Pocket Inserts (make pocket smaller)

F

fxskater

Ryan The Salmon Arm Lynn
Silver Member
I was wondering if anyone knows where i can get pocket inserts. I've never seen them but a friend was telling me that there out there. I have pretty big pockets on my table and i wanna make them about half inch smaller. I plan on getting them shimmed next time i get the cloth replaced but that probably wont need done for a few years. Anyone know of an online retailer that selss these? Im also looking for pocket blockers to play 3 cushion billiards. Any info on either of these would be great, thanks.
 
Try http://www.poolndarts.com/product.cfm?sku=PS30 These will reduce pocket size by about 30% and force you to concentrate on centering the ball. www.Billiardsexpress used to carry them, too but they're not listed there now. I'm sure Hawley's would probably carry them, too.

The nice thing about these is they are good for practice but you can still remove them if you have family/kids/beginners games on your table.

HTH, Walt in VA
 
fxskater said:
I was wondering if anyone knows where i can get pocket inserts. I've never seen them but a friend was telling me that there out there. I have pretty big pockets on my table and i wanna make them about half inch smaller. I plan on getting them shimmed next time i get the cloth replaced but that probably wont need done for a few years. Anyone know of an online retailer that selss these? Im also looking for pocket blockers to play 3 cushion billiards. Any info on either of these would be great, thanks.
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I'm pretty sure Seyberts has them too. www.seyberts.com. However bear in mind they will not play like a normal pocket that is just smaller and they reduce the opening a lot more than 1/2 an inch. I bought mine a couple of years ago and they've mostly sat on a shelf. They're definitely only for practicing not for playing.
A friend of mine has some pocket liners made from leather which instead of just blocking the opening wrap the whole pocket so they play more normally. They're very old an I don't believe they're even made anymore, at least I couldn't find them.
 
This place that I play at, they use them on a 4 1/2 X 9 table when they play Golf. I played a couple of times and I didn't like them at all! When you're shooting out of the pocket, you have to shoot through the wire at the top. That's rediculous! I agree CC, they're for practice only!
 
I have heard the same things about them......know people that have bought them and used them for a few weeks........then they sit on the shelf!
 
pooltablemech said:
I have heard the same things about them......know people that have bought them and used them for a few weeks........then they sit on the shelf!
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Yes sir, I am one of those who bought them when they first came out a decade ago and soon they went in the trash can. Nice idea that just does not fly well.

You dont need them using my method of practice. You go to office depot and buy this pages of round paper circles, they are colored and each one is the size of a dime. Use the red ones and place on in the middle of each pocket and on the center of the outside facing.

Most of you are playing thinking you are aiming but your really not. You are aiming at a fuzzy ball and at a black pocket. You are not picking out exact targets to aim at.

Shooting into a full pocket you can see the red dot in the middle. When you pot you say middle, right side, left side. You teach your self to hit the exact middle where now you are going in all over it. Shooting down the rails and just off of them you learn to see the red dot on the facing and that is your aim point and no longer the black of the pocket. Shooting at the pocket hits the long rail coming in and causes blip outs. :D
 
fxskater said:
...also looking for pocket blockers to play 3 cushion billiards. Any info on either of these would be great, thanks.
Click to expand...

BTW- Playing billiards on a pool table kinda sucks- especially if you have access to a real billiards table/ balls. A pool table is way too slow to play lots of good/ easy shots.

But on the other hand, if you can't get on a real billiard table...what can you do?!

-pigy
 
Thanks for the info on pocket reducers...I was going to buy two of them, but now, maybe not. Here's my dilemma...

My Olhausen Remington has side pockets that seemed too wide for me because I mostly play leagues on Valley tables. My dealer said the sides are the same size on both tables, but I couldn't believe it. So, last night I measured the newest Valley tables and my Olhausen. Here's the results:

Olhausen= 5 3/4"
Valley = 4 3/4"

Wow! I had no idea the difference was THAT big. Checking my BCA rulebook showed that the minimum size for sides is 5 3/8".

Double wow! Does anyone know why Valley has reduced their sides to well below the "legal" minimum? And why does the BCA allow, for example, our State Tournament to be played on illegal equipment?

It didn't help that I came in 3rd in last night's tournament because the sides got me twice.,,,oh well.

I'm new here and this is my first post, but I've enjoyed reading so far. Thanks in advance.
 
exactly the reason why my I got my home table tripple shimmed.
that way I can be almost rest assured that I will be playing
on either the same size pockets or bigger, when I get to
another table. How many other people run small pockets
at home?
 
seven said:
exactly the reason why my I got my home table tripple shimmed.
that way I can be almost rest assured that I will be playing
on either the same size pockets or bigger, when I get to
another table. How many other people run small pockets
at home?
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reply, seven.

When you say "shimmed," what exactly do you mean? Did you glue on additional cushion on the inside of the pockets or did you replace your cushions with longer ones or what? (My table is about due for new cloth and I'm considering all options to make it play more like the Valley's on which I usually play.)

The other "problem" (actually I like this "problem" as it is more like my favorite: 9' tables) is the depth of the corner pockets. My Olhausen is much deeper than the Valley's, so it tends to spit out mishits more easily. I see no equipment specification for this one in the BCA rulebook, however.

Any comments?
 
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