Old People Hate The Measle Ball
- Thread starter The10Ball
- Start date
poolplayer2093 said:
Actually, there are some other positives about using it. The first is that it's the correct size, and probably will remain that way for a long, long time, as it won't be used non-stop on a table in a pool hall. That alone adds some consistency, IMHO. The other is that being able to see what kind of spin it put on the cue ball and when and how it wears off is definitely a good thing. The third is that most of the people I shoot pool with have come to like it, which is no small feat, and it plays better than those generic balls one finds not too infrequently.
And yes, there's another thing. If it is really all that different from other balls, which I don't think it is, it's good to learn to adapt to it, because like it or not, it's going to be used in tournaments, and it's way better to know how it plays than to be ignorant of it. Yes, it's probably heavier than what people may be used to playing with (some red circle balls are so worn out it's a joke, and one often needs to make serious aim compensation when shooting with one of those) and there is, really, a benefit to that. It's that the ball squirts less when shooting with english... Think about that one for a moment. And also, it requires a better stroke to draw the ball. I'm in favor of that one, too.
Negatives? It's perhaps a bit tougher to draw than a red circle, (but it will follow better.) Other negatives... hmmm... having a hard time coming up with any.
Flex
I've noticed very little difference in the way it plays when compared with a relatively new red circle. I like the measles ball. I like the feedback from seeing the spin. During practice this is especially nice as I can see unwanted spin from hitting slightly off center when I hadn't intended to. I"m sold.
SJDinPHX said:
One thing about this, bringing back straight pool would benefit you, me and everyone else too young to have grown up in that era. Learning to play pool starting with 9-ball is a mistake. 9-ball players become good shot makers but not very good with table management.
MULLY
Reprint
The first time I ever saw that cue-ball, one was brought in to the U.S. Open in 2003. Nobody had ever seen a red-dotted cue-ball before. They decided to use the red-dotted cue-ball on the TV table, thinking it would showcase the englishes and spins, et cetera, that the players were using on the cue-ball for the pool-shooting viewership.
As luck would have it, the first match with this red-dotted cue-ball was Buddy Hall versus Keith McCready. Both of them, when they arrived at the TV table, stared at this cue-ball, never having seen one before, and the two of them practiced with it before the match commenced. Neither of them noticed anything different about it as far as response or weight, but they were definitely dismayed and taken aback by its very presence.
Here's a video link of the match. Neither of them played up to par on the TV table, but the commentary by Billy Incardona and Jimmy Wych, which was great, spoke about the red-dotted cue-ball quite a bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsHAG8YrXG8
The players' reactions to shots/misses and commentary was comical, and the audience enjoyed this match, even though it was quite uneventful. One shot, Keith came with a miss, and immediately looked over Buddy and said, "Buddy, I think I must have hit the wrong red dot." The audience erupted in laughter, including Buddy.
This tournament, BCn Network was offering $500 to any player who made the 9 on the break on the TV table. Believe me, EVERYBODY who played on the TV table that year was gunning for that 9.
Here's the Diana Hoppe classic picture, taken at the 2003 U.S. Open, when Keith came with a miss, stating he hit the wrong red dot. Buddy cracked up and couldn't wait to get back to the table. It was funny!
JAM
The first time I ever saw that cue-ball, one was brought in to the U.S. Open in 2003. Nobody had ever seen a red-dotted cue-ball before. They decided to use the red-dotted cue-ball on the TV table, thinking it would showcase the englishes and spins, et cetera, that the players were using on the cue-ball for the pool-shooting viewership.
As luck would have it, the first match with this red-dotted cue-ball was Buddy Hall versus Keith McCready. Both of them, when they arrived at the TV table, stared at this cue-ball, never having seen one before, and the two of them practiced with it before the match commenced. Neither of them noticed anything different about it as far as response or weight, but they were definitely dismayed and taken aback by its very presence.
Here's a video link of the match. Neither of them played up to par on the TV table, but the commentary by Billy Incardona and Jimmy Wych, which was great, spoke about the red-dotted cue-ball quite a bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsHAG8YrXG8
The players' reactions to shots/misses and commentary was comical, and the audience enjoyed this match, even though it was quite uneventful. One shot, Keith came with a miss, and immediately looked over Buddy and said, "Buddy, I think I must have hit the wrong red dot." The audience erupted in laughter, including Buddy.
This tournament, BCn Network was offering $500 to any player who made the 9 on the break on the TV table. Believe me, EVERYBODY who played on the TV table that year was gunning for that 9.
Here's the Diana Hoppe classic picture, taken at the 2003 U.S. Open, when Keith came with a miss, stating he hit the wrong red dot. Buddy cracked up and couldn't wait to get back to the table. It was funny!
JAM
Attachments
![Buddy%20and%20Keith[1].JPG](/data/attachments/46/46102-e7b629781e03ad47b6c8381f98a03077.jpg?hash=57YpeB4DrU)
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theres no difference in any of the CB's IMO! it's all in your heads!
get up and PLAY, and quit boohoo'ing about the equipment. Don't any of you ever go out to unfamiliar pool rooms? I make it a point to play with different ball sets, switch CB's, play on different equipment....ie...snooker tables..3c billiard tables...it's how you learn to adjust.
What fun would it be to have the same table, same balls, same everything EVERY time out?....ewwww!
get up and PLAY, and quit boohoo'ing about the equipment. Don't any of you ever go out to unfamiliar pool rooms? I make it a point to play with different ball sets, switch CB's, play on different equipment....ie...snooker tables..3c billiard tables...it's how you learn to adjust.
What fun would it be to have the same table, same balls, same everything EVERY time out?....ewwww!
I second that motion.Gerry said:theres no difference in any of the CB's IMO! it's all in your heads!
get up and PLAY, and quit boohoo'ing about the equipment. Don't any of you ever go out to unfamiliar pool rooms? I make it a point to play with different ball sets, switch CB's, play on different equipment....ie...snooker tables..3c billiard tables...it's how you learn to adjust.
What fun would it be to have the same table, same balls, same everything EVERY time out?....ewwww!
I agree
that you should be able to adjust, but sometimes you don't get the new feel of it before a tournament starts.
The measles ball is larger, slightly heavier, and has a sluggish feel to it as compared to the Aramith Green Logo ball, just enough to irritate you.
The red circle is noticeably smaller and lighter, to the point that you have to adjust where your tip meets the cueball for a same shot with another cueball.
I played in a tournament in Hutchinson at Vic's a year or so ago, and they decided for the first time to use red circle cueballs for the tournament.
The sudden switch caught a lot of players offguard, and as they struggled to adjust, many players were eliminated that probably would not have been if the previous cueballs were used.
Me included. I was in the elimination side, having just won 3 straight matches, hill-to-hill, with a long almost straight in 7 ball, with a line back that would be passing shape for the 9 ball. (passing shape is where the cueball comes real close to the object ball, and you have to pinpoint the shape or you don't have a good shot). I took my time, got set to draw the cueball back a half a table or so, and walaah, the cue ball slanted right coming back, and I drew the cueball back into the uptable right corner, 3/4's of the table. I was pretty embarrassed at that point, and I gave the ball in hand 9 ball to my opponent, and was out of the tournament. I had never done anything like that before in 45 years of playing. So much for the red circle cueball.
that you should be able to adjust, but sometimes you don't get the new feel of it before a tournament starts.
The measles ball is larger, slightly heavier, and has a sluggish feel to it as compared to the Aramith Green Logo ball, just enough to irritate you.
The red circle is noticeably smaller and lighter, to the point that you have to adjust where your tip meets the cueball for a same shot with another cueball.
I played in a tournament in Hutchinson at Vic's a year or so ago, and they decided for the first time to use red circle cueballs for the tournament.
The sudden switch caught a lot of players offguard, and as they struggled to adjust, many players were eliminated that probably would not have been if the previous cueballs were used.
Me included. I was in the elimination side, having just won 3 straight matches, hill-to-hill, with a long almost straight in 7 ball, with a line back that would be passing shape for the 9 ball. (passing shape is where the cueball comes real close to the object ball, and you have to pinpoint the shape or you don't have a good shot). I took my time, got set to draw the cueball back a half a table or so, and walaah, the cue ball slanted right coming back, and I drew the cueball back into the uptable right corner, 3/4's of the table. I was pretty embarrassed at that point, and I gave the ball in hand 9 ball to my opponent, and was out of the tournament. I had never done anything like that before in 45 years of playing. So much for the red circle cueball.
I've weighed an assortment of CB's & OB's in my quest to ascertain why some equipment doesn't play like the rest. Here's what I found...which I'll have to put in a separate thread someday.
The "measles" CB weighs in at 5.84 ounces. I like the measles as I can see residual spin on the OB.
For reference, sets of OB's varied from 5.61 ounces to 5.95 ounces, so the combination of CB & OB's your local PH uses can have a VERY significant impact on the overall experience. BTW, new sets had consistent weight from 1 to 15. As the balls age, the 1 gets noticably lighter compared to the upper balls such as the 15. Even with the oldest, dingiest sets were in the 0.10 and lower ounce range between 1 & 15.
That's not quite correct. The Aramith Green Logo CB weighs 5.94 ounces. It has a dull finish that seems to grab chalk and cause a lot of skids for me.Snapshot9 said:
The "measles" CB weighs in at 5.84 ounces. I like the measles as I can see residual spin on the OB.
This isn't supported by what I've measured. The Red Circle CB weighes in at 5.87 ounces, so its about 0.03 ounces heavier than the measles...not much of a difference.Snapshot9 said:
For reference, sets of OB's varied from 5.61 ounces to 5.95 ounces, so the combination of CB & OB's your local PH uses can have a VERY significant impact on the overall experience. BTW, new sets had consistent weight from 1 to 15. As the balls age, the 1 gets noticably lighter compared to the upper balls such as the 15. Even with the oldest, dingiest sets were in the 0.10 and lower ounce range between 1 & 15.
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smashmouth said:
I can see it now. Film the tourny in black and white film. Lots of cigarrettes burning on the rails of the tables. Glass of bourbon on the rail. Smoke filled place. Girls in bunny costumes serving drinks and racking the balls. 5 inch pockets on sticky cloth. Maybe we could get Ed McMahon to announce it.
My wife won't practice with me on our home table with the measles cueball cause she says it scratches too much, and I think she is right. She shoots very straight and firm and the cue ball rolls a little farther than the super aramith red dot on cut shots so I have to whoop her with the old standby cueball.--Leonard
jay helfert said:I'm definitely "old school" and I happen to like the measles cue ball. I think it's the best cue ball out there. I resisted using it for years, but once I did I was hooked. My blue and red circle balls rest comfortably in a box under the table.
Which is where they're going to stay.
It has become the favored tournament cue ball as well, so I think it would be wise to get used to it if you plan to play in any pro events.
You old fart - you should know that old people like heavier balls because all they used to play is straight pool. Maybe you are getting too senile to remember.