Playing on 7-footers in league tonight....advice?

M

mrpool06

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Our BCA league team plays tonight in a bar that has 7 footers. Any advice that can be suggested?

I know the tables are more crowded. Maybe play alot more safeties?

This team we're playing is also the #2 ranked team, we'll have our hands full as it is.

I might even go practice on a 7 footer at lunch today.....
 
mrpool06 said:
Our BCA league team plays tonight in a bar that has 7 footers. Any advice that can be suggested?

I know the tables are more crowded. Maybe play alot more safeties?

This team we're playing is also the #2 ranked team, we'll have our hands full as it is.

I might even go practice on a 7 footer at lunch today.....
Click to expand...
You'll know more about the differences and how to attack them after tonight. Then, you can post and tell us instead of vice versa.

Fred
 
Keep in mind that there aren't too many shots you shouldn't be able to make while planning your runout. I would say that it is pretty much the same game, I wouldn't play any more safties than normal. If the table is possible to run-out, run out, if you can't still try to run-out haha. Practice would be good, I hope you have a good aiming system because that switch in size can be brutal.

Eric.A.
 
mrpool06 said:
Our BCA league team plays tonight in a bar that has 7 footers. Any advice that can be suggested?

I know the tables are more crowded. Maybe play alot more safeties?

This team we're playing is also the #2 ranked team, we'll have our hands full as it is.

I might even go practice on a 7 footer at lunch today.....
Click to expand...


Inspect the equipment carefully. Bartables are notorious for having poor rails, poor cloth, bad rolls, bad balls, large cue-balls, heavy cue-balls, rough cue-balls.

Once you decide you're comfortable, just play angles and worry less about how long the shots are.
 
Just play smart and have fun. You'd be kidding yourself if you don't think there are a lot of adjustments, even in finding ways to pocket balls. Don't let it put pressure on yourself. Focus on the table and the right game will come to you.
 
I rack balls said:
Keep in mind that there aren't too many shots you shouldn't be able to make while planning your runout. I would say that it is pretty much the same game, I wouldn't play any more safties than normal. If the table is possible to run-out, run out, if you can't still try to run-out haha. Practice would be good, I hope you have a good aiming system because that switch in size can be brutal.

Eric.A.
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The way this board writes about it, you'd think every player that plays on a 9' table exclusively turns into a break and run monster on a bar table. Completely false.

I just played this weekend a wonderful alternating shots tournament on bar tables. My partner plays exclusively on 9' Gold Crowns. My partner had a very difficult time pocketing balls and looked completely lost. I've rarely seen it any other way. If a person isn't used to the bar table game, it can reduce otherwise very good players to an unrecognizable shell of their game.

Fred
 
Cornerman said:
If a person isn't used to the bar table game, it can reduce otherwise very good players to an unrecognizable shell of their game.

Fred
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I agree, it is a different animal altogether. I think if you know a shot on a 9', you will over stroke the same shot on a 7'. Also the position zones are much smaller. Balls blocking your path are also larger, in relation to the table.

Tracy
 
I play in 2 leagues weekly that play on bar boxes and it's definatly a different game over 9 footers. Obviously the tables not as big, which means Q position, angles, etc. are all different.

Well played safety's will definatly increase your odds in my opinon. If you can't get out, play a good safety, get ball in hand, and try it again. Easier said then done though.

When it's all said and done, have fun, that's what it's all about. Heck, drink a couple beers while your at it ;)
 
if you adjust quickly to the cloth and rail speed it shouldn't be an issue. good luck.
 
If it's a bar box (coin op) it will either have a larger cue ball or a cue ball of a different weight. Takes some adjusting depending on which it is.
 
Bar Boxes

mrpool06 said:
Our BCA league team plays tonight in a bar that has 7 footers. Any advice that can be suggested?

I know the tables are more crowded. Maybe play alot more safeties?

This team we're playing is also the #2 ranked team, we'll have our hands full as it is.

I might even go practice on a 7 footer at lunch today.....
Click to expand...

Make notice of the cue ball especially. The heavier tavern cue ball will roll forward a little even on a draw shot. Many bar tables now have same size & weight cue ball.

Most people here are right on. Tighter position play and a good safety will always go a long way on any table.

Don't go practice at lunch, just get there a little early and warm up on the actual table(s). relax, have fun and you'll do fine.

Good luck!

Ray
 
You will usually be using more stop and keeping the cueball in the middle of the table. There is less room to run it around. There will be more clusters to break up get at them early with proper planning.
Most of all <REFUSE TO LOSE> Don't try to be the run out king when your done with what you got hide the cue ball. Be patient:cool:
 
7 vs 9 footers

thoffen said:
Just play smart and have fun. You'd be kidding yourself if you don't think there are a lot of adjustments, even in finding ways to pocket balls. Don't let it put pressure on yourself. Focus on the table and the right game will come to you.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that the typical bar box layout will be more congested than a 9 footer would normally be. Executing shots to get leave can be touchy, hit no harder than necessary to maneuver the Q ball. Don't over-do english. Be aware of problem balls and setting yourself up to break them up when you can.

Most of all have fun. Good luck, give us a report on your thoughts afterwards.

Jigger <-- wishes he could run out on 7 ft'ers as often as so many AZers claim.:D
 
One thing I used to do when playing pretty sporty on the seven footers is to shorten my bridge.

Shortening my bridge allowed me better control of precise draw and stun shots.

Russ
 
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Another area

Practice banking on a 7 footer, it is different, IMO, that a full sized table.
Usually the english does not grab like it does on a full sized table.

Question: Why are you playing on a different sized table than you normally play league on? That is a requirement here for leagues, that all league matches have to played on the same size table. For example, a few bars here had old 6' tables, and were not allowed to participate in league play until they got a 7' table.
 
Yeah the switch to bar tables from 9 footers can throw some people for a loop.

I'm glad I play league on bar tables on wednesdays and league on 9 footers on thursdays and not the other way round.

ok my bar table strategy.

find a pocket for the 8 and play to end up there at the end.

I play zones, I'll pick a pattern that will get me from one quarter of the table to the next ending up at the zone where my 8 ball shot is. if there's a ball close to a side pocket, I'll save it to get me to my last zone.

This way I keep the CB movement to a minimum. I also will only bump balls if I need a break out. with the smaller space on a bar table bumping balls can lead to trouble more often than not.

sgm
 
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Russ Chewning said:
One thing I used to do when playing pretty sporty on the seven footers is to shorten my bridge.

Shortening my bridge allowed me better control of precise draw and stun shots.

Russ
Click to expand...


I would agree with this too.

Because of the smaller size, you will likely have fewer chances to draw the ball the way you usually would want to because you will more often have to elevate your bridge to either play over a ball or play a cue ball that is close or on a rail, so it is good to have a plan for this.
 
I'd say the best thing you can do is show up early, and get some practice time in on the table so you know how it plays.

I've played on many bar tables and 99% of them have bad rails and dirty balls and carpet for coth.

Playing safties is tougher on a BB because of the small space, but if you can get a good saftey set up, they are harder to get out of.
 
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