If your home table is a 7" table then you should tighten the pockets as much as you can. Get some Ridgeback Pro rails.
4 1\2 or 4 3\4
- Thread starter Colormegone2002
- Start date
I did 4 1/4 on my home table and I regret it. It for sure made me a cleaner ball pocketer, but it's not great to practice on and it's no fun for anyone to play on. I also buy the argument that it messes with your confidence, which is maybe the worst thing about it.
I'd suggest 4 1/2 or larger is just fine. I wouldn't modify the pockets at all since there's a lot more involved than just the size of the pocket opening. If you just want to practice ball pocketing, go find a snooker table.
I'd suggest 4 1/2 or larger is just fine. I wouldn't modify the pockets at all since there's a lot more involved than just the size of the pocket opening. If you just want to practice ball pocketing, go find a snooker table.
Also to point out 4.5" is Tight! That's about what a triple shimmed gold crown measures at. Diamond adopted this size for their pro-cut pocket. But there is not an amateur player alive IMO that will say 4.5" is easy!
Also to the OP, I've played on every variation of pocket size in my 20 year career. Lol. My home table is 5". Im a low B player. Bucket pockets are great for learning and practice. When you get to a certain level, maybe you are already there, you will be aiming the center of the OB at a precise spot on the pocket facing. A large pocket still allows you to aim super sharp. You can pocket the ball, but miss your target. If you are in serious practice mode, you can repeat that shot until you can consistently hit your exact target.
Also to the OP, I've played on every variation of pocket size in my 20 year career. Lol. My home table is 5". Im a low B player. Bucket pockets are great for learning and practice. When you get to a certain level, maybe you are already there, you will be aiming the center of the OB at a precise spot on the pocket facing. A large pocket still allows you to aim super sharp. You can pocket the ball, but miss your target. If you are in serious practice mode, you can repeat that shot until you can consistently hit your exact target.
Go small. I just put 4 3/8" on my GC2 in october and wish i would have gone smaller. Already going to 4 1/4" next re-cloth
Don't go bigger than 4 1/2" unless you have a lot of social players that play on the table.
I have a 9' table with 4 1/8" pockets and love it. When I play in a local tourney that has 4 3/4" Diamond pockets, I feel like I'm shooting at peach baskets. This table has helped me improve my game dramatically.
I have a 9' table with 4 1/8" pockets and love it. When I play in a local tourney that has 4 3/4" Diamond pockets, I feel like I'm shooting at peach baskets. This table has helped me improve my game dramatically.
I'm just guessing at the cause of the extra charge, but Diamond has 2 standard sizes. The "Pro-Cut" and the "League-Cut". The pro-cut is 4.5", and the League-cut is 5". Maybe the 4.75 you requested was a custom size, and that is why there would have been an upcharge?
Also, a particular pocket size on a GC or Diamond commercial table will play tougher generally than that same pocket size on a home model table. I'm not familiar with the Gandy Big G, but that is more food for thought for you:grin-square:
Tight pockets getting ridiculous
Pool has got to go to a standard size pocket if it's ever going to get popular like it was before the last couple of years of the super tight pocket era. This has been brought on by the elite of the game to get more of an edge. I'm sure the elite in the NBA would like to make the rims smaller so they could stand out. Would the fans and the normal players like this - the answer is NO!! Do you think it's just a coincidence that pool halls all over America are going out of business daily ? I owned a pool room with 27 tables and I assure you 95% of my customers wanted normal pockets, only those who were elite or those who thought they were elite wanted the 4 1/4 " pockets but I kept one table shimmed up but it got very little play. Diamond and Brunswick better get together and address this problem while we still have a customer base for the pool rooms. You see any golf courses making the holes smaller for the elite putters ? Didn't think so. The public should have the imput on pocket sizes and there NEEDS to be a standard that don't give a couple of dozen pros a distinct advantage.
Pool has got to go to a standard size pocket if it's ever going to get popular like it was before the last couple of years of the super tight pocket era. This has been brought on by the elite of the game to get more of an edge. I'm sure the elite in the NBA would like to make the rims smaller so they could stand out. Would the fans and the normal players like this - the answer is NO!! Do you think it's just a coincidence that pool halls all over America are going out of business daily ? I owned a pool room with 27 tables and I assure you 95% of my customers wanted normal pockets, only those who were elite or those who thought they were elite wanted the 4 1/4 " pockets but I kept one table shimmed up but it got very little play. Diamond and Brunswick better get together and address this problem while we still have a customer base for the pool rooms. You see any golf courses making the holes smaller for the elite putters ? Didn't think so. The public should have the imput on pocket sizes and there NEEDS to be a standard that don't give a couple of dozen pros a distinct advantage.
If you plan on practicing a lot and improving, go for the tighter pockets. 4.5" are not tight, they are pretty much an average size these days. If you go with the larger pockets and end up improving a lot and decide to play tournaments, you will end up wanting to tighten up those pockets.
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Making the pockets too tight will probably result in a lot of frustration, which in turn, will make playing on your table less fun. A home table is for getting in stroke, and having some fun. Missing every shot because you have tightened up the table too much will not be very enjoyable in my view.
When I had my table it was standard pockets (not huge buckets) and I had very little problem going to a tighter table at the hall. Personally I would not go past 4.5 inches.
When I had my table it was standard pockets (not huge buckets) and I had very little problem going to a tighter table at the hall. Personally I would not go past 4.5 inches.
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I got a table a while back, and had the rails extended and new rubber put on to make them 4.5". I did have the angles cut at 138.5, so it takes balls down the rail with speed.
Even at 4.5, the pocket will accept the ball if it hits the hole, but you cant touch any rails. You might get away with trickling a ball in off the rail, but otherwise no.
To me this setup plays "right". Hit the hole, make the ball.
Even at 4.5, the pocket will accept the ball if it hits the hole, but you cant touch any rails. You might get away with trickling a ball in off the rail, but otherwise no.
To me this setup plays "right". Hit the hole, make the ball.
I have a GC3 with 4.1/4" pockets and for me that plays perfect.
The 860 HR cloth is about 4 months old now and the table still plays fairly easy considering it has tight pockets.
Tight but Fair = Perfect
Actually I have a test shot I use to determine if the table is good for playing rotation games.
Freeze object ball to the long rail 2.1/2 diamonds from corner pocket
Place cue ball 1 inch off the long rail at the 2nd. diamond from the opposite corner
Shoot object ball into the corner pocket, drawing the cue ball back to the short rail with enough speed so that the cue ball will bounce of the short rail at least 1 diamond.
If you can not make that shot no matter how clean you hit the ball then the table is not good for playing rotation games.:thumbup:
The 860 HR cloth is about 4 months old now and the table still plays fairly easy considering it has tight pockets.
Tight but Fair = Perfect
Actually I have a test shot I use to determine if the table is good for playing rotation games.
Freeze object ball to the long rail 2.1/2 diamonds from corner pocket
Place cue ball 1 inch off the long rail at the 2nd. diamond from the opposite corner
Shoot object ball into the corner pocket, drawing the cue ball back to the short rail with enough speed so that the cue ball will bounce of the short rail at least 1 diamond.
If you can not make that shot no matter how clean you hit the ball then the table is not good for playing rotation games.:thumbup:
I have a question to the super tight pocket guys, those less than 4.5". Can you beat the 9 ball ghost on your table in a race to 7? If you play 10 sets race to 7, how many do you think you would win? I'm only asking because I'm thinking if a table that tight is of any benefit, it would be a benefit to an A level player only. So I'm curious if the players with tables this tight are A players.
I really like 9 footers which is what I have and guess I always will. But thanks for the
input sir.
I kinda like this idea Chuck. But I'm still leaning toward 4 3\4". I do practice some here at
home but it's mostly for me and my company that drops by to play a few social games.
for your purposes stick with the larger pockets
you and your friends will have more fun
also the size of the pocket has nothing to do with how straight your stroke is or how well can you control the cue ball
those are the skills you need improve which you can practice on any table regardless of pocket size
i would also say imho as you get better on those skills your accuracy in pocketing balls will improve and you would adjust to a tighter table
icbw