Do red circle and measles cue balls squirt differently?
- Thread starter Flex
- Start date
Your intuition is correct -- a lighter ball will squirt more. The difference between a new cue ball and an old, worn cue ball can be as much as half an ounce out of six. On the other hand, the lighter ball probably has a rougher surface and will swerve sooner.cigardave said:My intuition says... the lighter the ball being struck off-center, the greater the amount of deflection.
But I'm not sure if 0.1 or 0.2 oz. will make a measureable difference.
Bob Jewett said:
Thanks, Bob, for the very helpful info.
Here's a practical question. When I play in tournaments that use balls sometimes from different sets, with cueballs of sometimes unknown origin, adapting to the way those cue balls play can become a major factor in potting balls. Do you have any recommendations for adapting to those circumstances?
Thanks,
Flex
I think the best way is to play more under those circumstances. Avoid the pool halls that have new balls, level tables and clean cloth. There are a few things you can do at the start of a match to see what's up, such as trying to draw from different distances and spinning the cue ball off cushions.Flex said:
Stop!!! LOL
Quit talking about this crap! Pretty soon we won't even know how to make a ball!
Quit talking about this crap! Pretty soon we won't even know how to make a ball!
Definitely.. Of course I am kidding.. but if you stopped and thought about the thousands of if's, would's, maybe's, and probably's... I'm not sure a guy could pull the trigger knowing he's going to make the ball! Good thing the mind is a powerful thing.
What is the difference in various cue balls as far as weight, diameter,etc? Red circle,blue circle, red logo, black or blue logo,etc.cigardave said:My intuition says... the lighter the ball being struck off-center, the greater the amount of deflection.
But I'm not sure if 0.1 or 0.2 oz. will make a measureable difference.
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Bob Jewett said:
Well, one of them is Chris's Billiards in Chicago, a favorite hangout.
They take good care of the balls, they are polished and waxed when you get them at the counter. Most of the time a red circle ball is available. However, when playing in the tournaments in the back room, it can be a crap shoot. Red circle balls, blue circle balls, balls with a red triangle, balls with no anything on them, worn out red circle balls, worn out blue circle balls. Anything goes.
The tables are alright, some of them are plenty good. Most are set up correctly and I haven't really noticed any with pronounced rolls.
After 3 hours of tournament play, most of the wax is off the balls. They cut and throw differently. So what else is new.
Other pool halls only go down from there. Not all of them, of course, but in general, Chris's is a great place to play.
My question, which you answered in part, has to do with rapid adaptation to those changing circumstances. Why the draw shots? Are you talking regular, straight draw shots, or shots with english? As for the rails, every table is different, and adapting to those differences is an ongoing battle. But cue balls are a different animal. And the cue ball in use is the main concern.
Thanks,
Flex
Some can; some can't. A man's gotta know his limitations.
pj
chgo
I think that draw shots suffer the most from changing conditions. If the cue ball is large or small, draw will change a lot but follow not so much, especially if you use rolling ball follow. Draw will be more affected by the stickiness of the cloth. The second most important change is how the balls take off the rails. Is the rail cloth sticky or slippery? Maybe tied for second is speed. Where I usually play, the springiness of the cushions is a large factor as some of them are dying, but I think (or hope) this condition is relatively rare.Flex said:
Flex said:
Wow, I literally asked the same exact question no more than three days ago after I played a match with a cheap set of balls. I thought the cueball was coming off my cue different than what I expected.
The big differences I notice with the really cheap sets of balls is the cue ball swerves a lot sooner and the throw is a lot greater due to the rough surface of the cue ball.Jude Rosenstock said:
Part of the answer is that cue balls are required by regulations to be within 5 thousandths of an inch of 2 1/4 inches in diameter. In a couple of months of regular play on a typical pool room table, the cue ball will wear down more than 5 thousandths of an inch. I think all of the Aramith balls are within 2 thousandths of an inch of the correct diameter when shipped. So, it's impossible to say how large a particular cue ball on a table is without measuring it. I have seen a cue ball in service that was worn down enough to lose about half an ounce out of 6 ounces. Balls made of identical material and within spec on diameter can vary by 2 grams in weight.DoubleA said:
I think that several people who have offered comparisons have been careful to mention that the balls are new, but some have not. You can come to very wrong conclusions if you don't pay attention to how worn the balls are.
More on imperfect balls is in the article http://www.sfbilliards.com/articles/2005-12.pdf