Tiny pocket practice..

Zorlac said:

Here's a 9' Brunswick table that has it's pockets "shimmed" to 4 inches. One of the pockets is actually 3 and 7/8ths. This table gives me fits! I have yet to run more than a 3 pack here without "rattling." Anyone else have a nemesis table they play on? I have nightmares about this table...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517783&stc=1&d=1555250010

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517784&stc=1&d=1555250046

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I like tight pockets.. but a 4" or under corner is too tight, and makes pocketing very hard.
The problem is if you hit the rail first your OB is thrown to the pocket tit and will rattle out.
If the OB hits a rail first, it picks up a run spin. That spin works against pocketing the OB.

.

Just my .02 here but to me cheating the pocket is part of the game. Pockets this small almost eliminate it. 4.25" is about as tight as i see truly playable. 4"(or less) aren't much, if any, fun. Again, my .02, nothing more.

I think running a three pack on that table(without rattling)is all a guy could expect.:wink:

Zorlac said:

Here's a 9' Brunswick table that has it's pockets "shimmed" to 4 inches. One of the pockets is actually 3 and 7/8ths. This table gives me fits! I have yet to run more than a 3 pack here without "rattling." Anyone else have a nemesis table they play on? I have nightmares about this table...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517783&stc=1&d=1555250010

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517784&stc=1&d=1555250046

Click to expand...

complaing that you ONLY can run a 3 pack on that table is like tiger being depressed he played bad because he ONLY shot par.....

4” pocket gc.......

Op,
Where is the table........ Doc

Zorlac said:

So relieved reading these replies. I completely agree, and just need some clarification. It literally makes playing on that table, NOT VERY FUN. I truly like the Diamond tables that RACKS billiards offers in Sanford FL. They are 4.25" pockets, and play tightly, BUT.. they WILL accept a pocket speed rail bump on the way in.

and Yes, anytime I put too much "helping" spin or outside english on a medium to hard hit, It gets SPIT out IF I don't hit the EXACT point of pocket's mouth. FRUSTRATION!

Forgot to mention. There was a recent high stakes match between a WELL known Philipino player and a local pro at this pool room where the tight brunswick is at. They wouldn't play on that table! They played it out on a standard pocket Brunswick.

Click to expand...

I agree with some of the above posts. The issue I find with tight pockets is that it changes the whole dimension of the game to the extent you are focusing more on pocketing the ball which means sacrificing your positional play.

The Taiwanese play on tight pockets in their home clubs which is a reason they play a lot of shots centre ball and control the white in a higher percentage style compared to say a Fillipino player who is used to larger pockets which allow for more running English which often requires playing position whilst cheating the pocket.

Personally my game is more about using English and precise white ball control and I can run a 5 pack on a standard 9 foot table but have always really struggled on the tighter pockets because I have to completely change my shot selection. This makes the game less enjoyable for me and i avoid money games or events on tight pockets.

The worse experience i had with tight pockets was in a double elimination Euro event where I went hill-hill with Denis Grabe in the early rounds.The club had about 20 tables which all had standard pockets and I thrived all day making it to the final knock out stages. For some reason they put my next match on the match table with had extremley tight pockets and I jawed almost every shot. It was like winning matches all day on a grass tennis court and then playing the important matches on Clay!

my nemesis

My nemesis was a very tough old snooker table. First time I played on it I think I played three games in a couple hours. I had to learn what the pockets would accept and eventually learned to play shape on it.

After a few months that snooker table became my practice table for the next several years. Two or three hours tuning on it and then off to the wars on the gold crowns or bar tables of the eighties. For the first few hours of play on the pool tables the pockets seemed as big as #3 washtubs. I miss that old snooker table!

Hu

Zorlac said:

Here's a 9' Brunswick table that has it's pockets "shimmed" to 4 inches. One of the pockets is actually 3 and 7/8ths. This table gives me fits! I have yet to run more than a 3 pack here without "rattling." Anyone else have a nemesis table they play on? I have nightmares about this table...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517783&stc=1&d=1555250010

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517784&stc=1&d=1555250046

Click to expand...

That's a weird cut on those pockets. I don't think I'd enjoy playing on that table. :frown:

ShootingArts said:

My nemesis was a very tough old snooker table. First time I played on it I think I played three games in a couple hours. I had to learn what the pockets would accept and eventually learned to play shape on it.

After a few months that snooker table became my practice table for the next several years. Two or three hours tuning on it and then off to the wars on the gold crowns or bar tables of the eighties. For the first few hours of play on the pool tables the pockets seemed as big as #3 washtubs. I miss that old snooker table!

Hu

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Interesting you'd say that. I had two 10' snooker tables in my poolroom in Bakersfield and I used to practice on them (with pool balls) before I opened at Noon. An hour of practice on one of them and I couldn't miss on my favorite Gold Crown up front. I never told anyone I practiced on those tables. It was like my "trade secret."

Zorlac said:

Here's a 9' Brunswick table that has it's pockets "shimmed" to 4 inches. One of the pockets is actually 3 and 7/8ths. This table gives me fits! I have yet to run more than a 3 pack here without "rattling." Anyone else have a nemesis table they play on? I have nightmares about this table...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517783&stc=1&d=1555250010

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517784&stc=1&d=1555250046

Click to expand...

I play on a table at my home room that's 3 7/8. There are 3 tables like that, and people mainly play one pocket on them but I'll practice rotation on them and play sets on the rare occasion that there's somebody else in the pool room that plays 9 ball/10 ball. If I'm really dialed in I can run a few racks here and there, but if you're not playing well on a particular day those tables can really make you want to snap a cue (which i have). Side note: I'm from Colorado and grew up skating with some dudes in Denver. A couple of them used to ride for Toy Machine and a bunch of them now live in SF and work at DLX. I'm still really good friends with most of them and they send me a lot of anti hero and krooked care packages all the time. I lived briefly with a dude from Florida that stayed in Denver for a while and at one point rode for anti hero. Abdias Rivera. He later rode for stereo. I don't know how old you are (I'm 32) but figured maybe you'd know him on account of being from Florida and all.

There's loose, normal, trim, tight, and then down right gaffy! I don't mind trick tight pockets to practice on. Heck, I don't even mind competing on them, we're all on the same table. Personally I think I have a bit of Justin Bergman in me, I do better in matches where there is more scrapping and fighting than in a blitz session. But they are definitely a challenge.

Just as much as the physical, I like the mental challenge. So often they can break me down. I end up getting so spooked by the upcoming shot on the 6 ball that I dog something routine and don't even make it that far. Or I start cinching balls and play myself out of line. It usually takes me a couple of hours playing on a tricked out table to acclimate.

The funny thing is once you do, and you fall into dead stroke, you can play sessions where you almost can't tell they are tough. Then you lose your balance ever so slightly and the table will remind you!

But while I enjoy them from time to time, I like spending most of my time on the same equipment I compete on in big tournaments. The game is still difficult.

sneaky!

jay helfert said:

Interesting you'd say that. I had two 10' snooker tables in my poolroom in Bakersfield and I used to practice on them (with pool balls) before I opened at Noon. An hour of practice on one of them and I couldn't miss on my favorite Gold Crown up front. I never told anyone I practiced on those tables. It was like my "trade secret."

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Yeah Jay, sometimes a little sneaky practice goes a long way. The old hall that had the snooker tables in it was my practice hall, I never gambled there. Other places I never practiced only gambled.

I have noticed that our early days shared quite a bit in common considering we were a couple thousand miles apart!

Hu

Zorlac said:

Here's a 9' Brunswick table that has it's pockets "shimmed" to 4 inches. One of the pockets is actually 3 and 7/8ths. This table gives me fits! I have yet to run more than a 3 pack here without "rattling." Anyone else have a nemesis table they play on? I have nightmares about this table...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517783&stc=1&d=1555250010

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517784&stc=1&d=1555250046

Click to expand...

You ran a three pack.... I’ll take the 6 and out from you:smile:

Zorlac said:

Do they appear "poorly" cut as compared to the tight cut Brunswick at Hard Times Jay?

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The angles look really far off. Normally the cushion facing angle should be close to parallel with the outside edges of the pocket liner. Your table has much wider angles which would reject a lot of balls.

Zorlac said:

Here's a 9' Brunswick table that has it's pockets "shimmed" to 4 inches. One of the pockets is actually 3 and 7/8ths. This table gives me fits! I have yet to run more than a 3 pack here without "rattling." Anyone else have a nemesis table they play on? I have nightmares about this table...

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517783&stc=1&d=1555250010

https://forums.azbilliards.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=517784&stc=1&d=1555250046

Click to expand...

Where do you play?