10' Tables Future Of Pro Pool??

[Johnnyt]

I would love to see the ten-foot table be the future and the shot in the arm that pool needs so badly right now. However IMO it won’t happen. There is just too much room needed for the tables (about 15’x20’) and space costs have gone up twenty times what they were when most poolrooms had one or two of them. There are very few of them left that can be bought used. I don’t see any of the major table companies gearing up to build new ones and if they do what would the cost be?

I can see a future in action matches like TAR and small tournaments with the elite players on the ten footer’s, but I don’t think anyone would want to watch a bunch of A & B players play 9 or 10-ball on them. Tournaments like the US Open would take two weeks to complete.

For the last few months I’ve heard how hard or how easy a 10-foot table will be for players like Shane and Earl. The truth is not many are old enough to have seen a lot of playing on a ten footer and if they did they know that 95% or more was playing 14.1 on them, not a power game like 10-ball. Rotation games are very much harder on a 10-footer than a 4 ½ x 9’.

I enjoyed the TAR match and hope more matches are played on a 10 footer, but a 10-footer that is set up right. The one we just saw was set up poorly or it settled big time since it was worked on. Johnnyt

 

[irock]

I think you are 100 per cent correct. I think that a lot of people over look what bar table tournaments are doing for pool.

 

[Celtic]

IMO that is the type of table pro pool should be played on. You start getting pros racing to 11 on a table like that in 10-ball and we will finally start to see the cream rise to the top and the current top 20 players in the world who are all coin flips will finally start seperating out.

Diamond seriosuly needs to start working on a pro 5x10 table with 4.5 inch pockets and we need to see tournaments start to shift to them, including the BCA Open, the US-Open, and the World Championships.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

It certainly won't be happening in pool rooms, I'm pretty sure of that. Especially in this economy I just don't see room owners dumping all those 9 footers out there to finance all brand new 10 footers for their rooms, with fewer tables to bring in revenue on top of it. Plus who is going to buy all those 9 footers if the pool world is going to 10 footers.

I'm sure the manufacturers would absolutely love to see a trend to ten foot tables because they would get to sell a ton of replacement equipment that usually only happens as tables are normally taken out of service. But I just don't think room owners are in the position to upgrade their rooms like that.

The match was interesting but I don't even think pros need to go to 10 footers. The cream is the cream whatever size table they play on. No one is running out sets in 9 Ball or 10 Ball as it stands. And I doubt the extra size would ultimately affect them much once they got used to it. They'd be playing just as good as they do now on the mini 9 foot tables. Maybe a little on the breaks is all.

 

[RogerChambers]

10' Tables

You might be on to something when you stated the use of ten foot tables would enhance the players ability. I heard in the local poolroom that the last time a major tournament was held on 10' tables was in the early 1950's. A little before my pool playing days but I would like to see it happen.

I am not a fan of bar box tables, but these tables have done some good and bad to the game. Good in the sense that people, especially the younger players are shooting pool, leagues, etc; however, bad in the sense that certain games have all but died (e.g. 14.1, Rotation, etc.). If there is a chance of profit making by marketing these size tables, then perhaps we might see 10'ers in use. I feel the players would adapt to the conditions.

In my younger days, I used to shoot on a 10' table at the Recreation Center on a stateside Air Force Base. Straight pool actually seemed easier to play for me and eight and nine ball seemed harder. I could not seem to get the rock to move, at least with the precision sometimes needed.

Interesting post and I look forward to hear from others on using 10' tables.

 

[peteWazzup]

It doesn't have to be a full fledged conversion from the get go. How many pool rooms have I seen that have at least one snooker table? Answer is alot. In my opinion, instead of the snooker table, have the five by ten. This would be THE action table. Alot of good players like to practice on the snooker table to test their long shots and because of the tighter pockets. In my opinion thats the only thing a snooker table is good for, well that and golf. Make the five by ten a main stay in any pool room, then if it hits, start phasing out the nine footers slowly.

 

[Luxury]

I'm still not done watching pool. I just got the Accustats DVD of the month archer vs orcullo and it looks like the nine footer is a kiddy table and the game looks like Child's play. I'll never be the same again.

 

[cesarmorales]

This match was just a Fluke, 9 footers will still be the way to play in the future.

 

[Rubyron]

9 footers are the new bar boxes.

 

[Snake Plisken]

I'm still not done watching pool. I just got the Accustats DVD of the month archer vs orcullo and it looks like the nine footer is a kiddy table and the game looks like Child's play. I'll never be the same again.

That's funny. I was in the mood to watch more pool after the TAR match as well. I watched some old matches. You took the words right out of my mouth. The 9 footer now looks like child's play. It felt like they were playing on a bar table.

I would LOVE to see pro pool go to 10' tables! I completely agree with Earl and his thoughts about it turning pool into more of a sport as well as the need for players to be in shape.

Watching Earl play lights out on a 10' table (antics aside) was the most impressive display of pool playing I have ever seen!

 

[Jimmy M.]

It would be ironic if this turned out to be the "future of pool" considering that it is also the "history of pool".

 

[predator]

I don't think so

If 10 foot became standard pro tables, it would backfire. In my opinion that would be an advantage for players who have serious background in snooker.

 

[Johnnyt]

If pool was played only on 10' tables only it would keep a lot of the new blood from staying with pool. I think if 10' tables have a place now, and that is with the top players. I've always said that a top pro is a pro that can play all pool games well on any size table. They can compete at the highest level in all games. One trick ponies (speacialize in one game) are not top pros IMO. Once again, not very much 9 or 10-ball was played on 10' table when they were in all the poolrooms. The pockets (most 10' tables) were not 4 1/2" or cut funky. Most 10' tables had over 5" pockets and over 95% of the play on them was 14.1. Johnnyt

PS: IMO 7' tables should have 4" pockets, 9' tables 4 1/2, and 10' tables 4 5/8" to 4 3/4".

 

[BasementDweller]

Don't Jump the Gun

Easy Guys. Before everyone gets excited about the 10 footers consider the fact that there aren't too many pros that would ever want to step foot near THAT 10 FOOT TABLE we just watched Earl and Shane play on. I would be interested to see a match on a 10 footer that wasn't a converted snooker table. Those pockets just weren't right.

It was interesting to watch this one time but after a while watching pros play on THAT 10 FOOTER would be like watching the locals play on the triple-shim........BORING. In an attempt to see the cream rise to the top, a table this difficult does just the opposite, and gives us nothing more than skim milk

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Johnnyt]

Easy Guys. Before everyone gets excited about the 10 footers consider the fact that there aren't too many pros that would ever want to step foot near THAT 10 FOOT TABLE we just watched Earl and Shane play on. I would be interested to see a match on a 10 footer that wasn't a converted snooker table. Those pockets just weren't right.

It was interesting to watch this one time but after a while watching pros play on THAT 10 FOOTER would be like watching the locals play on the triple-shim........BORING. In an attempt to see the cream rise to the top, a table this difficult does just the opposite, and gives us nothing more than skim milk

Be careful what you wish for.

Good post, and I agree. Need another table. Johnnyt

 

[hunger strike]

conversion

Easy Guys. Before everyone gets excited about the 10 footers consider the fact that there aren't too many pros that would ever want to step foot near THAT 10 FOOT TABLE we just watched Earl and Shane play on. I would be interested to see a match on a 10 footer that wasn't a converted snooker table. Those pockets just weren't right.

It was interesting to watch this one time but after a while watching pros play on THAT 10 FOOTER would be like watching the locals play on the triple-shim........BORING. In an attempt to see the cream rise to the top, a table this difficult does just the opposite, and gives us nothing more than skim milk

Be careful what you wish for.

Good points. I admit to having no knowledge of gold crown and anniversary era table factory vs conversion 10' pool tables. But when I bought my 10" Kling pool table I felt under the slate at the pocket opening and it felt like slate. Before i moved it home, I spoke to Loyal, Joe Newell's father, and told him I had a factory ten foot Kling pool table. Told him i felt slate at the opening. He said he didn't believe it and that ALL ten foot pool tables of that era were converted from billiard slates. The cabinet and the rest were factory, but for the slate they took a billiard slate, angle cut across the corners, notched out the sides with a roof-guttering shaped u-cut, and filled it in with extremely hard wood like ironwood. Even though I had assured him what I thought I knew, he assured me back that he would eat his hat if I was right. I WAS WRONG. The entire table was factory pool except the slate, which was technically factory if you think about it. Because of these techniques, it was very common for billiard tables to be converted to ten foot pool at one time, and on some tables I believe the angle cut on the corners was already there. Don't know much, but now you know what Loyal Newell told me.

 

[Mr Hoppe]

It certainly won't be happening in pool rooms, I'm pretty sure of that. Especially in this economy I just don't see room owners dumping all those 9 footers out there to finance all brand new 10 footers for their rooms, with fewer tables to bring in revenue on top of it. Plus who is going to buy all those 9 footers if the pool world is going to 10 footers.

I'm sure the manufacturers would absolutely love to see a trend to ten foot tables because they would get to sell a ton of replacement equipment that usually only happens as tables are normally taken out of service. But I just don't think room owners are in the position to upgrade their rooms like that.

The match was interesting but I don't even think pros need to go to 10 footers. The cream is the cream whatever size table they play on. No one is running out sets in 9 Ball or 10 Ball as it stands. And I doubt the extra size would ultimately affect them much once they got used to it. They'd be playing just as good as they do now on the mini 9 foot tables. Maybe a little on the breaks is all.

Not to mention all of the custom cue makers who would have to buy larger lathes to make longer cues...

 

[justadub]

Easy Guys. Before everyone gets excited about the 10 footers consider the fact that there aren't too many pros that would ever want to step foot near THAT 10 FOOT TABLE we just watched Earl and Shane play on. I would be interested to see a match on a 10 footer that wasn't a converted snooker table. Those pockets just weren't right.

It was interesting to watch this one time but after a while watching pros play on THAT 10 FOOTER would be like watching the locals play on the triple-shim........BORING. In an attempt to see the cream rise to the top, a table this difficult does just the opposite, and gives us nothing more than skim milk

Be careful what you wish for.

On the contrary, sometimes watching the pros run rack after rack and never missing has it's boring moments, as well. What I really liked about this was that table made two of the better players ever look mortal.

A runout was special. Not taken for granted.

Will 10'ers become the standard, probably not. But I think it's a cool alternative, and hopefully we'll see challenge matches like this every now and again. Raises the bar for the best of the best.

 

[Scott Lee]

Celtic...Never gonna happen in a million years. Also, there is NO BCA Open. The BCA discontinued it a few years ago.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Diamond seriosuly needs to start working on a pro 5x10 table with 4.5 inch pockets and we need to see tournaments start to shift to them, including the BCA Open, the US-Open, and the World Championships.

 

[Porcospino]

The match was interesting but I don't even think pros need to go to 10 footers. The cream is the cream whatever size table they play on. No one is running out sets in 9 Ball or 10 Ball as it stands. And I doubt the extra size would ultimately affect them much once they got used to it. They'd be playing just as good as they do now on the mini 9 foot tables. Maybe a little on the breaks is all.

Have you ever watched Wu play buddy??