How big are the pockets on the table(s) you mainly practice/play on?

Positively Ralf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Curious to see what size bucket people are playing on when it comes to their practice or playing time with this game.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
Bout 4.5 on my olhausen


If it was 5 inch then so be it
If 5inch pockets were good enough for 526 then it's good enough for me
 

Kevin Lindstrom

14.1 Addict
Silver Member
I have a gold crown 4 but not sure what the pocket size is. Whatever came standard with the table is the size I have.

How do you measure pocket size. Is it point to point being that is the widest part of the pocket???? Or is it measured some other way????

Thanks

Kevin
 

Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
4.5 corners on a Brunswick GC II with rail work done by RKC.

But I practice Straight Pool by playing 9 ball.

:)
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The game was designed around nothing LESS than 4 7/8 corner pockets and THAT is a fact- you can play on anything you want, but anyone less than a pro or very close; will not get their 100 ball runs very often on less than 4 7/8 due to aspects of the game requiring break out speeds at times, cheat the pocket position, combos, down table shot elections, etc. that come up often in long run situations.
When old timers talk of " every neighborhood having a 100 ball runner-" they refer to the 4 7/8 pocket standard on older felt cloth, not Simonis cloth either.
If you are running 20 to 30 balls fairly often on 4 1/2 pockets and really fast cloth - try for a month on 4 7/8 and a bit slower cloth and I guarantee the 14.1 game becomes much more enjoyable as you see the runs mount into the 50s - not talking anything but enjoying an experience in pocket billiards for those that are humble enough to accept their shortcomings and really love the game at the same time. You will experience some great dead stroke 14.1 run mania that is a natural high for the pool player in you!
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Aside from the the pocket width issue, one thing that bugs me is the way some Brunswick tables with plastic pocket liners will spit the ball back at you when shot straight in forcefully (something that never happens with leather).
 

stevekur1

The "COMMISH"
Silver Member
Curious to see what size bucket people are playing on when it comes to their practice or playing time with this game.

The main tables i play on in a pool room where the general public plays on measure out at 4 3/4, we do have another table at 4.5 which i practice on, and we also have one at 4" which we use for 1 Pocket. and then there's the one Bucket Table that's 5", which we all run a lot of balls on !!
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Aside from the the pocket width issue, one thing that bugs me is the way some Brunswick tables with plastic pocket liners will spit the ball back at you when shot straight in forcefully (something that never happens with leather).
I used to play at a place with furniture-style Olhausen tables with leather pockets. The side pockets were known for spitting out perfectly centered balls.

Evidently a lot of table design people are not players.

As for pocket size, I'm usually playing on 4.25 to 4.5 pockets.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Might have something to do with what type/shape of material the leather is applied to. The antique Schmitt tables with leather nets I played on as a youth would never spit out balls unless you were lazy about emptying the pockets.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The game was designed around nothing LESS than 4 7/8 corner pockets and THAT is a fact- you can play on anything you want, but anyone less than a pro or very close; will not get their 100 ball runs very often on less than 4 7/8 due to aspects of the game requiring break out speeds at times, cheat the pocket position, combos, down table shot elections, etc. that come up often in long run situations.
When old timers talk of " every neighborhood having a 100 ball runner-" they refer to the 4 7/8 pocket standard on older felt cloth, not Simonis cloth either.
If you are running 20 to 30 balls fairly often on 4 1/2 pockets and really fast cloth - try for a month on 4 7/8 and a bit slower cloth and I guarantee the 14.1 game becomes much more enjoyable as you see the runs mount into the 50s - not talking anything but enjoying an experience in pocket billiards for those that are humble enough to accept their shortcomings and really love the game at the same time. You will experience some great dead stroke 14.1 run mania that is a natural high for the pool player in you!
I agree with your post, but I guess I'm a masochist, as I practice all my 14.1 on two very tough tables. A 9-foot table with 4-1/8" corners and Andy Pro cloth (which makes the pockets play smaller than Simonis 860 cloth does), or on our 10-foot table with 4-3/8" corners and Andy Pro cloth. It's no wonder why I very rarely can run more than 28 balls and have never run 50 balls on either of those tables, although my personal best high run was 98 on a 4-3/4" pocket table.

I just enjoy the challenge (and I guess the frustration) of practicing on those tables - very hard to explain. I'm just afraid if I go to the bigger pocket tables to practice, I'll never be able to return to the tight tables with any degree of confidence.
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
4 1/3 inches for the American pool table I primarily practise straight pool on. I think it's too tight for straight pool, it's more of a 10 ball table if you ask me.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Olhausen Remington, 5 inch corner pockets, BUT, a rather deep pocket shelf makes them a bit harder than you might think.
 

DynoDan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
While playing on smaller pockets could well improve your accuracy, if you have ever had two balls jam & hang up in a corner pocket (suspended equadistant at the edge of the shelf drop) and thus possibly ending your run (a likely source of disagreement/friction), you might then prefer pockets that are slightly larger.
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
While playing on smaller pockets could well improve your accuracy, if you have ever had two balls jam & hang up in a corner pocket (suspended equadistant at the edge of the shelf drop) and thus possibly ending your run (a likely source of disagreement/friction), you might then prefer pockets that are slightly larger.

I once tried to make an object ball of a carom in a match while making the intended ball as well, and the cueball jammed in the pocket with the object ball. I was so frustrated and scared to double hit the ball, that I miscued and lost the game.
 
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Dan Harriman

One of the best in 14.1
Silver Member
behind the snooker pocket

I agree with your post, but I guess I'm a masochist, as I practice all my 14.1 on two very tough tables. A 9-foot table with 4-1/8" corners and Andy Pro cloth (which makes the pockets play smaller than Simonis 860 cloth does), or on our 10-foot table with 4-3/8" corners and Andy Pro cloth. It's no wonder why I very rarely can run more than 28 balls and have never run 50 balls on either of those tables, although my personal best high run was 98 on a 4-3/4" pocket table.

I just enjoy the challenge (and I guess the frustration) of practicing on those tables - very hard to explain. I'm just afraid if I go to the bigger pocket tables to practice, I'll never be able to return to the tight tables with any degree of confidence.

My first home table was a super shimmed diamond as well, I eventually decided that it was more important to start running racks. I figured if I wanted to work on precise potting skills I would practice on snooker table with pool balls. This way I had no excuse to say i know no runs of century+. Not saying your making excuse either - it's your table, I just figure if I wanted to join china 8 ball tour I would have a table like yours and practice 8 ball. I'm a straight pool dude first and foremost, so that's my story looks like I will stick to it even if there are no tournaments worth competing in here in the usa or other.
 

Poolmanis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mine is 1.14 tdf on Dr. Dave measure method. I know it is too tight and I feel tight Diamond is easier. I soon gonna have alternative place for practice and easier table. Dunno yet what kind pockets it will have.
 
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