Question About Tight Pockets

jtompilot said:
I had a GC4 for 10-12 years. The normal is around 5” corners. The pool hall I got the table from just added extra facings to tighten them to 4.5”. I considered them to play fairly. A 4.5” Diamond plays a bit tougher because the shelf is so deep. I recommend you put your big boy pants on and work on your fundamentals and game.

Just for reference I normally play on 4.125 or 4.25 corner Diamonds. When I get to play on a 4.5 table, I’m free wheeling. That doesn’t mean I never miss but I just go for it more often.
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My home table is a blue label Diamond Pro-Am with 4.25" corner pockets and it plays tough. You cannot cheat the pocket and even well hit balls that touch the side cushion will hang up. Average players like me have problems running balls on this table. I think my high run when I used to practice Straight Pool was 38 or 40. I've had many champions play here and they turn my tight pocket table into their own private playground. This is when I see clearly the difference in ability of a Shane or a Dennis. They run racks of 9-Ball like nothing and racks of Ten Ball are not much different. Once they land on the right angle from the one to the two ball it's basically all over, unless balls are tied up, and they usually dispose of those fairly quickly too.

Mika came here a few years back and immediately ran 78 balls playing Straight. I've watched Dennis practice 14.1 and he strings racks effortlessly. Three or four racks is average for him and he'll put together at least one five or six rack run if he practices for a couple of hours.

As Steve Mizerak used to say, "Practice, Practice, Practice!"
 
4.5" corners
4.75" sides

For reference.

Will post full pics once it's setup. They might open up slightly after all the rails are installed and adjusted.
 

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jay helfert said:
Chris, what would be the facing angle if the pocket opening is 4.5" and it remains 4.5" at the back of the pocket? I call this a straight cut pocket. I am asking because this is the way many pool tables had their pockets cut when I was first learning to play.
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Jay, 135° pocket facing angle inside the pocket would be completely parallel and make the pocket play relatively easy, even on 4-1/2 inch pockets. Some of the older model cheaper Brunswick‘s had pockets that opened up to a 145° angle but 5-1/4 inch mouth measurements. In my opinion, that would play tougher than the former, particularly on shots down the rails.

A number of Poolroom’s in LA/California that Ernesto Dominguez has redone their pockets may have extended subrails and pocket mouth openings at 4 inches, but because he changes the pocket facing angles to the 137-138° range, they still play relatively fair, despite being that tight. Apparently a number of the more serious players in the pool rooms out there prefer that.

In my opinion, it’s all about the pocket facing angle moreso than the pocket mouth opening measurement, as the variable that most makes pockets play easy or hard.
 
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DrCue'sProtege said:
Legs???

When I say Protractor this is what I am referring to.
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One way to use that tool is to get a piece of paper and a short 1x2 board or a straight edge. Place the paper on the table by the pocket and maybe tape it down. Place the board against the nose of the cushion along the rail and draw a line on the paper that is parallel to the rail. Move the board so it is against the pocket facing as good as you can make it. Draw another line on the paper along the board that is parallel to the pocket facing. The two lines should cross and if not, extend them as needed.

Use the protractor to measure the appropriate angle between the two lines on the paper.

But now I'm curious... Did you ever take mechanical drawing in high school or middle school? It used to be required around here.
 
You could try estimating where the point would be if it wasn't rounded off and placing the center point on your protractor there.

pj
chgo

angle.jpg
 
iusedtoberich said:
Return the protractor and get a bevel gauge. Here is one that will give you the number electronically for $20...
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I just ordered a digital model that looked more like the one I posted above with two more or less equal arms. It's stainless instead of plastic, and only $20. It can be used as a bevel gauge. How did I not have one of these before? Would you believe four cuts to get one bevel?
 
hang-the-9 said:
Funny thing abut current online play the ghost tournaments, the home tables that people are proud to own with tight pockets for practice are now making it harder to compete with players that have larger pockets/easier playing pickets. Someone with large pockets can have a several ball advantage over someone that setup their home table for tougher practice vs normal play.
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Really....:scratchhead:
 
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ChrisinNC said:
Jay, 135° pocket facing angle inside the pocket would be completely parallel and make the pocket play relatively easy, even on 4-1/2 inch pockets. Some of the older model cheaper Brunswick‘s had pockets that opened up to a 145° angle but 5-1/4 inch mouth measurements. In my opinion, that would play tougher than the former, particularly on shots down the rails.

A number of Poolroom’s in LA/California that Ernesto Dominguez has redone their pockets may have extended subrails and pocket mouth openings at 4 inches, but because he changes the pocket facing angles to the 137-138° range, they still play relatively fair, despite being that tight. Apparently a number of the more serious players in the pool rooms out there prefer that.

In my opinion, it’s all about the pocket facing angle moreso than the pocket mouth opening measurement, as the variable that most makes pockets play easy or hard.
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris. That was a typical set up for tournaments back in the day. Maybe that's why they were running so many balls.
 
The_JV said:
I was serious earlier.... haphazard use of a regular ruler, and basic right angle triangle trig, and you're done.

Google "right angle triangle calculator". Don't even have to think about it.

Here, I even googled it for you: https://www.calculator.net/right-triangle-calculator.html
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With a right triangle and some careful measurements you could do it and avoid the rounded corner. But each 1/16" off = about 1 degree.

pj
chgo

pocket angle calc.jpg
 
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