Opinions: Ball Return or NO

Ball return all the way, but for practice purposes mostly....
Leave the skirts off the gold crown...so when I pocket a ball but miss position, I can reach down and grab the ball from the return, and toss it out on the table, placing it back in the same position as before and repeat without having to leave my foot off the shot line, so to mark the location for repetition.

The same with scratches, reach down and grab the cue ball and set it back up.

For repetition drills, you can easily get in dozens of more shots in the hour by not waiting for the ball to return to the box, or having to walk over and grab it from the pocket.
 
But is there anything worserer than flubbing a run out, because you know the easier shot on the last ball will mean you are going to have to walk to the other side of the table?
Ball return, or you're wrong!!!:D
 
sodly said:
I'm looking for a Brunswick Gold Crown 1 table. I'm wondering what people think about a ball-return tables vs no ball return. I like the convenience of a ball return but I remember as a kid having an old Brunswick Celebrity, I think it was, in our basement and the ball return was really noisy. I'm thinking if people were watching TV nearby it could be annoying listening to the balls roll down the troughs and crash into the ball box every time a ball is pocketed. What say you?

Does anyone have photos of the ball return mechanism on a GC1? Wondering what it looks like. Were the skirts below the colored aprons added to hide this mechanism? Why were the skirts optional? Thanks!
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The 9' Gold Crown is a fine table selection, and most that I've played with have ball return. From a long term ownership perspective, ball return reduces your total cost of ownership by way of reduced maintenance. Bag pockets simply wear out faster and having to deal with them is a pain. I have three 9' Brunswick Balke Collender tables and each of them has ball return. From the perspective of ongoing play, it's also a pain to have to rotate and pull balls from individual pockets at the end of every rack. That's my $0.02 worth.
 
Kinda depends on the game. Gulleys SUCK for playing 1p. Constantly bending over to get out balls gets old real fast. Returns are fine for rotation games. JMO here.
 
buckshotshoey said:
Drop pockets. Here's why.... once every couple of weeks you can rack on the opposite end. Increases cloth life. Increases cushion life too. Look at the foot rail on a well worn table. You will see wear marks on the cloth where the balls hit on almost every break. That area of the cushion gets a lot more wear and tear.

Also there is the rack marks... where you slide the balls up into position. Those will disappear after a while if you don't let them get to bad.
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Great points. And also, when you are doing drills it's nice to just pull the 7 balls out and hit them in again. Or just hit the other 8 balls in the other pocket for the same drill. the balls are right there for ya.

If playing a game against someone, the breaker is usually tossing the balls back to you anyways, not a big deal. But, I do more drills in my basement than I do playing folks.
 
I switched over to drop pockets because I kept losing my snake when it was a ball return table. He'd crawl down inside and I couldn't easily get him out. And when a ball would run into him on the way down it just pissed him off.
 

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I do a lot of drills aiming for the same pocket and I don't want to empty the pockets every few shots so unless the drop pocket can hold 15 balls I'd rather have a ball return.
 
Jeff Rosen said:
I do a lot of drills aiming for the same pocket and I don't want to empty the pockets every few shots so unless the drop pocket can hold 15 balls I'd rather have a ball return.
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A Gabriels pocket will hold a full rack.

...but I still prefer a return.
 
It's about the same as asking do you like xx tip. 100 people and 100 different answers with different reasons.

If you like ball return.....there you go.

If you don't like ball returns....there you go.

Me, I love a ball return. Then again, it don't matter as long as I get to play.
 
drop pockets

I loathe ball returns.

If they always worked, great. But they don't. I absolutely hate having to interrupt play because I'm missing a ball when I am trying to rack, then I have to figure out which ball is missing, remember which pocket I shot it in, get on my hands crawl around under the table, throwing other balls down the pocket, getting splinters trying to get them over the edge of some ridge they are stuck on. This is horrible.

Walking around the table one time while in a total trance is a breeze.

I do drills as well. I just shoot five balls, then go to the pocket I shot them in and do the drill towards the other pocket. Solved.

Just my preference.
 
i like the ability to reach in the pocket and throw balls out on the table without having to lean over

it is a huge inconvenience,if i scratch i like to grab the cue ball and go shoot without the trouble of walking to the other end,i will never get another ball return
 
deanoc said:
i like the ability to reach in the pocket and throw balls out on the table without having to lean over

it is a huge inconvenience,if i scratch i like to grab the cue ball and go shoot without the trouble of walking to the other end,i will never get another ball return
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I understand you make astute deals, Dean...
..I can’t believe that on a table purchase, you wouldn’t want a good return on your investment.

:D
 
I would much rather have drop pockets. Never really thought the gully return was worth the extra money and maintenance.
 
Drop pocket.. I guess I am old fashioned and it's what I've played on for years. Love the sound.

That's my 2 cents.

:D:D:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Agreed.

Only thing I'd add is that ball return is better.:D
jrctherake said:
It's about the same as asking do you like xx tip. 100 people and 100 different answers with different reasons.

If you like ball return.....there you go.

If you don't like ball returns....there you go.

Me, I love a ball return. Then again, it don't matter as long as I get to play.
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I personally like commercial ball returns. I like when they gather at the side. Some people rig them to automatically drop at the end. I just open up the side window. I like it at the side because for 9-ball I can pull all the balls out in one grab (4 each hand and wedge the last one between my hands). In 8-ball I can pull them all out in two grabs. I’ve never liked walking around the table for gathering for drop pockets and I’ve never liked being limited to 7-8 balls per pocket when doing drills.


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deanoc said:
i like the ability to reach in the pocket and throw balls out on the table without having to lean over

it is a huge inconvenience,if i scratch i like to grab the cue ball and go shoot without the trouble of walking to the other end,i will never get another ball return
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Dean, what game are you playing,
where you get the cue ball when you scratch?

unless,
the only thing I can figure,
is,
you're the gentleman,
giving the ball in hand.

but then, you said, if i scratch i like to grab the cue ball and go shoot

..I mean, I'm all about house rules, but... hmmm...
 
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Wittnesseth:
"Don't mess with Texas"

Dan_B said:
Dean, what game are you playing,
where you get the cue ball when you scratch?

unless,
the only thing I can figure,
is,
you're the gentleman,
giving the ball in hand.

but then, you said, if i scratch i like to grab the cue ball and go shoot

..I mean, I'm all about house rules, but... hmmm...
Click to expand...
 
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