changing game
- Thread starter djo
- Start date
simonis 860 has been around for 30+ years.. ? it's hardly a new change. better air conditioning and cleaner chalk may have had some effect, if you're talking pro tournaments
played on a 7ft diamond barbox a couple of weeks ago with some very unforgiving pockets. threw me off my typical game especially with the banks. never got me self on the groove and have to change my style and strategy. in fairness to that experience, my pocketing improved significantly once I returned back to the typical 8/9 footers. now I just have to get the feel playing on a new 760 cloth. I didn't have to draw that much so I most of the time overshoot my positioning most of the time.
Assuming the "we" and "our" is referring to what many refer to as "American pool". I think what you are seeing is that only foreign companies seem to have any interest in supporting and promoting pool, so naturally the game has evolved more towards their traditions and conditions.
Personally, I think the IPT formula of playing 8 ball on a heavy napped cloth was much more "Brilliant" than anything Emily and MR has come up with. Too bad that all ended the way it did.
I don't think it makes it harder I think it makes it more likely for you to play defense than take the shot, I have heard it said today's players are like robots, they have to be, why take a challenging shot when you can play a lock up safety with such tight pockets, if the pockets were 4 1/4" with a little wider angle opening, then the player has to decide safety or shot and playing safe becomes harder too, IMHO today's game is a defense oriented game instead of an offensive game, an offensive game plays better on TV as well.
OP Quote.... ''why are we changing our pool to attract Europeans and others , by making tables faster ''.
Show us in print where this is Truth.... by quoting another then....
Show us in print where this is Truth.... by quoting another then....
with a young european and a filipino legend winning the big $$?
Zerksies
Well-known member
They thought real long and hard about their first post.
Making the game harder, is making the players better.
Wide pockets will allow you to "cheat" the pockets on purpose but also allow you to "miss" and still make the ball.
The tight pockets reveal the flaws in the players aim and stroke and requires him to be better.
Taking the ability to cheat the pocket or at least reducing it, is not hurting the game, it's elevating it.
The game has changes many times from the days it was invented. Either you move forward or get stuck in the past.
And yes, player are more cautious and play more defense but the level of defense play has gone up as well as just hiding is not enough with the modern jump cue and how well today's players jump.
Overall, the average pro player today would have beaten the average pool player of 30 years ago easily (no need to try and find the exception, we all know they're out there)
Something to consider, most players that have an issue with the tables are amateurs that these conditions do not apply to them that usually shoot on 5 inch bar boxes (toy tables) and old farts that blame the table for their inability to hit the target...
Pros don't complain about it. They understand that the conditions are even for all and if you want to win, you just have to be better!