Balls: Clean or Dirty?
- Thread starter Ghosst
- Start date
Clean of course because that's what I usually play with.
Most certainly clean. In the 90s I was zoned for clean AND polished but that gets unrealistic real quick.
I clean my balls every day.
:rotflmao1:
For any tournaments we hold in our pool room from our weekly tournaments all the way up to our biggest yearly tournaments, we break out the needed number of sets of not only freshly polished but virtually new premium balls, which I will then polish and put away until the next tournament.
Additionally, before all our tournaments, the cloth surface on all the tables needs to be vacuumed and cleaned as best as possible, as well as the pockets and the bottom of the pockets cleaned and vacuumed. It does absolutely no good to have a cleanly polished set of balls if the cloth is dirty or if the pockets are dirty. If that’s the case, the balls will become dirty amazingly fast.
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either
This is a case of either works. I am used to playing with both clean and dirty balls. If I am playing john schmidt with his almost obsessive cleanliness fetish, give me the grubbiest balls in the place!
I bought an old bar table and stuck it on the back porch, covered but only a wall and a half. Left the balls out overnight and they almost stuck to my hand the next morning as in open my fingers, turn my hand upsidedown and they would stick to my palm. Being a born again bachelor I stuck them puppies in the dishwasher! Came out cleaner than I could have hoped for.
In heavy traffic I can do things with dirty balls I don't think are possible with clean polished balls. Then again, if I only have a tiny window to go through, I trust clean balls to be more consistent, less likely to surprise me. Those clean balls don't hold near as much chalk dust in my opinion.
Dirty or clean depends more on how bad it might bug my opponent than anything else. I can make either work. Clean cloth and newer cushions are more honest, again either will work. I was surprised to read that Valley recommends new cushions every two years in commercial use, maybe every ten years in home use, more often if the table sees a lot of play.
I think dirty balls and ratty equipment give me a small advantage playing most of today's young players. Not much, but a little. The advantage grows a lot if the person I am playing starts complaining about conditions. I'm getting as bad as anyone about expecting nice conditions though!
Hu
This is a case of either works. I am used to playing with both clean and dirty balls. If I am playing john schmidt with his almost obsessive cleanliness fetish, give me the grubbiest balls in the place!
I bought an old bar table and stuck it on the back porch, covered but only a wall and a half. Left the balls out overnight and they almost stuck to my hand the next morning as in open my fingers, turn my hand upsidedown and they would stick to my palm. Being a born again bachelor I stuck them puppies in the dishwasher! Came out cleaner than I could have hoped for.
In heavy traffic I can do things with dirty balls I don't think are possible with clean polished balls. Then again, if I only have a tiny window to go through, I trust clean balls to be more consistent, less likely to surprise me. Those clean balls don't hold near as much chalk dust in my opinion.
Dirty or clean depends more on how bad it might bug my opponent than anything else. I can make either work. Clean cloth and newer cushions are more honest, again either will work. I was surprised to read that Valley recommends new cushions every two years in commercial use, maybe every ten years in home use, more often if the table sees a lot of play.
I think dirty balls and ratty equipment give me a small advantage playing most of today's young players. Not much, but a little. The advantage grows a lot if the person I am playing starts complaining about conditions. I'm getting as bad as anyone about expecting nice conditions though!
Hu
Depends on what kind of ‘dirt/residue’ has accumulated. In the shabby rooms of yesteryear where the balls were never cleaned, and also had a grill counter where greasy finger food was constantly served to the players (who usually ate while playing), and the talc dispensers were heavily overused, on a hot day cut shots went without throw, just like with the freshly polished balls of today.
Tuesday nights were my 9 ball Tournment night for years, it was a local bar that's held the Tournament. Not sure how often they actually cleaned the ball, or brushed the table, but let's say not frequently.
It was called improvising, adamptihing, and overcoming conditions. Everyone had he same crappy conditions.
But it was just how it was until the place closed forever.
Perfect playing condition is not necessary to have fun.
It was called improvising, adamptihing, and overcoming conditions. Everyone had he same crappy conditions.
But it was just how it was until the place closed forever.
Perfect playing condition is not necessary to have fun.
It's ok! We are an enlightened group here! Anyway, we figured it already. :canoodle:
Thanks for the replies guys. I did include this thread and 2 others into our weekly podcast on my YouTube channel.
I did forget a couple of things that I will add on Wednesday like the different color variations. For those that watch and know better, I will correct who created the Diamond Ball Polisher. In the moment I confused Mark and Glen, so no offense to either.
I did forget a couple of things that I will add on Wednesday like the different color variations. For those that watch and know better, I will correct who created the Diamond Ball Polisher. In the moment I confused Mark and Glen, so no offense to either.
Depends. If it's even or I'm the favorite to win, then I want them clean.
If I'm a big underdog, then I want the balls filthy. I'm pretty lazy and I don't clean the balls on my home table very often at all. So playing with dirty balls may give me an edge over someone who only plays with immaculate balls.
If I'm a big underdog, then I want the balls filthy. I'm pretty lazy and I don't clean the balls on my home table very often at all. So playing with dirty balls may give me an edge over someone who only plays with immaculate balls.
I spent the $500 American dollars on a Diamond ball polisher to keep my 3 sets of balls looking like how I bought them, new.
Dirty balls dont bother me as long as they are a matching set. There are so many bar tables out there that have 14 or 15 Aramith balls and 1 or 2 something else that is usually much smaller even on Diamond tables. When I notice an odd ball or 2 it seems like I am the only one that pays attention, I rack them in the rear corners or at least in the back row to keep the rack tight, everyone else seems to just drop them in wherever.
Dirty balls dont bother me as long as they are a matching set. There are so many bar tables out there that have 14 or 15 Aramith balls and 1 or 2 something else that is usually much smaller even on Diamond tables. When I notice an odd ball or 2 it seems like I am the only one that pays attention, I rack them in the rear corners or at least in the back row to keep the rack tight, everyone else seems to just drop them in wherever.
I like the Diamond polisher's looks and construction, I just find the price a little extreme. I did see the motor listed for 200 CAD so the rest of the expense in making it would be the wood and printing the sprocket.
If people can make their own bucket polishers I don't mind making the cabinets for them or showing how to do it. It's labor intensive but you end up with a great looking machine that matches your decor or table.
It's also nice to have the option to clean the ball sets whenever you like.
As a sidenote:
For many years, I needed to frequently run my Centenials though the polishing machine every couple days if playing frequently. Aside from the chalk marks (Tweeten/Master), you could always tell they needed cleaning by the way they dragged as you pushed the rack into position, and BTW I also kept the cloth very clean.
I recently/simultaneously had the table recovered (new 760, though it plays more like 860), bought a new set of Duramith balls (red circle CB) and switched to Taom chalk. After nearly 2 weeks of constant play (Covid-19 self-isolation), I haven’t YET needed to clean the table or balls. The few miscue marks on the cloth are of no real consequence, and very lightly brushing the CB on my shirt whenever I pick it up has kept it spotless. The balls still slide into racking position like they were freshly polished. Go figure.
For many years, I needed to frequently run my Centenials though the polishing machine every couple days if playing frequently. Aside from the chalk marks (Tweeten/Master), you could always tell they needed cleaning by the way they dragged as you pushed the rack into position, and BTW I also kept the cloth very clean.
I recently/simultaneously had the table recovered (new 760, though it plays more like 860), bought a new set of Duramith balls (red circle CB) and switched to Taom chalk. After nearly 2 weeks of constant play (Covid-19 self-isolation), I haven’t YET needed to clean the table or balls. The few miscue marks on the cloth are of no real consequence, and very lightly brushing the CB on my shirt whenever I pick it up has kept it spotless. The balls still slide into racking position like they were freshly polished. Go figure.