Best Cloth Debate

iacas

iacas

Drill Sergeant
Silver Member
I have a 9' Huntington on order with Spruce Simonis 860. This was recommended to me because it's a larger table than most people get in their homes and this is a faster cloth.

I have a few weeks until it's delivered (West Penn Billiards in Pittsburgh, PA), and am wondering if I should change the cloth to something else. They really only need to know a few days before delivery, I believe, so I have some time.

I'm concerned about wear, burn marks, and how well it will maintain its speed and consistency. I won't be doing any crazy massés or jumps or anything - I don't even jump, currently. I bought some Aramith Super Pro balls because I realize that burn marks are largely attributed to the type of ball being used.

Thoughts?
 
iacas said:
I have a 9' Huntington on order with Spruce Simonis 860. This was recommended to me because it's a larger table than most people get in their homes and this is a faster cloth.

I have a few weeks until it's delivered (West Penn Billiards in Pittsburgh, PA), and am wondering if I should change the cloth to something else. They really only need to know a few days before delivery, I believe, so I have some time.

I'm concerned about wear, burn marks, and how well it will maintain its speed and consistency. I won't be doing any crazy massés or jumps or anything - I don't even jump, currently. I bought some Aramith Super Pro balls because I realize that burn marks are largely attributed to the type of ball being used.

Thoughts?
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You are going to get burn marks regardless of what balls you use.

Getting the blue shade that Diamond uses allows you to see the balls better according to their research.

I think Simonis and Granito mask poor strokes, so I've been a fan of using heavier and slower cloth like Mali at home.

Practice massé and jump shots at home. They won't let you at the pool hall.

Fred
 
For a bit less money than a simonis cloth you can also go with Championship cloth. Their tournament cloth is very similar to simonis and holds up well but in my experience it plays a bit faster, more like simonis 760. If you like it real fast, this is a good cloth at a decent price. I agree with cornerman about the cloth type hiding some flaws,etc, however if you are a tournament player I think it is good to practice on conditions that would closest resemble the tournament conditions. Likely this would mean using a simonis 860 which is still by far the most commonly used. JMHO
 
Gregg said:
Your setup sounds killer. Can I come over to play?:D
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It's quite a drive for you. :-)

I didn't go with the 760 because I don't need something that fast. I'm using the very dark green "spruce," so I'm a little more concerned about burn marks (etc.) than I would be if I were using a lighter color.

I'm not worried about "masking mistakes" - I'm worried about burn marks and how well a cloth holds up.

So far I've heard both good things about Simonis (when used with good balls) and Championship cloth. Also, the Accu-Guard cloth.

I did pay for the Simonis upgrade already - but I still have time to decide and want to make the best decision. Thanks for the responses so far - they and future ones will help.

P.S. I'm just starting out, so no, no tournaments. Not for a few years, probably.
 
If you are a beginner, you probably don't have to worry much about burn marks. I visit two pool halls on a regular basis. One has 760 on all tables. The good players always play on the front tables, and the bangers play on the back tables. The front tables are FULL of burn marks on the break line. The back tables are nearly burn free. The beginning players just don't have the ability to spin the ball and hit it super hard to cause any burning.

The other room I visit has 860 on all the tables. However, everyone in this room is a banger. All of their tables look great.
 
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