measle ball again

i think they first used it in the U.S. Open back in 2003. i got my first one about 2004, and bought another one a few weeks ago.

guess the answer to your question is a little over four years, i guess, dunno........

DCP
 
older

DCP,
You're right in that 2003 was the first time it was used for tv in the us open.
There is some evidence that suggests it's been part of the billiards world
for much much longer.

Does anyone know?
-cOOp


DrCue'sProtege said:
i think they first used it in the U.S. Open back in 2003. i got my first one about 2004, and bought another one a few weeks ago.

guess the answer to your question is a little over four years, i guess, dunno........

DCP
Click to expand...
 
coopdeville said:
DCP,
You're right in that 2003 was the first time it was used for tv in the us open.
There is some evidence that suggests it's been part of the billiards world
for much much longer.

Does anyone know?
-cOOp
Click to expand...
Yeah, the measles on billiard balls were around a few years prior, but the first time the measles pool ball was introduced was at the US Open in 2003.

Fred
 
And the very first match that red-dotted cueball was introduced at the 2003 U.S. Open was on the TV table. The players up to bat were Veterans Buddy Hall and Keith McCready.

Upon initial inspection of this polka-dotted whitey, the two of them didn't quite know what to make of it as they practiced before the match, but it seemed to roll just like the plain-vanilla version.

At one moment during the match, Keith fired at a shot and came with a miss. With a deer-in-headlights look, he turned to Buddy and said, "Gee, Buddy, I think I must have hit the wrong dot." The audience erupted in laughter. Buddy cracked up, but couldn't get to the table fast enough for his turn, as depicted in the picture below, courtesy of PoolPics by Hoppe. :D

The set did end up going to the infamous double-hill. "Although the play was not stellar, the score and the personalities make this match worthwhile, says Accu-Stats: http://accu-stats.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=011&PROD=1069613243nd

That's my story, one which I have posted on this forum before, but I'm still sticking with it! :p

JAM
 

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weight and composition

Now-- does anyone know for sure if the measles ball weighs the same, and is the exact same composition, as the Super Aramith Pro cueball? Many believe that the pure white composition ball is either lighter, or reacts differently than the "yellower", or more opaque colored ball. I seem to recall a definitive answer on a similar subject a couple of months ago.

Doc
 
gulfportdoc said:
Now-- does anyone know for sure if the measles ball weighs the same, and is the exact same composition, as the Super Aramith Pro cueball? Many believe that the pure white composition ball is either lighter, or reacts differently than the "yellower", or more opaque colored ball. I seem to recall a definitive answer on a similar subject a couple of months ago.Doc
Click to expand...

You must have the wrong message board then. :o
 
JAM said:
And the very first match that red-dotted cueball was introduced at the 2003 U.S. Open was on the TV table. The players up to bat were Veterans Buddy Hall and Keith McCready.

Upon initial inspection of this polka-dotted whitey, the two of them didn't quite know what to make of it as they practiced before the match, but it seemed to roll just like the plain-vanilla version.

At one moment during the match, Keith fired at a shot and came with a miss. With a deer-in-headlights look, he turned to Buddy and said, "Gee, Buddy, I think I must have hit the wrong dot." The audience erupted in laughter. Buddy cracked up, but couldn't get to the table fast enough for his turn, as depicted in the picture below, courtesy of PoolPics by Hoppe. :D

The set did end up going to the infamous double-hill. "Although the play was not stellar, the score and the personalities make this match worthwhile, says Accu-Stats: http://accu-stats.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=011&PROD=1069613243nd

That's my story, one which I have posted on this forum before, but I'm still sticking with it! :p

JAM
Click to expand...
The bad thing about this, is that the part that Keith says all this is not in the video. He says it while they were at a commercial break. I am not sure why they would edit this, I would had like to seen it.
 
coopdeville said:
This time around, the cost doesn't matter and neither does the size or
weight.

How long has this ball been around?

-cOOp
Click to expand...

I'd say about 10-12 years. It was first used as an instructional tool, so you could see the englsh on the ball. I remember Jim Rempe using it when he gave lessons and exhibitions, and thought it was so weird. Jimmy was the first pro I know who liked this ball. He said it was the "nuts". I guess he knew something, and should get credit for that. I think Bob Meucci was also in on introducing this ball. It first appeared about the time of the Camel Pro Tour in the 90's.

When I first saw this ball, I thought it was so strange and such a gimmick, I didn't want to hit a ball with it. What did I know? I have had one sitting on my table at home for over two years now. The Red Circle is back in the box. :)
 
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mattman said:
The bad thing about this, is that the part that Keith says all this is not in the video. He says it while they were at a commercial break. I am not sure why they would edit this, I would had like to seen it.
Click to expand...

That is one of the incentives to come to the U.S. Open and see all of the festivities up front and close! :D :) ;)

According to Aramith website:

Aramith Cue Ball-2 1/8", 2 1/4", 2 3/8", 54 mm, 57,2 mm, 60,3 mm

Aramith Red Circle Cue Ball-2 1/4", 57,2 mm

Aramith Tournament Magnetic Cue Ball-2 1/4", 57,2 mm

Aramith Magnetic Cue Ball-2 1/4" 57,2 mm

According to PoolDawg.com, an AzBilliards forum sponsor, about the Aramith six-dotted Measle Cue Ball:

Any fan of pool and billiards who's watched a televised event has seen this cue ball with red dots, and now Aramith has released this unique red dot cue ball to the public. This distinctive cue ball is exactly like the ones you see on ESPN. The six red dots on the cue allow you to see the spin of the cue ball. Unsurpassed in quality, each ball is made with Aramith's unique phenolic resin making them among the sturdiest and most impact resistant balls on the market.Aramith phenolic balls last up to five times longer than other balls made from polymers or polyester. Billiards-play simulators have shown that Aramith phenolic balls are still perfectly playable even after 400,000 hits, whereas others were rendered unusable.Size- 2 1/4 inchesWeight- 6 oz.

JAM
 
Just as an aside to this, as it happens they also introduced a red spotted cue ball into The World Championships of English style 8 ball pool last year.

The spotted ball used in that brand of 8 ball was significantly heavier than the plain white ball which they use in their regular tour events throughout the year and it caused quite a few complaints from pros.
 
I saw a measle ball at a cue dealers (John Wright) house in Chicago around 1988 or so. I was selling him a pretty nice Richard Black cue.

I tried to find a 6 dot cue ball to buy after that and no one had ever heard of 6 dots on a cueball until the new Arimith measles balls came out.
 
the goods

This footage makes the measle ball THE best thing to happen to pool in the last twenty years, right behind the diamond pro-am.
I saw it in yellow somewhere once.

-cOOp
 
coopdeville said:
This time around, the cost doesn't matter and neither does the size or
weight.

How long has this ball been around?

-cOOp
Click to expand...
As I recall, the spotted carom balls were used in the Las Vegas World Cup 3-Cushion tournament in 1999, but I'd have to check a video to be sure. At that time, I think the only place they were used was in BWA (Billiards WorldCup Association, a pro 3-C outfit) competitions, and the intent was to make the game more interesting for the TV audience by showing spin. The Red/yellow/white sets of carom balls had already been introduced a while before for TV so that it would be possible to tell which player had which cue ball easily.

The balls were said to have a problem in manufacturing for at least two or three years -- they certainly remained hard to get. The spotted pool cue ball was introduced after the carom balls went into regular production.
 
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