Ideal pocket size for 14.1

I'm glad I found this old thread. Today I played a good stretch of maybe 3 hours on my recently setup table for the first time, and I don't think I ran more than 20 balls. My pockets are 4.25" corners and 5" sides, and I got a ton of rattles. The facings are also very hard, and I don't know whether that contributes to rattles. But this thread makes me feel a little better about my play today. Man, this table is turning into such a headache and money pit for me. Along with looking to replace the warped slate, at some point soon I really have to have the rails redone to open the pockets back up to a reasonable opening, so I can enjoy the game.

bluepepper said:

I'm glad I found this old thread. Today I played a good stretch of maybe 3 hours on my recently setup table for the first time, and I don't think I ran more than 20 balls. My pockets are 4.25" corners and 5" sides, and I got a ton of rattles. The facings are also very hard, and I don't know whether that contributes to rattles. But this thread makes me feel a little better about my play today. Man, this table is turning into such a headache and money pit for me. Along with looking to replace the warped slate, at some point soon I really have to have the rails redone to open the pockets back up to a reasonable opening, so I can enjoy the game.

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I shimmed the pockets of my practice table for a while (maybe for a year or two) down to 4.25" practicing for e.g. the European Championships, now they're back to 4.5" as I'm not really getting prepared for anything whatsoever, and I can't honestly say it makes as much of a difference as some here have said. I've run three digits on either, and I feel blind as a bat (with a brain like a sieve) on either - same game…

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

acousticsguru said:

I shimmed the pockets of my practice table for a while (maybe for a year or two) down to 4.25" practicing for e.g. the European Championships, now they're back to 4.5" as I'm not really getting prepared for anything whatsoever, and I can't honestly say it makes as much of a difference as some here have said. I've run three digits on either, and I feel blind as a bat (with a brain like a sieve) on either - same game…
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Yeah, maybe it'll sharpen up my shotmaking in the beginning. I could use that. So frustrating right now though.

14.1 pocket size

Pocket size must be a least 4.75 with NORMAL shelf clearance or you simply cannot play 14.1 in a way that will achieve proper position and ball pocketing as a CONTNUOUS run game that it was meant to be. There is no -"ball in hand", no playing by numbers 1-9, no rack secrets, you need SPOT position, not area position.

No way did Lassiter have 4 inch pockets- no way - not if he was playing 14.1 at any level in his 70s at home.

All this talk about 4.5inch pockets and less--who are these players?? Only the best players in the world today can have significant runs consistently on true 4.5 inch pockets. Really- the game isn't hard enough for 99.9% of those that enjoy it?

I just had a Gold Crown 4 set up in my rec room. The table is a standard setup with 5" pockets. That may seem big but I still have trouble running high numbers of balls. I love the table and the way it is setup. Hopefully the high runs will come sooner rather than later as time runs out quickly. I love the game and I love my table. Feel so fortunate to have a nice table in my home. I am also fortunate enough to have many players in my area into 14.1. We have a handicap league that gets bigger every session. We currently have 24 players in our league.

Kevin

Kevin Lindstrom said:

I just had a Gold Crown 4 set up in my rec room. The table is a standard setup with 5" pockets. That may seem big but I still have trouble running high numbers of balls. I love the table and the way it is setup. Hopefully the high runs will come sooner rather than later as time runs out quickly. I love the game and I love my table. Feel so fortunate to have a nice table in my home. I am also fortunate enough to have many players in my area into 14.1. We have a handicap league that gets bigger every session. We currently have 24 players in our league.

Kevin

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Awesome! Envy you! Have fun! :thumbup:

Greetings from Switzerland, David.
_________________

„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti

pocket sizes

had my table done with rail extensions. g c 3.openings
are 4.25 corners 4.50 sides.after seeing the posts i had a 41 ball run.does not sound like much but for me just starting to play 14.1 i am happy with that.:smile:

5.25
why change to smaller pockets
in golf we left the hole the same size for ever
the basket ball goal remains consistent

60 feet 6 inches

let the boys play
high runs are fun

lets set up the table at 5.25 and i will let anybody shoot at 150
if you think it will be 1 inning games
$20,000 challenge

slower more traditional cloth might help to keep tradition runs meaningful

but most important

i tend to dog it on tight tables