How tight is three and a quarter inch pockets?

That would make or a brutally tough table. Much too tight. Some might tell you it would make a good practice table but that's ridiculous. You'd probably not be able to shoot a ball down the rail and make it and while tight tables can be good to tune up your game a little, when you take it to the extreme it changes the whole dynamics of the game. Your shot selection would have to be different, not to mention the damage it could do to your confidence in ball pocketing. IMHO 4 1/4" pockets would be about the tightest anyone should even consider and that would be a trick table that would be too tight for most people to play on comfortably. JMHO

Sherm
 
It would fit about 1.6-1.7 balls and be pretty frustrating to play on, however I find that slow and dirty cloth and other bad equipment to be more frustrating to play on than super tight pockets :P. I played on tables like this for a summer, and with time you will really get used to it. However, if the table is slow, it would be even more difficult to pocket balls.
 
Some of you are saying that these pockets wouldn't be worth your time to play on, which I think isn't true. By practicing on tighter pockets you are forced to pocket balls at the center of the pocket. Cut shots with the object ball on the rail is also taken to another level. When you get used to playing on these pockets, not only will your accuracy improve but your overall concentration and approach to the game. I'm not a great player myself and screw up an open table of 9 ball all the time, but I had no problem running a rack of 9 ball on these tables when I was focused.
 
There is a 9ft Pro in Memphis,at The Rack kinda like this.

This table was shimmed/gaffed/whatever towards one-pocket,and it's probably 3 1/2 in the very front of the pocket,putting it close to 3 1/4 at the slate drop. With soft speed and perfect position,I really felt like running 2 full racks on that was an accomplishment. Having to pound a ball down the rail and send the cueball someplace to break a cluster would be borderline impossible,because even balls that stayed perfectly frozen all the way to the pocket and still didn't go due to speed were COMMON.

It takes Efren-like touch and inhuman accuracy just to make long-rail banks on that table,and that's trickling them in too. Someone like Shannon Daulton that is a world-class banker would leave before he'd gamble on it,just too tough.

But guess what? I'll bet there is 1/2 dozen people that have jumped their games as a result of it,and made money elsewhere. Tommy D.
 
Tommy-D said:
There is a 9ft Pro in Memphis,at The Rack kinda like this.

This table was shimmed/gaffed/whatever towards one-pocket,and it's probably 3 1/2 in the very front of the pocket,putting it close to 3 1/4 at the slate drop. With soft speed and perfect position,I really felt like running 2 full racks on that was an accomplishment. Having to pound a ball down the rail and send the cueball someplace to break a cluster would be borderline impossible,because even balls that stayed perfectly frozen all the way to the pocket and still didn't go due to speed were COMMON.

It takes Efren-like touch and inhuman accuracy just to make long-rail banks on that table,and that's trickling them in too. Someone like Shannon Daulton that is a world-class banker would leave before he'd gamble on it,just too tough.

But guess what? I'll bet there is 1/2 dozen people that have jumped their games as a result of it,and made money elsewhere. Tommy D.
Click to expand...

Running 2 full racks is definitely an accomplishment on these tables! But seriously, it forces you to play perfect position and eliminate a lot of laziness in people's positional player and shot making. You simply can't get on the wrong side of the ball and make it up with a power stroke loaded with spin that easily.
 
Here is where you measure the pockets. These are 4.5"

IMG_2741.jpg


This one is a little bigger

IMG_2534.jpg
 
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Diamond pockets

You should measure them yourself just to see. We have a 7 foot Smart Table that just over 4", and Professionals that are 4.5+". If it came from Diamond the way it is, I'd bet a dollar against a pig turd that it isn't 3.25".
 
Nevermind, I thought this whole thread was about 3.75". The pockets I've played on are between that and 3.5", 3.25" does seem extremely brutal.
 
vincentwu817 said:
Some of you are saying that these pockets wouldn't be worth your time to play on, which I think isn't true. By practicing on tighter pockets you are forced to pocket balls at the center of the pocket. Cut shots with the object ball on the rail is also taken to another level. When you get used to playing on these pockets, not only will your accuracy improve but your overall concentration and approach to the game. I'm not a great player myself and screw up an open table of 9 ball all the time, but I had no problem running a rack of 9 ball on these tables when I was focused.
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To each his own. If it helps you, it helps you. Tight pockets never helped me because once I got back on a standard table, my focus dissipated. You could accomplish the same thing by trying to hit a specific point in the pocket of a regular table, and enjoy the feeling of actually pocketing the ball at the same time.
 
LAlouie said:
To each his own. If it helps you, it helps you. Tight pockets never helped me because once I got back on a standard table, my focus dissipated. You could accomplish the same thing by trying to hit a specific point in the pocket of a regular table, and enjoy the feeling of actually pocketing the ball at the same time.
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I agree with you. What works for some may not work for others.
 
i would like to have something with 4 inch pockets.... maybe a lil bit bigger just to practice on
 
doublej487 said:
i would like to have something with 4 inch pockets.... maybe a lil bit bigger just to practice on
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I think slightly bigger than four inch pockets are perfect to practice on. My local pool room's diamond tables are that size, however it plays more like 3 7/8 because the table is slow, cloth hasn't been refelted in years, cloth is dirty, and no AC on hot days.
 
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