I agree with this for sure. Playing proper pool is not soley about potting skills.
Good for your game or Bad for your game.
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
I agree with this for sure. Playing proper pool is not soley about potting skills.
This is true.
In my opinion, tight tables will help your game BUT:-
1) Confidence far outweights any need for practise on tight tables. If you have no confidence in your game a tight table won't increase confidence that much.
2) Even if you gain confidence there is a mental hangover. You go from 4" pockets to 5" or maybe even more and for 99% of people they will think the game is easier because they play on tighter tables. These same peoples speed will not improve an awful lot more because the problem isnt pocketing the ball, its the resultant position following the shot!
With this in mind it is my belief that tight tables help your fundamentals but anything less than 4" is not a good game table. I despise big pockets where a lot of shots can miss by a long way and still go in. 4" is perfect balance.
3) The way I aim takes out of the equation any risk of losing discipline, all I know is I have more options of WHERE to pocket the cueball. On a tight table I can split it into 3 parts maybe on bigger pockets I can split it into 5...
4) I have transferrable experience from darts to pool of playing on tight equipment, as in darts there are boards made with 1/2 sized trebles, doubles and bull. Again people (and me included) had this belief that hitting the smaller trebles would help hitting bigger ones. All it does is make you FOCUS more. For all intent and purpose you could stick a piece of string to a dartboard and try to break it several times, but this will not help you much in a match situation. Sometimes trying to be too precise can be the end of you, technically speaking you have to be fluid and having to focus too hard will ruin you.
In short - tight tables great for fundamentals, control and discipline...but all in moderation. Its important to treat the game with respect at all times, and if you are used to tight tables it can then make you lazy on bigger tables. Treat all pockets the same...dont be a maverick just because a pocket is .5" bigger
Sorry for the epic post and sorry if I offend anyone by having a difference in opinion...
Shoot well,
Baz
1) Confidence far outweights any need for practise on tight tables. If you have no confidence in your game a tight table won't increase confidence that much.
2) Even if you gain confidence there is a mental hangover. You go from 4" pockets to 5" or maybe even more and for 99% of people they will think the game is easier because they play on tighter tables. These same peoples speed will not improve an awful lot more because the problem isnt pocketing the ball, its the resultant position following the shot!
With this in mind it is my belief that tight tables help your fundamentals but anything less than 4" is not a good game table. I despise big pockets where a lot of shots can miss by a long way and still go in. 4" is perfect balance.
3) The way I aim takes out of the equation any risk of losing discipline, all I know is I have more options of WHERE to pocket the cueball. On a tight table I can split it into 3 parts maybe on bigger pockets I can split it into 5...
4) I have transferrable experience from darts to pool of playing on tight equipment, as in darts there are boards made with 1/2 sized trebles, doubles and bull. Again people (and me included) had this belief that hitting the smaller trebles would help hitting bigger ones. All it does is make you FOCUS more. For all intent and purpose you could stick a piece of string to a dartboard and try to break it several times, but this will not help you much in a match situation. Sometimes trying to be too precise can be the end of you, technically speaking you have to be fluid and having to focus too hard will ruin you.
In short - tight tables great for fundamentals, control and discipline...but all in moderation. Its important to treat the game with respect at all times, and if you are used to tight tables it can then make you lazy on bigger tables. Treat all pockets the same...dont be a maverick just because a pocket is .5" bigger
Sorry for the epic post and sorry if I offend anyone by having a difference in opinion...
Shoot well,
Baz
I could never figure out why (corner) pockets ever needed to be larger or smaller than two balls in the jaws. If two balls don't fit, they're too tight. If there's space, they're too loose. Can't think of any other sport where there's so much variance in equipment. Of course this makes pool great (to a point).
I have no problem with the pockets being tight, but if you shoot a ball down the rail into the facing and it doesn't go it the pocket, the table is junk in my opinion. We play pool, not snooker. We sometimes need to be able to put some pace on the ball for position. If you can't do that even when you hit the ball good, the table is junk.
I'll use the shot that Oscar played on the 9 ball during the TAR match against Raj as an example. I didn't see any slow motion replays or anything, but I think he hit that ball pretty damn well, and it got rejected because of the speed he needed to use for position. I think he got robbed by the table.
I usually have more of a problem with the cut of the pockets than the size, but I don't see much need for anything smaller than 4-1/4" for rotation games.
I'll use the shot that Oscar played on the 9 ball during the TAR match against Raj as an example. I didn't see any slow motion replays or anything, but I think he hit that ball pretty damn well, and it got rejected because of the speed he needed to use for position. I think he got robbed by the table.
I usually have more of a problem with the cut of the pockets than the size, but I don't see much need for anything smaller than 4-1/4" for rotation games.
I agree.
As long as my opponent is playing on the same table that I am who cares? I can lose on all types of tables equally.:yes:
There is another factor that you may not have considered. While the table is brutal for both players equally, if one of the players is a better shot maker and one of the players is a better shape maker, the better shot maker will win more often on the very tough/tight pocket table.
On a less tight table the better shape maker will have the opportunity to win more often.
I play on one of those triple shimmed Diamonds and it's been good for my game. This table forces me to not play lazy. You have to take every shot on the table seriously because there aren't any real hangers on it. Because of the tight pockets you also can't slam balls into the pockets which makes you focus on a highly efficient stroke to move the CB and pay more attention to getting closer to the next ball.
It can be a humbling table to play on and I do catch myself saying "that would have gone in on any other table" a lot. I also have a whole lot more 6, 7 and 8 ball runs on that table than full break and runs, but when I do break and run on that table it feels really good.
It can be a humbling table to play on and I do catch myself saying "that would have gone in on any other table" a lot. I also have a whole lot more 6, 7 and 8 ball runs on that table than full break and runs, but when I do break and run on that table it feels really good.
I prefer tight pockets over buckets, but Joey, the table you described probably wouldn't be a lot of fun to play on. I would tighten a table up, but not so much as to take the enjoyment out of the game. Missing shots continually is not my idea of enjoyment or fun....as a matter of fact after a while, it just gets boring.
Oh yea I should add that I practice on it after I've had a good nights sleep. I usually practice a bit on Friday afternoons on about 3 hours sleep (I get off work at 630am and walk in there at 11 or 12 noon). There is no way I could play that table tired.
I don't agree. If the tight table is brutal for both then the easier table is easier for both. The better player is going to win on either table.And it's probably going to be the better ," Shape maker," on either table.
TheThaiger
Banned
...table 2 will just do your head in... :wink:
Well I guess two different points of view. I love watching the game played at a high level. I don't remember watching and wishing they missed.
If they are missing and bumbling around, then it becomes a Turkey shoot!!
But JMO!
You bring up some valid positive points that I agree with. I guess that it doesn't hurt to brush up on making your stroke more efficient and to take each shot more seriously, but like others have said, you can be more precise even with larger pockets; you just have to make up your mind to do so. The tighter pocket table forces you to do that and some of that may be a good thing to get you on track with the program.
Thanks for posting your positive results.
Overall, I think it doesn't hurt to brush up on increasing your focus, paying more attention, better stroke efficiency, and paying attention to better shape position. In the end, there is much, much more to do than just these things. I think that I will play occasionally on this table to improve these areas but will not rely on this table to practice daily.
Only time will tell...............
I thought some might disagree with that point and you are entitled to your opinion. I play a very consistent opponent regularly and I regularly beat him on typical tough Diamond equipment. He wins occasionally on the typical tough Diamond equipment but it is a toss-up as to who wins on the triple shim equipment. His shape is not consistent on either tables, but sometimes the rolls go his way and sometimes they don't. We are about equal in shot making skills but I seem to pay more attention to shape than he does and the super tight table makes me pay when I try to obtain the "better shape".
In defense of your opinion, my opponent likes the super-tight table and thinks it will and has improved his game. I on the other hand, don't hold the table in such high regard although I give it credit for making me pay more attention. My admonishments about his shape has fallen on deaf ears because occasionally he gets out on the super-tight table and thinks that his bad shape is just due to bad rolls; at least that's the way I see it. He's a good guy with a strong personal perspective and I respect that and won't mind being proven wrong in the long run.
Thanks,
I thought some might disagree with that point and you are entitled to your opinion. I play a very consistent opponent regularly and I regularly beat him on typical tough Diamond equipment. He wins occasionally on the typical tough Diamond equipment but it is a toss-up as to who wins on the triple shim equipment. His shape is not consistent on either tables, but sometimes the rolls go his way and sometimes they don't. We are about equal in shot making skills but I seem to pay more attention to shape than he does and the super tight table makes me pay when I try to obtain the "better shape".
In defense of your opinion, my opponent likes the super-tight table and thinks it will and has improved his game. I on the other hand, don't hold the table in such high regard although I give it credit for making me pay more attention. My admonishments about his shape has fallen on deaf ears because occasionally he gets out on the super-tight table and thinks that his bad shape is just due to bad rolls; at least that's the way I see it. He's a good guy with a strong personal perspective and I respect that and won't mind being proven wrong in the long run.
Thanks,
Well, I guess the ability to do all these things day in and day our iw the difference between the good players and the rest of us!
While playing on a tight pocketed table may improve some folk's shotmaking (depends on the mentality of the player), it is certainly not the magic tonic that some here believe. To my thinking, it's not the table that makes a player better, rather it is the pressure applied by a competent (or even better - a stronger) opponent. To me, it is the desire to win and to improve my game that leads to better play, including shotmaking - not the table I play on (note: my home table is a 9' Diamond Pro as commonly used in most tourneys these days - I like it!!!).
Further, I also do not require a tight table to improve my stroke efficiency. For one, playing a finesse game automatically makes potting easier on all tables, tight ones included. Regardless of pocket size, facing angle, or shelf depth, getting shape requires an efficient stroke - perhaps even more so than required to pocket balls even on a tight table.
In the end, I think that each player must identify their own weakness and take measures to correct them. If they judge that tight pockets will assist them in this goal, then fine.
As an aside, I do not feel that the professional game need be played on any table more difficult than the Diamond Pro. These tables are demanding tables that require accurate shotmaking, but beautiful patterns in order to achieve shape can still be achieved. To me, these tables represent a happy middle of the road between "loose" and "tight".
As always, cheers to all and I hope you guys have a great holiday season...
- JL
Yep.................
I think there is more luck on tight tables.
...played a lot on tight snooker and pool tables...
..often, if you miss, your opponent doesn't have a good shot and has
to play another safety.
I have missed as much as 10 times on a tight snooker table...
..AND won the game.
On the snooker tables I like to play on, if you miss 10 times....
..you're stuck 4 or 5 games.
I like to play.....if you miss, you lose.
...played a lot on tight snooker and pool tables...
..often, if you miss, your opponent doesn't have a good shot and has
to play another safety.
I have missed as much as 10 times on a tight snooker table...
..AND won the game.
On the snooker tables I like to play on, if you miss 10 times....
..you're stuck 4 or 5 games.
I like to play.....if you miss, you lose.