Is this table too tight?

I play on triple shimmed tables and have been doing so for a while. There is absolutely no reason why you should be hitting anywhere but the center of the pocket anyway, so I say play on tight tables. I was very frustrated at first and missed a good amount of shots, but now, I have learned to overcome that and find that my shots are much more pure and travel on more of a direct line. I also get more roll out my ball because of it and therefore do not have to hit the ball very hard at all to make it do what I want.

There is too tight though. Anything less than 4 1/4 is probably too tight.
 
realkingcobra said:
All I can say guys...is correct pocket angles and correct facings will make any table play better;)
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Hey RKC I asked this before when the subject of tight pockets was floating around before. On my table when the pockets were tightened he matched the angle of the pockets before the work was done. So should the angle be changed when the pockets are tightened?
 
Pocket angles

Jason Robichaud said:
Opening is 4 3/4. balls go in about 1/2" and wedge. Its about 3 3/4 at back. I can't imagine playing a tighter table. It would make me sick.
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What you describe above is probably your problem here with these corner pockets. The pocket facings need to be more parallel to each other. Pockets openings that are reduced in width are cut to a more appropriate angle to accept the ball by the table mechanics like RKC that have the experience to make a table play correctly. You could also just start to play them shots at "pocket speed", but the pocket should still be accepting the ball at that speed. Mine accepts balls at that speed and my pockets are 4 5/8". I did a lot of research before doing my table.
 
That's a snooker table. Wow. Why don't you have RKC or Ernesto Dominguez set it up. It will be a real table after they get done.
 
Pockets

Jason Robichaud said:
I have played on many tables even the newer diamonds. My table is the tightest table, other than a tight dufferin snooker table that I have played.

Do you guys think this is too tight. You have to hit a shot perfect and I mean perfect along the rail. Even balls a foot from rail hitting side of pocket will not drop.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=FfcYBrTfRaU

I posted in a straight pool thread on Marop's 65 run. It came across as rude, not intention, when I stated his run would have ended before it started. He might have shot 6 on my table. I though his pockets must have been 6" based on balls fell into the pocket. I see from another posters picture the pockets are like 4 1/2".
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Those pockets look like buckets! Put 2 balls in the pocket where the point is in the center of the ball. Also the angles may be off, like someone already said. Olhausen rails are very soft and they tend to spit balls out also. (Not saying that's an Olhausen, Just saying)

I want a table that will take a well hit ball and reject a poorly struck one. That's why I own a Diamond ProAm setup by Glen. It just doesn't get any better! IMO. LOL.

Ray
 
I'm with RKC on this one. Number one, the video clearly shows left english on those shots. Secondly, 4.75" pockets properly cut are not too tight at all. Isn't 4 1/2" considered pro-cut? The typical league pocket at HardTimes is less than 4.75", for example. The tables in the tournament room there are under 4.5", you definitely can't even come close to fitting two balls in the crease on those, and they are more accepting then some wider Olhausen's. I couldn't tell the cut angle of the pockets from the video but that could play into it just like it does on a lot of Olhausens (thanks RKC for enlightening me on the whole "Olhausen Rattle" thing).

If I owned a table I would choose a mechanic as carefully as I choose a cuemaker.
 
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Jason Robichaud said:
This is a 9' table the same one as in my other video's. The table is only a couple years old. They just cut it wrong.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=TJmmQXVK314

Link will take a few, but here is a combo with frozen balls. No spin here! ball just won't go unless in heart.
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It doesn't appear there's anything wrong with the "tightness" of the pockets, but the facings are wrong. Balls that are hit into the pocket opening without hitting the rail or point on the way in are supposed to fall, whether you hit them hard or soft. The point of tight pockets is to demand an accurate shot, not to totally rule out shots coming down the rail with speed. If you hit it into the opening, it's supposed to drop.

-Andrew
 
IMHO, you should be able to hit an object ball down the rail at pace (not rocketed, just with a firm hit) and it should go down....if it does, the pockets are reasonable.....if not, I'd rather play elsewhere....
 
I just measured the pockets. Points are 4 3/4" and back, where cloth end on rail is 4".

What is the proper spec for the cut. I.e. 4 1/2 front - 4 1/4 back, 4 1/2 front and 1 1/2 back? My pocket reduces by 3/4 inch. The shelf is 2 1/2 inches along railing.
 
Facing angles

Jason Robichaud said:
I just measured the pockets. Points are 4 3/4" and back, where cloth end on rail is 4".

What is the proper spec for the cut. I.e. 4 1/2 front - 4 1/4 back, 4 1/2 front and 1 1/2 back? My pocket reduces by 3/4 inch. The shelf is 2 1/2 inches along railing.
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Jason,

I am not a table mechanic but my observations have been the tighter the pocket the more the facings should be parallel to each other. I set my pockets up so the back of the pocket is 1/4" smaller that the front. I can hit balls at rocket speed down the rail. Your at 3/4" sounds like maybe too much. The extreme angle you have spits the ball away from the pocket.

The photo below is an extreme and opposite example of what I am talking about. This is a Russian Pyramid table and on these tables I am told once you are past the points the ball goes. Players playing this game are often shooting balls in at light speed. Watch a Youtube Pyramid match and you will see what I mean. Notice the facings are splayed the opposite direction from the facings on your table. Rus%20Pyrm2.jpg
 
Jason Robichaud said:
I have played on many tables even the newer diamonds. My table is the tightest table, other than a tight dufferin snooker table that I have played.

Do you guys think this is too tight. You have to hit a shot perfect and I mean perfect along the rail. Even balls a foot from rail hitting side of pocket will not drop.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=FfcYBrTfRaU

I posted in a straight pool thread on Marop's 65 run. It came across as rude, not intention, when I stated his run would have ended before it started. He might have shot 6 on my table. I though his pockets must have been 6" based on balls fell into the pocket. I see from another posters picture the pockets are like 4 1/2".
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I brought forward a thread called Nightmare Diamond. In that thread you'll see what a TIGHT pocket is...LOL

Glen
 
For me the pocket seems to be tightend to much where the facing seems to curve a little between the change from the facing and to the rail.
The pocket "walls" should be straight and not curved in pool, if you make them curved you end up in a snooker type of situation.
Putting a long shot on a snooker table does pretty much the same as you're video, they bounce in between the pocket walls and spit it out.
As mentioned by many here, change the angle and make the facing flat and not curved and you're done.

I have discussed this with many locally, and making something to tight changes the game totally where the player don't go for long puts along the cushions any more, but have to adapt a more snooker type of game.
For me this is not the correct development of pool... If a player is simply awesome and put's every ball he gets to, well that something he deserve after a lot of practicing. Should we make snooker tables pockets even smaller because Ronny Rocket have done 147 in 3-4-5minutes or what it was?

Anyway, I'm sure you sort it out after many good advices in this thread. Don't loose you're capability of putting along the rail because you never do this on this table ;)
Kent
 
I agree with some of the posters ......

That table is NOT tight, just cut wrong.

My table has 4" pockets and even with the wrong english, a ball will drop when hit hard down the rail.

Russ....
 
Newton said:
For me the pocket seems to be tightend to much where the facing seems to curve a little between the change from the facing and to the rail.
The pocket "walls" should be straight and not curved in pool, if you make them curved you end up in a snooker type of situation.
Putting a long shot on a snooker table does pretty much the same as you're video, they bounce in between the pocket walls and spit it out.
As mentioned by many here, change the angle and make the facing flat and not curved and you're done.

I have discussed this with many locally, and making something to tight changes the game totally where the player don't go for long puts along the cushions any more, but have to adapt a more snooker type of game.
For me this is not the correct development of pool... If a player is simply awesome and put's every ball he gets to, well that something he deserve after a lot of practicing. Should we make snooker tables pockets even smaller because Ronny Rocket have done 147 in 3-4-5minutes or what it was?

Anyway, I'm sure you sort it out after many good advices in this thread. Don't loose you're capability of putting along the rail because you never do this on this table ;)
Kent
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The only reason facing curve like you're talking about, is if the work wasn't done right;)
 
I'm sure many of you have seen this pic before. A tight pocket done by Ernesto Dominguez. Plays tight!!!

4" point to point.......

DSC00095.jpg
 
realkingcobra said:
The only reason facing curve like you're talking about, is if the work wasn't done right;)
Click to expand...

I do agree with you Glen.
I have seen many "tight pocked" tables where some have put up double facing
but with the angle totally wrong, which makes the table spit out balls.
Do you agree that the facing looks a little curved and that this may be tha
problem?

Kent
 
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