New cloth andsmaller pocket size?

G

gerford

Registered
I was out at the WPBA in Ignacio, CO and was chatting with the Brunswick rep who helped set up the tables for the event. I loved the Simonis 860 cloth compared to the cloth on my Brunswick Ventura table I have at home so I ordered some new Simonis cloth. I asked him what other differences there are between my 9' Ventura table and the gold crown V tables they have at the tournament. He said they basically play the same except the corner pockets on the Ventura table are 5" and the GC V are 4 1/2". The side pockets on the Ventura are 5 1/2" and the GC V are 5. He said when I recloth the rails that you can add a little rubber spacer to shrink the pocket size. I asked the mechanic whose going to redo the table about shrinking the pockets and he said he's never done any, but he can easily if I want to. Do I want to? I sure like the way the tables at the tournament played.
What are the pros and cons?? Should I shrink the pockets or leave them as they are? The table is in a beautiful pool room and it's used mainly by experienced players. I never thought about shrinking the pocket size, Anybody have an opinion? Its getting re-clothed October 2nd.
Thanks
Jim
 
Is this a home table or in a pool room?

The tightness of the pockets in a pool room is often determined by the level of the players you have. Most serious players that I know like to gamble on tighter tables. If you have any 1-pocket players they often perfer a table that is even thighter yet. In my personal opinion a double shimmed brunswick is about right to play serious 9 ball on. Just remember that the table will always play easier with new cloth. As time goes by it will tighten up.

If it is a home table, you have to judge if thight pockets will help your focus and accuracy of just frustrate you as you practice.

Just remember that new cloth makes the table play much easier and in time it will tighten up. I have seen many people tighten a table and love it for a few months then hate it later.

These are just my opinions and there are also many more factors to picking a table tightness,
Keith
 
gerford said:
What are the pros and cons?? Should I shrink the pockets or leave them as they are? The table is in a beautiful pool room and it's used mainly by experienced players. I never thought about shrinking the pocket size, Anybody have an opinion? Its getting re-clothed October 2nd.
Thanks
Jim
Click to expand...



You can use thicker facings to shrink the pockets some. How much depends on how thick the facings are now. You don't want facings thicker than 1/4". 3/16" would be the "prefered max". The change should not change anything but the size of the pocket opening. The balls will pocket differently because of the added thickness and also whether you use soft or hard rubber for the facings.
 
I also would recommend that you get someone experienced to do the shimming, not someone who is trying it for the first time. A bad shimmed table can really cause the pockets to play funny. Table mechanics section may help you find someone who can do the job right.
 
Agreed, make sure you get a quality job done. Those gold crown v's have the rails extended with 1/8 inch facings I am sure. Seriously talk it over with people in the mechanics section. Oh and new cloth while make the tightest tables play loose!
 
It is my home table and it's played on by weekend and evening warriors. Were middle aged and enjoy playing pool and like most of us, we're above average. We play 8,9 ball, 14.1 and snooker using 2 1/16" balls.

When you say the table "tightens" after a while, what do you mean?

The mechanic for Brunswick in this area said he can get 3/16" rubber shims for the pockets, but it sounds like they come in different thicknesses and hardness.
It's the best room and table around, so I want to get it set up as well as I can.


Jim
 
Just had my GC II tightened couple of days ago

Completely redone, in fact. Rather than just slap on facings RKC extended the subrails and cut the new rails to the correct length so there's still just a single facing. The pockets were reduced from 5" to 4 3/8". More work, but the correct way to do it.
 
New cloth is slippery. The balls dont grab off the rails and when a ball hits a pocket facing it slides off of it instead of grabbing it alittle. As the cloth wears it gets a little dirty and slightly fuzzy, still will play great. The pocket facings will start to grab the balls a little more making balls rattle in the pocket. The balls will still go if you hit them in the pocket correctly, they will be just less forgiving.
 
We just bought a GCIII and moved it to the house. We had new rubber put on along with 860 cloth. Since we bought new rubber we had the sub rails extended so without shims the corners are 4.25 and the sides are 5. We really like it and notice the difference when we go play tourneys as to the size difference. I have two friends with shimmed pockets and it works good but notice some difference in play due to the degree of angle and hardness of shim vs rubber rail, sometimes causes pocket jarring.
 
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