How to adjust to new and different tables

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Plagueis

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I saw some info in another post about adjusting to table conditions and i thought I'd bring it up in a new thread if that's okay.
While I find I am not always as aware of my game as I should be, I know how to pot balls and I have a general idea of position play but I always play on the same tables at my local pool hall.
How does one adjust to new tables? What do you look for and what drills do you perform to get the indications of how they play.

Any insight will be appreciated even if it's providing a link to this information in another thread, thanks everyone and have a great weekend!
 
Plagueis said:
I saw some info in another post about adjusting to table conditions and i thought I'd bring it up in a new thread if that's okay.
While I find I am not always as aware of my game as I should be, I know how to pot balls and I have a general idea of position play but I always play on the same tables at my local pool hall.
How does one adjust to new tables? What do you look for and what drills do you perform to get the indications of how they play.

Any insight will be appreciated even if it's providing a link to this information in another thread, thanks everyone and have a great weekend!
Click to expand...

I think testing the speed and the rail is the most important thing :smile:
 
Plagueis said:
How does one adjust to new tables?
Click to expand...

Play AND practice on different sized tables, with different speed rails, and different speed cloth. After 100 or so hours, you will develope a feel for the table of the moment quite quickly.

Also note: playing and practicing on a table with <very> fast cloth will improve your ability to play on tables with slow cloth. It is easier (by far) to add power to a stroke than to add delicacy to a stroke.
 
I've been trying to work on my shot strategy so as I move the cue ball as little as possible. That should help.


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When on a new table, I first see how tight the pockets are, then I check the speed by lagging the CB to both short rails with the objective of having the CB stop in the middle of the table. This is a known shot speed for me, and seeing if the CB is long or short of my goal helps me to know how fast the table plays.

I also play some standard 1, 2, and rail shots, to see how close to perfect the cushions play, finally I also lag balls (slow roll) looking to see how the table bed and cloth rolls itself.

None of this takes a lot of time.
 
Just keep hitting balls on that table. After a while of going long or short your subconscious will take over and you'll get it right. Don't stress. Let it come to you. That's my zen thought of the day but it's true. Let's not make the game more difficult than it is.
 
Tony_in_MD said:
When on a new table, I first see how tight the pockets are, then I check the speed by lagging the CB to both short rails with the objective of having the CB stop in the middle of the table. This is a known shot speed for me, and seeing if the CB is long or short of my goal helps me to know how fast the table plays.

I also play some standard 1, 2, and rail shots, to see how close to perfect the cushions play, finally I also lag balls (slow roll) looking to see how the table bed and cloth rolls itself.

None of this takes a lot of time.
Click to expand...

this is it. If you have not "calibrated" our own speed on our own table, you should, then compare your "known speed" to the new table.

lastly, I like to slow roll balls into each pocket, to see how they play and where the roll-off is.........glance a ball off the long rail (shallowly) going toward the corner pocket, does it still go or not?
 
Tony_in_MD said:
When on a new table, I first see how tight the pockets are, then I check the speed by lagging the CB to both short rails with the objective of having the CB stop in the middle of the table. This is a known shot speed for me, and seeing if the CB is long or short of my goal helps me to know how fast the table plays.

I also play some standard 1, 2, and rail shots, to see how close to perfect the cushions play, finally I also lag balls (slow roll) looking to see how the table bed and cloth rolls itself.

None of this takes a lot of time.
Click to expand...

When I play on a new table (for me) I'll grab 2 balls to see if they both enter the pocket.
If 2 balls go I want to know if any room is left, especially if someone wants to play for $.

.
 
I suggest you contact Scott Lee. He is a traveling instructor and is on this site. as part of his lesson, he shows you not only how to do this, but how to set up a test for any table to learn shot speed. I took a lesson Monday and it was money well spent. We worked on my stroke. It ow not be right to plagiarize his lesson so I will not atempt to discuss. However, I suggest anyone interested should contact him.
Phil
 
Tony_in_MD said:
When on a new table, I first see how tight the pockets are, then I check the speed by lagging the CB to both short rails with the objective of having the CB stop in the middle of the table. This is a known shot speed for me, and seeing if the CB is long or short of my goal helps me to know how fast the table plays.

I also play some standard 1, 2, and rail shots, to see how close to perfect the cushions play, finally I also lag balls (slow roll) looking to see how the table bed and cloth rolls itself.

None of this takes a lot of time.
Click to expand...

Add in the 3-cushion rail shot to the corner pocket to see if the table is long or short as well, and you should have a great idea of how a strange table plays.
 
I like to shoot the 5 railer as well as the three to look at speed and accuracy.

The varying height of tables takes me more to get accustomed to than the speed, since it requires changes in my technique. In general the lower the table, the more sideways my stance is, and the higher it is the more front-facing.
 
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