Blue felt ? Where , how and why its taking over....
- Thread starter Willi Makaball
- Start date
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On the flip side, I also like to drink a lot and stay out really late.
I love playing on Simonis Tournament Blue. It allows you to take a better picture of your cue on it as well. 
Green just belongs on a Gold Crown, thats why I stuck with the traditional green on my Gold Crown.
Just as it seems like Tournament Blue just belongs on a Diamond.
Greg Sullivan came up with the blue cloth.
Greg wanted a cloth that was best for human eyes to see what was on it. He contacted a company that specialized in such things and was told that a particular shade of blue was best for the human eye to differentiate between the surface color and what was sitting on it. That color is now Simonis Blue.
If you happen to watch any of the recent US Open Tennis, you might have noticed that the color of the courts was striking similar.
Lou Figueroa
I prefer blue. I have an 8 foot cut bed and rails of Simonis Blue 860 HR for $205 Shipped Continental U.S. only great deal
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=382462&highlight=simonis
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=382462&highlight=simonis
Blue color is chosen for TV tables.
It makes easier to see the spin of the measles cue ball.(red spots are more visible on blue than on green)
It started with carom, than extended to pool.
As for the most relaxing color, the best choice would be the traditional dark green.
My 2 cents.
It makes easier to see the spin of the measles cue ball.(red spots are more visible on blue than on green)
It started with carom, than extended to pool.
As for the most relaxing color, the best choice would be the traditional dark green.
My 2 cents.
Diamond may have their reasons but like so many other things I think it's popularity and commonality.
People see it on tv and yes the blue looks nice, old fashion people will say different but eventually it came down to (like someone else mentioned) "hey I wish they had the blue cloth on our tables". (in my life, so don't count yours) It was slow to come on since room owners that were not very much into pool didn't know what this "new blue cloth" everyone "which in his mind meant the 3 people that asked him" was talking about. Plus from their stand point "i'm not looking to redo all of my table just cause 2 people ask me too" also "that color is going to get and show dirt and stains like crazy, and i'm not doing 1 cause it's going to look odd".
Eventually as time went on and more and more people we asking about it and a few room owner started looking into it and some gambling on it the chain reaction happened. People began feeling and seeing what they wanted to see and feel. After playing on that old dirty cloth for so long the first this was "WOW this is fast" and then came the "this is nice, i like the color and it makes the place look nice, plus i think you can see the balls better" once again because the previous cloth was so dirty.
This is some what no different to the Predator/Low Deflection revolution that happened and followed by the Kamui insurgence. You had tons of low level players, less experienced players, less knowledgeable players etc buying Predator cues and putting kamui on their budweiser cues, all the while not knowing what deflection was much less how to tell or determine it's behavior based on their playing style and ability.
And so on and so on, you can fill in the blanks from here i guess.
People see it on tv and yes the blue looks nice, old fashion people will say different but eventually it came down to (like someone else mentioned) "hey I wish they had the blue cloth on our tables". (in my life, so don't count yours) It was slow to come on since room owners that were not very much into pool didn't know what this "new blue cloth" everyone "which in his mind meant the 3 people that asked him" was talking about. Plus from their stand point "i'm not looking to redo all of my table just cause 2 people ask me too" also "that color is going to get and show dirt and stains like crazy, and i'm not doing 1 cause it's going to look odd".
Eventually as time went on and more and more people we asking about it and a few room owner started looking into it and some gambling on it the chain reaction happened. People began feeling and seeing what they wanted to see and feel. After playing on that old dirty cloth for so long the first this was "WOW this is fast" and then came the "this is nice, i like the color and it makes the place look nice, plus i think you can see the balls better" once again because the previous cloth was so dirty.
This is some what no different to the Predator/Low Deflection revolution that happened and followed by the Kamui insurgence. You had tons of low level players, less experienced players, less knowledgeable players etc buying Predator cues and putting kamui on their budweiser cues, all the while not knowing what deflection was much less how to tell or determine it's behavior based on their playing style and ability.
And so on and so on, you can fill in the blanks from here i guess.
A lot of input and some good info, thanks, now I can relay this info to my friend at the hall,
I prefer green, but so many tables have the new blue, and it does seem easier on the eyes, Had a friend with red felt and was that strange stuff, when that blue chalk started showing u the table looked a mess.
Thanks for all the great feedback !!!!
I prefer green, but so many tables have the new blue, and it does seem easier on the eyes, Had a friend with red felt and was that strange stuff, when that blue chalk started showing u the table looked a mess.
Thanks for all the great feedback !!!!
Blue cloth makes the whole room brighter.
Greg Sullivan paid a company for a study to determine what color provides the best background contrast to see pool balls against. The result was Tournament Blue. This had nothing to do with TV or anything, except improving the playing conditions on the surface of the table. As a side note, it does improve visibility on camera.
Almost at the same time, the US Open Tennis courts in Flushing Meadows changed to the same color for the exact same reason.
Since its introduction, Tournament Blue has become the overwhelming favorite of Diamond customers.
Almost at the same time, the US Open Tennis courts in Flushing Meadows changed to the same color for the exact same reason.
Since its introduction, Tournament Blue has become the overwhelming favorite of Diamond customers.
Ha Ha. That's funny. I've actually seen this! :grin:
I was hanging out in a booth at a trade show that was selling low-squirt shafts. While I was there five or six players came up to try a shaft or two. Several of them bought shafts or full cues. None of them put side spin on the cue ball when trying shots.
I think cloth color and squirt are important factors in play but only after the player gets to a certain level. If they're still off by 10 degrees on most cut shots and never use side spin or draw, the smoothness of the chalk probably will not get them any more wins.
I have Simonis Tour Blue on my table, and like it.
But I will never understand why Diamond has not contracted for some chalk in the correct color to match that cloth.
If they could copyright or patent the color formula it might make some money, or they could give it away for cost and make goodwill.
I find gray or tan chalk works best on Tournament Blue cloth. Those two colors do not mark up the cloth, nor do they stain hands, ferrules, or shafts. I am toying with getting tan cloth on my next recover coming up soon.
Looking through for sale ads on Craigslist, it seems Red cloth is the most popular home table color, along with burgundy. My used table came with red/burgundy cloth and it came off real quick.
I have some red chalk that I am going to give to my worst enemy, if I ever get a worst enemy.
But I will never understand why Diamond has not contracted for some chalk in the correct color to match that cloth.
If they could copyright or patent the color formula it might make some money, or they could give it away for cost and make goodwill.
I find gray or tan chalk works best on Tournament Blue cloth. Those two colors do not mark up the cloth, nor do they stain hands, ferrules, or shafts. I am toying with getting tan cloth on my next recover coming up soon.
Looking through for sale ads on Craigslist, it seems Red cloth is the most popular home table color, along with burgundy. My used table came with red/burgundy cloth and it came off real quick.
I have some red chalk that I am going to give to my worst enemy, if I ever get a worst enemy.
Of you follow the color spectrum ROY G BIV
Reds Orange yellow are on one end
Green is most neutral
Blue indigo violet on other end.
The brain responds to stimuli from receptors in eyes called cones. The harsher stimuli come from the red side, while green is considered neutral.
Hence stop lights and stop signs and break lights on cars are all red, they get attention quick but are harsh on the eyes
So a red pool table will fatigue eyes fastest.
Green will be the most neutral with blue coming in at second as least eye strain.
I have a friend who is an optometrist & a pool aficionado and he states that the human eye is actually able to pick out objects against a green background better than any other color. Is he right, I don't know but considering his profession he might know what he's talking about. I prefer green. A hall in my area has the blue on all their tables & it's been awhile since they've recovered tables and the blue looks hideous when older showing far more stains than I've ever seen on green.
I switched from (dirty) Simonis Green to Tournament Blue this year on my home table. I noticed immediately how much brighter the table was. I had never noticed before because all pool halls I'd been in had either green OR blue - so I hadn't seen them side by side (or back to back).
Gideon
I played at a bar in town that has two GCs with black Simonis on them. It was insane - you couldn't see a thing. Any shot with the ball more than 3 feet away was an adventure - especially if the object ball was near the rail.
Gideon
At the Super Billiards Expo, the combined Sterling/Fury booth had that 7-foot Diamond with black cloth, with the Fury logo -- bright red lettering with bluish-white lightning bolts and bright-white stars -- emblazoned across the whole bed of the table.
You almost couldn't see where the end of the cushion disappears into the abyss of the pocket. And nevermind that you have these bright lightning bolts and stars against a solid black background constantly "pulling" at your eyes.
That was probably the worst cloth I'd ever played on -- you had to carefully look in the direction of the pocket, to make sure the "blackness" you're aiming at, is actually the pocket.
I'm a fan of green and tournament blue, and I find I actually like camel- or tan-colored cloth -- very easy on the eyes, yet easily able to see the pockets and the balls on the surface.
-Sean