How many of you own pool tables and never use them?
If you own a pool table how often do you use it?
Is Buying a Pool Table Worth it?
- Thread starter sibbyjaydee
- Start date
How many of you own pool tables and never use them?
If you own a pool table how often do you use it?
sibbyjaydee said:
I have a table in the basement. I use it pretty much daily in the winter. In the summer it gets less use, but I still practice several times a week. My game would suck even more if I did not have a table, and that would not be a good thing. I think that I have improved continuously since buying the table some 10 years ago now, although not at the rate I would like.
Dave
I think that question can only be answered by each individual. I own a table and I don't get to play as much as I would like. There are several factors that come into play for me.
1. The Wife nagging
2. The Kid "actually like playing with her"
3. The Wife nagging
4. Work
5. Yard work
6. The Wife nagging
7. Lower back pain when playing alone, bent over the table with no break.
8. The NAGGING WIFE
So take your pick, other than I try to put in at least an hour everyother day when I'm not at league or a tournament.
Weeks total playing time about 17 hours or so.
Black Cat
1. The Wife nagging
2. The Kid "actually like playing with her"
3. The Wife nagging
4. Work
5. Yard work
6. The Wife nagging
7. Lower back pain when playing alone, bent over the table with no break.
8. The NAGGING WIFE
So take your pick, other than I try to put in at least an hour everyother day when I'm not at league or a tournament.
Weeks total playing time about 17 hours or so.
Black Cat
A table is absolutely worth it. IF...
You are dedicated enough to be able to shoot alone on it on a regular basis. You aren't always going to have buddies over to play with, and the truth is, pool is not a game for 1 person - so you will be eager to play people in pool halls more so than playing on your own table.
What having your own table does it, it allows you to learn things you will never learn at a pool hall due to the hundreds of distractions. You can sit at your table, and drill a particular shot, at your convenience, in peace and quiet, and really dig in an analyze what the balls are doing. No one watching, no one bugging you. No noise, no nothing. Just you and the equipment.
Also, a pool table at your home will often be better equipment than a pool hall. I have a GCIII, perfectly leveled, with nice new simonis. I could play on this cloth for a year and not put the same wear on it that a pool hall table will incur in a couple of weeks. New balls make a huge difference too. pool hall balls have the 1-9 worn out more than the rest of them, that and the worn out racks makes getting perfect racks impossible. I rack 9ball, it racks perfect, no gaps, no spaces. perfect. No sardo needed. I make the wingball nearly ALL the time. Consistant conditions allows a person to figure things out faster. You can tell the difference between one thing vs. the next because the balls, cloth and table play the same way. You eliminate variables. How can you really break down the details of your break when a crappy pool hall table with the spot worn down to the slate doesn't allow you to break a rack the same way?
You can mark your table with those little stickers and place balls exactly in the same spots every single time. It is a hassle to do this at a pool hall, and sometimes not doable. It was only until I got a pool table that I truly learned exactly how various tip positions of english effect cue ball path off the rail. That is because on any given shot I set up, I am able to place object ball and cue ball in EXACTLY the same spot using those stickers that reinforce the holes on paper sheets for binders. When you do this OVER and OVER it burns into your brain, whereas at a pool hall...it takes many more times repetition for your brain to start "seeing patterns" and memorizing paths etc... If you can't recreate the same shot over and over, you will never learn or it will take much longer. Placing the object ball or the cue ball just a few degrees off, even if they look about in the same position changes the angle at which the cue ball will leave the object ball and where it will hit the rail, which all changes where the cue ball will go. It makes it so much harder to gauge what you're doing.
Another thing is - quiet. The first thing I noticed is that pool tables make noise when you play. In a perfectly quiet home, you can hear the ball roll on the cloth, you can hear the impact of the balls into the cushions, even on soft shots. This feedback is helpful. You hear everything and I believe this helps learn feel and touch a little bit better.
You can do various drills, you can do so in comfort. In your boxers, whatever. Having a table keeps you in stroke. Your arm is kept in tune because you have access to hitting balls any time you want. If you're really extreme (or smart) you'll get yourself a video camera and tape yourself shooting. At first, you'll be thinking about the camera..but after time, you won't even notice and your true stroke and play will come out. You can review the tape and see how you play. That is HUGE. Nothing is better than real feedback. You'll be surprised to see how well you do somethings and disgusted at how bad you do others. I shoot some shots like a pro, and others like an idiot. The tape doesn't lie. It will help your stroke mechanics more than you can imagine. A pool table in your home, for many reasons, allows you to experiment in ways that you cannot or would not try in a pool hall for any number of reasons. One of the biggest ways to learn is experimentations. That's because to improve, you have to add new things to your game. If you just shoot what you know, you'll never improve.
I could go on for hours on all the little things you can accomplish with a table of your own.
A good pool table will spoil you. Nice rails, nice cushions, nice cloth, level..will make even decent pool hall tables seem like junk - but overall, it will help your game.
If you are not dedicated enough to ever hit balls or analyze your game or try new things, then the table will do nothing for you.
You are dedicated enough to be able to shoot alone on it on a regular basis. You aren't always going to have buddies over to play with, and the truth is, pool is not a game for 1 person - so you will be eager to play people in pool halls more so than playing on your own table.
What having your own table does it, it allows you to learn things you will never learn at a pool hall due to the hundreds of distractions. You can sit at your table, and drill a particular shot, at your convenience, in peace and quiet, and really dig in an analyze what the balls are doing. No one watching, no one bugging you. No noise, no nothing. Just you and the equipment.
Also, a pool table at your home will often be better equipment than a pool hall. I have a GCIII, perfectly leveled, with nice new simonis. I could play on this cloth for a year and not put the same wear on it that a pool hall table will incur in a couple of weeks. New balls make a huge difference too. pool hall balls have the 1-9 worn out more than the rest of them, that and the worn out racks makes getting perfect racks impossible. I rack 9ball, it racks perfect, no gaps, no spaces. perfect. No sardo needed. I make the wingball nearly ALL the time. Consistant conditions allows a person to figure things out faster. You can tell the difference between one thing vs. the next because the balls, cloth and table play the same way. You eliminate variables. How can you really break down the details of your break when a crappy pool hall table with the spot worn down to the slate doesn't allow you to break a rack the same way?
You can mark your table with those little stickers and place balls exactly in the same spots every single time. It is a hassle to do this at a pool hall, and sometimes not doable. It was only until I got a pool table that I truly learned exactly how various tip positions of english effect cue ball path off the rail. That is because on any given shot I set up, I am able to place object ball and cue ball in EXACTLY the same spot using those stickers that reinforce the holes on paper sheets for binders. When you do this OVER and OVER it burns into your brain, whereas at a pool hall...it takes many more times repetition for your brain to start "seeing patterns" and memorizing paths etc... If you can't recreate the same shot over and over, you will never learn or it will take much longer. Placing the object ball or the cue ball just a few degrees off, even if they look about in the same position changes the angle at which the cue ball will leave the object ball and where it will hit the rail, which all changes where the cue ball will go. It makes it so much harder to gauge what you're doing.
Another thing is - quiet. The first thing I noticed is that pool tables make noise when you play. In a perfectly quiet home, you can hear the ball roll on the cloth, you can hear the impact of the balls into the cushions, even on soft shots. This feedback is helpful. You hear everything and I believe this helps learn feel and touch a little bit better.
You can do various drills, you can do so in comfort. In your boxers, whatever. Having a table keeps you in stroke. Your arm is kept in tune because you have access to hitting balls any time you want. If you're really extreme (or smart) you'll get yourself a video camera and tape yourself shooting. At first, you'll be thinking about the camera..but after time, you won't even notice and your true stroke and play will come out. You can review the tape and see how you play. That is HUGE. Nothing is better than real feedback. You'll be surprised to see how well you do somethings and disgusted at how bad you do others. I shoot some shots like a pro, and others like an idiot. The tape doesn't lie. It will help your stroke mechanics more than you can imagine. A pool table in your home, for many reasons, allows you to experiment in ways that you cannot or would not try in a pool hall for any number of reasons. One of the biggest ways to learn is experimentations. That's because to improve, you have to add new things to your game. If you just shoot what you know, you'll never improve.
I could go on for hours on all the little things you can accomplish with a table of your own.
A good pool table will spoil you. Nice rails, nice cushions, nice cloth, level..will make even decent pool hall tables seem like junk - but overall, it will help your game.
If you are not dedicated enough to ever hit balls or analyze your game or try new things, then the table will do nothing for you.
seeing as how im a kid in school and own a table i can get practice i usually play about 2-3 hrs PER DAY thats every day and this is summer time i cant wait for winter its my favorite season then ill probally play 5-6 hrs per day with that being said im still not very good lol i hope to get better soon
It depends on how much time you have to play pool. With a 9-5 job its difficult to get much practice in when you have to be in bed by 10 or 11 each night (its 1hr and 30 min trip to work). Currently I have time to play about 10 to 12 hours a week, which is up from the 6 hours I used to play.
For me buying a table would allow me to practice far more and up my practice tim to 20 hours a week which is my current goal. Hopefully I'll have it before the year is out.
I think alot people who do have a table, either don't use it often or don't practice properly. If you set up a rack of 8 ball or 9 ball and bang the balls around until you sunk the 9 or 8, your not gonna learn much from it.
However I do notice that the guys/gals who do have tables are a bit more consistent because they are playing every day. When I taught guitar, I always told my students "I'd rather you practice 30 minutes a day, five days a week, than 2 hr 30 min once a week."
For me buying a table would allow me to practice far more and up my practice tim to 20 hours a week which is my current goal. Hopefully I'll have it before the year is out.
I think alot people who do have a table, either don't use it often or don't practice properly. If you set up a rack of 8 ball or 9 ball and bang the balls around until you sunk the 9 or 8, your not gonna learn much from it.
However I do notice that the guys/gals who do have tables are a bit more consistent because they are playing every day. When I taught guitar, I always told my students "I'd rather you practice 30 minutes a day, five days a week, than 2 hr 30 min once a week."
sibbyjaydee said:
JD,
I've had my own table for 4 years now. I shoot at least 2 hours every day I'm home (the vast majority of the time is structured practice). The dang day job keeps me away from home more than I'd like.
Having a table doesn't do jack for your game. Using your table regularly and properly is THE BOMB!!!!!
i'd feel completely naked without a pool table, i would have withdrawal. i have a Gold Crown IV (just like Williebetmore) and its my pride and joy. would like to get better, and i try and play/practice 2-5 hours a day.
one note for you - if you are worried about whether or not its worth the $$$ to get a table, why not try looking around for a bargain on a used one? check the Trader magazine, they usually have some in there. just remember you will have to also pay for a competent table mechanic to tear it down and put it back together again for you.
DCP
one note for you - if you are worried about whether or not its worth the $$$ to get a table, why not try looking around for a bargain on a used one? check the Trader magazine, they usually have some in there. just remember you will have to also pay for a competent table mechanic to tear it down and put it back together again for you.
DCP
I'll add one more comment before I walk 10 steps to practice a bit ... I find it quite easy to find time for practice, but very often the sessions are between 5 and 20 minutes. My winter sessions are often longer, say 10:30 til midnight, but still I go shoot for 5 minutes frequently ... naturally I store my cue on the table 
I have no idea if my habits are commonplace with pool-freak-table-owners like myself, but I love it ... excuse me now, the table's calling 
Dave
I have no idea if my habits are commonplace with pool-freak-table-owners like myself, but I love it ... excuse me now, the table's calling Dave
Snapshot9 said:
Maybe not, but when you can't sleep and you go in put on some music and hit some balls for a few hours in the serenity of your own home, there is nothing like it. When we have people over the pool table is always the center of most of the activity. I could not imagine not having a table, I have always had one since I was a kid. If you are a pool player how could you not want your own table?
I had a table at home. The pros to having a table at home are:
You get to practice more often and it's cheap in the long run
You can practice using books such as "Banking with the Beard". It looks pretty stupid using aids or books at the ph, imho
You can work on masse' shots and jump shots which is hard to do at some ph's
Cons:
Unless you have a great table, Diamond pro or GC1V, you don't get to duplicate playing conditions at most ph's
You don't usually have someone firing back at you like you do at a ph
It's a pain in the ass when company comes over and wants to play and you beat the s@$% out of them because they don't like getting beat that much
Worse than that is getting your ass kicked on your own table!!
A good table takes up a huge amount of room
If you have the room and you have the $$, I'd recommend you get a nice 9' table at home
You get to practice more often and it's cheap in the long run
You can practice using books such as "Banking with the Beard". It looks pretty stupid using aids or books at the ph, imho
You can work on masse' shots and jump shots which is hard to do at some ph's
Cons:
Unless you have a great table, Diamond pro or GC1V, you don't get to duplicate playing conditions at most ph's
You don't usually have someone firing back at you like you do at a ph
It's a pain in the ass when company comes over and wants to play and you beat the s@$% out of them because they don't like getting beat that much
Worse than that is getting your ass kicked on your own table!!
A good table takes up a huge amount of room
If you have the room and you have the $$, I'd recommend you get a nice 9' table at home
S
Scottster
Guest
IF you were a carpenter, would you want your own hammer?
My townhome isn't big enough to accomodate a pool table. 
But if it were, I'd buy a table in a minute! Hmm, maybe I should move?
But if it were, I'd buy a table in a minute! Hmm, maybe I should move?
My townhome isn't big enough to accomodate a pool table.
But if it were, I'd buy a table in a minute! Hmm, maybe I should move?
But if it were, I'd buy a table in a minute! Hmm, maybe I should move?
sibbyjaydee said:
I own one and it is absolutely worth it. Because of a job change I'm only home on weekends, but I use it all weekend.
I use it almost everyday.