I just played a league match in a bar that had a cue ball about the size of a bowling ball. I found out very quickly that my aim was very off and it stayed very off throughout the match. My question is, does anyone else generally find it harder to aim with an oversized cue ball? I think I just got totally mind****ed.
Aiming with an oversized cue ball
- Thread starter Magyar19
- Start date
ChrisBanks
Banned
Here's a tip:
Arrive early, bring your own cueball that you play best with, and switch it out with the big ball. That advice is worth several hundred dollars at least.
Optional:
Slick your cueball up with armor-all and practice that way. When you get your cueball into the game, it will give the other players fits.
ChrisBanks
Banned
Spray some armor-all onto a cloth and keep it in your bag. Then when you are getting ready to break, announce that you wish to clean the cueball, and use your cloth that you have prepared.
This is called "cueball advantage." An advanced concept that even many instructors do not teach.
This is called "cueball advantage." An advanced concept that even many instructors do not teach.
The above advice is poor. You don't want to wiping the CB with anything. If you're playing with an oversize CB, the table must be very old. 99% of bar tables have used normal size CB's for decades now. Still, if you have to learn to play with it, here's some sound advice. Since the ball is oversize, you have aim a little thinner on the OB, on every shot. Also, you'll want to play position using follow or natural roll, instead of draw (it takes a good stroke to draw an oversize CB). Do these two things, and it will help you adjust to playing with the bigger CB.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
ChrisBanks
Banned
Is it not easier to bring your own cueball and then switch the big ball out of the game?
"Advanced concept"? I think not. The reason instructors don't teach that crap is because it's cheating/hustling. Now wiping the CB like that for artistic billiards is another story!
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
ChrisBanks...That won't work either. Without the oversize CB, the one you switch out will not come back out. It will go down with the other OB's. Now if they play with an "Open table/no quarters", then your idea has merit. Both teams would still have to agree to use the smaller CB.
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
ChrisBanks
Banned
Is there a rule in leagues that state the "house" cueball is the default cueball? Otherwise, there should be no need for approval if one team wishes to switch their own cueball into the game.
lol well in that case they have no say over whether or not the cueball were playing with is in fact a golfball that I brought instead. My guess is both sides need to agree on what cueball they will be playing with. And sneaking your own cueball onto a table is cheating.
haha, exactly
im just the opposite i guess i find that i play very good with the oversized cueball. But i aim the same way as i do with any size cueball.
I own a big ball bar box and had to modify it to play properly..
the big CB aiming difference is really pretty minor if your aim is advanced enough to cheat pockets you can adjust to a big CB fairly easily....
the big problem is the rails are to high.. the rails on mine at least were sized to the big CB.. not the OBs.. so plopping in a regular Cb makes more problems than it solves..
banks are off... kicks are WAY off.. spin off of a rail doesn't play anything like a normal table
the big CB aiming difference is really pretty minor if your aim is advanced enough to cheat pockets you can adjust to a big CB fairly easily....
the big problem is the rails are to high.. the rails on mine at least were sized to the big CB.. not the OBs.. so plopping in a regular Cb makes more problems than it solves..
banks are off... kicks are WAY off.. spin off of a rail doesn't play anything like a normal table
Last edited:
Bring a set of oversize balls to match the cue ball. Makes the game fun for everyone. 
We had a bar in our travelling league with one of those 'beach ball' cue balls. You pretty much try to stay in the middle of the pockets and don't get too cute with your english. As said above, avoid draw until you are used to the ball, my experience is there isn't much difference between the CB stopping in place and pulling back 3 or 4 feet - it carries a lot of momentum once you get it moving.
I had never considered the rail height effects before - I know they have switched out the cue ball at this bar...I wonder if the rails are still too high, I know banking there is a bit of a challenge.
I had never considered the rail height effects before - I know they have switched out the cue ball at this bar...I wonder if the rails are still too high, I know banking there is a bit of a challenge.