I own several sets of phenolic resin balls, they are unmatched in playability in my opinion, the league I play in uses polyester resin balls and boy do they play different to put it politely, to make things even worse, the polyester resin balls I do own are crap even for crap polyester resin balls, I picked up a set of cheap phenolic resin balls thinking they would play close to the polyester one's and they did not, it is a night and day difference, so I found a set of polyester one's on coolpooltables.com, they were sub $50 shipped, got them tonight and had to try them out right? I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised, no they don't play like phenolic but they did play quite a bit better than I expected, I figure the best way to learn how to adapt to play on different playing conditions is to play with different different balls on different tables, it's sorta like gambling with better players except you get to keep your $50.
I bought cheap balls on purpose
- Thread starter SSP
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I carry a set of Centennials wherever I go to play pool. It’s being used or else in my car. I never had an opponent object to using them instead of what pool balls were assigned to the table we were going to play on. I have 3 sets so I might as well use them since it’s never my intention to sell. Over the years, I added sets when the price was too good to pass up.
I have set of the Centennials too but we are playing on tables that require quarters, so it's less than perfect tables and playing conditions or nothing so.... I love the game and make the most of it.
Now go bounce them off the concrete floor in your basement a few hundred times and they might be close
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How can you live with yourself with thoughts like that........No go bounce them off the concrete floor in your basement a few hundred times and they might be close
Why spend $50. Willie Mosconi started playing with small potatoes. Look what it did for him.
Play on different brands of tables, play on different sizes too, being able to adjust quickly to different cloth, humidity, balls ect. is a skill as well, you can't know what it feels like jumping out of an airplane with a parachute until you do it.......
I love potatoes.....they make great French fries after I'm done practicing with my cheap pool balls.....
Yup .. I always feel pool and golf are a lot alike and this is yet another way. Every course plays different and the weather can be different every day you have to adjust.
We have 3 diamonds at the bar I play a lot of leagues at. When you play on table 1 the big wall ac is blowing right down on it and it changes everything about how that table plays compared to the rest. I never blame the table. I’m of the level of player that I’m supposed to understand what’s going on and make the adjustment . If I don’t it’s my fault.. not the tables
At one of our state tournaments years ago the Valley tables all had brand new balls, they were shiny and beautiful right up until you broke and you would swear that you slug racked yourself. I was far from the only person aware of the unusual behavior of these balls. I can only assume that the rental place that supplied the Valley tables equipped them with cheap polyester balls, but they sure looked good. Its a shame that they played so awful. That kind of surprised me because I thought that owner of the tables was an avid pool player and had been and is on the board of directors of pool organizations.
So there is hope, still don't play like phonelics but much closer to the valley table balls
That's what I own, a valley table, and yes there are shots I can't play because of the basement supports, some might complain about that but I feel blessed to be able to practice about 80% of all shots, I remember when I didn't have a table, life is what you make of it, you can complain about what you don't have or be thankful for what you do have and do everything you can to be the best player you can be.
All we have are valley tables that take quarters in my town, 45 minute drive to play in an APA league, at least I get to compete, I have some nice phenolic sets as well, yeah the difference is astronomical, might try some tournaments this year, it's an hour drive for them as well, I'm going to keep working on my game and see how far I can go.You used to watch KungFu?? That's some deep shit.No pool room uses poly balls so i still don't get buying them other than being really cheap. And they do only get worse, the surface is a lot softer than phenolic leading to play issues that you'll never see with phenol.
TwistedTexasStyle
Active member
True, but I didn't put the $50 in another guy's pocket and not get anything out of it.......
Metallica Sad but true