Pocket shims. Ok but...

B

Big C

Deep in the heart of TX.
Silver Member
I played on a GC III today that had really tight pockets, but I could see that they were shimmed up. It's was nice to play on a table with such tight pockets, but they would often rattle the balls even on a well struck shots that should have gone in. Having played on tables with pro-cut pockets really makes you appreciate a table that has been setup properly. I would still rather play on a table with shimmed pockets vs. a table with buckets for pockets. Just wanted to post my obseravations and hear what you all thought about shimming pockets to make them tighter.
 
Big C said:
I played on a GC III today that had really tight pockets, but I could see that they were shimmed up. It's was nice to play on a table with such tight pockets, but they would often rattle the balls even on a well struck shots that should have gone in. Having played on tables with pro-cut pockets really makes you appreciate a table that has been setup properly. I would still rather play on a table with shimmed pockets vs. a table with buckets for pockets. Just wanted to post my obseravations and hear what you all thought about shimming pockets to make them tighter.
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Shimmed pockets are not the same as sub-rail extened pockets. Stacking shims on top of one-another is not the correct way of tightening pockets at all. When you stack shims up to tighten pockets, all you're doing is creating a dead cushion facing, by killing the bounce of the facing, creating more of a catchers mit, instead of a live pocket. The catchers mit effect causes the balls to bank more into the opposing side facing and reject the balls more than anything else.

Glen
 
Hi Glen. Other than you personally making GC's this way, and factory Diamond pockets, how else can a player come across a table with tight pockets but without extra shims?

It seems at least in the Philly region of the country I'm from, every table here that 1 pocket is played on or gambling games of 9 ball is played on has shimmed pockets, ranging from lots of double and tripple shims, to I believe even a quad shim or two in the region.

I really like your posts and pictures, but are you the only guy in the country tightening up pockets this way?
 
Effective Jan 1 2009, all pool table mfg must make the corner pocket opening exactly 4.25".
This should make pool a really fun game. :D
 
iusedtoberich said:
Hi Glen. Other than you personally making GC's this way, and factory Diamond pockets, how else can a player come across a table with tight pockets but without extra shims?

It seems at least in the Philly region of the country I'm from, every table here that 1 pocket is played on or gambling games of 9 ball is played on has shimmed pockets, ranging from lots of double and tripple shims, to I believe even a quad shim or two in the region.

I really like your posts and pictures, but are you the only guy in the country tightening up pockets this way?
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No, there's Donny with SDBilliards, and Ernesto, both in Las Angeles, CA. Other than them, I have no idea who else does it correctly;)

Glen

PS. I'm sure there has to be someone, or others that do the same kind of work, I just don't recall seeing it done the way I do it anywhere in my travels around the US. Maybe I just haven't seen enough tables around the country yet to know for sure;)
 
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Are the sub rail extended pockets something that are sold for most tables or are they something that a pool mechanic would make?
If they are sold, do you know where they can be gotten?
Are they added to the existing rail or are they a completley dfferent rail?
Thanks
 
Rail extensions are custom work done by billiard technicians.
A new cushion set is required to complete the job.

subrail_extension.jpg
 
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