I do not agree it's easier on a smaller table at all. I get to play on both table sizes, sort of grew up playing on 8-footers, these days playing tournaments on 9-footers mostly of course, get to practice on 7-footers only occasionally, and a 10-footer only abroad. I for one make far higher runs on average on a 9-footer than an 8-footer, must admit the latter makes me feel more proud, though, as if I'd done twice the work (exaggerating a bit). The main difference is that the space behind the rack (to the foot rail, that is) tends to get more clustered (blasting break shots need not improve matters at all, on the contrary), and also, potential break balls in the ideal break zones (between the stack and the side rails) tend to block more otherwise open shots. The bottom line is, there's always traffic, balls in one's way, either to a pocket or playing position. When I'm shooting on smaller surface tables, it seems like I'm constantly playing around something - luckily, it's one of my fortés, something I enjoy most about playing pool, but try shooting some 8-Ball on smaller and bigger tables, and you'll see that there are far more road-map run-outs on the larger surface for the simple reason that fewer balls are getting in each others' way, and that's the reason Straight Pool's easier on the bigger table, too. Better yet, Straight Pool on a 10-footer is a bit like Snooker on a 12-footer - virtually every object ball seems to have at least one pocket to go in, if not several (offering themselves to the kind of tic-tac-toe patterns I tend to look for), and there's rarely more than one re-break of a central cluster, and the occasional precision bump per rack. If I weren't short and had to stretch all the time already on the now-standard 9-footers, I'd be all for the reinauguration of the 10-footer for tournament use (actually, I am, regardless, I'll just eat more soup…). Maybe if I were a better shotmaker than position player, my preoccupation with space or the lack thereof would be different, not sure. As it is, I happen to find Straight Pool easier the more space there is.
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
