How tight is too tight for 14.1?

peppersauce said:
So what do most 14.1 players consider an overly tough table? And, for you, what is it that the tighter tables take away from the game that I could miss out on with a 4" pocket?
Click to expand...

I went through this decision process when I got a new table. I wanted factory facings instead of "after market" shims so I was limited to two sizes, a larger 4 13/16 (call it 4 3/4) or 4 1/2.

There is very little strategy in 9 ball, so the game is more about ball pocketing ability than anything else. 1 pocket is better played with tight pockets for reasons you are familiar with. Straight pool is not so much about ball pocketing but about cue ball control and strategy. If you have great control and strategy, every shot will be easy. In fact, every shot will be easy whether you have tight pockets or loose ones (very generally speaking). The wider pocket gives you more room to maneuver the cue ball as needed. Sometimes you only have half a pocket to shoot at, or you need to create an angle on a straight-in shot. With a little bit wider pocket, you have more options to get the cue ball where you want it. I think it is fair to say that the game is harder with tight pockets for intermediate players because it is harder to pocket balls, and for advanced players it is harder because you have fewer options to maneuver (not so much that you are going to miss because of the smaller pocket).

I look at it like this: Pockets became tighter and tighter because 9 ball became more and more boring to watch. Nobody ever missed. So now that we're down to 4.25" pockets for 9 ball, we have to realize that this has nothing to do with straight pool.
 
I'd hate to play straight pool on a table with very small pockets. I think 4 1/2" is just right, for all the reasons Dan said. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad on a 10' table, but a 9' table with tiny pockets really cramps the area in back of the rack and takes away a lot of the beauty of the game. Sneaking balls in that just barely go and cheating the pocket to get shape are important parts of the game. It also limits what you can do with clusters and breaking those up in a controlled way is a core part of the game too.

Tiny pockets for 9 ball is fun.

That's just my opinion.

edit:
I'll also say that bigger than 4.5" wouldn't be unreasonable if all you're playing is 14.1 on it, and may actually be preferred. For general use, though, I'd like to see 4.5" because it works well for everything.
 
Last edited:
I like playing on tight pockets too and I'm concentrating on 14.1 lately also. The only thing I can say is that tight pockets sharpen your game. Get proficient at the tighter pockets and when you get on a table with large pockets and they will seem like buckets. It 's like playing exclusively on 9 footers and you move to a 7 footer and It seems you never have a long shot.
 
philly said:
I like playing on tight pockets too and I'm concentrating on 14.1 lately also. The only thing I can say is that tight pockets sharpen your game. Get proficient at the tighter pockets and when you get on a table with large pockets and they will seem like buckets. It 's like playing exclusively on 9 footers and you move to a 7 footer and It seems you never have a long shot.
Click to expand...

Although you do have to consider that the original poster said he gets frustrated by 14.1 and has to stop playing for awhile (been there). I say when the game is so easy that you are bored with all the 100's you have been running, then maybe you want to shim the pockets. Most people couldn't run 50 with 5 inch pockets. There is a lot more to the game than just pocketing balls.

Of course if your objective is to work out with ankle weights, then you'd be right. I'm not sure the OP was intending that, though.
 
I have played a lot of different tables and for me the pocket size is not the issue, but how the pocket receive the ball or rattles, especially on rail shots. For instance a tight Diamond is a much better table to play on, than a table with slightly wider pockets that rattle a lot of shots down the rail. You'll have to play better shape for balls near the rail and playing the long rail shots to head corner pockets is not really an option anymore.
 
"How tight is too tight for 14.1?"

Usually, if I've had a pint or so of hard liquor, I can't make any shots, so that's as tight as I can go.


My pockets are 4.5", and that seems like plenty tight for 14.1.

I'd had a table with pockets that were impossible to make anything on. Then I realized I'd had more than a pint or two and accidentally purchased a carom billiards table. Once I traded that in, I was fine.
 
When people post about playing on tables with pockets less than 4.5 ", I have to wonder if we are measuring the pockets in the same place, because a table with less than 4.25" pockets would be extremely tight. The measurement should be taken from the point where the straight rail changes angle to go into the pocket. Measure across to the opposite point. The measurement should not be taken from anywhere deeper into the pocket. This is the way Diamond table pockets are defined. A " pro cut" diamond table pocket will measure 4.5 " when measured this way. So when I see posts about wanting to change pockets to less than 4.5 down to 4.0, I tend to think they are usually measuring differently. If installed correctly, pro-cut(4.5") pockets play tight but fair. I have a Diamond Pro with 4.5" pockets and it plays great for 14.1. Don't think I would want it any tighter.
 
Any serious discussion about the cushion point to cushion point pocket opening and its affect on ball pocketing has to include the slate shelf. IOW, a 4.5 Diamond plays more difficult than a 4.5 gold crown because of the shelf difference. I have owned both a Pro Cut Diamond and now a GC I. At the same pocket dimension, it is my experience the GC is a bit more forgiving. Whether the smaller pocket openings make one a better player is, IMHO, an open question. As for the OP's topic, my GC I corners are set at 4.75" with no regrets. Heck, I always say if they're so easy, I'd enjoy watching you run a hundred.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top