if a table is new, flat and straight and leveled, and cushions and cloth are of high quality, why would one table play better than another?
what exactly makes a table play well?
- Thread starter smashmouth
- Start date
The weight of the table, for one. The heavier it is, the better is seems to play. At least that is my experience.
On a top end table, it is my experience that it's all in how it is setup to begin with. A rushed and sloppy setup can ruin a great table's roll. Loosely stretched cloth, half-assed leveling, not squaring the rails, loose rail cloth, not examining the frame before even placing the slate down... etc...
I went through a shoddy (rushed) setup on my GC-IV and it didn't take long to tell that there was roll off at certain points on the table. I made the company that I bought the table from pay for someone (who I chose) to fix the problems that I was noticing.
My guy had to break the table down to the frame and start all over again. He said that the Simonis cloth wasn't even stretched very tight and 2 of the slates weren't even joined at the same height. My guy also card glued (not sure what it's called) the slates to help keep them from separating over time.
After the new setup, my table was definitely playing as well as any table within 100 miles... the difference was night and day.
So to answer your question with my oppinion... It's all in the setup.
Unless you're talking about a cheaper furniture style table... I would say the frame would likely change how the table plays over time if it's not built strong enough to support the slate. A GC-IV weighs in around 1200 pounds.
Different make or the same make?
Different make is EZ. Rail width, what the rails are constructed from, type of cushion profile etc.
Same Make I believe the consistency of setup, like how much the cloth was pulled stretched, how careful the rails were installed. How tight were the tolerances by the maker of the table.
For example, my GCII factory rails, every pocket had different pocket angles, thus each pocket played different. My rails were also not a uniform height going down the length of the rail. It took an expert mechanic to discover and fix these issues.
Different make is EZ. Rail width, what the rails are constructed from, type of cushion profile etc.
Same Make I believe the consistency of setup, like how much the cloth was pulled stretched, how careful the rails were installed. How tight were the tolerances by the maker of the table.
For example, my GCII factory rails, every pocket had different pocket angles, thus each pocket played different. My rails were also not a uniform height going down the length of the rail. It took an expert mechanic to discover and fix these issues.
Any table that takes a well hit ball plays well to me. Nothing more upsetting than hitting a ball perfect down the rail and watching it hit pocket facing 3 or 4 times and never fall. That and level to the point you can hit a ball slow and not watch it roll off.
This and this and this
I am genuinely curious about the topic of this post, so forgive me because I am not nagging. What is a well hit ball? To describe a table that plays well, telling me that it should accept a well hit ball begs the question.
i would add that the rails play "true" ie close to the systems
Tables with thicker slates tend to play better (the ball rolls truer and more smoothly). Naturally the table has to be dead level as well. The rails should play true to the systems most commonly used, which means that they play like pool rails should. Pool rails should NOT play like snooker rails (super bouncy without grabbing the ball). I don't know what they do to some of the rail rubber/rail profiles being used today, but the rails are no longer playing right on some tables. I'm not even old, I only started playing about 15 years ago, but the new rails are definitely playing different from the older ones, and not in a good way. The cueball goes short, and plays unpredictably.
There are several things that can make a rail play badly. Not tightening the railbolts evenly, unevenly strectching the rail cloth, missing rail bolts etc..But if all of this is in order, then there is a design problem with the rubber or the rail itself.
Well hit balls along the rails should NOT hang up in the pockets. This is an American invention to try to "trap" people in gambling situations. I have no idea how pockets like this have become so popular? They do not help the better players, and in fact may hold back the really explosive run-out players. Maybe that's why? I do know that I HATE it when some guy whines about the pockets being to big. This usually happens on my inning, btw...Sore losers make bad design consultants IMO. They gave us the gaff pockets and call-shot/call-safe 10 ball. Both are terrible.
There are several things that can make a rail play badly. Not tightening the railbolts evenly, unevenly strectching the rail cloth, missing rail bolts etc..But if all of this is in order, then there is a design problem with the rubber or the rail itself.
Well hit balls along the rails should NOT hang up in the pockets. This is an American invention to try to "trap" people in gambling situations. I have no idea how pockets like this have become so popular? They do not help the better players, and in fact may hold back the really explosive run-out players. Maybe that's why? I do know that I HATE it when some guy whines about the pockets being to big. This usually happens on my inning, btw...Sore losers make bad design consultants IMO. They gave us the gaff pockets and call-shot/call-safe 10 ball. Both are terrible.
PoolChump
Banned
Room and outside temperatures, humidity level, quality of balls, pocket size and cut, cushion responsiveness, etc. Every table plays differently, even if they are identical.
If you hit the pocket facing and the ball won't fall then it's gaffed. Cupped facings, inordinately deep shelves and facings that no longer have the 15 degree down angle all can do it. Tables need more than recovering to play correctly.
foundation cloth rails.......
I agree....I have said if I had a choice of tables I have never seen...
...and could only ask one question...
...it would be ....which one's the heaviest?
'course, a lousy billiard mechanic could screw it up.
Probably the best answer. Even if the set-up is perfect with high quality cloth and rubber it can still play poorly due to incorrect pocket miters, shelf depth or lack thereof, sub-rail angle etc..... The better or more "correct" everything is the better it will play.
The primary difference is in the set up. The money I paid RKC ~10 years ago to set up my GCIV is still reaping dividends. A great table tech will essentially "blueprint" your table in much the same that a master engine builder would build a great car engine.
A few other considerations are:
Is the table build consistent with the owner's intended use?
Does the table have adequate lighting?
Is the supporting equipment (rakes, racks, ball cleaners, chalk, house cues, etc.) consistent with the quality of your table?
A few other considerations are:
Is the table build consistent with the owner's intended use?
Does the table have adequate lighting?
Is the supporting equipment (rakes, racks, ball cleaners, chalk, house cues, etc.) consistent with the quality of your table?
Good players make a table play well. 