Centennials or aramith or cyclops? What's the best pool ball sets?
- Thread starter skankhammer
- Start date
I can also vouch for the Aramith Tournament Edition as high quality, maybe the best of the bunch (edit: had these about 3 years). I also own Super Aramith Pro's and my buddy owns the Centennials. They are all great sets, but I'd go with the tourney's.
It is also possible that Brunswick licensed Saluc’s Aramith technology and specs to manufacture their current Centennial product.
Thanks guys, good information.
I've watched world champion pros warm-up by slamming shots into the corners to see how the pockets' playing and slow rolling long cuts to see how they're throwing. You need to adjust to what you're going to play with. I prefer Centennials and red circles because that's what I usually play with. But you never know because of what they've been cleaned with, how humid it is, table rolls,etc. You need to test and adjust, regardless of the brand of balls.
Pool shoes are a good idea.
there's a resoundng enorsement...replace them every 18 months.
Centennials ... I just prefer "the look" over all other offerings.
Derby uses them because Diamond is the importer. They suck but whatcha gonna do, not play? Just another adjustment.
What kind of socks should I be wearing? I think I have the correct shoes, but my socks are making me miss to the left.
It was suggested that I wear 2 socks on my left foot because that side was low, but then my left shoe feels too tight...... :angry:
:thumbup:
What kind of socks should I be wearing? I think I have the correct shoes, but my socks are making me miss to the left.
It was suggested that I wear 2 socks on my left foot because that side was low, but then my left shoe feels too tight...... :angry:
I had the same problem a few years ago and found out I was wearing two left socks
I am not a scientist so cannot comment on resin, weight or quality differences of the 3 sets of balls, but I prefer Centennials for one simple reason...The numbers are not located within the stripe, so when they are spotted with the number up, there is just a solid stripe visible for the shooter so no extra lines, curves, etc for the shooter to use as a target (this makes it equal to a solid ball with the number placed up in my opinion). I have always been unhappy that the placement of the numbers were changed embedded within the stripe.
I am also a big believer of using the cue ball that comes with the set so they all matched, so the blue circle w/the Centennials are my preferences, especially for 1-pocket.
Dave
I am also a big believer of using the cue ball that comes with the set so they all matched, so the blue circle w/the Centennials are my preferences, especially for 1-pocket.
Dave
Depends on what you define as the stripe! I've always thought that the white areas are two stripes that surround the solid color, rather than it being a single colored stripe on a white ball. Personally for just pure aiming I prefer the object balls to be as simple as possible so there are less visual distractions to draw the eye away from the aim point. (There used to be a company called Raschig who made a set of 9-ball balls with no numbers at all that are much prized today. Saluc purchased them and killed the design.)
Therefore on this basis the Super Pros are my favorite design. However some players like the extra visual components on the Centennials as giving a reference point to use when aiming, but on this basis other players can feel this is an unfair advantage, especially in 8-ball.
I'd agree with you on this except for the lamentable job that Saluc does with it's cue balls. They give almost no proper information about them to the public and have changed the material formulations several times whilst selling them under the same name. (This happened most recently with the Pro Cup "Measles" ball which started off using an almost pure-white formula and then changed to the same off-white used for most cue balls) The blue circle is supposed to be accurately matched to the other balls in the Centennial set but no actual figures are published by the manufacture to define what "accurate" means. The blue circle is also one of the worst at gaining and retaining chalk marks in my experience, nearly as bad as the Pro Cup. The red circle is the only current Saluc/Aramith cue ball that is easily cleanable in normal use because it has a deeper surface finish.
WPA international equipment rules define both object and cue balls as follows:
"..measure 2 ¼ (+.005) inches [5.715 cm (+ .127 mm)] in diameter and weigh 5 ½ to 6 oz [156 to 170 gms" (http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/WPA_Tournament_Table_Equipment_Specifications)
That weight specification is the primary problem, allowing for an entire half-an-ounce of difference in a set. This allows companies like Saluc to sell all their balls with nearly a 10% difference in mass from ball to ball in the same set, let alone the cue ball.
For a comparison US tennis allows only a variance of 0.12oz ounces in a Type 1 Fast tennis ball that weighs around 2oz (https://www.usta.com/2011_tennis_ball_specifications/) and millions more of those are produced at a far lower cost than billiard balls. They also define durability and deformation standards.
IMHO Saluc need to at the very least sell their Tournament set with a QC report in each box with the tolerance checks and guarantee no less than a 5% variance, including the cue ball. Then they need to sell individual cue balls the same way so it is easier to match a replacement to a set of existing object balls given that the cue balls wear much faster in normal use.
Here is a picture of each sets of balls (Centennials and your favorite, Super Pros) to illustrate what I meant to say. The centennials striped balls provide no additional edges to sight when the numbers are placed up (just one solid strip). As you can see, your choice adds the lines and edges of the stripe to help aim. I think the pure way is to have a solid strip w/no additional edges to avoid any advantage to those playing 8-ball, one pocket or any other game where you spot balls an shoot from the kitchen... but that may be just me.
Dave
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I had the same problem a few years ago and found out I was wearing two left socks
Try using a left-handed cue... works wonders.
I'm right handed, meaning I hold the cue in my right hand and bridge with the left.
We've been using these at the Derby City Straight Pool Challenge for the last two or three years and the pros do like these Aramith Tournament balls. They don't have anything good to say about the balls they are using down on the main floor.