Pro's and Cons of a ball return table

[King T]

Ball Return...,?

I came up with a Valley Bar Box in the basement, always loved it, but when I learned to play One Pocket I came to prefer the drop pocket.

At home it doesnt matter, away from home drops keep everyboby on the same page.

 

[Medalist]

I have a Medalist with ball returns and never stuck a ball in 20 years. Also I mounted a light in there so playing 14-1 we can see the balls for the count easier. We dont have to count 10 to 14 balls on the table to mark our score. Also I like that when I win a game of 9 ball I deserve to stand there like the victor and not have to chase balls out of holes. No way are drop pockets better in my mind. As a side note Gabriel tables hold 14 balls in every pocket. True you do have to bend over though to fetch the balls out of a return. Thats your incentive to try and win just like when using the magic rack your incentive is to win so you dont have to f with that thing.

 

[MeucciMan79]

I have always had a drop pocket table, I love the thought of a ball return, what I don't like about them is having to go to the foot rail to retrieve a cue ball after a scratch. Seems that you never look at what your grabbing and come up with an object ball! To each there own though

 

[cuesblues]

I've been playing some on the new Diamond tables at Felt, and I definitely prefer the ball return.
My calculations indicate that if I was 4.2 feet shorter I could stand straight up and rack the balls.

 

[Medalist]

I've been playing some on the new Diamond tables at Felt, and I definitely prefer the ball return.
My calculations indicate that if I was 4.2 feet shorter I could stand straight up and rack the balls.

Yea you would make a good reality show, 2 foot tall and one the biggest cue collectors on the planet.

 

[purpdrag]

I prefer ball returns and I prefer to drive a stick shift.

 

[tlingit]

ball return all the way, works best for me.

 

[macguy]

I recently purchased a Diamond Pro-am. It won't be delivered for 6-8 weeks. This will be my first experience with a ball return. My question to the forum is....Which do you prefer-drop pockets or....a ball return system?

The last pool room I had I actually removed all the ball returns and put on drop pockets. Less noisy especially when you have a room full of them. Also no problems with balls hanging up and people doing stupid stuff like trying to lift the table to get the ball back. Totally trouble free, I prefer drop pockets. I also like the traditional nature of the drop pocket. I actually have an old Susser and Grimaldi table in storage from the 1920's that has a wooden ball return, so they have been around for a while.

 

[master_cueist]

I had an english teacher who used to say, "Your powers of deduction are exceeded only by your affection for the obvious."

Seems to apply here

Lol, there is only one problem. No offense to the guy who posted it I am not implying him, but in general there are some stupid freaking people out there these days. I learned long ago to never assume anything, it will just lead to being left in shock even more.

 

[JoeyA]

Have to be vigilant.....

Well, I'm not sure which one I prefer but at Buffalo Billiards, the two 9 foot Pro Am Diamond tables get more play than the rest of the twenty something tables that they have. Even when the cloth is very old on the ball return tables, people would rather play on them than the others. The ball return speeds up the games so I like that.

The only thing about ball return tables is that when you are playing one pocket, you cannot place your made balls in the side pocket, keeping them out of reach of those thieving snakes who would steal a ball when you aren't looking. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[Pushout]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, as cheap sounding as balls falling on top of one another. An occasional stuck ball is a small price to pay and set up properly they are not loud.

 

[rdplyr]

I recently purchased a Diamond Pro-am. It won't be delivered for 6-8 weeks. This will be my first experience with a ball return. My question to the forum is....Which do you prefer-drop pockets or....a ball return system?

My Diamond Pro-Am was delivered 2 weeks ago. I prefer the ball return. Much less of a pain to rack the balls.

 

[Fatboy]

Either one is cool with me, I like both, nice to change up once in a while

 

[TXsouthpaw]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, as cheap sounding as balls falling on top of one another. An occasional stuck ball is a small price to pay and set up properly they are not loud.

How do you figure that? I think its the opposite, the rolling of a ball down the track always reminds me of crappy bartables in dive bars.

 

[TXsouthpaw]

Just trying to confirm something here. By switching your break spot do you mean switching ends of the table you rack the balls? That is the only conclusion I could come to that would have anything to do with having a ball return or not.

Yes, physically move the spot and start breaking from the other side after a year or two to wear the cloth out evenly. Simonis for a 9 footer isnt cheap so every extra year I can get out of it worth it.

 

[JoeyA]

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, as cheap sounding as balls falling on top of one another. An occasional stuck ball is a small price to pay and set up properly they are not loud.

I do not remember a single stuck ball occurring in the last year and a half that we have had the Pro Am tables.

 

[Baxter]

Personally, I like the ball return. I compare to having a SS in a car, or an automatic. The stick shift may be fun for a while, but sooner or later you are going to wish you had an automatic.

I disagree completely. You will never find me buying a car with an automatic transmission. I prefer to drive my car, not let it drive me.

 

[Tokyo-dave]

It's funny to notice that people most likely favor conditions in wich they learned with. I learned to play pool during my 19 years in Japan where all the Gold Crowns had ball returns. When I came to the states, I can remember several times where I failed to jump out of my seat to help retrieve the balls. I personally like the ball returns, and especially the ones on the ProAms, and here's why. From a practice standpoint, I like to spend a couple of minutes just throwing the same cut shot out on the table and repeating the process over and over again, and with the ball return, I can stand in one spot and repeat the process without having to stop to retrieve balls. Lazy I guess, but when I'm running through drills like this, I like to get into a rhythm, and having to chase down balls breaks it up a bit.

One thing I did notice today however: The ball returns at first glance on a ProAm don't seem to be very exposed as they are on a GC. So, I wondered to myself today how difficult would it be to retrieve a lost piece of chalk or a stuck ball?

dave

 

[smoooothstroke]

For me drop pockets save the back.Drop pockets are ideal for one pocket.Drop pockets are great with 2 players since it gives the breaker something to do.

Ball returns can be hard on my back.Balls can get stuck and who wants to listen to a ball return sytem?Playing one pocket on a ball return table is a pain.

 

[highkarate]

great to play the ghost on a ball return