I fail to understand the obsession to have deeper shelfs in the corner pockets. Are all of you guys so good you don't miss a ball, so you want to extend the pocket shelfs to set your pockets up to help you miss pocketing a ball??
tightened gold crown
- Thread starter dendweller
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dendweller
Well-known member
just would rather not practice on a table that is easier than what I play matches on. the other way around is preferable
Thought you were 'Mr. Diamond' himself?? So you don't like their deeper shelves?
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Has nothing to do with Diamond, or the pocket shelfs, if you play center pocket with your object balls, the shelf depth don't mean shit. Just like practicing on a table with 4" corner pockets, that won't make you a world beater.
No, the shelf depth is just one component in trying to recreate the exact conditions in the tournament setting. Diamond sets the standards these days, so I just want a table that plays as hard, or harder. Besides most of us with old Brunswick commercials have bad rails anyway that need extensive overhaul, so why not have the mechanic go the extra step and have them play like modern top-notch tournament tables?
When you tighten them you lose some shelf. Not that big a deal. I played on a GC4 tightened to around 4.5 and the shelf was still a decent amount, probably 1.25ish.
I think your calculations are correct at 1.25” for a GC with 4.5 corners, with all other factors being stock, but it still wouldn’t be within BCA specs of 1-5/8” min. I agree that it’s not that big of a deal, but like I said earlier, why not have the mechanic work toward meeting the tournament specs when it’s being overhauled anyway. I’m no world beater, and never will be one, but nothing wrong with trying to meet the min standard as it relates to the equipment specs. That’s probably the old aircraft mechanic in me.
If you want your table to have pocket shelfs, and you want it to play like a Diamond....then just by a Diamond! Tell me something, did you play in the US Open 9B event? If so, did you place in the money, the final 16? Because if you didn't, then you don't seriously believe the pocket shelfs are holding your game back do you? Practice, practice, practice don't make perfection, but it does make it much easier to make balls instead of missing them!! Again, making balls has NOTHING to do with the depth of the pocket shelf, hit the balls right, and they'll go in the pockets 100% of the time!!!
I hear ya Glen, but buying a new table is not me. Everything I have is old. I cut grass with a 1964 2 stroke mower, I mix my margaritas in a blender that is older than both of us. I’m just a dude who likes the old stuff.
I'm no mech so just how do make the shelf longer? You glue extension to the slate?? That would seem kinda redneck engineering to me. Its something i would not even worry about. That tiny bit of difference is not going to be a factor in getting better as a player. I really couldn't care less what the WPA/BCA have to say. About anything.
Deeper subrails, and/or slate change would be my preference. Look guys, nothing here worth arguing about. It’s all just personal preference.
I hear ya, I just think its easier to match your game to ANY table you play on with practice, rather than have a table at home to practice on that you WON'T be playing on anywhere else you go
I don't know. My Gold Crown I with 4.125" Corners and 4.875" Sides plays tougher than any Pro Cut Diamond I've ever played on. We have a room here that has a couple Pro Cut Pro Am's. To me, the pockets look like buckets even with the deeper (than my table) shelves. The Diamond takes waaaay more balls that brush the rail than my table.
dendweller
Well-known member
makes sense to me, when I'm out playing I want to be surprised when something drops that I'm not used to dropping, not surprised it rattles.
Has 100% to do with the pocket miter angles and facings. If your table plays way harder than another GC1 with the same size pockets, then somethings wrong!
Who did the pocket work on your table?
Big difference between 4 1/8" corner pockets when compared to 4 1/2" corner pockets, they should play harder, they offer a smaller opening. And while the 141 miter angles you have, that makes the throat of the pocket tighter, the 15 degree down angle reduces the pocket rattle more than the 13 degree down angle does.
140 miter, and 13 down angle should be the specs on your pockets, with 102 miter angle and 13 down on the sides
I
If you can line up 4 balls against the long side rails, and shoot that combination at break speed, pocketing the first ball in that combo, then anytime playing in a game, if you miss pocketing a ball, the miss has zero % to do with the pocket geometry, and 100% to do with the shooter!!
dendweller
Well-known member
This was a tripled shimmed olhausen grand champion I had 20 years ago. Started it at double shimmed, made the table play better given we replaced the soft facing it came with and the way it made the balls rattle. Then I slipped another facing in there, was trying to copy the gambling table at the pool hall in town. Still played better than stock.
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And when a ball was hit into the point of a pocket it died right there on the spot, but still better than a stock Olhausen right?
dendweller
Well-known member
exactlyAnd when a ball was hit into the point of a pocket it died right there on the spot, but still better than a stock Olhausen right?