Ball Compression Contact Patch Marks Showing How Much Balls Compress and Flatten During Impact

[dr_dave]

Yesterday, I filmed a bunch of power breaks for a video I'm working on. Check out all the contact patches on the balls due to ball compression during impact:

It is hard to believe the balls compress and flatten enough to make such large marks, but the spots don't lie. Have you guys seen this before and know if it occurs more with certain brands/models or dirty/clean/polished balls? These Aramith balls were cleaned with Aramith Ball Cleaner about a month ago and have had only moderate use.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I recall someone posting a picture like that within the past couple of years. We didn't figure out what it was. I think some of those spots were oval but I'm not sure.

 

[straightline]

Unbelievable.
Now pool rooms will have to disallow breaking.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

can you measure the elasticity and whether or not any of this matters?

 

[Bob Jewett]

Unbelievable.
Now pool rooms will have to disallow breaking.

Not a new idea. I used to play in a room where smash breaks were forbidden on the front tables.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Yesterday, I filmed a bunch of power breaks for a video I'm working on. Check out all the contact patches on the balls due to ball compression during impact:

It is hard to believe the balls compress and flatten enough to make such large marks, but the spots don't lie. Have you guys seen this before and know if it occurs more with certain brands/models or dirty/clean/polished balls? These Aramith balls were cleaned with Aramith Ball Cleaner about a month ago and have had only moderate use.

I think those marks could be from the object balls contacting the pocket liners. That would be very easy to determine once you’ve cleaned an object ball to remove all marks and then started shooting some shots into a pocket and then check the ball.

Then with another clean ball, just shooting some shots hard straight up and down the end cushion, making sure not to pocket it and then check that ball. Then determine which ball has the marks on it – the ball you shot in the pocket or the ball you shot up and down the cushion?

 

[garczar]

I think those marks could be from the object balls contacting the pocket liners.

seriously doubt that. they wouldn't be so uniform. don't think any liner would be hard enough anyway.

 

[Bob Jewett]

As for the size of the spots, that is more or less what has been observed many times before. Balls flatten on contact. It happens with steel balls, too. The size is no surprise. What is a surprise is that there is something going on with the surface. Dirt? Wax? Scrapes? What caused the absolutely expected compression spot to be visible?

 

[Texas Carom Club]

seriously doubt that. they wouldn't be so uniform.

so then hes breaking tons of times swapping out the head ball?

 

[Bob Jewett]

seriously doubt that. they wouldn't be so uniform. don't think any liner would be hard enough anyway.

Also, the six ball was probably not pocketed that many times on the break shots.

 

[garczar]

so then hes breaking tons of times swapping out the head ball?

i think its just cleaner residue getting squashed on impacts.

 

[Bob Jewett]

so then hes breaking tons of times swapping out the head ball?

I'm pretty sure the one ball was always in front. That makes it more puzzling, since contact on the six would have been like a combination.

 

[Fatboy]

I’ve heard purple balls bruise easier than orange balls……

 

[Rickhem]

They have stickers that you put on the face of a golf club to see where on the face the ball impacts. It's a kind of a swing correction tool. Maybe put something in front of the rack, leaning against the head ball, and see if the impact patch is captured on that.
I wouldn't think it would be so uniform unless the break speed is also that uniform.

 

[garczar]

They have stickers that you put on the face of a golf club to see where on the face the ball impacts. It's a kind of a swing correction tool. Maybe put something in front of the rack, leaning against the head ball, and see if the impact patch is captured on that.
I wouldn't think it would be so uniform unless the break speed is also that uniform.

That's why i think its just cleaner residue getting pinched together much like impact stickers in golf.

 

[dr_dave]

I recall someone posting a picture like that within the past couple of years. We didn't figure out what it was. I think some of those spots were oval but I'm not sure.

I could see a firm cut shot creating an oval contact patch instead, just like tennis balls glancing off the court (as the electronic line-calling cameras show on TV).

 

[Bob Jewett]

I’ve heard purple balls bruise easier than orange balls……

Maybe they don't start out purple....

 

[dr_dave]

can you measure the elasticity and whether or not any of this matters?

I don't think it really "matters." It is just interesting to know that the balls elastically deform that much.

Also, I would prefer that the balls not get marked up so easily.

 

[dr_dave]

I think those marks could be from the object balls contacting the pocket liners.

Definitely not. Most of those balls did not enter a pocket during my entire filming session, and they all had the spots.

 

[Island Drive]

Another point about ball marks/scuffs.
Chalk is just powdered rock.
If you only wipe your new ball set down with a clean damp rag it tends to leave microscopic embedded hits/dents of chalk on the ball.
Ball sets like this pick up play surface dirt extremely fast in a short period of time.

As you continue to play with this ''hand cleaned'' only ball set the object balls become more pitted/gritty.
With players on a non pro caliber that just bunt/roll balls around this ''pitting''/acne of the obj. balls is not as extreme as pro play.
Because, when a pro player like Kaci hits the ball square at a high speed this further pitts the outer ball surface of a dirty ball and effects play conditions.