good on a bar table, lousy on a 9 footer??

[Bavafongoul]

Table sizes.......7', 8', ( 8' oversize). 9' 10' & 12' (snooker)

Everyone has a favorite size and the bigger the table, the harder it plays unless someone
switched the pockets to a larger, more generous size. 7' Diamond tables use tighter pockets
than a typical bar box which have mega size pockets but it doesn't play as difficult as a 9 fter.

Personally, I wish 10' tables were once again adopted as a standard size for tournaments but
that isn't going to happen due to space requirements. Everyone should play once on a 10 ft
pool table with 4.5" pockets and experience first hand the added difficulty. Skills do not easily
transfer for attaining shape on the bigger tables like on the smaller tables. Long shots have to
more accurate, cue ball velocity changes and imperfections in your stroke become a lot more
conspicuous. Personally, I avoid playing on 7' tables and quit playing APA more than a decade
ago because it relied upon 7' tables and haven't played on a 7' since and likely never will either.

Regardless of my views about the smallest size table, it is always a game of skill and judgement
with any table you prefer to play on and even Pros are competing on smaller 7' tables. If you want
to play better, then spend more time on 9' tables since your skills will transfer easily to a 7' but the
opposite is hardly ever the case. Going up in table size always is more difficult unless the table has
larger than standard size pockets. But going from a 9' to a 7' table, even a Diamond, is just easier.

 

[michael4]

get an 8 foot home table, like me, then you will suck equally when playing on 9 footers or 7 footers....

 

[trob]

Hope you did not hurt yourself rolling on the floor. Dont know about other places but where I play at the 9 footers definitely play faster than their 7 footers..

That’s not the table lol that’s the cloth and rails. A bar table can play fast and a 9 foot can be slow. It has nothing to do with the size.

 

[Poolplaya9]

There has been some other good advice above but I would add a couple of things. First, a lot of the difference is just in your head because the table is bigger and more intimidating. What you have to try to keep in mind is that the vast majority of the shots on a 9 footer are the exact same shots you are shooting on your 7 footer. Any shot you take on a 9 ft table that is at a distance of 7 feet or less, which is the vast majority of them, is one you shoot all the time on your 7 foot table too. It doesn't intimidate you when shooting it on your 7 foot table so don't let it that same 7 feet or less shot freak you out when you are playing it on the bigger table. It is still the same shot.

Yes, on a 9 footer there will occasionally be shots at distances that never come up on your 7 foot table (shots over 7 feet long), and yes, shots on average will be a little longer on the 9 foot table, but well over 90% of your shots are going to be the exact same ones you are already used to shooting with no problem now so don't let it get in your head. Try to remember that say a six foot shot is a six foot shot regardless of what size table you are shooting the shot on.

One other thing you can try is on the 9 foot table you may want to put a little more focus on pocketing the ball than you do on your position play when compared to how you would normally split your focus between the two on a 7 foot table. On a 7 foot table you generally need more focus on position play than ball pocketing because pocketing is easier but you have to play more precise position because of the cramped space. On a 9 foot it is kind of opposite where you have to put more of your focus on pocketing the ball because of the increased distances (and possibly smaller pockets) but you can generally get away with a little looser position play since you typically have larger margins for error on the position side since things aren't so cramped. Switching your focus a little more onto pocketing rather than position may help on the 9 ft some. I think it is worth consciously trying that out to see if it helps, at least at first while you are still getting used to the 9 footer.

 

[Chip Roberson]

Playing on a 9-foot table will require that your form and stroke are much more accurate and in control. Flaws in your stroke or your form might still allow you to run out on a 7-footer, but they will jump out and bite you on a 9-footer.

I would recommend that you have some long practice sessions alone on the 9-footer where you shoot some long, straight-in draw shots over and over and then some long, straight-in stop shots over and over (where the cue ball stops dead without spinning or moving). Those two types of shots should expose any flaws in your mechanics.

This advise pays dividends !

 

[chefjeff]

I have a 7 foot table at home, and im deadeye judo on it. but when I go to the local tournaments by my house, they are on 9 footers, and im blindeye judo, can't make nothing. so I said to myself, hey judo, lets only play tournaments on bar tables, but thats kind of being a baby. so I decided to practice three times a week for one hour at a time on a 9 footer.

today was my first hour, and I completey sucked. either hitting to hard, or just sucking. the tables seem to be huge to my 61 year old eyes. I dont know what kind of table it was, but the pockets seemed really small.

should I give up the 9 foot table tournaments and just look for 7 footer tournaments, which there are a couple near me. or just keep trying. :frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::frown::

Play up to the advantages of a big table:

More space to get better shape.
More fun moving the cueball around.
More space to shoot into pockets.
Bigger side pockets that open up a whole new aspect of potting.
Usually better rails for better banking.
You'll find a different type of player on the big tables and they can help any game.
Different games are better on a big table: 1-P, 14.1, rotation games...
etc
etc

Focus on the good stuff and just keep shooting....it'll come around. The you'll feel restricted on the bar box and unable to move around....pool is an unending misery.


Jeff Livingston