Wherever there is a sport/game where a surface is involved there seems to be a never ending discussion as to varying surface conditions. In golf it is usually the varying speed of the greens. In bowling it is the lane conditions. In tennis we have the courts. Here, with pool we have the tables and everything that is associated- cloth, rails, pockets, balls, now it seems even chalk.
Personally my favorite game is 14.1. I never enjoyed the game as much as when I played it over 40 years ago on a Gold Crown 1 with standard GC 4 7/8 corner pockets and high quality worsted cloth. I could control my speed and pocket balls and truly feel like I had some control of the table, even though I was just a part time player with a full time job and all the reponsibilities of a family, a house, etc.
I think that Brunswick had an idea, post 1961, that somehow the game should be made available to the masses for ENJOYMENT as the number one objective. Something that could be sustainable as a family recreational outlet for all generations to come forward. They produced equipment to meet that goal.
Somehow, along the way, I don't honestly know why; some people decided and also dictated that basic billiard room equipment should be so challenging in speed and ball pocketing that it would take almost full time dedication in order to achieve an even reasonable level of proficiency to actually enjoy playing the game. So we got super fast cloth, super fast rails, smaller pockets with deeper shelves, and more elastic balls.
I know, a lot of folks on here will say they love it, they need the challenge, the game ( 9 ball) was too easy ( for the pros). Great for all of you. I hope you are all very happy now - our pool rooms are mostly gone, very few young people in America dedicate any reasonable time to the game, older folks who played a lot in the 60s and 70s find the equipment way too challenging today and not fun at all, we here in America are losing the game for many reasons, of course - I will guarantee you the continued proliferation of pro cut pocket Diamond speed tables with super fast cloth will be a death call to this sport.
So to the OP here, I say, why are you surprised? This has been evolving in pool for the last 40 years. In a society that has evolved more and more to instant gratification; the pool equipment geniuses have created equipment for the masses that does just the polar opposite.
I say make the equipment more user friendly to the masses and create competitive games for the pros that have little to do with break shots . Pool can never be successful by trying to push the game from the very best players down to the masses. You need to bring the masses to the game first, as a sense of enjoyment, an outlet, recreation - and that means less challenging equipment.
