Home table dimensions/pockets

[hobokenapa]

I'm thinking of getting a table at home, but don't really have room for a 9ft. My goal is to improve my game on the 9ft tables, I am not interested in bar box play. If I were to get a 7 or 8ft table with very tight pockets, would this compensate for the lack of green? I figure the accuracy required would be similar to a slightly larger table with slightly larger pockets. Thoughts?

 

[sdtonyc]

If you're trying to improve your game on the 9fters, a smaller table would adversely affect your position play, I think. While cueball position play is less forgiving on a smaller table (i.e. there's less room for error since the amount of space between your cueball, object ball, and interfering balls is generally much smaller), there will be few, if any, instances where getting position on a 7fter will require significant stroke whether it be in the form of a long draw shot or a 3-rail follow shot. So I imagine that you might not get much practice for your stroke even if you tighten the pockets to compensate for the shorter table. You should see improvement on your short-distance position play though!

sdtonyc

 

[hobokenapa]

Good points. So, it looks like it could help my Straight Pool game, but not my 9ball game.. hmm... since my main goal is to run 100 balls rather than excel at 9-ball perhaps this might work afterall.

Convincing the other half to have a pool table is another story though!

 

[vapoolplayer]

just do what i'm doing...............rent a place to put the table

VAP

 

[JimS]

Having a table at home will improve your play because you will probably play more. Having a 7 ft table won't be as good, imo, as having a 9 ft table but it's better than not playing. Having a 7 ft table with tight pockets is better than one with loose pockets... of course!

 

[hobokenapa]

just do what i'm doing...............rent a place to put the table

VAP

really.. ?

 

[vapoolplayer]

really.. ?

yup......LOL........but i wouldn't reccomend it unless you're super serious about playing.

for me, i spend enough money a month playing, that it was actually cheaper to buy a table, and rent a place to put it. plus i have more time to practice, and no one is there to bother me.

VAP

 

[sonia]

Pocket Size

I'm thinking of getting a table at home, but don't really have room for a 9ft. My goal is to improve my game on the 9ft tables, I am not interested in bar box play. If I were to get a 7 or 8ft table with very tight pockets, would this compensate for the lack of green? I figure the accuracy required would be similar to a slightly larger table with slightly larger pockets. Thoughts?

Stay with regulation sized pockets. You do not gain more accuracy by having very tight pockets, after all, we try to hit the center of a pocket. Center of a pocket is the center of a pocket no matter what the size of a pocket.

Sonia

 

[hobokenapa]

We try to hit the center of a pocket. Center of a pocket is the center of a pocket no matter what the size of a pocket.
Sonia

Um.. that is not true. The pocket fits two balls. Positional play requires aiming for a certain part of the pocket. Tight pockets would take away this luxury, so maybe regulation pockets are best afterall ...

 

[Jal]

Um.. that is not true. The pocket fits two balls. Positional play requires aiming for a certain part of the pocket. Tight pockets would take away this luxury, so maybe regulation pockets are best afterall ...

I usually play on Gold Crowns with pocket openings of somewhere between 4 3/4 - 4 7/8" (I have never measured them but judged this by the gap after placing two balls across the face). A while ago I played on an 8' table with pockets that were 4 1/2 - 4 5/8" in size (measured the same way). This seemed to me to be a good choice as I felt the table did not play any easier or harder than the nine footers.

Jim

 

[sonia]

A Design For Disaster

If you're trying to improve your game on the 9fters, a smaller table would adversely affect your position play, I think. While cueball position play is less forgiving on a smaller table (i.e. there's less room for error since the amount of space between your cueball, object ball, and interfering balls is generally much smaller), there will be few, if any, instances where getting position on a 7fter will require significant stroke whether it be in the form of a long draw shot or a 3-rail follow shot. So I imagine that you might not get much practice for your stroke even if you tighten the pockets to compensate for the shorter table. You should see improvement on your short-distance position play though!

sdtonyc

Recreational players playing on a 7 foot table have no busines using a SIGNIFICANT STROKE, DOING LONG DRAWS, OR 3 RAIL FOLLOW SHOTS FOR POSITION.

 

[sonia]

Running Wild

Good points. So, it looks like it could help my Straight Pool game, but not my 9ball game.. hmm... since my main goal is to run 100 balls rather than excel at 9-ball perhaps this might work afterall.

Convincing the other half to have a pool table is another story though!

How far along are you on a hundred ball run?

 

[Troy]

WHAT ?????

Recreational players playing on a 7 foot table have no busines using a SIGNIFICANT STROKE, DOING LONG DRAWS, OR 3 RAIL FOLLOW SHOTS FOR POSITION.

 

[sonia]

Always Splits The Pockets

Um.. that is not true. The pocket fits two balls. Positional play requires aiming for a certain part of the pocket. Tight pockets would take away this luxury, so maybe regulation pockets are best afterall ...

Yes is true. We do not have to aim at a certain part of the pocket to gain position. That is courting disaster and is not necessary. You can be faced with a straight shot, or an angled shot, and both shots will go into the center of the pocket, and the cue ball will go anywhere on the table you choose for your next position.

We use what is called back-hand english to gain that next position. Our object balls are always aimed to split the pocket. Pool is tough enough without playing with parts of a pocket, especially when it is never needed.

 

[Troy]

It is obvious you have never attempted to play One Pocket on 5" bucket pockets. Cheating the pocket is done ALL THE TIME, along with take out shots, and many other shots that simply can NOT be done on a table with 5" buckets.

Most real players vastly prefer corners tighter than 5" and closer to 4.5" or even tighter.
The use of backhand english has little if anything to do with pocket tightness. That's another subject altogether.

Troy

Yes is true. We do not have to aim at a certain part of the pocket to gain position. That is courting disaster and is not necessary. You can be faced with a straight shot, or an angled shot, and both shots will go into the center of the pocket, and the cue ball will go anywhere on the table you choose for your next position.

We use what is called back-hand english to gain that next position. Our object balls are always aimed to split the pocket. Pool is tough enough without playing with parts of a pocket, especially when it is never needed.

 

[vector2]

Can someone tell me the width of the pockets on Olhausen Champion Pro tables (the ones that are occasionally featured on some televised matches - they have very rectangular edges, stained black, and have Olhausen written in white along the side)? My local club has a few of them and I find their pockets to be extremely tight. I'm getting a table soon and I would like to have the pockets set to the same specifcation as those Olhausens.