Will 4 inches pockets be the future of US pool, bar box and big table?
- Thread starter JCL
- Start date
My local place has 10 nice GC4's. Six have about 4.25 corners and the rest are 4.5 ALL of them are too tight for general recreation play. I've tried to set the owners straight and just have four tight ones and open the rest but they just have no clue about pool.
Timkrieger
Well-known member
Takes away from the game, it’s not better and doesn’t equate to a “better player.” The best players can move the cue ball and use all of the pocket to do it and to make certain shots. The smaller you make the pockets, the more one dimensional you make the game. Also smaller pockets discourage pushing the limits during practice, trying new shots, extreme spin, etc. Actually hurts your game to practice on pockets under 4.25.
And is useless for ANY rotation games much less 14.1 IMO the 4.5" Diamond ProCut's combined with their deeper shelf is a great all'round set-up.
MurrayNevada
Well-known member
"Ridiculous" you say. It's all about putting a ball in a hole. Your overreaction to my post is probably the result of too much coffee this morning. Breathing exercises help in some cases.
Timkrieger
Well-known member
Comparison makes sense to me, golf is the most similar game to pool—fact!
I believe less than 4.5" pockets take away from the enjoyment for those not obsessed with pool, the people playing once or twice a month or less. I think they make it much harder to learn to play shape too.
I think most of us worked our way down to tight pockets. I started on bucket pocketed five by tens and bar tables. At my best I could play shape on a snooker table tightened up to play golf on. The pockets were tight, the shelves were deep. Impossible to run down a rail and pocket a ball without helping english. That old table made the Riley Championship pockets look like buckets. I doubt I would have ever learned to play anything but the crudest shape had I started out playing on that old snooker table and never played the tables with at least three distinct lanes into the pocket, some people said five lanes.
Hu
I think most of us worked our way down to tight pockets. I started on bucket pocketed five by tens and bar tables. At my best I could play shape on a snooker table tightened up to play golf on. The pockets were tight, the shelves were deep. Impossible to run down a rail and pocket a ball without helping english. That old table made the Riley Championship pockets look like buckets. I doubt I would have ever learned to play anything but the crudest shape had I started out playing on that old snooker table and never played the tables with at least three distinct lanes into the pocket, some people said five lanes.
Hu
The only part of golf that even comes close to pool is putting. That's it. Even then its way different with slopes, grain, different grasses, etc.
I don’t like the deep shelf, otherwise yes for all around it’s a great set up
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
I remember reading what JS once said about ’massive runs’ in straight pool and that is that they would not be possible without 5 inch pockets. For the straight pool high run challenges I say keep the 5 inchers but for everything else the tighter pockets are preferable.
At the last American 14.1 tournament i watched they used ProCut Diamonds. Didn't slow those guys down one bit. Here's Filler TORTURING Alex:
I have pro cuts on my GC4 and they are tight but fair.
I have a 4.125" extra top being worked on right now by Mark. I'll let you know on a few weeks how I feel about that pocket size.
I have a 4.125" extra top being worked on right now by Mark. I'll let you know on a few weeks how I feel about that pocket size.
Fine for a home table and 1p but awfully tight for rot. and impossible for 14.1 to be played correctly. In a poolroom they're a nightmare.
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Minnesota Phat
Active member
I like difficult shots, and I find the types of games played by the pros a little boring to watch, because they play so safe.
It's just my opinion, but I think smaller pockets would make the game even more boring, because it would discourage high-difficulty shots even more.
For the pros, I'd like to see a game that rewards intricate shot-making, such as Honolulu Rules. For casuals and bangers, pool is already difficult enough to discourage most of them from playing regularly, so making it even harder seems counterproductive.
I wouldn't change anything, but if I were going to change the pockets, I'd make them a little bigger. Pool seems to me to be all-but-inaccessible to new players, what with all the equipment options, the inconsistent rules, and the inherent difficulty of the game - making pockets smaller would make things even harder on new players.
It's just my opinion, but I think smaller pockets would make the game even more boring, because it would discourage high-difficulty shots even more.
For the pros, I'd like to see a game that rewards intricate shot-making, such as Honolulu Rules. For casuals and bangers, pool is already difficult enough to discourage most of them from playing regularly, so making it even harder seems counterproductive.
I wouldn't change anything, but if I were going to change the pockets, I'd make them a little bigger. Pool seems to me to be all-but-inaccessible to new players, what with all the equipment options, the inconsistent rules, and the inherent difficulty of the game - making pockets smaller would make things even harder on new players.
Are you calling me minuscule? What snow flakes do I complain to.
Is that at Magoo’s
bigger pockets open up more possibilities in the play of the game,
nothing wrong with having some tight pockets for those that want them.
for the general players and even decent ones wider pockets make the game more fun.
if your high run is like 30 or less than 5 inch corners will give you enough of a test and let you use the pocket for position.
my general rule is if you can run 50 balls in 14.1 regularly than 4.5 pockets are fine.
if you run 75 plus you can use smaller pockets and still do many of the tougher position shots and gamble on a tough shot to get more balls than just the one.
nothing wrong with having some tight pockets for those that want them.
for the general players and even decent ones wider pockets make the game more fun.
if your high run is like 30 or less than 5 inch corners will give you enough of a test and let you use the pocket for position.
my general rule is if you can run 50 balls in 14.1 regularly than 4.5 pockets are fine.
if you run 75 plus you can use smaller pockets and still do many of the tougher position shots and gamble on a tough shot to get more balls than just the one.
yes. cheap daytime too, 4.00/hr for one or 7/for two. Switches at 6p to $11hr/table.