Don't Clean Balls For A TAR Match?

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
While I was watching the stream on the 2nd or 3rd day of the TAR 21 Alex/Shane match someone said in the booth that both players DID NOT want the balls cleaned before each day. Anyone know why? My guess is that as they get dirty slowly you automaticly adjust to the minor changes, while cleaning and polishing them is a major change/adjustment. Just a guess here though. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
While I was watching the stream on the 2nd or 3rd day of the TAR 21 Alex/Shane match someone said in the booth that both players DID NOT want the balls cleaned before each day. Anyone know why? My guess is that as they get dirty slowly you automaticly adjust to the minor changes, while cleaning and polishing them is a major change/adjustment. Just a guess here though. Johnnyt
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I'd agree, JohnnyT.
 
Of course.... It doesn't matter if they are clean or dirty, but what you are used to at that point.

They used to clean the balls right before the finals at Hammerheads and I would always go and grab a "used" rack and swap them out... as if there isn't enough to consider... :)
 
Wybrook said:
Of course.... It doesn't matter if they are clean or dirty, but what you are used to at that point.

They used to clean the balls right before the finals at Hammerheads and I would always go and grab a "used" rack and swap them out... as if there isn't enough to consider... :)
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You would have a problem with that if you were going to play MR. 400 :smile:
 
Johnnyt said:
While I was watching the stream on the 2nd or 3rd day of the TAR 21 Alex/Shane match someone said in the booth that both players DID NOT want the balls cleaned before each day. Anyone know why? My guess is that as they get dirty slowly you automaticly adjust to the minor changes, while cleaning and polishing them is a major change/adjustment. Just a guess here though. Johnnyt
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I started to clean them and they stopped me. They like them a little scruffy and not clean and slick. Less chance of skid I guess.
 
I dont think pool balls can get too dirty. I dont like the cleaning during or just before a tourny, yet a cleaning every once in a while is fine.
 
I prefer playing and practicing with them dirty. When I switch over to a clean set of balls it takes a while to get used to them. So, I understand why players wouldn't want to clean them in the middle of a match.

Playing 14.1 is different matter. You really want the balls to be as clean as possible so that they break apart easier. I suppose this line of thinking could be applied to 8 ball as well.
 
jay helfert said:
I started to clean them and they stopped me. They like them a little scruffy and not clean and slick. Less chance of skid I guess.
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You mean, more chance of skid?? In my experience, dirty balls = skidding balls. Maybe you meant sliding.

Also, the extra grit would make pocketing slightly more difficult with respect to sliding in off the rail.
 
I have found that you can throw the object ball more if it has a little crud on it. Plus they will not skid as much. My 2 cents.
 
mosconiac said:
You mean, more chance of skid?? In my experience, dirty balls = skidding balls. Maybe you meant sliding.

Also, the extra grit would make pocketing slightly more difficult with respect to sliding in off the rail.
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I bought centennials. The first day I used them, they skidded so many times. They never skid anymore. Dont ask me why.... there was actually a thread about this though. They could put a protective film of something on there?
 
jay helfert said:
I started to clean them and they stopped me. They like them a little scruffy and not clean and slick. Less chance of skid I guess.
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Thanks Jay. I'm sure the balls they were playing with weren't that dirty. I like clean and polished balls on my home table now. I have two sets so they are always clean. I shoot a lot of 14.1. For years I never paid any mind to how clean the balls were. As long as I was making money they were clean enough. Johnnyt
 
Look, if you wear the same clothes, the balls are going to get dirty... no sense in cleaning them:D
 
skip said:
I have found that you can throw the object ball more if it has a little crud on it. Plus they will not skid as much. My 2 cents.
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How can both these statements be true? My understanding is that essentially a "skidder" is unintentional throw caused by a foreign substance (usually chalk) at the point of contact. So the increased throw you experience with dirty balls is for the same reason the dreaded skidder occurs - increased friction at the point of contact.

It's very interesting that neither player wanted the balls cleaned but I finds it hard to believe it is because clean balls increase skidders.
 
Dirty Balls???

I'm not sure I follow..., I understand not wanting them cleaned in the middle of a match, all the televised matches use new balls, right? They seem to play fine?

When I go to a pool hall to match up, I dont want the balls that they have never cleaned, why would that be better?
 
If just one of the two players didn't want them clean I could see it might be some kind of a shark move, but when two world class players agree not to clean them I'd say they know something a lot of us don't. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
If just one of the two players didn't want them clean I could see it might be some kind of a shark move, but when two world class players agree not to clean them I'd say they know something a lot of us don't. Johnnyt
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I don't doubt they had a reason but I just question it is to avoid skidders.
 
jay helfert said:
I started to clean them and they stopped me. They like them a little scruffy and not clean and slick. Less chance of skid I guess.
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Yep, same for me.

I got an automatic ball cleaner to go along with my home table. I clean my balls once a week and when I do I wait a few hours for them to dry completely and I then roll them around on the table first before playing with them.

Otherwise, if I use the balls shortly after cleaning, the object ball being struck by the cue ball skids/slides/whatever for a foot or so before it starts rolling.
 
WoodyJ said:
Yep, same for me.

I got an automatic ball cleaner to go along with my home table. I clean my balls once a week and when I do I wait a few hours for them to dry completely and I then roll them around on the table first before playing with them.

Otherwise, if I use the balls shortly after cleaning, the object ball being struck by the cue ball skids/slides/whatever for a foot or so before it starts rolling.
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Thank-you, this I understand. You are referring to the balls skidding on the bed cloth rather than rolling after normal contact. I can see where the increase in friction would tend to grab the cloth and take the roll better (new versus bald tires I guess). I'm assuming the cloth is relatively new. So perhaps they were were having some issues with this on the table though unless new cloth was installed just before this match it probably had enough play to have broken in.

Jay, was the cue ball cleaned at all or was that left alone for the entire match also?
 
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