How Much Has New balls,tables, shafts, tips, helped the the pool player...REALLY?

[Johnnyt]

In my 70 years around pool I have not seen the equipment and new technology help the pool player like it has in other sports. Bowling balls can just about be thrown to break at a 90-degree angle now. Not too many years ago there were only a few pros on tour that could drive consistently 300 foot. Now just about all the pros can get 300. In baseball the livelier ball made a big difference to the game. I’m also sure the current tennis rackets and balls allow for much more speed on the serves and other shots.

I hear people say the tables are so much easier to get 4 and 5 rails on today. When we had the slow cloth 95 % of the players were playing 14.1 on it and rarely have to go 3 rails at one end of the table. To me the shafts are a little better today and maybe some of the tips are better…that’s all. Johnnyt

 

[RRfireblade]

.....could drive consistently 300 Yards.

True....

However none of those advancements have significantly improved performance in any of those sports either.

Records have not been consistantly and regualarly broken or set. Average USGA handicaps havent improved hardly in the last 20 years nor has stats in other sports.

It is now as it always has been about the player.

These things have only somewhat shortend the learning curve for some and/or helped the lowest skill levels get off the ground at tad easier.

This is also probably why drug doping and the like HAVE had significant impact regardless of all other factors. Improving the player works.

 

[Snapshot9]

Pool

In my 50 years around a table or two, I could go 5 rails back in the 60's, and cues were okay, tip selections were few. The main difference today is all the options that a player has for equipment. Table selection are quite a few with Diamond and Brunswick leading the way. A player has almost endless options in selecting a cue made today. Many more production companies, and a great many cuemakers started up in the late 70's and 80's.

Many more type of shafts available since the introduction of Low Density shafts. Cues have multiplied since the introduction of Break cues and jump cues. Casemakers have grown too to meet the new demand of players for bigger leather cases. Many more types of cuetips available now.

Beginners have the option to invest a little, 200 to 300, to start out with a cue and a case, to the advanced player spending thousands maybe on his equipment, and maybe even becoming a dealer or collector of cues.

And so the industry has grown, providing more options for today's players than ever. A player only has to find out what is right for them.

 

[Johnnyt]

True....

However none of those advancements have significantly improved performance in any of those sports either.

Records have not been consistantly and regualarly broken or set. Average USGA handicaps havent improved hardly in the last 20 years nor has stats in other sports.

It is now as it always has been about the player.

These things have only somewhat shortend the learning curve for some and/or helped the lowest skill levels get off the ground at tad easier.

This is also probably why drug doping and the like HAVE had significant impact regardless of all other factors. Improving the player works.

Great feedback and info. Thank you. Johnnyt

 

[Johnnyt]

In my 50 years around a table or two, I could go 5 rails back in the 60's, and cues were okay, tip selections were few. The main difference today is all the options that a player has for equipment. Table selection are quite a few with Diamond and Brunswick leading the way. A player has almost endless options in selecting a cue made today. Many more production companies, and a great many cuemakers started up in the late 70's and 80's.

Many more type of shafts available since the introduction of Low Density shafts. Cues have multiplied since the introduction of Break cues and jump cues. Casemakers have grown too to meet the new demand of players for bigger leather cases. Many more types of cuetips available now.

Beginners have the option to invest a little, 200 to 300, to start out with a cue and a case, to the advanced player spending thousands maybe on his equipment, and maybe even becoming a dealer or collector of cues.

And so the industry has grown, providing more options for today's players than ever. A player only has to find out what is right for them.

You're right. Most of the industry has done well selling these things. But how much has all that money we spent really helped our games? Johnnyt

 

[LAlouie]

In my 70 years around pool I have not seen the equipment and new technology help the pool player like it has in other sports. Bowling balls can just about be thrown to break at a 90-degree angle now. Not too many years ago there were only a few pros on tour that could drive consistently 300 foot. Now just about all the pros can get 300. In baseball the livelier ball made a big difference to the game. I’m also sure the current tennis rackets and balls allow for much more speed on the serves and other shots.

I hear people say the tables are so much easier to get 4 and 5 rails on today. When we had the slow cloth 95 % of the players were playing 14.1 on it and rarely have to go 3 rails at one end of the table. To me the shafts are a little better today and maybe some of the tips are better…that’s all. Johnnyt

Wow, you're an old dude
Pool is "quiet" game. It's a finesse game. They say xx sport is a game of inches. BS, pool is a game of fractions of inches and it's not an overpowering game. Modern equipment won't change that.