I've been thinking about this. Why are the black stripes a problem? Because you can't see the edge of the ball? That was said earlier in the thread. Obviously most of you must be 9 ball players. I play 8 ball...mostly.... and have been told over and over again that shooting at the 8 ball is no different then all the others. That the only reason I miss the 8 is because it's all in my head. So now you are saying I can run the table down to the 8, and have been missing the 8 because its black? Glad to know it wasnt me.
If the black is harder to see because of less contrast, I know how to fix the problem. We all need to start covering our tables in white cloth! That'll work. And we can use chalk in its natural color too!
I guess i would have to try shooting with them before I personally can denounce them. But that must be the wrong way to do things these days.