Sure every table is different, but their table plays pretty drastically different from everyone else who is pretty much similar. I agree they did a couple nice things, but nothing compared to its faults. They're cutting pockets oddly in a way that pretty much no one else does. Somehow they've taken a straight cut and made it play more like a snooker pocket. I don't mind "tight pockets" at all, but they've changed what kind of shots actually go. They've also decided to put rails on a table that come up about 30% shorter than the norm. Oh, and the pockets like to leave marks on the balls. On top of all of that you also get to pay a premium price for it.

The only way it makes any sense that they have the fanfare that they do is that they're "newer." Seems like most places getting them are doing so pretty recently. So bars and pool rooms have had older, and crappy enough equipment to make these newer tables seem like a god sent.

I don't do a ton of traveling. I live in SoCal and have my entire life. From what I've been told I'm pretty spoiled when it comes equipment. I recently played on diamond bar tables, and 9fters, and was really looking forward to it. Right up until I played on them for awhile.

It seems to me that the bar tables everyone usually hates are ones that have had people working on them for decades that do not know what they're doing. If you compare on of those tables to a new diamond with new fast felt then I understand the love affair. But that's like saying a new Kia rio is worlds better than an old beat up Lincoln. It is....kind of....

I'm sure I will be torched now. Lol