12' x 20' room ok for a 7' table?

kirkmc

New member
Looking at buying a used 7' table and am wondering if it will be a pain if i put it in a 12' x 20' room. I know it should be 13' 6" to be optimal. perhaps a shorter stick for the perpendicular side shots against the long rails? Also how much would/should a new felt and 3 piece slate set-up cost me in Minneapolis? Thanks! Happy to be here!
 
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Without a doubt, play will be adversely impacted by placing it in a room that narrow. At a minimum you need 64 inches of clearance on all sides to accommodate a standard 58 inch cue without an impeded backswing. With the dimensions of your room, you will definitely need a short cue for when balls are close to the long rails. Whether or not that is a deal breaker for you is up to your preferences and how serious of a player you are.

As for your comments on price, I wouldn't be so hasty to think that's a great deal. There are maybe 3 models of pool table that have any sort of value on the used market. I believe the model you mentioned is a 'furniture table' and if so, does not fall into this category. If you browse facebook marketplace you'll see that the used market is full of similar tables. Despite their high initial new price, they're worth maybe a few hundred dollars at most once used. Many can be found for free due to the amount of effort that goes into tearing down/moving pool tables. I bet you're looking at another $500-750 to get someone to move that table, reassemble/level at your house, and replace the cloth. So all of the sudden that $650 table is looking a lot more like a $1,000+ one. If you're absolutely set on that table, I'd offer the seller a couple hundred bucks and see what they say. Pool tables are not an easy item to sell and there are a ton of them on the market so you certainly have leverage in a negotiation.
 
Figure out how short a cue you will need when the cue ball is in a bad spot:

Cue length = ( inches of room width - inches of table width ) /2 - inches of backswing

room width = 12*12 = 144 inches
table width (rail nose to nose ) = 40 inches?
backswing = 6 inches (sort of on the low end)

Allowed cue length = (144-40)/2 - 6 = 46 inches

Try a 46-inch cue. If that's not a problem for you, go for it.

Remember that the shorter the length of the cue calculated above, the more shots you will need to use it. Even if the cue ball is 12 inches off the rail, you will be bumping the wall with a normal 58-inch cue.
 
We moved last year and I got my dream room dimensions (20'X30'), but about a month before we found this place, I was about to pull the trigger on a 9' table to put in my old place with a 13'x22' room.

Would not have been ideal, but I figured for my own use I would definitely get enough benefit for it to be worthwhile.

In your case, I don't think it would not be a great setup to host people to play or whatever, but for practice? Definitely worth it IMO.
 
Figure out how short a cue you will need when the cue ball is in a bad spot:

Cue length = ( inches of room width - inches of table width ) /2 - inches of backswing

room width = 12*12 = 144 inches
table width (rail nose to nose ) = 40 inches?
backswing = 6 inches (sort of on the low end)

Allowed cue length = (144-40)/2 - 6 = 46 inches

Try a 46-inch cue. If that's not a problem for you, go for it.

Remember that the shorter the length of the cue calculated above, the more shots you will need to use it. Even if the cue ball is 12 inches off the rail, you will be bumping the wall with a normal 58-inch cue.
Here's a shortcut to a calculation like Bob describes - it shows the shorty stick sizes needed for 6" of stroking room with various size tables. For a 7-footer you'd need a 46"-47” shorty (longer if you can work with less stroke room).

pj
chgo

room size.jpg
 
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I think 6” of stroking length is overkill when looking for a minimum. That’s like Rolls Royce room. If there really was 6” available, the player should probably get the next size bigger table.
I don’t agree with the above cited post. You really should have that much stroking space but 4” is the minimum.
 
My room is 13'-10" and I have an 8' table. Only on perpendicular shots with the cue ball frozen on the long I will bump my cue getting into position but I don't use a lot of backswing when I can only see the top of the ball. I can shoot several games without ever noticing it. If the room was 13'-9" it would get in the way.
 
It's gonna be very tight width wise for sure even when your several inches of the side rails. If you are fine using shorter cues on side shots then I think you will still enjoy it. You got plenty of room length wise so playing of the head and foot rails will not be an issue.
 
Looking at buying a used 7' table and am wondering if it will be a pain if i put it in a 12' x 20' room. I know it should be 13' 6" to be optimal. perhaps a shorter stick for the perpendicular side shots against the long rails? Also how much would/should a new felt and 3 piece slate set-up cost me in Minneapolis? Thanks! Happy to be here!
My townhome basement is 12'6" inches wide by 20' feet long. The short side shots all require a very short cue. I use my table to stay in stroke a little and do North, South drills long ways.

It's better than nothing.
 
My townhome basement is 12'6" inches wide by 20' feet long. The short side shots all require a very short cue. I use my table to stay in stroke a little and do North, South drills long ways.

It's better than nothing.
Cue mechanics were I live charge between $500-650 to set up and felt a small table (includes Simonis felt). Charges can depend on moving a table up or down stairs and so on.

You can ask your nearest poolroom who they use. The Pros make it look easy.
 
Looking at buying a used 7' table and am wondering if it will be a pain if i put it in a 12' x 20' room. I know it should be 13' 6" to be optimal. perhaps a shorter stick for the perpendicular side shots against the long rails? Also how much would/should a new felt and 3 piece slate set-up cost me in Minneapolis? Thanks! Happy to be here!
NO...................
 
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