Get Rid of that Measle Ball!

[Hits 'em Hard]

It seemed like some kind of sick joke to see the pros playing with a "practice cue ball".....

So what is it about this "practice ball" that keeps you from performing as well? Does its weight being closer to an object ball really cause you not to be able to play well?

People say the measel ball is heavier but I have heard the weight is the same as the red circle and red Aramith logo cue balls.

Heard, but not tested. Throwing about baseless 'facts' without proof. You are gullible.

 

[DAVE_M]

So what is it about this "practice ball" that keeps you from performing as well? Does its weight being closer to an object ball really cause you not to be able to play well?



Heard, but not tested. Throwing about baseless 'facts' without proof. You are gullible.

That's what makes me laugh. Everyone calling it a "practice ball."

It was created for television.

 

[Keith Jawahir]

It's basically the same thing as tip, shaft, cue, aiming method, etc. All comes down to preference.

 

[Dunnn51]

Best post in the thread.

The red circle cue ball is terrible. Usually the people that like them are the ones that don't have much of a stroke. The cue ball should always weigh the same as the rest of the set and be made from the same resin.

If you don't like the measle cue ball then use the one with the small logo instead.

The premier Aramith sets made with Duramith technology seem to stay cleaner as well.

I have noticed this as well.

alrighty... I am going to throw a wrench into this thread

I was in complete agreement about the measle ball in both regards (don't like how it plays, and it is a chalk magnet).

So I retired my measle ball and bought a couple of red circles (that play wonderful for me), and I rotate them weekly (wash full set, and both cueballs every two weeks, use one CB for one week, and then the 2nd the second week... because I'm lazy and don't want to wash them all weekly LOL).

ANYWAY... what I discovered, COMPLETELY by mistake, is the fact that your TIP makes a HUGE difference in the cleanliness of your CB. I have been a huge advocate for pressed triangles for quite a while (and I still believe, that when you have a good one, there isn't a med/hard tip that transfers spin as well as a pressed triangle), I had a new shaft made, and decided to try out some of the UltraSkin's that I had laying around.
ALSO a great tip (just wish I had ordered the hard instead of the med)

what I discovered, when I went to the Ultraskin, was that my cueball was HANDS DOWN... MUCH MUCH MUCH cleaner.
I didn't change chalk, I didn't change cleaning cycle, or product... the only thing that changed was the tip.
Some food for thought, that if you are plagued by dirty CB's... you might consider trying a different TIP
but in closing... I have to say that after spending several hours playing with a CYCLOP set... nothing stays cleaner than the CYCLOP CB... period.
If you can get used to the minor amount of translucency of the CB, it is a PHENOMINAL set!!!

Yepp, I got 3 Ultraskins on 3 different cues and I have noticed this as well. Verrry happy with the medium.
]Bought a skittles set wieghed 'em 'n played 'em for 2 weeks straight. Verry nice set ! Only thing is: I like my CB slightly heavier (like 1/10th/ounce) than the object balls.

The weight might be the same, but the plastic's composition makes it feel like lead to me.

The resin is different, and I think that is what makes them slightly heavier. I have weighed a buncha CB's blue,red, cyclops, measles, and the measles always comes out the heaviest; never under 5.7 ounces. The red hovers 5.5 - 5.75 ounces, the blue hangs at 5.5 ounces.
The measles had a range of 5.7-5.95 ounces with 5.8- 5.9 being the mean weight for the sample I weighed.

I guess those that like the measles ball seem to be those that enjoy putting on a little more spin on the CB than most of us.

 

[s0lidz]

This surprises me. I play with a measles ball at home, and a red circle at my local poolhall. I've never noticed that much difference, except its easier to tell when my stroke is off with the measles ball.

Personally, I like the measles ball better. I don't understand why people are complaining. To each their own.

 

[DJKeys]

Blue Circle

I actually prefer the Blue Circle cue ball that ships with the Centennial sets. It seems to play best to me.

-dj

 

[Hungarian]

Measle ball weighs ~166g. Red circle weighs ~160g. Real issue is how much do the balls in the ball set weigh compared to the cue ball you are using. Also how does the finish of the ball react. Plus, there are two different measle balls. Some are darker and play different. It seems to me that the measle ball is less polished than the red circle and has a different reaction. Measle ball to me feels 'dead" and the red circle seems more lively. Centennial balls weigh ~165g. Weight and finish both play a critical role in how the balls react. I believe the red circle responds more to spin mainly because of the better polish and since it weighs less than the Centennial ball set it draws easier.

People say the measel ball is heavier but I have heard the weight is the same as the red circle and red Aramith logo cue balls.

 

[ridewiththewind]

I own a blue circle, red circle and measle cue ball....personally, I think y'all are wayyyy over thinking it. You must be able to adapt to all ball and table conditions. Unfortunately, pristine equipment is not the norm.

 

[jtaylor996]

I like the measles and red logo balls, they play identically for me.

But they pickup chalk and my super pros are getting impact marks crazy fast lately. So where's the best place to buy the tournament set?

My super pro set was $175 in 2008, they're $350 now!!! WTH with that??

 

[DanielDeTinne]

I like the measle ball. I really like using it when I play a better player than myself. Then I can see how he's hitting the ball and I can learn new things. Same goes for watching the pros play. I can learn things by watching the measle ball.

KEEP IT.

 

[s0lidz]

My super pro set was $175 in 2008, they're $350 now!!! WTH with that??

I noticed this too. I bought the TV set in 2008 and didn't remember it being anywhere near $300 (saw them on sale for $279 somewhere the other day). Could be my bad memory.

At this point the Cyclop balls are looking very attractive at $200.

 

[cleary]

I agree, what a mess "someone" has made......

I don't know which is worse, the "Dweezle Ball" or the "Magical Rack" - they both are horrible and have turned the game into something best suited for a carnival game......stuffed animals anyone? :wink:

It seemed like some kind of sick joke to see the pros playing with a "practice cue ball".....when I came back (after 8 years) to see what had happened to this great game it was like an episode of 'The Twilight Zone'

Some people are just against change which is why you're stick rockin the 80s wardrobe.

 

[mantis99]

I love the measles ball. I have cue balls from the regular centennial set, aramith preiums, and the measles ball. They all play close enough that they should not affect your game differently.

Part of the beauty of pool is the ability to move the cue ball around the table. Why not be able to see it better with a ball like the measles ball.

 

[dabarbr]

My wife came home last night from playing in her APA league where they use the measle ball.

She said one guy broke and shattered the measle ball with one chunk going in a different direction from the rest of the ball. She said that you can actually see that the red dots are like plugs inserted into the ball. I laughed because I've never heard of this before. I remember seeing the old clay balls breaking apart like this measle did but don't remember seeing this since the clay balls.

I will call the room owner today when they open and see if he still has the broken ball so that I can take a picture of it and try to post it here later.

Has anyone heard of this happening with the measle ball? Would it have been considered a scratch if that chunk that separated from the rest of the ball had fallen into a pocket? LOL

 

[Cardigan Kid]

Wow, the red dots are plugs?! That's got to lead to some level of inconsistency as cue ball ages and is played out. My measles ball doesn't just get covered in chalk marks, the blue actually stains and gets buried deep. After a good cleaning and scrubbing, still some shades of blue exist. (I use the predator chalk btw).

After reading this thread, I'll get out that red logo ball that came with the aramith super pro set and see if it stays cleaner.

Also, the best deal I think on an aramith super pro set is at a pro tournament. I bought mine after a turning stone classic for $200. Good deal.

 

[jtaylor996]

My wife came home last night from playing in her APA league where they use the measle ball.

She said one guy broke and shattered the measle ball with one chunk going in a different direction from the rest of the ball. She said that you can actually see that the red dots are like plugs inserted into the ball. I laughed because I've never heard of this before. I remember seeing the old clay balls breaking apart like this measle did but don't remember seeing this since the clay balls.

I will call the room owner today when they open and see if he still has the broken ball so that I can take a picture of it and try to post it here later.

Has anyone heard of this happening with the measle ball? Would it have been considered a scratch if that chunk that separated from the rest of the ball had fallen into a pocket? LOL

Yeah, that was no aramith ball. It had to be a poly copy of it. It would take umpteen tons of pressure to break the aramith phenolic resin. Cheap chinese balls do that all the time, though. I have one on my desk as a paperweight

Ask the owner to see his receipt from purchasing that thing.

 

[jtaylor996]

Also, the best deal I think on an aramith super pro set is at a pro tournament. I bought mine after a turning stone classic for $200. Good deal.

I'm looking for the non-pro set, with the new duramith stuff in it. Best I can find is just shy of $260 shipped.

 

[naji]

Why get rid of it when Karl was the only one abusing the cleaning.
Just institute some guidelines to prevent this. The ref should have
put an end to it right then.

I do not mind Karl asking for CB clean, having played snooker and is a Brit, but Philippinos that play on the worst conditions, raggedy tables, and probably cue balls and object balls that are chipped ask for CB clean, sorry that is not gonna fly !! :angry:

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

My wife came home last night from playing in her APA league where they use the measle ball.

She said one guy broke and shattered the measle ball with one chunk going in a different direction from the rest of the ball. She said that you can actually see that the red dots are like plugs inserted into the ball. I laughed because I've never heard of this before. I remember seeing the old clay balls breaking apart like this measle did but don't remember seeing this since the clay balls.

I will call the room owner today when they open and see if he still has the broken ball so that I can take a picture of it and try to post it here later.

Has anyone heard of this happening with the measle ball? Would it have been considered a scratch if that chunk that separated from the rest of the ball had fallen into a pocket? LOL

Frank, I'd also be curious to know if it was a genuine Aramith Pro Cup ball. So many of the "measles" balls played in pool halls are cheap knock-offs.

The other question that entered my mind is how do they determine where the cue ball came to rest? I wonder if there is an applied ruling that says the biggest piece is the one in play. :grin-square:

 

[branpureza]

Some people are just against change which is why you're stick rockin the 80s wardrobe.

Agreed. I grew up playing with clay balls, nap cloth, and 2 shot push rules.

The game has changed for the better and todays players as a whole are on a different level.

I have no comment on CJ's wardrobe other than "yikes".