Side Pocket Blockers

[nataddrho]

Would there be ANY interest at all if someone were to make and market side pocket blockers, at an economical price and performed properly?

They would have to somehow perfectly match the rail and rebound balls just like a straight rail.

I personally have no idea if anyone would want or buy these, or even how to make such a thing.

I only ask because I used to practice with an older gentleman who has since passed, and he was a decent player. We would play with side pockets off and I liked it. Strickland also doesn’t like side pockets.

 

[Lawnboy77]

I doubt there would be much interest, and honestly I don’t see any real value in playing without side pockets.

 

[GoldCrown]

Would there be ANY interest at all if someone were to make and market side pocket blockers, at an economical price and performed properly?

They would have to somehow perfectly match the rail and rebound balls just like a straight rail.

I personally have no idea if anyone would want or buy these, or even how to make such a thing.

I only ask because I used to practice with an older gentleman who has since passed, and he was a decent player. We would play with side pockets off and I liked it. Strickland also doesn’t like side pockets.

I'm not a mech but to get them to fit perfect wouldn't they have to be done on location. Just my .2 but might as well do all 6 and practice caroms

 

[ChrisinNC]

Would there be ANY interest at all if someone were to make and market side pocket blockers, at an economical price and performed properly?

They would have to somehow perfectly match the rail and rebound balls just like a straight rail.

I personally have no idea if anyone would want or buy these, or even how to make such a thing.

I only ask because I used to practice with an older gentleman who has since passed, and he was a decent player. We would play with side pockets off and I liked it. Strickland also doesn’t like side pockets.

You would be best just not allowing yourself to use the side pockets, if that’s how you want to try practicing. Any time you’d play on a standard table, you would not want the cue ball to be contacting where the side pocket would be anyway, as it would be a scratch.

Also, it would be difficult to design these, as it would have to be custom-made for whatever size and cut of the side pockets on your particular table, for them to fit correctly.

 

[pt109]

I think people who want tougher conditions are guilty of vanity.
A guy who agreed with the Pearl on no side pockets and felt all pockets should be tighter, I took him to an original GCI with five inch pockets ( side pockets 5.5 ), put out a set of balls and said”Get out your cue and show me why you need smaller pockets.”

 

[jtaylor996]

What about carom conversion? Like a cushion set that sits inside the existing ones that blocks all the pockets. you'd lose a couple inches of play surface, but gain a carom table.

 

[skogstokig]

What about carom conversion? Like a cushion set that sits inside the existing ones that blocks all the pockets. you'd lose a couple inches of play surface, but gain a carom table.

haven't checked lately but some year ago those carom blocks were hard to come by

 

[tomatoshooter]

I think people who want tougher conditions are guilty of vanity.
A guy who agreed with the Pearl on no side pockets and felt all pockets should be tighter, I took him to an original GCI with five inch pockets ( side pockets 5.5 ), put out a set of balls and said”Get out your cue and show me why you need smaller pockets.”

I've never run so many racks it got boring. I definitely agree about the vanity. I suppose in some situations, like a challenge table, tight pockets might be preferable. They would probably give someone a better chance to get back to the table. If you are playing races, just play a longer set if the games go too fast.

 

[nataddrho]

Thanks all. I had this idea in my head for years, involved something like a guitar string string across the opening at the cushion point height and designed in a way to replicate the bounce of a cushion, but not the spin transfer. I was indeed thinking of carom also but that application is in the one percent.

I’ll let this idea expire and make room for other stuff.

Nate.

 

[Black-Balled]

What about carom conversion? Like a cushion set that sits inside the existing ones that blocks all the pockets. you'd lose a couple inches of play surface, but gain a carom table.

Yeah, if you are gonna do blockers, might as well make them for all the pockets.

I'd think the actual market for blockers would be folks who wanted to apply them for carom games, not pool without side pockets .

 

[Black-Balled]

I was indeed thinking of carom also but that application is in the one percent.


Nate.

Fiiiight!!!

 

[Lawnboy77]

Here is a link to a thread posted a few months ago that talked about a game played way back called “Corners”, no side pockets, one end with corner pockets, the other end carom. I don’t think you could get there by just installing blockers in the sides. I think the long rails would need to replaced with a one piece rail (see pic in link posted).

Manufacture Date for "Corners" Table with Two Pockets

Corners was a predecessor of modern One Pocket. Chris Owen wrote an article on "The Game of Corners" that gives an in-depth history of the game. It's not exactly the same as One Pocket--the balls are racked at the foot of the table at the...

forums.azbilliards.com

 

[u12armresl]

Thanks all. I had this idea in my head for years, involved something like a guitar string string across the opening at the cushion point height and designed in a way to replicate the bounce of a cushion, but not the spin transfer. I was indeed thinking of carom also but that application is in the one percent.

I’ll let this idea expire and make room for other stuff.

Nate.

Guitar string would screw up balls.

 

[Black-Balled]

Guitar string would screw up balls.

He didn't say he was gonna use a guitar string, lol.

I like the ingenuity displayed, using something other than traditional cushion materials.

I'd think some sort of inflatable would be better...but that's about the extent of effort I'm in for.

 

[nataddrho]

Yeah, if you are gonna do blockers, might as well make them for all the pockets.

I'd think the actual market for blockers would be folks who wanted to apply them for carom games, not pool without side pockets .

I do infact play carom on a pool table, about half as often as I play pool. I don’t know anyone else that does this, and haven’t met many people that even wanted to join me.

I learned to live with the pockets, and use the pockets as hazards, which I believe was their original purpose. I play 1 cushion and all of the balls need to stay on the table. Exception: You are allowed to pocket a ball only if it is the last ball hit.

I play 1C because in 3C the side pockets get Really annoying.

 

[Black-Balled]

I do infact play carom on a pool table, about half as often as I play pool. I don’t know anyone else that does this, and haven’t met many people that even wanted to join me.

I learned to live with the pockets, and use the pockets as hazards, which I believe was their original purpose. I play 1 cushion and all of the balls need to stay on the table. Exception: You are allowed to pocket a ball only if it is the last ball hit.

I play 1C because in 3C the side pockets get Really annoying.

I do it a lot too.

Now we don't have to play with ourselves any longer

WTF???? Hahah

I play pocketed ball is without consequence and it respots in center spot of the end it went in (foot/ head or center).

It is annoying though coz the table is so slow and English disappears so quickly.

It in my basement though...so there's that.

 

[jtaylor996]

Yeah, if you are gonna do blockers, might as well make them for all the pockets.

I'd think the actual market for blockers would be folks who wanted to apply them for carom games, not pool without side pockets .

Yeah, what I'm envisioning is a complete set of cushions, that sits in front of the cushions on the pool table. This would make it play consistent, and then you could also raise the nose height to match the larger 3c balls. Storing it would be a pain, though. But it would be usable at least. So like make a rectangle of AL or CF that just fits inside the nose of your current cushions, and then mount the carom cushions to that. You've still got the mass of your rails, and the AL or CF is stiff enough that it won't play weird in front of your side pockets. Then slap a heater under the slate and you're in business.

 

[Black-Balled]

Yeah, what I'm envisioning is a complete set of cushions, that sits in front of the cushions on the pool table. This would make it play consistent, and then you could also raise the nose height to match the larger 3c balls. Storing it would be a pain, though. But it would be usable at least. So like make a rectangle of AL or CF that just fits inside the nose of your current cushions, and then mount the carom cushions to that. You've still got the mass of your rails, and the AL or CF is stiff enough that it won't play weird in front of your side pockets.

I have a friend who is a very good carpenter and he proposed a similar alternative, held in place under the table and hooking under cushions from top.

However, he is NOT a pool player and has not done anything about this idea for 20yrs.

Not sure about the need for it to use carom balls though. Pool balls would better, imo. All folks with pool tables have them already and pool sticks are for pool balls. Plus, bed speed is way off, so why bother with changing ball size (only)?

 

[nataddrho]

Yeah, what I'm envisioning is a complete set of cushions, that sits in front of the cushions on the pool table. This would make it play consistent, and then you could also raise the nose height to match the larger 3c balls. Storing it would be a pain, though. But it would be usable at least. So like make a rectangle of AL or CF that just fits inside the nose of your current cushions, and then mount the carom cushions to that. You've still got the mass of your rails, and the AL or CF is stiff enough that it won't play weird in front of your side pockets. Then slap a heater under the slate and you're in business.

Don Owen of OB Cues has a Gabriel’s table with removable rails held in place by rare earth magnets. You need a special tool similar to a crowbar to remove the rails.

He has a set for carom, snooker and pool. Cloth doesn’t change.

Gabriels discontinued this type of table. Shame.

 

[justadub]

Earl might want some...