Depth of the pocket drop off

[CaptainJR]

In the Holiday Invitational people are listing the width of there pockets. Playing in league I get to play on a lot of different tables. It just seems to me, how far back the drop off into the pocket is, has more to do with how easy a table plays than the width of the pocket. Is this just my mind playing with me or do you all see it like this or the opposite?

 

[Billy_Bob]

I read that coin-op tables are designed with the drop-off further out so there will be more scratch shots - games will play faster due to this - and the table owner will thus make more money.

So I suppose a coin-op could be compaired with another table which has the same opening size, but different drop-off....

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

i havent played on TONS of tables, but i think by Gold Crown IV has somewhat deep pockets. they are slightly on the big side, but seems like when people come over and a ball rattles but doesnt fall in they make the same comment, that the slate runs deep into the pocket on my table.

so i agree somewhat that depth might very well be as big a factor on how easy balls drop along with the width. i know at times i'll have one going along the rail into the corner and it rattles but wont fall in even though i felt confident i made it. so i assume its the depth.

DCP

 

[mjantti]

The Diamonds that used to be in one pool club had the most deepest pockets I've ever seen. If the object ball was frozen to the jaw deep in the pocket and the cueball was near the rail in the same "side" as the object ball, you could only see one quarter of a ball ! One quarter of a ball ! Made some position play attempts extremely hard...

 

[Williebetmore]

DCP,
There is no "doubt" about it, and no controversy. You can peruse Jack Koehlers book on the physics of pocket billiards, and find some very elegant tables that can help you assess the difficulty of your pockets - because it depends on the opening size, the depth of the drop off, and the angle of the cushion between the opening of the pocket and the drop off.

There are tables at our local pool hall that have pockets slightly larger than my home table. Because their drop off is way back, and they are cut at a shallow angle they play MUCH, MUCH harder than my table; even though my table has smaller pockets.

 

[sjm]

... You can peruse Jack Koehlers book on the physics of pocket billiards...

I love Koehler's books, but his "permissible error" tables in his classic "The Science of Pocket Billiards" must be based on certain equipment conditions.

 

[vapoolplayer]

The Diamonds that used to be in one pool club had the most deepest pockets I've ever seen. If the object ball was frozen to the jaw deep in the pocket and the cueball was near the rail in the same "side" as the object ball, you could only see one quarter of a ball ! One quarter of a ball ! Made some position play attempts extremely hard...

i think the diamonds have the market cornered when it comes to deep pockets. the slate goes farther into the pocket then any table i have ever seen. on most tables if the object ball is frozen in the pocket, you can easily go rail first to obtain position. try that on a diamond without paying attention at how deep the ball is in the pocket and you'll just be giving your opponet some practice running out with cue ball in hand. if i remember correctly alot of the players at this past year's open were complaining about how deep the diamond pockets were.

thanks

 

[mjantti]

i think the diamonds have the market cornered when it comes to deep pockets. the slate goes farther into the pocket then any table i have ever seen. on most tables if the object ball is frozen in the pocket, you can easily go rail first to obtain position. try that on a diamond without paying attention at how deep the ball is in the pocket and you'll just be giving your opponet some practice running out with cue ball in hand. if i remember correctly alot of the players at this past year's open were complaining about how deep the diamond pockets were.

thanks

Yes, very true. Also, I remember having this layout on a Diamond table. I could see only a fraction of that 8-ball and there was no way to play position for the 9-ball except shooting hard with draw and hoping that the cueball would bounce off the jaws to the other end of the table for the 9-ball.

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On a regular table, you'd just shoot a half ball cut with lots of low left to avoid hitting the pocket point and bringing the cueball to the other end of the table.