Old tables from years past question

desertshark

Racks on racks on racks
Silver Member
Watching Minnesota Fats vs UJ Puckett play 7&9 ball on a Gandy which I imagine was a good table for its day. The pockets look buckets!!

When did tight pockets become the norm in pool?
 

Albatross Cues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Read bank shots and other great robberies some time... Fats says he got out of playing pool when they made the pockets bigger, he goes on to rant about how the new generation can't play like the old guys because the pockets got bigger. Don't remember the pages but interesting read... IMO the players now days have it easier then back then, you hardly ever see people playing on 10ft table anymore. Most of it is bar boxes with big pockets to keep the money rolling in...Just one mans 2c.
 

desertshark

Racks on racks on racks
Silver Member
That's interesting. The straight in shots where the camera was lined up with the pocket it looked like the pockets were bigger than the Diamond tables I've played on. Fats made some damned good bank shots that he called before the stroke. UJ played some great shots too. I found it funny that the shape and safeties seemed sloppy unlike watching Efren play Earl on a 10 foot table.
 

Albatross Cues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just what I remember from the old books I read.. The pockets got bigger to entice more people to play, make them feel better then they are. I think as of late the pockets have been getting smaller to bring accuracy back to the game. Use to play on an original table from the early 1900s, the pockets were really tight, I also have a 1968 AMF Grand Pix and the pockets are huge, when I got the AMF two balls would go in no problem, had to triple shim them to make it a good one pocket table... I also miss the 6x12 snooker tables, now that is a game of accuracy...
 
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