Enough room or too tight?

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I am about to purchase my first home table... Getting a used GC4, but I'm a bit worried that the space will be too tight. I know it isn't ideal, but I think I can get away with the space. What do you more knowledgeable individuals think?

(The head and foot are actually reversed in the attached diagram)

I was initially going to get an 8', but I have the length for a 9' and figured the width difference isn't all that much... So why not just go get the 9' :thumbup:
 

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why don't you turn the table 90 degrees and move the sofa and that other thing to another part of the room ????
 
It depends on your purpose of use. It is fine for practice in that there are sections around the table that would allow most any shot to be cued properly. However, for serious gaming and in the absence of a short cue, you need at least 60" from the outside of any point along the rails if the CB is frozen to a cushion. Maybe moving it back about a foot towards what is now shown as the head end might provide improved relief for practice applications.
 
Jdale said:
why don't you turn the table 90 degrees and move the sofa and that other thing to another part of the room ????
Click to expand...

That would be more ideal, yes. However, the wife disagrees... as there is no place to put the sofa and loveseat. Here is an updated diagram... you can see what I mean.
 

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Three feet isn't enough room unless you intend to use a short cue a lot.
 
rikdee said:
It depends on your purpose of use. It is fine for practice in that there are sections around the table that would allow most any shot to be cued properly. However, for serious gaming and in the absence of a short cue, you need at least 60" from the outside of any point along the rails if the CB is frozen to a cushion. Maybe moving it back about a foot towards what is now shown as the head end might provide improved relief for practice applications.
Click to expand...

Yes, it mostly just for fun at home. I am by no means a competitor, actually, I'm a scrub noob. I had a pool table in my house when I was a kid and loved goofing off on it. Played quite a bit while on active duty and then off and on as an adult at places like Hard Times. I've always wanted one at home to shoot on while watching the game, or when I have friends over... So it's for fun and practice. I updated the diagram... and adjusted the table out a bit. The only area that seems truly impacted is the left hand corner near the bathroom entrance. For whatever reason I can't get Icovia to adjust the playing space for 58" cue. But I do believe I will need a shorty for some shots.

Or should I just ditch the 9' and go with 8'?
 

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Too tight as drawn in a several spots. If what you have diagrammed is a 9', trying laying in 7's and 8's and see where you stand maybe. Alot of people have trouble fitting 9's so they end up going with smaller tables.
 
Too tight ...

You should post the room dimensions, but that room looks way too tight for a 9' table. You should calculate the appropriate room size based on the playing surface (not including the rails). Here are the playing surface sizes for standard size pool tables:

7 foot = 40" x 80"
8 foot = 44" x 88"
9 foot = 50" x 100"

A standard cue length is 58" (long cues are about 60"), so you want to have room for your cue plus at least 6" for a stroke (i.e., 58" + 6" = 64"). Otherwise, you will need to elevate your cue and use a short stroke when the cue ball is against or close to the rail.

Thus, here are the ideal minimum room sizes for a pool table:

Min. 7 foot room size = 14' x 17'4" = (40" + 64" + 64" (= 14') x 80" + 64" + 64" (= 17'4")
Min. 8 foot room size = 14'4" x 18' = (44" + 64" + 64" (=14'4") x 88" + 64" + 64" (= 18')
Min. 9 foot room size = 14'10" x 19' = (50" + 64" + 64" (=14'10") x 100 + 64" + 64" (= 19')

Of course, you can fit a table in a room that is smaller than the above minimums, but you will have to reach for a short stick or elevate your cue. In your diagram above, you have many areas that are under 58" clearance from the rail (assuming your table has a 6" wide rail). In all of those areas, you will need to use a short cue and/or elevate your cue.

My room is a bit small along the long rails. Instead of having 64" clearance (which would be nice), I have 59" clearance so I'm short 5" along both those sides. With the cue against the rail, I have to elevate my cue. I'm guessing about 1 or 2 shots during an 8-ball game I have to elevate my cue. I'm guessing with the clearance you have, you will need to use a short cue about 1/3 of your shots during a game, which is a lot.

Try rotating the table either 45 or 90 degrees, then that might give you enough clearance along 3 sides of the table (assuming you downsize the table). However, you should probably downsize to an 8 footer or 7 footer. Redo your drawings with both size tables and see how it looks.

Your drawing shows a hallway/door opening. If you are able to open that area up, then that would make a big difference, but hard to tell if that would give you enough length. Of course, that is an expensive proposition.

Good luck!
 
my thoughts

IMHO, this is too tight for a 9ft. Even you just want to bang around some balls you might get frustrated when you have keep reaching for a short cue. Probably too tight for an 8 as well. There are plenty of guides around to help you select the right size. The question you have to ask your self is "How am I going to feel shooting with a short stick as often as it comes up? If your crazy enough you can determine the area on the 9ft that would require a short cue. Then go to your local pool hall and mark off that area on a 9ft table and shoot with the short stick everytime the shot requires it. You will then know exactly how it feels. Buying and installing a table is a big deal. Tread carefully.
 
DJ14.1 said:
Too tight as drawn in a several spots. If what you have diagrammed is a 9', trying laying in 7's and 8's and see where you stand maybe. Alot of people have trouble fitting 9's so they end up going with smaller tables.
Click to expand...

I definitely don't want a 7'. Every time that I have played on one it feels way too small (that's what she said). The dimensions for an 8' are about 9" shorter in width. I have no problem with length... as I have 21' of space to work with. Width seems to be the problem.

I saw earlier someone said that you need 60" of space for a shot if the CB is frozen on the rail. According to Icovia (in the second modified layout I posted last), the space from wall to edge of actual playing surface is 60" (right wall). Is that enough? If I shift the table down from the back of the room towards the head, I can get 59" at the foot of the table. This leaves that pesky corner by the bathroom a bit more of a problem, but that is just one spot on the table. Should I have been placing my measurements from wall to playing surface and not edge of the table, itself?

I know these are stupid questions, but like I said... I am a noob. I greatly appreciate the insights.
 
go with the 9 if that's what you like to play on. The tight spots will come into play very little.

I would rather have to move my cueball or use a short stick 5% of the time vs playing on a smaller table 100% of the time.

If you are like me, you will be playing alone on the table 90% of the time. Just move the cueball a bit.

Easy choice IMO.
 
HawksNest18 said:
You should post the room dimensions, but that room looks way too tight for a 9' table. You should calculate the appropriate room size based on the playing surface (not including the rails). Here are the playing surface sizes for standard size pool tables:

7 foot = 40" x 80"
8 foot = 44" x 88"
9 foot = 50" x 100"

A standard cue length is 58" (long cues are about 60"), so you want to have room for your cue plus at least 6" for a stroke (i.e., 58" + 6" = 64"). Otherwise, you will need to elevate your cue and use a short stroke when the cue ball is against or close to the rail.

Thus, here are the ideal minimum room sizes for a pool table:

Min. 7 foot room size = 14' x 17'4" = (40" + 64" + 64" (= 14') x 80" + 64" + 64" (= 17'4")
Min. 8 foot room size = 14'4" x 18' = (44" + 64" + 64" (=14'4") x 88" + 64" + 64" (= 18')
Min. 9 foot room size = 14'10" x 19' = (50" + 64" + 64" (=14'10") x 100 + 64" + 64" (= 19')

Of course, you can fit a table in a room that is smaller than the above minimums, but you will have to reach for a short stick or elevate your cue. In your diagram above, you have many areas that are under 58" clearance from the rail (assuming your table has a 6" wide rail). In all of those areas, you will need to use a short cue and/or elevate your cue.

My room is a bit small along the long rails. Instead of having 64" clearance (which would be nice), I have 59" clearance so I'm short 5" along both those sides. With the cue against the rail, I have to elevate my cue. I'm guessing about 1 or 2 shots during an 8-ball game I have to elevate my cue. I'm guessing with the clearance you have, you will need to use a short cue about 1/3 of your shots during a game, which is a lot.

Try rotating the table either 45 or 90 degrees, then that might give you enough clearance along 3 sides of the table (assuming you downsize the table). However, you should probably downsize to an 8 footer or 7 footer. Redo your drawings with both size tables and see how it looks.

Your drawing shows a hallway/door opening. If you are able to open that area up, then that would make a big difference, but hard to tell if that would give you enough length. Of course, that is an expensive proposition.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

The dimensions are as follows

19'8" wide x 21'10" long.

However, there is the bottleneck at the bathroom. The width measures 12'4"

I based the table in the Icovia designer on 113" x 65" which I found online when searching for the exactly dimensions for Gold Crown 4. However, my measurement lines from walls to table, were set as just that, instead of to playing surface. If anyone had the exact measurements of the GC4 and the measurements of the width of the rail, I could do something very accurate and answer the question based on your above recommendations.

Thanks!!

Now to find those dimensions.
 
xianmacx said:
go with the 9 if that's what you like to play on. The tight spots will come into play very little.

I would rather have to move my cueball or use a short stick 5% of the time vs playing on a smaller table 100% of the time.

If you are like me, you will be playing alone on the table 90% of the time. Just move the cueball a bit.

Easy choice IMO.
Click to expand...

This was my thinking when I found the GC4 for sale... I was going for an 8 thinking of space... Then saw the GC4 and said, why not just get what you really want and deal with it.

However, as noted by Robertod, this is no small purchase and now I'm nervous that it won't fit and I'll get irritated lol. But the Icovia design tool may be throwing things off for me... Since the room measurements should be more than enough (except for that handy, but now PITA bathroom).
 
He's 3 foot 7 to the end of the table. That one corner it's like 3 feet diagonally. This looks like a nightmare. You need 5 foot 4 inches to shot 90 degrees,off a rail. If you can't take down a wall or that corner...don't waste your time. I'd say you have about 35 percent of shots you won't be able to hit here. Total aggravation IMO.
 
alstl said:
Three feet isn't enough room unless you intend to use a short cue a lot.
Click to expand...

Yeah like the maestro episode from Seinfeld. Please save yourself a lot of disappointment and don't try this.

Mock up a 100 by 50 inches piece of cardboard and put it a table height. Walk around it with a cue in this room and you will see. No way man sorry.
 
Regardless what size table you get, you should probably position the table closer to the bathroom corner and keep it rotated 90 degrees (so the short end rails are pointed left and right when looking at your drawing). The long rail at the top of the drawing, I would move so that the inside rail edge is 64" away from the wall. The short rail to the right, I would move so that the inside ege is 64" away from the wall to the right. That will provide you with plenty of shooting space along the short rail on the left side of the table, the long rail at the top of the drawing, and the right-half of the long rail along the bottom of the drawing.

With that set-up, the only tight area will be the bottom left corner, which is against the bathroom corner wall. I think you are better off having one really tight corner, but with 3+ sides with adequate room. (vs three sides that are still tight and require a short stick).

Btw, a GC4 rail is about 7" wide (+- 1"). So you either need to measure from the inside edge of the rail and add 6" for your stroke and cue length, or you measure from the outside edge and you only need to account for the length of the cue. In the end, its the same measurement. Just imagine a cue ball against the rail bumper/edge, and you need to account for the length of the cue + minimum 6" for a back stroke.

Lastly, if you have room, I would place both couches so their backs are against the wall to the left of the drawing and they are side by side facing the pool table. Otherwise, it looks like you will be climbing on top of furniture to make a shot.
 
You may end up very disappointed with a large table and the butts of cues banging on the walls. 2strong had a great idea with the cardboard cutout.
 
HawksNest18 said:
Regardless what size table you get, you should probably position the table closer to the bathroom corner and keep it rotated 90 degrees (so the short end rails are pointed left and right when looking at your drawing). The long rail at the top of the drawing, I would move so that the inside rail edge is 64" away from the wall. The short rail to the right, I would move so that the inside ege is 64" away from the wall to the right. That will provide you with plenty of shooting space along the short rail on the left side of the table, the long rail at the top of the drawing, and the right-half of the long rail along the bottom of the drawing.

With that set-up, the only tight area will be the bottom left corner, which is against the bathroom corner wall. I think you are better off having one really tight corner, but with 3+ sides with adequate room. (vs three sides that are still tight and require a short stick).

Btw, a GC4 rail is about 7" wide (+- 1"). So you either need to measure from the inside edge of the rail and add 6" for your stroke and cue length, or you measure from the outside edge and you only need to account for the length of the cue. In the end, its the same measurement. Just imagine a cue ball against the rail bumper/edge, and you need to account for the length of the cue + minimum 6" for a back stroke.

Lastly, if you have room, I would place both couches so their backs are against the wall to the left of the drawing and they are side by side facing the pool table. Otherwise, it looks like you will be climbing on top of furniture to make a shot.
Click to expand...

You're referring to something like this?

Also, placing the couches as you stated won't work. That leaves just about 2' if not an inch or so less of foot room between the edge of the table and the couches. So there is no room for the couches at all in this configuration, that I can see.
 

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