Does Table Size Effect Your Game?

schmizz

schmizz

Mr. Nice Guy
Silver Member
I searched for a thread on this, but did not find one. I play on a 7' bar league, but when I practice on a 9' it throws me off on league night, so I have to go to a hall that has 7' & 9' tables to practice. I have played on 9' the majority of my life, so the 7' was throwing my game way off. Is this something others experience as well? :confused: When I was a younger man I played on both bar & BCA leauges and it never seemed to effect my play.
 
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Nope, doesn't effect me a bit. I like the different nuances of the tables. Pockets are in the same place, just a little more clutter once and a while.
randyg
 
I play on a 9 foot table majority of the time, but all the tournaments here are on barboxes. The only thing that takes me a minute to adjust to is speed control. I tend to overrun shape the first few racks.

Usually, I shorten up my stroke and everything comes back into line. It doesn't really take much of a stroke to get anywhere you want on the little table.
 
all my life have played on 9 footers, joined the APA league last week and was introduced to 8 foot tables. i walked up to it and asked, "is this it, kinda little isn't it"? my game was of course a little better because of the distance being shorter. i think it actually advanced me to the next level up. it thru off my banking abilities (my strongest attribute) at first but only for a short time. still prefer the 9s.
 
The four foot table with all the bumpers in the middle.
I agree with Randy..the cluster factor on the seven footers can be fun,as Brandon said..lighten up on the stroke..that or hit it hard an perfect your stun stroke..agh what I know,I've been loseing as of late...have a good weekend.
 
once the table gets much more that 4 feet high, I have to wear high heels and my toes get sore.
 
I cant say that it has i spent about the same amount of time on most sizes. Ill pratice on a 9 footer a few hours then play on a barbox for leauge that same night i have no issues making the transition from table size expect that i dont see a long shot on a bar box
 
I play on an 46 x 92 at home and on a 9 footer once a week with buddies. I have more trouble on the 9 footer but I think it has more to due with 4.75" corners at home vs. the Diamond which are probably 4.5 but one table we play on from time to time looks like they're about 1" more than the OB(but 5" wider for the CB). Bar boxes always give me more trouble than I anticipate due to the clutter.
 
I play on all 3 tables sizes: a 9-ft GC on Monday nights, an 8-fot at home and on Thursday league, and a 6.5 footer at the local bar rather nightly.

I have my home table set up with tight pockets, and Simonis 760 cloth, this lets me play the 9 ft GC with precision CB placements. The Bar box is easy pickens if a little congested, so strategy changes, but it takes no more than a few strokes to get used to it.
 
In the past year, I've started playing on the 7 footers with leages and tournaments, however I NEVER practice on them. I've always been of the belief that the skills you need to run out on a 9 footer are plenty enough to play on the 7 footers. However, the skills needed to run out on a bar box in some cases are not enough to run out on a 9 footer. I respect both tables, and consider them different, yet similar worlds.
But in response to your question, playing on a 9 footer after spending some time on the BB can be rough, while the opposite isn't very difficult.

dave
 
We play 8 ball tournaments on a 9 foot Gandy. I have a Global bar box at home that I had SD Billiards set up for me with new Ridgeback rails and Simons 860HR. I don't have a problem adjusting either way but my Global plays lights out. Fast with excellent cushion action. Have to stroke a lot harder on some shots when I play on the Gandy because the cushions aren't the greatest. The angles on making the balls are the same on either table, so potting balls on either table is not a problem for me.
 
Pros and cons for me.....

Pros and Cons for me may be reversed for you. I play better on a bar box, I know a lot of 9ft players who are handcuffed on a 7ft cause you have a small area to move the ball in and its allot easier to get hooked on a 7ft table and you really have to work so you don't run into balls unnecessarily . And for all you hard core guys , yes the cushion profile is different on a Valley and some shots wont bank the same.
Just like cue weight and shaft size, table size is personal preference.
 
Very few players are able to dominate the 9ft track.... You stick me on the big table you are going to get a healthy dose of safes..... 8over or smaller I intend to bend it to my will and you better be able to fire back off of dry breaks because those will be your major chances........
 
Playing on bar boxes for a while throws me off on speed and position when I switch to playing on a 9' table. I play in a local 9 ball league and of course it's played on bar boxes and I get used to the small size table and then I go play some one pocket with one of my friends on a 9' table and I'm struggling and getting beat. It's harder for me to switch from the BB to the 9' than it is from the 9' to the BB.

James
 
Sure does

It's a mental thing for me. I hate bartables. I can play on them, but add me to the list of 9 foot players that feels "handcuffed". On a bartable your stroke power, and shotmaking, really go out the window. Most shots are around 3 feet if you keep the cue ball in the center of the table. You must have a good strategy to play on bartables against good players.
 
mrsmith1976 said:
It's a mental thing for me. I hate bartables. I can play on them, but add me to the list of 9 foot players that feels "handcuffed". On a bartable your stroke power, and shotmaking, really go out the window. Most shots are around 3 feet if you keep the cue ball in the center of the table. You must have a good strategy to play on bartables against good players.
Click to expand...

Mental for me, too. I learned to play on the bar rags, but only play the 9 footers now. My worst enemy is keeping my concentration going on the smaller tables.

I practice on a big table with 4" pockets and live rails. When I play on BBs I start to hurry my PSR and just slap at balls. They still go in, but that ruins my 9 foot game for an hour or two!

Best,
Mike
 
The bar boxes are easier for me. I tend to play a little faster and take shots that I would not on a 9'.
Plus I find the runs easier to fix on a bar box if a ball is in the wrong place or moves.
9' tables are more fun in my opinion, they require slower play and more concentration.
 
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