Thank you.
New Install - what should a novice check/ask for?
- Thread starter Linwood
- Start date
Thank you.
TILT9
Banned
That's nice, real nice, mechanic spent quality time there.
TILT9
Banned
I love drop pockets,.
Is that a decision one gets to make during install?
It was never discussed that there were options on pocket sizes.
Grade? Had to look it up, apparently "D" is the lowest I can go. Had a table for years, but only played for fun, never tried to learn how to play properly, and since moving have not played in 12 years.
But now I have lots of spare time and will take it a bit more seriously, but only for fun with friends.
It's a 9'.
Most tables are 5" or larger pockets, unless it's a Diamond, which is 4.5".
4.5" plays tough for a C level player, especially on a 9ft.
I was similarly in your position. Played a ton in my early 20's and then quit for about 15yrs. Started playing again and just got a Diamond pro-am.
They can add facings during the install that are 1/8" on each side, thus making the pocket 1/4" smaller. So if its 5", they can make it 4 3/4" very easily during the install. Those facings are cheap too.
My friend just got an 8ft Brunswick and he didnt inquire about pocket sizes. Its big buckets and he wished he had gotten it tighter.
I would recommend 4 3/4" pockets. If I could do it over, I would probably go 4 3/4 rather than 4.5".
4.5" plays tough for a C level player, especially on a 9ft.
I was similarly in your position. Played a ton in my early 20's and then quit for about 15yrs. Started playing again and just got a Diamond pro-am.
They can add facings during the install that are 1/8" on each side, thus making the pocket 1/4" smaller. So if its 5", they can make it 4 3/4" very easily during the install. Those facings are cheap too.
My friend just got an 8ft Brunswick and he didnt inquire about pocket sizes. Its big buckets and he wished he had gotten it tighter.
I would recommend 4 3/4" pockets. If I could do it over, I would probably go 4 3/4 rather than 4.5".
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I'm learning that "standard" is a term not exactly applicable but...
Is 4 3/4 closer to a "standard" then?
I noticed that the "table difficulty factor" -- for whatever that's worth -- lists 4 3/8 to 4 1/2 as "1.00", is that indicative of anything?
4.5" pockets is tight, it is standard on a Diamond. For Brunwick, standard is 5" pockets or larger.. I'm sorry its an Olhaissen that my buddy just got. He also now wish he had gotten Simonis. So his two regrets are the big buckets and cheap cloth.
Bite the bullet and pay a little more for premium cloth. This is a hobby that you'll spend hundreds of hours on, why skimp to save $200.
I'm very happy with my Simonis 860HR cloth. Wish my table pockets were 4.75"-rather than 4.5". I'll just have to practice more to get very good. Tight pockets can be frustrating for a lower level player. Big buckets and the game become too easy too. Balls will fall in when its not supposed to.
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Sounds like you picked the right place. And I see someone has already replied as to locating the Simonis logo on the cloth -- underside of the cushion. Enjoy your new table! And be sure to post a pic or two here in AZ!!
Now photography I can do, I shoot a lot of college sports. Too bad they don't have a billiards team at either local college.
If it might be of interest will do, I'll probably photograph the whole assembly.
Ah... I'm slow, I think I understand why I see people posting pocket shots with balls, it's to show the pocket width?
It's amazing how much there is to learn.
https://youtu.be/lG9CqK95U2E
How to measure pocket size. Trust me, if you're a novice, you don't want 4.5" pockets.
How to measure pocket size. Trust me, if you're a novice, you don't want 4.5" pockets.
Interesting, as well as that led to some other videos showing installs which was educational.
So if I'm a novice I want 4 3/4 as a happy medium?
But if as mentioned elsewhere the rails come with the cloth pre-installed, from watching that install video, it looks like it's too late to affect pocket width.
5" for an amateur (and an advanced amateur, IMO)!!!! Anyway, unless you explicitly asked for tight pockets, or bought a Diamond brand pool table, which you did neither of, your table will most likely be like every other furniture table out there, and have 5" pockets.
On my Brunswick Gold Crown II, this is not the case. The plastic part of the pockets sits outside of the cushions. Could this be the reason I'm getting black spots on my Arimath balls? (Not at home right now, but I can take some pictures of the pockets/cushions to show you what I mean)
JC
Coos Cues
When the cloth is pulled down in the pockets all the way like shown, the grain of cloth heads right into the pocket as well, and it depends on how the pocket shelf is cut if you can even finish a pocket like that or not.
Almost all table manufacturers only offer what they consider stock pocket openings as they're in the sales business, not the custom pool table business.
I totally agree with iusedtoberich's advice. You rated yourself as the lowest quality player. Based on your knowledge level on several things it is clear to me that you have rated yourself accurately (every one of us started there, no worries). You do NOT want to consider 4.5" corner pockets, or really even 4.75" pockets either. Five inches is considered to be the standard sized pocket and has been for decades (although in the last 15 years or so many of the professional events have gone to using pockets from 4.5 to 4.75"). You would probably be happy even if the pockets were a little bigger than 5" but I suggest the standard 5" corner pockets as the happy medium for your skill level and the good news is that is almost certainly going to be what your table comes with unless you requested otherwise.
Here's why I make that recommendation. The 4.5" pockets (and even the 4.75" pockets but to a lesser extent) are going to brutal for your skill level. You are going to miss everything. It is going to be nothing but absolute frustration. If you can't make a few balls here and there it just isn't going to be fun--at all. And if it doesn't have some fun you will likely find yourself not playing on the table very much and before long you find that you own a really expensive laundry folding table. Just as important is that your friends, who sound like they are similarly skilled, are going to feel the same way. Pockets that are 4.5" or probably even 4.75" just aren't going to be fun for them and they probably are going to find it more irritating and frustrating than enjoyable. You may may start finding that they are suddenly somehow always "busy" with prior commitments every time you call them to come over for pool night. Go with 5" pockets.
In several years when you are much better (and yes it will likely take at least that before you have any desire for smaller pockets (and you at least as likely to never desire them) you can always have the pockets tightened up (made smaller) when it is time to recover the table with new felt so it is not like whatever choice you make is permanent just in case you do want to make a change down the road. If I am not mistaken it is also generally easier and cheaper to tighten up the pockets than to make them larger so if you have to err on one side or the other this is yet another reason to go with the bigger pockets (standard 5" corner pockets or slightly bigger) over ones that might be too small.