Bring your own billiard balls to pool hall

A

AvidCynergy

Member
I noticed that at the pool hall that I go to the balls are a mix of Aramith standard and premier balls as one set. I also noticed that the cue ball is a random no name measles ball that collects chalk marks fairly easily.

How much of a difference will it make if I buy a set of Super Aramith Pro pool ball set and use it at the pool hall?

Would it be a worthy investment in your opinion or is the difference in play/enjoyment negligible and I should just stick to what is available at the pool hall?
 
Equipment is not absolutely better or worse than other equipment.

New clean and slick balls will slide into the pockets better and roll better but will not spin on the felt as much. Meaning it's harder to use spin to your advantage but easier to use lack of spin to your advantage when you don't need it.

It's awesome to have new equipment and great to learn how to play with but it's also important to know how to play on equipment that isn't ideal.

Do both and have fun learning.
 
The upside of bringing your own set of balls to the pool room is enjoying the game more.

You can polish them up, they will rack well, and you’ll get consistent rolls.

The downside of bringing your own balls to the pool room is that you will have one less excuse for missing shots.

Lou Figueroa
 
if you are a rec player play with whats there.

if a pro preparing for a tournament bring what you will use there.
 
AvidCynergy said:
I noticed that at the pool hall that I go to the balls are a mix of Aramith standard and premier balls as one set. I also noticed that the cue ball is a random no name measles ball that collects chalk marks fairly easily.

How much of a difference will it make if I buy a set of Super Aramith Pro pool ball set and use it at the pool hall?

Would it be a worthy investment in your opinion or is the difference in play/enjoyment negligible and I should just stick to what is available at the pool hall?
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It really depends on the table type and how they maintain them. If their balls are scratched or dinged up chances are there's sharp stuff in the ball return of pockets. Meaning it might ruin your balls over time.

But it's probably an improvement. Bringing your own CB would probably be a big improvement, they make carrying cases called, I kid you not, ball sacs.
 
I started with bringing my own cue ball only. Then I started bringing my own set of balls. Just something more to enjoy.
 
When we had rooms and practicing n sht, I would bring three extra sets of cheap balls to practice congestion drills. As microcalibrated as some of my skills got, I never noticed a difference between the Aramith generics and the premium set supplied at the room.
 
years ago I caught Strickland practicing at a pool room in NC, he brought his own set of balls, which I thought was cool. He made some....to me...unbelievable shots, length of the table draw shots, etc.
 
If someone wanted to swap balls from their home set to the set in the billiard room who would know. There are no anti theft devices for billiard balls. That is a barpa level project.

I was tempted once to swap my dirty yellow cue ball with a shiny new one. The sentimental value made me hold on to my first and only cue ball.

I can remember each chip I created on it. New balls are nice but I have no memories with them.
 
Clean balls that are all the same size and weight behave predictably , while mismatched sets that are seldom cleaned come with some surprising ball reactions. This is especially true in halls that dont change balls very often so the balls get smaller with time. Obv the cueball shrinks fastest and u end up playing with a funny behaving smaller lighter cb. If u bring a standard cb, it will be a bit larger and heavier than the beat up OB's. In such conditions, even semi-serious players will opt to bring their own sets. But in halls that take good care of their equipment and don't keep it so long that it gets to that sorry state, it's unnecessary imo.
 
Yes, get your own set. It will make a difference if the balls there are bad.

A few suggestions:
Check the table very carefully for any exposed metal in the pockets. Nails, screws, staples. If there is, they will ding up even a brand new set of Aramith Tournament sets.

Get a set that looks different than the house sets. This will minimize the chance of mixing them up.

My personal favorite set is Cyclop Tungsten. They are $100 new on eBay, don’t look like any other sets, and are as good as the Aramith Tournament set. IMO. They also come with a template rack in the box.
 
I don't think it has to be a real expensive set of pool balls that will make that much difference, what will make a difference is a consistency of size and weight between every ball. I have a set of dynosphere Silver's, I think I paid $115 for them, but they are very good balls and very consistent. You don't need an expensive set of pool balls to take to the hall.
 
I play in a room where all of the balls are about 15 years old, except for the replacement balls for the ones that have been damaged or wandered off. All of those old balls are small from wear. The replacement balls tend to be larger. I bring my own set of Aramith Tournament Pro-Cup balls. I'd rather use a set that has a chance to rack right.

A risk of taking your own balls to the PH is nails in the pockets. If the house balls have little nicks and gouges, don't take your own set. See the recent thread about someone who was going to donate a set to the table where he works but it has exposed nails.
 
Well I guess you could practice with your own set, but then you would go from that to league play with the pool hall set. My Philosophy is I should practice with what I'm going to use in competition. I have a table at home and I have a complete set I use there and practice with all the time.
 
i guess why. you are just banging balls around practicing. if you are making a game and gambling no way do you let someone use their own balls or even cue ball.
i wont let someone use their own bridge.

and if you need your own set all the time what and how are you going to react to normal worn sets of balls next time you are gambling or in a tournament.
 
I always bring a set of Centennials even if I don’t intend to play with them at the pool hall.

It is always better to have a set of clean, handsome pool balls and not need them rather than
leave the set at home only to ultimately find out the balls at the pool hall were disappointing.
I also have extra backup sets of Centennials at home. IMO, it hits a home tun for appearance.
 

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