Carom balls on a pool table?
- Thread starter mnorwood
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You can use carom balls somewhat - I screwed around on my pool table before I got a carom table - but mostly relatively softer natural shots, short tables. Hard shots, reverse english, the ball will do weird things - it mashes the rail harder than it normally would, can hop the rail a little, it behaves differently. On some hard shots like an around the table the ball goes alot longer than a pool ball, which is counter-intuitive, but I think the ball is so heavy vs. the rail that it mashes the rail and slides before it comes off, rather than just bouncing. I would just use pool balls.
what exactly is the rail height difference then? ....i mean because they are made of the same material....right?
GordonRamsay said:
It is alot, really. When you look at a pool table's cushions, the angle being flush with the rail is lower (i.e. not flush with the straightness of the rail) so that the pool ball would not fly off the table (mind you, the regulation height of the cushion is about.... aprox. 63.5% of the pool ball) but on carom cushions, the angle is some-what flush with the rail. For instance in this link A061 - A063 would be a good description of carom billiard rubber cushions. With the exception to the step rubber (A068) belonging to snooker, all others seem to be pool cushions. That is practically why you see carom having more around-the-table shots, sharper English application and more stability within those balls than putting carom balls on a pool table.
GordonRamsay said:
....now coming back to the material... very close but carom has more oomph as far as cloth material is concerned. Top pros (or at least in my thought) trust mostly on Granito Tournament carom cloth and the Simionis 300 Rapide so that the ball can run very smooth. I mean who would want to play carom on a nappy cloth? I certanly wouldn't! Eze123?? Hernan amigo?? Can any of you all vouch or me??
they took ur jobs!
SlickRick_PCS said:....now coming back to the material... very close but carom has more oomph as far as cloth material is concerned. Top pros (or at least in my thought) trust mostly on Granito Tournament carom cloth and the Simionis 300 Rapide so that the ball can run very smooth. I mean who would want to play carom on a nappy cloth? I certanly wouldn't! Eze123?? Hernan amigo?? Can any of you all vouch or me??
I totally agree with you amigo, by the way, just as a funny story, I learned about this site because of mnorwood, I asked him a few questions on youtube about my pool cues, he was very nice to me and I appreciate that. Coming back to the question, yes, so far I've played on Sooren Sogards and Chevillotes all with Simonis 300 and they are the best. I have also played on tables with no name, with poor quality cloth and with no heating system, and believe me when I say that is no fun. Last week I had a break in between classes, 3 hour break :S, so I decided that I was going to play pool on one of the tables at the bowling alley we have on campus. When I only had three balls on the table I decided that I wanted to practice some 3 cushion, it was not the best idea, the balls would act weird compared to how they would respond in a heated table. I think it would be a good idea to practice straight rail and 1 cushion maybe, but for 3 cushion I don't know.
Btw, last week I ran my first 6 in 3 cushion !!!
And I have learned to like the small games too because they have helped me a lot SlickRick
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Hernan7 said:And I have learned to like the small games too because they have helped me a lot SlickRick
SlickRick would be proud of me, I've been playing a little straight rail myself. I like it alot, very tricky game, a quarter inch off and you're screwed. If you just go in blind you're lucky if you can get two points - if you get some basic guidelines like out of Daly's book, it instantly becomes easier, you don't make obvious mistakes that you would before. I played solo for about two hours today, ran a 21 and a 12 or so, which I was happy with. But I had to sweat those out - you have to be able to control the cueball off the rail with machine-like precision - a hair too much english or whatever and you miss or absolutely screw yourself on position. Also, it's so hard to gauge down your stroke to just barely move an inch. It's weird - there are shots where all three balls are within six inches of each other near a rail and I spend more time thinking out the shot than I would in 3cushion.
Hernan, you say 'games' - what are you playing other than straight rail - balkline?
Hernan, you say 'games' - what are you playing other than straight rail - balkline?[/QUOTE]
I'm sorry it took me this long to answer. I've tried one-cushion a few times, it's fun too because you can experiment with the diamond system. I wish I could play balkline but I'm not allowed to draw lines on the cloth haha.
I'm sorry it took me this long to answer. I've tried one-cushion a few times, it's fun too because you can experiment with the diamond system. I wish I could play balkline but I'm not allowed to draw lines on the cloth haha.
Hernan7 said:
I'm sorry it took me this long to answer. I've tried one-cushion a few times, it's fun too because you can experiment with the diamond system. I wish I could play balkline but I'm not allowed to draw lines on the cloth haha.[/QUOTE]
One cushion, hell, straight rail is difficult enough. Fiendishly difficult, been playing around with and it is so freaking difficult. The thing I need to get is how to draw the ball when you're pushing the first object ball not too far - I either jam the first ball too hard or I'm way too soft on the draw and I don't get back to the object ball. I have the basic idea, I think, more of a quick down stroke nip so you don't transfer too much speed to the first ball but still have the spin to draw back. But blending those two variables together is tough. I've never cursed a fast table more than playing straight rail. One tiny increment of speed too fast and everything goes to hell.
Anybody on the board play straight rail and any tips? Don't think it's been talked about much. SlickRick, why have you forsaken me?
eze123 said:
You know, I read from some article (not so sure if it was a blog or an interview) about how straight rail is considered very difficult because of the endurance one must follow. I mean, yes to Eze123, that it is not easy when one has to hit an object ball, make sure that the cue ball hits the other and have control of the first OB to come back. Like it goes relating carom to pocket billiards : Straight-Rail is to Straight Pool as 9-ball is to Three-Cushion. Say Eze, perhaps once in our lifetimes, I'll play you Straight-Rail or Balkline wearing those awkward deadly straight jackets like that "Balls of Fury" movie and if we get one miss, we get electricuted. Wow, what an "electrifying" experience that would be. :shocked2: :grin:
I also practice straight rail. In the Billiard rooms I hang around in not many people play anything other then three cushion. I actually got into Carom games when I saw a fellow make a long run at straight rail 8 years ago ( he was from Indonesia).
I have gone to one Billiard hall in Westminister California and the players there are very good at straight rail. I wish I could get a chance to visit Westminister more often.
I am not sure where you guys are from, but if you are ever are in the LA area and want to play a game of straight rail just PM me. My practice run is thirty, and I ran fifteen in the last game I played with somebody. I am not very good , but love the game anyways.
On a side note I will be going to watch a tournament this coming weekend which I believe is a regional qualifier for the nationals. The tourney will be held at the Burbank Elk's Lodge in California. If any AZBers will be there I will try to say hello.
I have gone to one Billiard hall in Westminister California and the players there are very good at straight rail. I wish I could get a chance to visit Westminister more often.
I am not sure where you guys are from, but if you are ever are in the LA area and want to play a game of straight rail just PM me. My practice run is thirty, and I ran fifteen in the last game I played with somebody. I am not very good , but love the game anyways.
On a side note I will be going to watch a tournament this coming weekend which I believe is a regional qualifier for the nationals. The tourney will be held at the Burbank Elk's Lodge in California. If any AZBers will be there I will try to say hello.