Ball return.
Drop pockets or ball return?
- Thread starter RickLafayette
- Start date
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
Drop. Ask anyone with a bad back.
Don't know what make table you have but I have a GCIII with drop pockets and the pockets are 4 1/4" diamond cut.
A great one pocket table and I play a lot of one pocket.
Pockets hold 8 balls easily.
I have never had a ball rejected because the pocket was too full.
Apparently all drop pockets are not created equal.
telinoz
Registered
Yep, some tables are better than others.
Either way, I still don't like doing ball collection around the table.
I've seen hard struck balls bounce out of GC pockets with 7 in them. I always move them to the side hole just to be safe.
A lot of people move some of their balls to the side pocket.
Never had to do that on my table.
Ball return, I am lazy
tomatoshooter
Well-known member
Drop pockets. I don't like the clunk of the ball hitting the box on a return table and for practice drills you can keep a supply of balls in the pocket or pull them out of the pocket you are shooting at. For playing games I can see the benefit of a return but pulling balls out of pockets isn't a big hassle. I guess a ball return seems more luxury, which is king of cool.
I was a diehard ball return guy until I picked up my drop pocket Anniversary. I don't have to hear my knees pop when I have to rack balls at home and I can easily break from either side of the table, which gets more mileage out of the cloth. Most pool players could use the extra steps around the table anyways.
phreaticus
Well-known member
Now thats a whole other class of table and different story. An Anniversary/Cenntennial with returns should be considered criminal
Well stated! 
One thing for us throw 'em out shoot 'em in guys, the patterns - especially 9 ball get repetitious and remedial. You can,
_ not_ miss for 2 hours (not me) and then get stumped by your first inning playing.
_ not_ miss for 2 hours (not me) and then get stumped by your first inning playing.
Nyquil
Well-known member
Ball return for me. It's especially nice for playing straight pool. It does have it draws backs however. Returns are just harder on the finish of balls it's just the way it is. You will need to clean them more often as well. Shooting drills if no more balls are left you are forced to the return gully to get more balls. I really like the sound of a shot dropping in and running down the track very satisfying. Also it's nice to just go one area to snag them all and set up the next rack. Nothing wrong with drop pocket tables but I dig my return system. Last caveat is if your going with a ball return you are looking at a GC or a diamond. Couple of other manufactures offer a return system at an up charge and these sorts of tables are notorious for stuck balls, loud returns, and just janky set up's. etc. Diamond has this figured out. They make a very good system.
RefrainReyes
Active member
Cant stand the sound of returns. Almost drives me nuts…
They can get a GC flat to +/- 2 nanometers but can't get the ball track to get all the balls to the tray. 
I'm waiting for a manufacture to make a flushable table where the balls drop and stay in each pocket, but there is a flush handle that the racker can trip to flush the balls out of the pockets and down a gully for easy racking.
The best of both worlds.
Jeff Livingston
As good as Diamonds are the ball return loves to eat chalk. Let’s not talk about how stupid Diamond cannot build a table with nice quality ball holder. The design engineer bozo, oops I forgot about a ball holder, let’s just attach a stupid metal ball holder.
There's another advantage to drop Pockets nobody mentioned... You can periodically switch the break end. Every two weeks worked well for me. It helps eliminate getting track lines from the corner balls to the end cushion ( in 8-ball).
And the balls marks from sliding the rack into position will never appear. Also the break track lines will never become bad when breaking from the same spot all the time.
Your cloth will stay nicer a lot longer.
And the balls marks from sliding the rack into position will never appear. Also the break track lines will never become bad when breaking from the same spot all the time.
Your cloth will stay nicer a lot longer.