Pocket Cut Question

[Angle Detective]

I played on a table today that had bigger pockets than the tight ones I usually play on. I didn't measure, but I'd say they're about 4 3/4 inches at the tips. But the pockets felt less accepting of anything higher than medium speed than my usual 4 1/2 inch pocket tables. And I think it had everything to do with the edges of the pockets which were flared more.

Here's a picture of what I mean. Look at the angle of the yellow lines on the top left corner pocket. The smaller pocket tables have a parallel cut to them like the regular corners on the wei cuetable. They're tight, but they feel more fair. My opponent and I were rattling balls all day today with the flared pockets.
Jeff

CueTable Help

 

[suckershot]

It seems like I've heard it discussed before that the way the pocket facings are cut, or the angle, has as much or more to do with how the pocket plays as the size of the pocket.

I can say this...a place that I play at frequently has pockets that IIRC measured at 4-3/4, a relatively large sounding pocket. Something about these pockets though...hit the balls just a tad too hard, and if you don't hit them absolutely perfect, you can expect to hang a lot of balls. We're not even talking about firing the balls in, but sometimes just a little extra pace will cause the balls to hang.

I imagine another topic of interest in regards to how pockets play will be the depth of the shelf as well.

 

[av84fun]

It seems like I've heard it discussed before that the way the pocket facings are cut, or the angle, has as much or more to do with how the pocket plays as the size of the pocket.

I can say this...a place that I play at frequently has pockets that IIRC measured at 4-3/4, a relatively large sounding pocket. Something about these pockets though...hit the balls just a tad too hard, and if you don't hit them absolutely perfect, you can expect to hang a lot of balls. We're not even talking about firing the balls in, but sometimes just a little extra pace will cause the balls to hang.

I imagine another topic of interest in regards to how pockets play will be the depth of the shelf as well.

EXACTLY...it's a combination of the facing angle and the shelf depth. It can be VERY deceiving. Many Olhausens are built like that. My shelves are so deep that a ball can si 3/8 in BEHIND the line between the points!

Then, with the wide facing angle, if you hit down the rail hard, it has to be PERFECT or the shot will spit out. They call it the Olhausen Rattle!

(-:
Jim

 

[realkingcobra]

I played on a table today that had bigger pockets than the tight ones I usually play on. I didn't measure, but I'd say they're about 4 3/4 inches at the tips. But the pockets felt less accepting of anything higher than medium speed than my usual 4 1/2 inch pocket tables. And I think it had everything to do with the edges of the pockets which were flared more.

Here's a picture of what I mean. Look at the angle of the yellow lines on the top left corner pocket. The smaller pocket tables have a parallel cut to them like the regular corners on the wei cuetable. They're tight, but they feel more fair. My opponent and I were rattling balls all day today with the flared pockets.
Jeff

CueTable Help

I answered your question in the thread "fixed up another GC2"

Glen

 

[Angle Detective]

Thanks everyone. It's something I'll keep in mind for the future. If the pockets are cut in this way, slow rolling more balls may be the answer.
Jeff

 

[suckershot]

EXACTLY...it's a combination of the facing angle and the shelf depth. It can be VERY deceiving. Many Olhausens are built like that. My shelves are so deep that a ball can si 3/8 in BEHIND the line between the points!

Then, with the wide facing angle, if you hit down the rail hard, it has to be PERFECT or the shot will spit out. They call it the Olhausen Rattle!

(-:
Jim

Lo and behold...the tables I was referring to, along with another different model at another poolhall with the same problem, are in fact, OLHAUSENS. Dadgummit...I hate Olhausens! No fun playing straight pool leagues on those darn things. I'm stealing "Olhausen rattle", by the way.