Old People Hate The Measle Ball

[Flex]

It's just my opinion, but the cue ball should be ONE solid color... white... or something close. That way, it is less distracting to the shot, when trying to line up. Any dots or lines on that ball tend to distract. Some folks actually have a little distortion in their vision. Lines or dots can affect that distortion and could make some simple shots impossible.

When we first started playing pool, the only marks on the cue ball were from chalk, or the occasional air to floor scratches. When the local pool halls started changing over (especially for tournaments) to the cueball with the little blue eye on it (Aramith Magnetic Tournament Cue Ball), that used to annoy me. I couldn't focus on my shot, for that eyeball looking at me. It took me a few months, at least, to adjust to that ball. No, I don't believe measles should be allowed on a ball. Too much distraction.

Someone said something about how boring pool would be if all the tables, balls, etc., were the same.... At least I could rely on my game being the same, too!!

Interesting those dots bother you so much.

I almost don't even notice them when I'm shooting, unless I want to. My mind is focusing on other things.

Flex

 

[Flex]

Let me elaborate on that, a bit. That little blue eye used to annoy me so much that I often had to stop the game and ask permission to turn the ball around, because I could not focus on my shot when I was being watched by the cue ball. It was VERY distracting, to say the least. I found I was not alone in that situation. It's like going to the bathroom and having a stuffed fish on the wall, relentlessly STARING at you....

You sure have quite an imagination.

 

[Flex]

This is why I practice with it. All of the Viking Events use the measles ball, and any Major Event (Derby, US Open, etc) will use it as well.

Mike

Tap, tap, tap!

To the whiners, I say "Get over it. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Moaning about it won't make it go away. Besiede, it just looks cool..."

Flex

 

[Ballistic Billiards]

I don't think that this has been posted here yet. If so, I apologize.
Here's what I've learned recently about cue balls.
Courtesy of Bob Jewett.
I'll summarize..
The red circle ball, made popular by the diamond smart table, is a different
material than the rest of the balls.
This red circle ball is more elastic than the pro cup ball.
The pro cup ball should play the same as the blue circle.
The cue ball also travels more, which means that it will erode faster than
the object balls and become smaller and lighter.

-cOOp, just lost my pro cup ball if anyone wants to donate one.
I just scanned the article I linked and didn't see the information about
the red circle being a different material, I believe it's the same as a
carom ball. Maybe someone with a better memory knows where I read this.

 

[RRfireblade]

I don't have a real problem with the measles ball but here is a few of my thoughts on it. I didn't read the whole thread so some of this may have been said :

I don't like rooms that don't use them during 'normal' play and then only pull them out for Tournys when they are obviously , at that point , now non standard in size , weight and playability to not only the rest of the set but what you've been allowed to practice with the whole time up to then.

I have the same problem with people that pull them out whenever and toss them in with the same old worn out set.

It's not that you can't adjust , it's that now you have to in a moments notice.

In a nut shell , put them out all the time with fresh sets of balls and then it will be 'the standard' CB.

Lastly , I'm not crazy about giving away my spin selections to an opposing player . . . for free. Let them learn it like I did , the hard way and pay dearly.

Otherwise , it's no biggie either way.

 

[JesPiddlin]

You sure have quite an imagination.

What.... about the fish on the wall watching you? THAT is a TRUE STORY. In fact, my brother-in-law gave a serious complaint about it.

 

[JesPiddlin]

Let me elaborate on that a bit....

...A. You see the thingy on the cueball...

If I see a "thingy" on a cueball, I'm gonna smack it, or ask for a new cue ball!!

 

[Flex]

What.... about the fish on the wall watching you? THAT is a TRUE STORY. In fact, my brother-in-law gave a serious complaint about it.

He has some phobia about pictures of fish? What's that called? "Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish." http://phobialist.com/ Or is it the mere idea of a picture of a fish that bothers him? Or the eyes?

Whatever.

In any case, I sincerely hope his concerns have been dealt with, and laid to rest.

In the meantime...

I don't like spiders, never have, never will. Don't like snakes, no matter the size or venom or lack thereof. Don't like crocs or gators, and especially don't like crockagators... That species of reptile with a croc head at one end and a gator head at the other. Those are some really mean beasts, you can probably figure out why.

Now, since I don't like spiders and snakes and so on, how rational would it be for me to get all bent out of shape whenever Snake the Spider comes in to play pool, and shoots with a Strychnine cue and spiders all over his t-shirt?

If that dude has something for brown recluse spiders, so be it. That has nothing to do with pool, though. Same thing with those little fisheyes that you see on the cue ball. As I said, you sure do have a good imagination.

Cheers!

Flex

 

[JesPiddlin]

He has some phobia about pictures of fish? What's that called? "Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish." http://phobialist.com/ Or is it the mere idea of a picture of a fish that bothers him? Or the eyes?

No. It was NOT a picture. It was a REAL stuffed black bass. I believe it was said to be almost 10 pounds, when it was on the hook. It was hanging right over the back of the toilet.

 

[Flex]

No. It was NOT a picture. It was a REAL stuffed black bass. I believe it was said to be almost 10 pounds, when it was on the hook. It was hanging right over the back of the toilet.

Aw shucks...

I have a friend who has several stuffed fish on his walls. Don't know if they are in the bathrooms, too.

Now, about that black bass hanging over the toilet, with mouth open, and teeth exposed... if that sucker were to fall, due to a rumbling of the earth, or a sonic boom, or whatever, I'd not want to be near those teeth...

Flex

P.S. What were we talkin' about?

 

[JesPiddlin]

Now, about that black bass hanging over the toilet, with mouth open, and teeth exposed... if that sucker were to fall, due to a rumbling of the earth, or a sonic boom, or whatever, I'd not want to be near those teeth...

Yeah... Seems like I heard my brother-in-law say something similar.

Sorry for the sidetrack. The thread was about the measle balls, which I think is a totally ridiculous invention and I'm not "old people." Most of the younger ones I know of think it's funny-looking and that's about it. If they decide to play pool with it, it's for the novelty of it, more like a toy. Some folks around here use it, but it really is annoying by design. I'm used to the Aramith, now, and I don't like playing pool with a mudball, unless I have to, but the measles... why can't they take the colorful design off and give it a tiny nose, or something? Poking something in the nose might be fun! (as long as no boogers are involved! )