Dallas West old school 14.1

[Bob Jewett]

Did older tables seem less level? Also, I know that on faster, newer cloth, balls will slide in. Maybe older, slower cloth wouldn't allow as much slide?

In major tournaments today the tables are very level on average, probably better than 60 years ago. The slower cloth back then helped to hide non-flatness. When Simonis became the standard for tournament cloth I think it was a problem for the installers to get the tables really level. Diamond seems to have solved that problem.

I think the old cloth was just as forgiving on nearly-missed shots. I remember seeing Caras in an exhibition in 1975. The main thing I noticed was how many shots he played off the near jaw. At the time I thought it was a defect in his game but now I think it was just his way of making the shot fuller (for shots along the rail) so it was easier to control the cue ball. He didn't miss.

 

[Dan White]

In major tournaments today the tables are very level on average, probably better than 60 years ago. The slower cloth back then helped to hide non-flatness. When Simonis became the standard for tournament cloth I think it was a problem for the installers to get the tables really level. Diamond seems to have solved that problem.

I think the old cloth was just as forgiving on nearly-missed shots. I remember seeing Caras in an exhibition in 1975. The main thing I noticed was how many shots he played off the near jaw. At the time I thought it was a defect in his game but now I think it was just his way of making the shot fuller (for shots along the rail) so it was easier to control the cue ball. He didn't miss.

I can't remember the match, but I recall Efren doing the same thing on many of his rail shots. He would graze the near rail on the way to the pocket and then bounce in off the far pocket facing. Not sure if that's exactly what you are saying.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I can't remember the match, but I recall Efren doing the same thing on many of his rail shots. He would graze the near rail on the way to the pocket and then bounce in off the far pocket facing. Not sure if that's exactly what you are saying.

Yes, that's what I mean.

I contrasted what I saw Caras do with Crane who took great pride in being more accurate than other players in pocketing the ball cleanly.

 

[measureman]

If you graze the rail on a diamond with more then pocket speed most of the time it rattles and hangs up.
I play on Diamonds all the time and you can't get away with that like on a Crown.

 

[Ratta]

A good friend of mine made holiday in the USA and got the chance to practice with Dallas West-- his story was hilarious. Day per Day Dallas begun every first match against him with a 100+ run. Without an exception over almost two weeks- on one day Boris wondered about something- but wasn t able to figure out, what "was going wrong" or "lookin strange"......finally he worked it out.....Dallas shot a 100 with his opposite hand....LOL. that was something, rofl.
Dallas West was someone i would have loved to see live or to play against (ok, focus on racking^^). - A true 14.1 legend. Fact.