I am not a fan of the measles ball either for all the reasons already mentioned. One other thing is I do not want my opponent to have any idea what type of spin I use on the cue ball. If he/she cannot figure it out on their own that is their problem, after all why should I help them? For pool hall play I like the red circle ball...
Measle ball, i HATE it
- Thread starter Straightpool_99
- Start date
The point of the design, flawed as many find it, is to increase spin, not cue action. This is for TV audiences to see the spots zip around.
How do you know this to be true? Did someone from Aramith tell you that?
Well, that's a nice looking chart but I think it raises more questions than answers.
Like:
Are they saying that the cb listed on the left is made exactly the same as the set listed next to it or are they just suggesting that they would be compatible?
Why is the measle ball listed only for the Super Aramith Pro TV balls and the value pack? Isn't the difference between those and the Super Aramith Pro set listed farther down just the colors?
What does the resin column mean, and what is it's relationship to the other two columns?
What are the technical differences among the different sets of balls and among the different cue balls?
Why do I keep hearing they are all the same? Apparently they are not ---- or is it just marketing?
I've only shot with the measle ball a couple of times and I HATE IT TOO!
I've never researched to see what the difference between it and a regular ball is supposed to be, but it seems to be bigger and heavier than the balls used where I play.
I like all the balls to be made of the same material and to be the same weight. I don't need little spots to let me know what kind of spin is on the ball either. That is distracting to me.
I've never researched to see what the difference between it and a regular ball is supposed to be, but it seems to be bigger and heavier than the balls used where I play.
I like all the balls to be made of the same material and to be the same weight. I don't need little spots to let me know what kind of spin is on the ball either. That is distracting to me.
A representative at their booth explained it to me several years ago. Plus, test it yourself. Its not heavy. Snap draw the measle and watch it spin in place. Happens an awful lot unless you pinch the ball.
That's disturbing to find that they made a ball that the pros play with on TV that is designed to spin in place for no other purpose than to amuse the TV viewers. I'm hoping that there was a misunderstanding somewhere.
Pathetic Shark
Banned
It's easy enough. First column is CBs, second column is which set they're supposed to come with and the third is composition of CB/set. Basically, the better quality balls are listed first.
To help viewers and beginners understand spin, is what he meant I believe. As a more seasoned amateur, I don't feel that seeing the spin on the ball is much use to me anymore, but I still love using the measle ball. It was a significant learning tool.
Pathetic Shark
Banned
I just think it looks cool. It attracts attention, that's for sure.
I have a red circle and measles ball. The red circle does draw easier and is lighter. Since I have my pool table next to glass doors it is good to use the measles ball when company is over because the red circle is more prone to flying off the table during the break. Fortunately I don't do this so I usually play with the red circle.
That's how I look at it, too, but Internet forum users love to make things difficult, even for themselves.
Edit to add: Inprefer the measles over the red circle.Interesting someone mentioned earlier they thought the measles ball had a carom finish, but the chart above States that the red cirlce isnmade with the same material as Aramith's carom balls
. I'm also curious why the red circle isn't matched to any ball sets.
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I love playing with the Measel cue balls. They are used in all of our money games. If I can't play with a Measel cue ball I ain't playing.
OK, pay attention now. I'm only going to say this one more time.
The MEASLE ball weighs the same as the other Super Aramith Pro balls in the set.
However if you use it with centenial balls or some other set of balls that have been used for some time all bets are off.
And if you want your cue ball to be the same material and weight as the other balls, NEVER use the red circle
I seriously doubt many of you have done any experiments to validate your dislike for the measle ball (assuming you dislike it for it's performance vs it's looks - can't help with the look...).
I have both, a new red circle and a new measle ball. I did a max draw experiment to see which would draw farther. They were virtually identical at about 13 diamonds (130 inches). With mostly consistent draw lengths for over 20 tries each.
The balls do weigh differently (measle at 169g and red dot at 167g). With respect to max draw it made zero difference for me.
It would be much more complex to test complete control over the cue ball but if I had to put money on the answer I would bet the vast majority of this is a self imposed mental barrier rather than a true performance issue.
I have both, a new red circle and a new measle ball. I did a max draw experiment to see which would draw farther. They were virtually identical at about 13 diamonds (130 inches). With mostly consistent draw lengths for over 20 tries each.
The balls do weigh differently (measle at 169g and red dot at 167g). With respect to max draw it made zero difference for me.
It would be much more complex to test complete control over the cue ball but if I had to put money on the answer I would bet the vast majority of this is a self imposed mental barrier rather than a true performance issue.
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I can't speak for others but I've done an extensive amount of playing with all different combinations of balls. I keep hearing that they're all the same and that they're all made by the same manufacturer but I find it very interesting how differently a matched set of Brunswick Centennials matched with the correct cue ball (their own blue circle -- not the fake one) plays completely differently than a matched set of Super Aramith Pros.
Yet, I keep hearing that matched sets of Brunswick Centennials and Super Aramith Pros should play the same.
Well, they don't.
So sure, when someone slips a measle ball into a set of Centennials, of course they don't play the same. Frankly, I don't even know how a set of Super Aramith Pros are supposed to play, and I played with them on the WPBA pro tour for at least 10 years --- and I own a set --- and they still baffle me.
I never experienced any issues with Centennial ball sets.
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The first time the polka-dotted ball was introduced in a professional tournament setting was at the 2003 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship. Buddy Hall and Keith McCready were up next on the TV table. They were asked if they minded playing with this new polka-dotted cueball, and both players agreed to do so, that it would be no problem.
At the end of the match, Buddy and Keith both agreed that the ball played the same as the other cueball for them. Here's the match, by the way, which wasn't their best performance, but it was quite entertaining ---> HERE
One funny moment that occurred during the match was when Keith came with a miss. He stared at the table in disbelief and said to Buddy, "I guess I must have hit the wrong polka-dot, Buddy." The audience erupted with laughter. Buddy cackled and couldn't get to the table fast enough for his turn. :grin-square:
