Diamond Pro Am or Professional?
- Thread starter kdeblanc
- Start date
diamond pro am..
If everything else being the same.
the ball return is fast and quiet. Besides its what everyone uses in the major tournaments now.
If everything else being the same.
the ball return is fast and quiet. Besides its what everyone uses in the major tournaments now.
good thread
I like any Diamond table.I prefer drop pockets for playing one pocket.
I like any Diamond table.I prefer drop pockets for playing one pocket.
Personally I don't like the look of the Pro Am as much as the Pro. I love the classic lines of the Diamond Pro. I have heard that the Pros are butt ugly and the Pro ams look like big bar box's lol. I think that both tables look great but if I had to choose I would still go with the Pro.....
While the Pro Am has the best ball return system out there (most reliable, quiet and fast)...I still prefer leather drop pockets for a home table. When I am shooting balls or doing drills, which is what I'm mostly doing on my home table, I don't like having to walk to the foot of the table, bending over or squatting and getting the balls out of the return box. Yeah I know, I'm lazy. But it can become annoying if you need only a couple balls at a time and cannot keep them all on the surface of the table for a certain drill. All that said, I like just being able to reach into a pocket, or the next pocket over without having to stoop over and pull balls out for whatever I need. One walk around and I can collect all the balls.
For a table that will get mostly game play - I prefer a ball return. No having to dig through all the pockets every time. One person goes to get their break cue, the other starts racking. Or, if your practice routine is strictly breaking and running racks, a ball return makes this kind of practice a lot easier and faster.
Other than the reasons listed above, the other nice thing about the leather pockets is that they are quieter. The Pro Am return is pretty quiet, but still not as quiet as a drop pocket.
Both tables now have the slate leveling system, that's good. The Pro Am does have one very nice feature, and that is the one piece slate. This eliminates having to fill the seams, it eliminates any possibility of one popping up, eliminates any possibility of shifting of any kind. And nothing is smoother than no seam at all.
The downside is, the table is a ground floor table only. Slate is too big and too heavy to be practical for moving upstairs or down. Some people get away with it putting it in a basement since it's going down only. But the path needs to be straight and direct.
As far as looks, I like the look of the Pro more than the Pro Am. Pro Am does look a bit too bar box like. Very blocky looking. But that brings about another advantage of the Pro Am. It has the most solid stance. You can give the table a good solid hip check and it won't even vibrate. It's like hitting concrete. As solid as it gets. The Pro is also very solid too, good enough for sure - but the Pro Am is even more steady and rock solid.
The Pro Am's level can be adjusted without having to break down the table. That means, don't have to take off the cloth, pop the slate seams, adjust it, lock it all back down, recover the cloth.... Now, a properly setup Pro shouldn't need to be adjusted, but if for whatever reason (say the floor) it needs adjusting, the process on the Pro Am is much simpler and far less involved. With very basic knowledge, you can do it yourself and that saves time and money (no mechanic coming out).
The rails and pockets of both are the same. That's a good thing. They will both play identical to one another. You'll get the best play possible.
For me it comes down to a few things. Looks. I like the Pro better, but I wouldn't reject the ProAm because of it's looks. Next, will I ever need to put it upstairs, or in a basement? If the answer is no, meaning it will always be on ground level or I'm not planning on moving at all - the ProAm has a lot of advantages. Lastly, can I live with ball return - is it a deal breaker? If no, then the ProAm is the choice.
It's really like choosing between two luxury cars, one has a few differences over the other, but you really can't go wrong with either when you look at the big picture. Compared to having a bar box, generic furniture table, a cheap wannabe commercial table or knock-off....there's just no comparison and the differences between the tables becomes less important. Depends on your perspective.
What would I get? I'd get the Pro by a slim margin. I like drop pockets, I prefer the looks, and I like the flexibility of being able to move the table myself without the need for a large dolly or mechanics. It also gives me more options as to where to put it. As long as the Pro is set up right, it won't need adjusting, so it's not a big concern. Finally, it's very solid. Plenty. Also, I wouldn't have any need for dymondwood rails as my home isn't a pool hall with bangers trying to reenact "Vince" from the Color of Money by twirling their 21oz Dufferin house cue around wildly and having the butt smash right into the rail.
If I was certain that I would have ground floor space, and the ProAm came with or had the option for drop pockets, I'd get the ProAm since the one piece slate would outweigh the looks factor.
I dunno, flip a coin. :grin-square:
For a table that will get mostly game play - I prefer a ball return. No having to dig through all the pockets every time. One person goes to get their break cue, the other starts racking. Or, if your practice routine is strictly breaking and running racks, a ball return makes this kind of practice a lot easier and faster.
Other than the reasons listed above, the other nice thing about the leather pockets is that they are quieter. The Pro Am return is pretty quiet, but still not as quiet as a drop pocket.
Both tables now have the slate leveling system, that's good. The Pro Am does have one very nice feature, and that is the one piece slate. This eliminates having to fill the seams, it eliminates any possibility of one popping up, eliminates any possibility of shifting of any kind. And nothing is smoother than no seam at all.
The downside is, the table is a ground floor table only. Slate is too big and too heavy to be practical for moving upstairs or down. Some people get away with it putting it in a basement since it's going down only. But the path needs to be straight and direct.
As far as looks, I like the look of the Pro more than the Pro Am. Pro Am does look a bit too bar box like. Very blocky looking. But that brings about another advantage of the Pro Am. It has the most solid stance. You can give the table a good solid hip check and it won't even vibrate. It's like hitting concrete. As solid as it gets. The Pro is also very solid too, good enough for sure - but the Pro Am is even more steady and rock solid.
The Pro Am's level can be adjusted without having to break down the table. That means, don't have to take off the cloth, pop the slate seams, adjust it, lock it all back down, recover the cloth.... Now, a properly setup Pro shouldn't need to be adjusted, but if for whatever reason (say the floor) it needs adjusting, the process on the Pro Am is much simpler and far less involved. With very basic knowledge, you can do it yourself and that saves time and money (no mechanic coming out).
The rails and pockets of both are the same. That's a good thing. They will both play identical to one another. You'll get the best play possible.
For me it comes down to a few things. Looks. I like the Pro better, but I wouldn't reject the ProAm because of it's looks. Next, will I ever need to put it upstairs, or in a basement? If the answer is no, meaning it will always be on ground level or I'm not planning on moving at all - the ProAm has a lot of advantages. Lastly, can I live with ball return - is it a deal breaker? If no, then the ProAm is the choice.
It's really like choosing between two luxury cars, one has a few differences over the other, but you really can't go wrong with either when you look at the big picture. Compared to having a bar box, generic furniture table, a cheap wannabe commercial table or knock-off....there's just no comparison and the differences between the tables becomes less important. Depends on your perspective.
What would I get? I'd get the Pro by a slim margin. I like drop pockets, I prefer the looks, and I like the flexibility of being able to move the table myself without the need for a large dolly or mechanics. It also gives me more options as to where to put it. As long as the Pro is set up right, it won't need adjusting, so it's not a big concern. Finally, it's very solid. Plenty. Also, I wouldn't have any need for dymondwood rails as my home isn't a pool hall with bangers trying to reenact "Vince" from the Color of Money by twirling their 21oz Dufferin house cue around wildly and having the butt smash right into the rail.
If I was certain that I would have ground floor space, and the ProAm came with or had the option for drop pockets, I'd get the ProAm since the one piece slate would outweigh the looks factor.
I dunno, flip a coin. :grin-square:
Here's a related thread you may find helpful. It's titled "Can Someone Tell Me The Difference Between The Diamond Professional And Pro-Am?"
ummmm... you could..flip the drill over... place the markers so that you can do it from the foot of the table..... I dunno...stop walking around the table... and just reach down and grab another ball...
thats what I do:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Why is that, Greg?
I much prefer a ball return for a home table. My dad has a table with a return, and never again will I make those annoying laps around the table looking for balls in each pocket. To me, drop pockets, although much quieter, are more of a hassle when it comes to everyday use of a table.
Within the next year I hope to break ground on a new house, and in that house I have every intention of putting a Pro-Am
The rails are the same on these two tables, the aprons are two inches longer on the professional, the slate is thicker on the professional and the frames are different.
the thicker slate causes the ball to roll quieter, since the pro-am has a enclosed frame this won't make a difference.
the thicker slate causes the ball to roll quieter, since the pro-am has a enclosed frame this won't make a difference.
If you get a 1 piece slate on the Pro, does it still have the same leveling system?
yes..........