There are many ways to measure pocket openings. The current method for determining pocket size is to measure from tip to tip. Most people try to use a tape measure or other measuring device for this dimension to determine their pocket opening. This is a difficult, tedious, and a little misleading process. Therefore, it is not my preferred method for measuring pocket openings.
I am offering another method you may wish to use. Instead I use the “gate method.” First, we need to illustrate the difference between the two methods. When measuring with the tip to tip method, you are measuring at a distance above the center of the ball. This height along with the facing angle (12 to 15 degrees)allows the ball to hide approximately 1/32” underneath the tip/facing. The normal 4 1/2” pocket is actually 1/16” larger if we take into account the extra 1/32” on each side of the pocket underneath the tip. We call this the gate method.
I prefer to use new pool balls instead of a tape measure to illustrate this point and to measure the width of the gate. You need to imagine a line drawn tip to tip bisecting the two balls, with each ball touching the pocket facing. Use 2 striped balls per our illustration, dividing the painted portion of the ball.
The IPT now has what I call a true 4 1/2” pocket. Observe Illustration #1. Note: even though the gate method shows 2 balls measuring 4 1/2”, a tip to tip measurement would be closer to 4 7/16”.
Now go one step further. Use 2 balls to measure any pocket. All you need to do is to place the balls in the proper position and measure the gap between the balls and add 4 1/2” (the width of 2 balls.)
The reason that I like the gate method so much more is that you almost always have 2 balls around a pool table. What I care about most is knowing the margin of error (how much I can miss a shot by.)
On the IPT table, the margin of error is one ball width or 2 1/4”. The margin of error then equals one ball width plus the space between the two balls. Illustration #2 shows the margin for error on a Diamond Professional with Pro-Cut pockets. Tip to tip this measurement is 4 9/16” but with the gate method the opening is 4 5/8”.
In addition, a ball can be used to measure slate depth very easily. We will discuss this at a future date. I hope this illustrates the simplicity of the gate method to measure pocket openings.
Food for thought: Have you ever wondered why a ball sometimes goes with another ball in the path not realizing that the widest part of the ball passes under the tip a little bit giving it room to go?
The illustrations for this post are at the following link:
http://homepage.mac.com/paul8ball/PhotoAlbum4.html
I am offering another method you may wish to use. Instead I use the “gate method.” First, we need to illustrate the difference between the two methods. When measuring with the tip to tip method, you are measuring at a distance above the center of the ball. This height along with the facing angle (12 to 15 degrees)allows the ball to hide approximately 1/32” underneath the tip/facing. The normal 4 1/2” pocket is actually 1/16” larger if we take into account the extra 1/32” on each side of the pocket underneath the tip. We call this the gate method.
I prefer to use new pool balls instead of a tape measure to illustrate this point and to measure the width of the gate. You need to imagine a line drawn tip to tip bisecting the two balls, with each ball touching the pocket facing. Use 2 striped balls per our illustration, dividing the painted portion of the ball.
The IPT now has what I call a true 4 1/2” pocket. Observe Illustration #1. Note: even though the gate method shows 2 balls measuring 4 1/2”, a tip to tip measurement would be closer to 4 7/16”.
Now go one step further. Use 2 balls to measure any pocket. All you need to do is to place the balls in the proper position and measure the gap between the balls and add 4 1/2” (the width of 2 balls.)
The reason that I like the gate method so much more is that you almost always have 2 balls around a pool table. What I care about most is knowing the margin of error (how much I can miss a shot by.)
On the IPT table, the margin of error is one ball width or 2 1/4”. The margin of error then equals one ball width plus the space between the two balls. Illustration #2 shows the margin for error on a Diamond Professional with Pro-Cut pockets. Tip to tip this measurement is 4 9/16” but with the gate method the opening is 4 5/8”.
In addition, a ball can be used to measure slate depth very easily. We will discuss this at a future date. I hope this illustrates the simplicity of the gate method to measure pocket openings.
Food for thought: Have you ever wondered why a ball sometimes goes with another ball in the path not realizing that the widest part of the ball passes under the tip a little bit giving it room to go?
The illustrations for this post are at the following link:
http://homepage.mac.com/paul8ball/PhotoAlbum4.html
