differences between today's tables and the past tables

[Slh]

Hi
I have felt that the tables of the past years were bigger than the today's (in fact they were 10ft) tables and they had tighter pockets. Is true? In wich years were used these tables? Do you think it would be better to return to the ancient one with these greater tables and the tighter pockets or pool can become too similar to snooker?

 

[deanoc]

the original gold crown were 5 inch pockets,i believe the anniversary,centenniel and others were the same.that is what i miss
dean

 

[smashmouth]

big 10' fan here, would love to see a pro tourney on em

 

[Johnnyt]

It's a toss-up to me. Most of the old tables had pocket openings of over 4.5", which were easy for shot making. But the tables that were shimmed to 4.25" or less with the slow cloth and rails a lot slower than the tables of today, you needed a monster stroke to be a pro for most games. Johnnyt

 

[Slh]

It's a toss-up to me. Most of the old tables had pocket openings of over 4.5", which were easy for shot making. But the tables that were shimmed to 4.25" or less with the slow cloth and rails a lot slower than the tables of today, you needed a monster stroke to be a pro for most games. Johnnyt

i think matches should be much more interesting

 

[ShootingArts]

bigger tables, bigger pockets

Bigger tables and bigger pockets. However the old cushions, balls, and cloth required more knowledge and more stroke. Balls had to be hit much harder and cloth roll was a much bigger issue. Failure to consider whether the nap was going to cause the object ball or cue ball towards or away from the pocket was the difference between making a shot and failing. Five or six inches of roll off on a level table was not unusual shooting slowly on some of the old ten footers with deep cloth.

I miss the old monsters and the snooker tables but realistically I think we need to be thinking about how to make the seven foot or even smaller tables challenging to play on. Either the pool halls have to fit in more tables, we have to pay a lot more for table time, pool halls have to charge a lot more per table, or pool rooms become more impractical by the day.

Hu

 

[Johnnyt]

Bigger tables and bigger pockets. However the old cushions, balls, and cloth required more knowledge and more stroke. Balls had to be hit much harder and cloth roll was a much bigger issue. Failure to consider whether the nap was going to cause the object ball or cue ball towards or away from the pocket was the difference between making a shot and failing. Five or six inches of roll off on a level table was not unusual shooting slowly on some of the old ten footers with deep cloth.

I miss the old monsters and the snooker tables but realistically I think we need to be thinking about how to make the seven foot or even smaller tables challenging to play on. Either the pool halls have to fit in more tables, we have to pay a lot more for table time, pool halls have to charge a lot more per table, or pool rooms become more impractical by the day.

Hu

I agree with all of the above. Only way I can think of to make 7' tables harder is to make them with 4" pockets. But your right, we are going to see more and more 7' tables in poolrooms and sports bars because of the price per sq ft now. I think with the ecomony in the toilet now and so many empty stores that if you can lock in a long lease at some of the bagain prices you would be well ahead of the game. I can see the 7 footer averaging 3to1 or more over the 9-footer in the very near future. Johnnyt

 

[Scaramouche]

I miss the old monsters and the snooker tables but realistically I think we need to be thinking about how to make the seven foot or even smaller tables challenging to play on.

Hu

It has always seemed strange to me that smaller tables do not require smaller balls and tighter pockets.

Of course, I also find it strange that Americans won't consider playing snooker on a nine foot pool table - must be on a twelve foot table that no one has - therefore no American plays with the game. Snooker balls for smaller tables go down to 1 3/8"

All of which makes me seem exceedingly strange to Americans.

 

[bud green]

I'd guess 90 something percent of bar pool played is eightball so we could start playing English Pool with the almost snooker pockets and try and make it more of an international game.

Here's a video of snooker star Mark Selby playing (weird screen size, sorry, but the resolution is good and the table is interesting)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc0FmA4uQII&feature=related

 

[Johnnyt]

I'd guess 90 something percent of bar pool played is eightball so we could start playing English Pool with the almost snooker pockets and try and make it more of an international game.

Here's a video of snooker star Mark Selby playing (weird screen size, sorry, but the resolution is good and the table is interesting)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc0FmA4uQII&feature=related

What are those tables, 3.5" X 3.5" or 4 X 4 ? Johnnyt

 

[Slh]

Bigger tables and bigger pockets. However the old cushions, balls, and cloth required more knowledge and more stroke. Balls had to be hit much harder and cloth roll was a much bigger issue. Failure to consider whether the nap was going to cause the object ball or cue ball towards or away from the pocket was the difference between making a shot and failing. Five or six inches of roll off on a level table was not unusual shooting slowly on some of the old ten footers with deep cloth.

I miss the old monsters and the snooker tables but realistically I think we need to be thinking about how to make the seven foot or even smaller tables challenging to play on. Either the pool halls have to fit in more tables, we have to pay a lot more for table time, pool halls have to charge a lot more per table, or pool rooms become more impractical by the day.

Hu

i understand what you say.
i should prefer bigger tables and a little smaller pockets, the game is harder and should be much more adrenalinic,specially on the last frames i don't say the pockets must are like pyramid but like 4". Is harder to pot but you can play bank and you can cheat the pocket. The game will be much interesting,the differences between top players and low level players will be bigger. One thing i hate in those american table is when a player shoot and hit several inches before the pockets and still the ob go in.
i speak about pro tournament, i dont say pool halls must change the tables.

 

[ShootingArts]

It is what I would like

i understand what you say.
i should prefer bigger tables and a little smaller pockets, the game is harder and should be much more adrenalinic,specially on the last frames i don't say the pockets must are like pyramid but like 4". Is harder to pot but you can play bank and you can cheat the pocket. The game will be much interesting,the differences between top players and low level players will be bigger. One thing i hate in those american table is when a player shoot and hit several inches before the pockets and still the ob go in.
i speak about pro tournament, i dont say pool halls must change the tables.

I do agree that is what I would like. I try to watch at least a taste of the pool that comes on TV that I have access to. Some of the tables play so loose that it is embarrassing to have champions playing on them. A ball hits inches from the pocket at a fairly sharp angle and still falls. Ridiculous!

We have moderately tight nine foot Diamonds at my local pool hall. These are tough but fair and a pretty reasonable standard. I have played on a snooker table a lot and don't feel that pool and snooker should be the same, although I would like to have both tables available again.

Realistically, I look at what could be done to the seven foot tables though. The seven foot Diamond is by far the best seven foot table I have played on but it isn't as challenging as a nine footer. Keeping the 2.25" diameter balls which we in the US are used to and reducing pocket size from the 4.375" that I think makes a tight pocket nine footer without getting silly, pockets on a seven footer should be about 3.375". That and redesigning the cut outs in the slate to match the new pocket width should make an interesting seven foot table. Although scaling everything down including the balls is a temptation, it would also require scaling down the shaft diameter of the cues or those in the US would have to give up some of the power draw that is so popular.

Another consideration would be to build seven foot tables without side pockets. I have seen an antique four pocket table and that seems like a possibility too.

Hu