Redesigning the 15 billiard balls

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
With the exception of 8 ball, all other popular pocket billiard games do not require having solids and stripes.

Non-8ball tournaments have outgrown the use for solids and stripes.

Should there be a re-consideration for how to design the balls?

Would just numbering them be adequate, or should there be multiple versions of the 15 ball set?

Would including more than 15 balls be something to help develop new games?

Would billiard companies consider selling just a 9ball or 10 ball set?
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
All those questions are at least partly answered in the pool ball collecting thread. If you want to see lots of interesting designs, and a nine-ball only set, look there.
 

Dead Money

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
With the exception of 8 ball, all other popular pocket billiard games do not require having solids and stripes.

Non-8ball tournaments have outgrown the use for solids and stripes.

Should there be a re-consideration for how to design the balls?

Would just numbering them be adequate, or should there be multiple versions of the 15 ball set?

Would including more than 15 balls be something to help develop new games?

Would billiard companies consider selling just a 9ball or 10 ball set?

Yes we are due a ball redesign as most of the tables I come across now play way to damn fast. I propose cube shaped balls as a new design. The pool vendors will make money on the new product and the one hole players will no longer be the butt of most of the slow play jokes. All players will be included in that "abuse".
 

9 Ball Fan

Darth Maximus
Silver Member
Well, a 10 Ball Set would lower the price of a high quality set, and readily accommodate 6, 7, 9, & 10 Ball games; which are very fun, legit pool games.

10 Balls of true pro tournament quality, for less money.
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
in every sport there is a certain amount of tradition. change it too much and it soon becomes a different game.

and who would buy a table and have a partial set just to save a few bucks.
 

Gunn_Slinger

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes we are due a ball redesign as most of the tables I come across now play way to damn fast. I propose cube shaped balls as a new design. The pool vendors will make money on the new product and the one hole players will no longer be the butt of most of the slow play jokes. All players will be included in that "abuse".

LOL. We should go back to wool cloth. It plays great and is cheaper.
Also, a set of ten balls is a ridiculous idea !!!
Lets see : 1 pocket....15 ball rotation.....8 ball...str8 pool...etc.
WOW !
Most changes to pool in the last 40 years have hurt the integrity of the game !
Change for change sake is nutz !
 

CESSNA10

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
With the exception of 8 ball, all other popular pocket billiard games do not require having solids and stripes.

Non-8ball tournaments have outgrown the use for solids and stripes.

Should there be a re-consideration for how to design the balls?

Would just numbering them be adequate, or should there be multiple versions of the 15 ball set?

Would including more than 15 balls be something to help develop new games?

Would billiard companies consider selling just a 9ball or 10 ball set?

Why cant we just leave a good thing alone?
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
With the exception of 8 ball, all other popular pocket billiard games do not require having solids and stripes.

Non-8ball tournaments have outgrown the use for solids and stripes.

Should there be a re-consideration for how to design the balls?

Would just numbering them be adequate, or should there be multiple versions of the 15 ball set?

Would including more than 15 balls be something to help develop new games?

Would billiard companies consider selling just a 9ball or 10 ball set?
Its called tradition. The pool ball set as is is perfect. I hate the tv colors but with HD tv they are no longer needed and hopefully will GO AWAY. Aramith is bringing out something new at the Mosconi and i hope its not too weird.
 

trob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It ain’t broke so it doesn’t need fixed... I am ok with the tv colors. I play with a set of the cyclops skittles balls that I love honestly.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It ain’t broke so it doesn’t need fixed... I am ok with the tv colors. I play with a set of the cyclops skittles balls that I love honestly.
What i always found funny about the so-called tv colors is that i couldn't see them any better than standard colors. I grew up with Centennials and can't stand those pastel balls.
 

mattb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why cant we just leave a good thing alone?

This.

At our club we had 3 sets of TV colored balls for the tables. We eventually went back to traditional colors and the TV balls have sat in their boxes for 6 months.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To hell with the balls, I want to redesign the table. I think if we add 6 more pockets, a few bumpers, some kickout holes, and flippers at every pocket that your opponent can control 3 times during a match to reject a shot....... We would be able to get this game in the Olympics, and all of our players would be multimillionaires.

Hey pinball is in a renaissance period, might as well borrow from that game to make this game all that it can be. :scratchhead:
 

trob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What i always found funny about the so-called tv colors is that i couldn't see them any better than standard colors. I grew up with Centennials and can't stand those pastel balls.

Hmm I definitely can see them on tv better. Lol
 

YOLO

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To hell with the balls, I want to redesign the table. I think if we add 6 more pockets, a few bumpers, some kickout holes, and flippers at every pocket that your opponent can control 3 times during a match to reject a shot....... We would be able to get this game in the Olympics, and all of our players would be multimillionaires.

Hey pinball is in a renaissance period, might as well borrow from that game to make this game all that it can be. :scratchhead:

A table with 20 pockets and small rails. The object is to hit 4 rails with the object ball and not pocket the ball. Sounds like fun!
 

Ty Arnold

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There are 2 balls of each color with the stripe and solids we currently have. I don't know about 15 different colors to differentiate the balls. People already seem to have trouble with 8 colors let alone 15.
 

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
I wouldn’t want all the balls to change now but I’d like to have my own set of all solid colored balls. Most likely red like snooker. It looks so beautiful with a solid ball, no numbers and nothing breaking up the color to even give the indication that it’s rolling.

For 8 ball I like the reds and yellows, but the set that aramith makes has an 8 on the black. Totally ruins it for me.

But like for 1 pocket or straight pool there is no reason for any color or numbers and personally I could do with a 9-10 ball set for rotation where you just remember what the colors mean. No markings at all. Just need to find 2 cool colors to add to the list.

I think a decent amount of snookers “viewer success” is because the balls are all solid colors and they just look so damn sexy against that green.
 

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
I have always wanted an option to close the pocket. But pocket blockers are not sold.
Mainly to make a pool table a carom table.

As for creating new billiard games based on a new billiard set design, bonus ball did that.

II have been interested in a set that are silent. No collision noise billiard balls, mostly because it can be an annoying noise for non pool players.
 
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