Diamond Professional vs Gold Crown IV

[jay helfert]

1200-1300 lbs is what a gc 4 weighs....

Trent, you know better than me but I think the Diamond Pro-Am is about 75-100 pounds heavier than a GC. You know I'm an old school guy and in my day we had to learn to adjust to different equipment all the time. So, I'm used to that and learning to play on a Diamond did require some serious adjusting to how it played compared to a GC. A couple of things that still bother me though about the Diamond tables is how the balls bank cross side when sitting on the rail within an inch or so of the side pocket. They come off funny! And try to bank a ball two rails cross side and it may end up anywhere, except in the pocket.

The other thing that vexes me and really is no fault of the table as far as I know is shooting a three railer in the corner. I've had this table for six years and still have not figured out how to aim that shot. It seems like it may go anywhere but in the pocket, no matter where I aim. It's an iffy shot at best and all I can hope for is to come close for a leave in One Pocket. On a GC I find that shot is very predictable. Bottom line for both of these things is the rails do play a little funny imo. Why, I have no idea.

That said, you definitely can make some banks on this table that you won't even try on a GC. You can shorten up shots that look impossible. That part I've got figured out. Twisting long rail banks is another very tough proposition on the Diamond. It takes a very delicate touch to get it right. If you're off just a hair, you won't even come close to making the ball. On my Diamond I've learned to just roll long rail banks for accuracy. Hitting them with English makes it a triple hard shot.

I'm not table expert by any means, but I do know how to figure out how a table plays, and the Diamond is not an easy one to figure out. That's for sure!

 

[Black-Balled]

What about when you have a couple of friends over, two of you are playing...then the other guy has a table that he can warm up on while he waits for the 11 inning battle on the 5 ball.
Sweet redundancy. :grin-square:

Ahh, I see. I dont have a couple friends.

At least not a couple of them that play pool and are allowed near the family!

But I am very familiar with 11 innings on the 5b.

 

[trentfromtoledo]

Trent, you know better than me but I think the Diamond Pro-Am is about 75-100 pounds heavier than a GC. You know I'm an old school guy and in my day we had to learn to adjust to different equipment all the time. So, I'm used to that and learning to play on a Diamond did require some serious adjusting to how it played compared to a GC. A couple of things that still bother me though about the Diamond tables is how the balls bank cross side when sitting on the rail within an inch or so of the side pocket. They come off funny! And try to bank a ball two rails cross side and it may end up anywhere, except in the pocket.

The other thing that vexes me and really is no fault of the table as far as I know is shooting a three railer in the corner. I've had this table for six years and still have not figured out how to aim that shot. It seems like it may go anywhere but in the pocket, no matter where I aim. It's an iffy shot at best and all I can hope for is to come close for a leave in One Pocket. On a GC I find that shot is very predictable. Bottom line for both of these things is the rails do play a little funny imo. Why, I have no idea.

That said, you definitely can make some banks on this table that you won't even try on a GC. You can shorten up shots that look impossible. That part I've got figured out. Twisting long rail banks is another very tough proposition on the Diamond. It takes a very delicate touch to get it right. If you're off just a hair, you won't even come close to making the ball. On my Diamond I've learned to just roll long rail banks for accuracy. Hitting them with English makes it a triple hard shot.

I'm not table expert by any means, but I do know how to figure out how a table plays, and the Diamond is not an easy one to figure out. That's for sure!

The thread is about a Diamond Professional and not a ProAm. They do play funky, but, it has become the tournament standard. I will always prefer a Gold Crown.

Trent from Toledo.

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

I drove down to the Diamond Factory today and took a tour. Was a nice experience.

r/DCP

 

[Black-Balled]

I drove down to the Diamond Factory today and took a tour. Was a nice experience.

r/DCP

Nice...hopefully you will share more at some point?


Did they sell you?! Put you to work?

 

[Cuebuddy]

Ahh, I see. I dont have a couple friends.

At least not a couple of them that play pool and are allowed near the family!

But I am very familiar with 11 innings on the 5b.

Ha HA ha. You sound like me, I only have one friend and he claims he doesn't have any.

 

[TEAM SLO]

I bought my son a GCIV from a place closing down. Upon delivery it was beat up much worse than I saw in pics. Also the castings were terrible, around a quarter inch higher than the rails. Table we got had the buckets also.

I was happy I was able to get my son a table but always had a sour look coming into the garage where the table was with the condition. It played very well, but damn those pocket castings, we like to shoot with the cue on the rail if possible and near the corners, it wasn't gonna happen.

Fast forward a few months and we had a chance to trade the GC for a Diamond one piece slate blue label..... Best decision ever. Not saying it plays better or worse but definiltely a solid table and ball return system, aesthetically pleasing to me.... and the best is that my son absolutely loves the table.

We recently got the table re-clothed with Simonis 860hr in tournament blue along with a shimmed to between 4 and 4 1/16th for the corners. I believe the sides were either 4.25 or 4.5. This is my sons dream setup....

Unless we come into a deal for a 10' Diamond table, we will most likely not be replacing. But we have thought about a Chinese 8 ball table

 

[DrCue'sProtege]

IMHO it is silly to swap from a well setup GC to any other table unless you are a pro and you make money off playing on Diamond tables and need one for practice. Waste of time and money.

I am leaning in this direction now. I am afraid it might be like buying a new car. Its great the first 2-3 months with the new ride and new car smell. Then reality sets in and you have almost five years left to pay for it.

I suspect after the "newness" of the Diamond wore off I might ask myself..."What did I do this for???"

r/DCP

 

[jalapus logan]

I am leaning in this direction now. I am afraid it might be like buying a new car. Its great the first 2-3 months with the new ride and new car smell. Then reality sets in and you have almost five years left to pay for it.

I suspect after the "newness" of the Diamond wore off I might ask myself..."What did I do this for???"

r/DCP

I've had my diamond longer than I've had any car...13 years now. Best money I ever spent, IMHO. You're mileage may vary, but diamond gets my money over a GC any time. Bottom line is to get what you consider the best value proposition for your dollar.