wow, facebook blowup

CJ Wiley said:
Unfortunately you are right in your rant.

Face it, we are playing a "carnival version" of pool these days. You will never see dotted cue balls, magic racks, or jump cues in snooker because they actually care about the integrity of their game/sport. Throw in super fast cloth and one foul rules and you have what we see today.......a tic tac toe version of the "master game".
regular-tic-tac-toe.jpg
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SNOOKER has adapted to new technologies.
The cloths are super fast, the pockets are tighter, the cushions (sometimes) have more spring!
The players GET ON WITH IT as it is all designed to make the game better and tougher...
IN LIFE - ALWAYS BRINGS CHANGE - it's natures way. Adapt or fall behind... :thumbup:
 
Certain inconsistencies in any sport CAN BE GOOD for the sport.
To achieve the Tennis Grand Slam - The player must be able to play on CLAY, GRASS & HARD courts.
Would Federer be credited and regarded the way he is IF he complained that WIMBLEDON was a poor tournament because it is played outside on grass? :confused:
If an inconsistency is the norm - then it becomes consistent as result - just like Tennis has its inconsistent YET consistent GRAND SLAM.
Now there's some twisted logic... :thumbup:
 
Facebook blowup

I never knew there were so many differences in the balls. No wonder I suck... Well, I'll fix this problem. Now in search of a new case with a side pocket big enough for my scales and calipers. Let me know if you have anything that might work.
 
I played a couple hours with this ball set. Only concern I had was picking out an exact spot on the object ball to aim at . The balls seem to pick up, and let light within the ball, giving them a similar feel/glow to them like a glow in the dark play toy that has been exposed to light hours earlier, but as night comes they still hold light.
Nebulous is the best way I'm able to describe how they appear/feel to my eyes. Like MG said....cue balls are either good or not, the bar box world has had thee most issues with cue balls, but there also....over the years have been Many different cue balls for the big tables.

I prefer Titilist #1 :) HNY To all.
 
Can you imagine spending years and years and years of hard work and practice so you can perform high level skills in competition on demand, only to find out that you've been neutralized by a set of balls that no longer allow you to perform those skills?

Yeah. I'd be mad as hell, actually.
 
FranCrimi said:
Can you imagine spending years and years and years of hard work and practice so you can perform high level skills in competition on demand, only to find out that you've been neutralized by a set of balls that no longer allow you to perform those skills?

Yeah. I'd be mad as hell, actually.
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Mad? Cause your DEAD "sport" has a sponsor? I'm guessing that without sponsors you wouldn't have a "sport" to play at all. He should be thanking them!

I was unaware that all the other balls he's ever played with were exactly the same. Lol. At least say something we could possibly believe.

You have read the posts where the people who saw the shot said there was no skid, right? Why let facts stop you, carry on.
Maybe we should blame diamond, if the pocket was bigger, he would've made the ball right? Or how about the cloth? Will that make you feel better?
 
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jasonlaus said:
Mad? Cause your DEAD "sport" has a sponsor? I'm guessing that without sponsors you wouldn't have a "sport" to play at all. He should be thanking them!

I was unaware that all the other balls he's ever played with were exactly the same. Lol. At least say something we could possibly believe.

You have read the posts where the people who saw the shot said there was no skid, right? Why let facts stop you, carry on.
Maybe we should blame diamond, if the pocket was bigger, he would've made the ball right? Or how about the cloth? Will that make you feel better?
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I see you've edited your post. If those balls are used in more pro events, you will see more reactions to them over time. I'm sure of it.
 
FranCrimi said:
I see you've edited your post. If those balls are used in more pro events, you will see more reactions to them over time. I'm sure of it.
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I'm sure you won't. Folks tend to hate change. Our league just changed from Valley's to Diamonds. Didn't even know that because I've been away for the last 6 months because of 2 knee surgeries.

Well, after the 2nd one, I get a call about 2 weeks out asking me to sub, they are desperate. Well, show up on one crutch, and shocked to see the Diamonds and the new colored balls.

I shot 6 games, won all 6 and was about to "blame" my good play on the Diamond tables when all along it was probably due to the Cyclop balls. Who knew?

Now, nobody disliked how the balls played, nobody. Yep, the old codgers were belly aching on the colors, and even a few of the young guys... cause it's new. I tend to think this will blow over cause there is nothing to it.

Now, Mark says the balls weight X amount, and yet, nobody is calling him out about it and saying he is wrong? Why not? heck, he even invited folks to come to his office and weigh the balls personally. Yep, facts are terrible ammunition in an argument dealing in emotions, they almost never win out. ;)
 
CJ Wiley said:
So are poorly designed pool balls the answer?

What pros say has very little to do with generating potential sponsors.

What does make a difference in raising money?

Business plan

Demographics

TV Schedule

Professional Marketing Strategy

Professional Advertising Plan

Rules Changes to bring out the best of the game

Eliminate the gaff equipment (magic racks, Cyclops Balls, jump cues, fast cloth etc)

Tennis actually changed the size and weight of tennis balls***. Some players were upset, however it made no difference, most of the general public wasn't even aware.


***
One of the hottest topics of debate in pro tennis for the last several years has been whether to and how to slow the game down, especially the men's game on fast courts such as grass. As the average size of pro players and the power of their racquets has increased, so have serve speeds, and the result has been many more short points dominated by the server. For many fans, this makes tennis less fun to watch. Proposals for slowing the game have included a one-serve rule and even a reversion to wooden racquets, but the ITF has opted for the less drastic measure of trying a slower ball.
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Eight years ago, the NBA wanted to go with a new basketball. The pros and unions complained.

The switch to the synthetic ball, the first change to the ball in more than 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons, was not well received by most players. Many of the league's biggest stars —Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Gilbert Arenas among them — complained publicly about the ball.

Billy Hunter, executive director of the players union, welcomed the change. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge this month with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to have the leather ball brought back.

"It was a sound decision," Hunter said. "It wasn't working for the players. You can't have as many players speaking out against the ball and continue to use it. The players are going to be happy. It was the prudent and professional thing to do."
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2006-12-11-new-ball-gone_x.htm
 
FranCrimi said:
I see you've edited your post. If those balls are used in more pro events, you will see more reactions to them over time. I'm sure of it.
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Yes, edited to add more.

So, you're still ignoring the fact there was NO SKID, he just hit it bad?
And you're still saying you've/he's played with the exact same set of balls your entire life? Same cleanliness, brand, etc? What about cloth, tables, humidity, cue, chalk?
Oh, the horror of it all, how do we make it through life???
 
The flaws in the Cyclop balls are seen most on brand new cloth stretched ultralight in pro tournament conditions. The slick finish on the balls interacting with the cloth is what causes the skids and differences in contact induced throw. A gram or two in weight difference won't make the balls roll off. A loss of friction and balls that aren't evenly balanced will. Aramith had posted images of these balls with air bubbles inside them.
 
Cardigan Kid said:
Eight years ago, the NBA wanted to go with a new basketball. The pros and unions complained.

The switch to the synthetic ball, the first change to the ball in more than 35 years and only the second in 60 seasons, was not well received by most players. Many of the league's biggest stars —Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Gilbert Arenas among them — complained publicly about the ball.

Billy Hunter, executive director of the players union, welcomed the change. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge this month with the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to have the leather ball brought back.

"It was a sound decision," Hunter said. "It wasn't working for the players. You can't have as many players speaking out against the ball and continue to use it. The players are going to be happy. It was the prudent and professional thing to do."
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2006-12-11-new-ball-gone_x.htm
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We're talking about pool tournaments here, if there was a market for pool on TV, and it actually PAID the players to play, then the balls would've never been changed-no value in it.
seems like Cyclops balls are MORE consistent than others. Wasn't this started cause somebody MISSED a shot which had NOTHING to do with the balls?
 
FranCrimi said:
I see you've edited your post. If those balls are used in more pro events, you will see more reactions to them over time. I'm sure of it.
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Fran,

Weren't those same Cyclop ball sets used at the invitational event CSI held last year in Vegas? Only change I remember was the use of a measle cue ball of unknown (to me) manufacture. Why didn't the top players in the world complain about the Cyclop's. They sure had a chance.

Remember this entire thread was started because Shawn Putnam posted on his Facebook page he would never again play in a tournament using Cyclop balls. He framed his tirade primarily about a missed shot in an AMATEUR tournament on Diamond Pro/Am SEVEN foot tables. The event was held in a night club with music so LOUD even the streamer had difficulty talking over it.

As Mr Griffin often states, "still not factual". Well those are the facts! Shawn over reacted, Get over it!!! Incidentally, looked at the list of the other pro player complainers on his thread. Seems most of them were not invited to Vegas and may be barred from future CSI events as well. Guess who they were? Come on, you know.

Lyn
 
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Not sure what your definition of a skid is. I agree about the gram or two difference in weight, but there are other factors that can cause a ball to roll off, and they are table related. One, is an uneven stretch when the cloth was put down on the table.

Can you point us to the pictures of the balls with air bubbles inside, this is the first I heard of this?


runouteasy said:
The flaws in the Cyclop balls are seen most on brand new cloth stretched ultralight in pro tournament conditions. The slick finish on the balls interacting with the cloth is what causes the skids and differences in contact induced throw. A gram or two in weight difference won't make the balls roll off. A loss of friction and balls that aren't evenly balanced will. Aramith had posted images of these balls with air bubbles inside them.
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jasonlaus said:
We're talking about pool tournaments here, if there was a market for pool on TV, and it actually PAID the players to play, then the balls would've never been changed-no value in it.
seems like Cyclops balls are MORE consistent than others. Wasn't this started cause somebody MISSED a shot which had NOTHING to do with the balls?
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I was just adding to cj's example of other sports where equipment was changed and the pros had problems adapting.

The problem pocket billiards has always had was there wasn't a standard set up by a governing body. Table tennis is in the Olympics because it's the complete opposite of pool in that the balls, table, nets, all have standards and are followed seriously.

Regardless of opinions on cyclop balls, I reference the standard rules for table tennis...
03. The Ball

3.1 The ball shall be spherical, with a diameter of 40 mm. The ball shall weigh 2.7 gm.
3.2 The ball shall be made of celluloid or similar plastic material and shall be white or orange and matte.

Cut and dry. No pink or colors, no variance in weights. This cyclop debate is just an example of what professional pool is lacking-structure.
 
Tony_in_MD said:
Not sure what your definition of a skid is. I agree about the gram or two difference in weight, but there are other factors that can cause a ball to roll off, and they are table related. One, is an uneven stretch when the cloth was put down on the table.

Can you point us to the pictures of the balls with air bubbles inside, this is the first I heard of this?
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Tony:

Here you go:

http://azbilliards.com/news/stories...c-balls-for-billiards-pool-and-all-cuesports/

-Sean
 
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