For the benefit of Fu Manchu, RKC (who asks this question) is a top table mechanic, so if he's willing to answer your question I would supply him with the information he is seeking.
How tight is too tight?
- Thread starter FuManchu
- Start date
For the benefit of Fu Manchu, RKC (who asks this question) is a top table mechanic, so if he's willing to answer your question I would supply him with the information he is seeking.
I thought I was replying to FuManChu.
Regardless, it appears that a person who has run 4/3 should NOT install pockets that are 4 1/4" pockets to play on. However, if they are a glutton for punishment, have at it. When the cloth gets worn in, the 4 1/4" pockets will punish you for every slight error and that might temper your desire to play frequently which is what you need and want.
I feel that 4 1/4" pockets (especially on broke-in cloth) are better reserved for playing one pocket.
For a truly dedicated player, someone who is willing to play every day for at least an hour or two, I suppose they could go with 4 1/4" pockets.
But my best advice is to go to a pool room (with the same tables as what you have in your home) and measure the pockets from point to point (to get the correct dimensions) and play on 4 1/4" wide pockets for a few hours before customizing a home table for those dimensions to see if you like it.
JoeyA
JoeyA
Regardless, it appears that a person who has run 4/3 should NOT install pockets that are 4 1/4" pockets to play on. However, if they are a glutton for punishment, have at it. When the cloth gets worn in, the 4 1/4" pockets will punish you for every slight error and that might temper your desire to play frequently which is what you need and want.
I feel that 4 1/4" pockets (especially on broke-in cloth) are better reserved for playing one pocket.
For a truly dedicated player, someone who is willing to play every day for at least an hour or two, I suppose they could go with 4 1/4" pockets.
But my best advice is to go to a pool room (with the same tables as what you have in your home) and measure the pockets from point to point (to get the correct dimensions) and play on 4 1/4" wide pockets for a few hours before customizing a home table for those dimensions to see if you like it.
JoeyA
JoeyA
Sorry for the delay. It is a GC4.
If it's stock it has 5" corners and 5 1/2" sides. Biggest mistake made is just adding shims to tighten the pockets because no factory GC I've ever worked on has matching pocket angles, which makes the pockets even worse when they're tightened up if the miter angles are not corrected at the same time.
Mine were 5 inches. I had them tightened to 4 1/8. That's too tight. My mechanic is coming back next Sunday to make them 4.5 inches.
Translation: The pockets can be tightened two basic ways:
1) The cheap way,shims, which add spacers to the pocket facings, which RKC (and I agree) is terrible way to tighten the pocket. The table will play funny with a lot of hung balls.
2) The right and more expensive way: new cushions, custom cut by a seasoned pool table mechanic. They can cut the pocket to your/their specs. This is expensive but is the way to go if you want a tight, quality table.
Otherwise, save your money and go with the table the way it is. Shims suck.
It amazes me
I see all these good players too good to play on Gold Crowns in their mind I might add. They stroll on over like it is below them to play Gold Crowns but they are forced to because the Diamonds are taken. And guess what. They get their feelings hurt.
I like the rubber shims trimmed to match the original angles no more than a half inch smaller than stock. Most people use other materials but I like the way the rubber coughs out the balls if you forget to put the right spin the balls in to force them on the hole!
Nick
I see all these good players too good to play on Gold Crowns in their mind I might add. They stroll on over like it is below them to play Gold Crowns but they are forced to because the Diamonds are taken. And guess what. They get their feelings hurt.
I like the rubber shims trimmed to match the original angles no more than a half inch smaller than stock. Most people use other materials but I like the way the rubber coughs out the balls if you forget to put the right spin the balls in to force them on the hole!
Nick
I see all these good players too good to play on Gold Crowns in their mind I might add. They stroll on over like it is below them to play Gold Crowns but they are forced to because the Diamonds are taken. And guess what. They get their feelings hurt.
I like the rubber shims trimmed to match the original angles no more than a half inch smaller than stock. Most people use other materials but I like the way the rubber coughs out the balls if you forget to put the right spin the balls in to force them on the hole!
Nick
Sorry you LIKE playing on gaffe pool tables I see:grin:
I'm always in favor of rebuilding the rails the correct way, and 4 1/2" corner pockets that play correctly, with the same miter angles on both sides of the corner pockets, so about $1,500 does the trick.
You got me
I like people to show me something.
Well at least they think they are going to!
Kind of like when two of my buddy's beat John Schmidt and his teacher what's his name down here 6 games straight on a 12 footer for $200 a game.
They never figured it out.
All that talent.
No brains.
I guess they were going to show us something.
They did.
How to eat it.
World champs weeee love them.
Always good,
Nick
It aint the game.
It is the game.
May I be allowed to ask do you use the Brunswick rubber? I love it. Put it on my old Gandy.
Thank you
I like people to show me something.
Well at least they think they are going to!
Kind of like when two of my buddy's beat John Schmidt and his teacher what's his name down here 6 games straight on a 12 footer for $200 a game.
They never figured it out.
All that talent.
No brains.
I guess they were going to show us something.
They did.
How to eat it.
World champs weeee love them.
Always good,
Nick
It aint the game.
It is the game.
May I be allowed to ask do you use the Brunswick rubber? I love it. Put it on my old Gandy.
Thank you
Yeah, if you don't have much experience with different pocket sizes you might think that 1 inch sounded like it would tighten them up a bit. That 1 inch is "huge" though, 4.5 inch pockets and 3.5 inch pockets are not even really comparable.
I am a huge proponent for tight pockets but I think the tightest they should ever go for pro pool is 4 inches and that would be for 8-ball becoming the pro game where you need to tighten up the table to add challenge for the elite players. In rotation pool 4 inch pockets would crush all but the elite few pros as seen in the TAR Fatboy table matches.
Anybody that thinks $1500 is a lot, consider this. Buy a decent used table for $1500 or $2000 and have it set up by RKC or one of the great mechanics out there for $1500. For $3000 to $3500 you will have a table that plays absolutely world-class. Any pro would love to get on that table. You will have "the best there is" and it only cost about $1,000 more than a junk set-up.
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Those tables (which I understand have been replaced) were the tightest I've ever played on. The Air Conditioning issue didn't help. When the room got humid it was a nightmare. Some of the best playing I've seen on the table was Dennis Hatch versus Carlo Biado. They both played extremely well considering how tough that table was.
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Depends on the type of table you are getting and the shelves they have.
If a Brunswick, I'd say 4 1/8", if a diamond I'd say 4 1/4" (I have the diamond, it plays super)
From my personal experience 4"+\- 1/8" is too small for a home table. When I ordered my diamond it was ordered with the tightest pockets they would put on it. It has helped my game. Honestly though I don't think it's the pockets size. It's being able to play more and the table is very frustrating I get extremely excited if I run more than one rack on it in a row . Being able to condition your mind is just as important. If your table tortures you those slight tendencies that develop stick in your mind when your playing elsewhere(for me anyway). If I had it to do over again I would order 4 1/2"
