Preference between Ball Return or Pockets?

L

Lakewalker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I haven't played since I was a kid I am purchasing a Diamond Table. I like the look of the Professional table over the Pro-am.

The Professional is available with a ball return system and I'm often going to be playing by myself and think I'd like playing with the ball return.

I was wondering what people prefer playing on and what some advantages and disadvantages are with the ball return?

Thanks for any advice,

D
 
I was told to get pockets, so that's what I did. Sometimes balls can get stuck in the returns (but maybe that's just on cheap ones). I also like the satisfying "ka-tonk" sound that a pocket makes. Ball returns, some say, make a racket as the ball wanders through the system.

If you play one pocket, you can more easily keep track of balls pocketed in the designated pocket.

The downside is that you walk around goofily yanking balls out of each pocket when it's time to re-rack. Also, if you get too many balls in one pocket, sometimes you need to remove a couple and balance them out to other pockets. I don't mind that, myself.
 
Lakewalker said:
I haven't played since I was a kid I am purchasing a Diamond Table. I like the look of the Professional table over the Pro-am.

The Professional is available with a ball return system and I'm often going to be playing by myself and think I'd like playing with the ball return.

I was wondering what people prefer playing on and what some advantages and disadvantages are with the ball return?

Thanks for any advice,

D
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I love the should of good leather drop pockets and I dislike the rumble of balls rolling down the ball return. But I guess ball returns are a little more convenient.

Congrats on acquiring a Diamond Pro. Great table!!

Regards,
Jim
 
Ball returns. I hate the sound the balls make falling on top of one another and I hate having to walk around the table pulling balls out. Spoils your rythm.
 
Pushout said:
Ball returns. I hate the sound the balls make falling on top of one another and I hate having to walk around the table pulling balls out. Spoils your rythm.
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Just for you! :p

That's the sound of a ball striking another ball that's in the pocket. There's a different sound that happens when the pocket is empty.

Something like this
 
If you are tall, the ball return might be a bad choice. Alot of bending to get the balls out of the ball box.

Just a thought...


Brian
 
Like asking which is better........a hot blonde or a hot brunette!!!

I prefer either.........:)

Oh.....and to answer your question, I prefer ball return.

Russ....
 
Pushout said:
Ball returns. I hate the sound the balls make falling on top of one another and I hate having to walk around the table pulling balls out. Spoils your rythm.
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It must just be total personal preference between drop pockets and ball returnes.

I love the sound the ball makes as it lands on another ball in the pocket...When I play 9-ball I keep the 6 unused stripes in each pocket just for that reason...(I also have the bottom of the pocket padded though so it makes a muffled sound)

I also don't mind the walking around the table to get the balls...The last thing I want to do (for me anyway) is get into a rythum of sorts...I don't ever get to have that rythum when I play an opponent....I want to be able to create my own rythum when its my turn to shoot ......so to speak...


The only argument either way for Drop vs Return that I could come up with is that the balls get nicked up rolling through a ball return.......But I am not really even sure if that is a valid arguement...I am not sure if there is any proof of that happening.
 
From what I know of the Diamond ball return system is that it is very quiet. Not loud like most of them.
Myself - I prefer the drop pocket tables just because there is less chance of a ball getting dinged up or stuck in the return. Either way you will be a very happy man with your new table. Congratulations.

BVal
 
BRKNRUN said:
It must just be total personal preference between drop pockets and ball returnes.
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May have something to do with the fact that for 25 years I never played on a drop pocket table except for a 5 x 10 Billiard table converted to Snooker and and another one converted to a pocket table at the IBM country club. I didn't play on drop pockets with any regularity till I moved to South Carolina. I really don't like them. I never noticed a lot of noise in ball returns. Sure, a ball can get caught up sometimes, but it's a small price to pay.
By the way, I never saw a Brunswick Centennial nicked in over 25 years.
 
Pockets definetly. Dont like the rumbling sounds of the balls returning. Walking around the talbe isnt a problem at all. If your playing anybody who knows anything theyll get the ball out of the pockets on the side closest to them. Unless theyre a douche. I heard ball returns was mostly an east coast thing. Dont know if thats true though.
 
Pockets because they are quieter.

You don't have to fish around in the tray looking for the cue ball when you scratch.

You don't have to wait for the cue ball when you scratch.

If you are practicing shoots it is easier to balls out of a pocket to repeat.

Also some drills that require you to scratch.

Easier to keep track of where the balls go on a break.
 
Ball return.

I have big hands and reaching into the pockets can be a pain. Practicing on a table with ball return is nice as you can stand at one end of the table and hit shots for hours.
 
Pushout said:
Ball returns. I hate the sound the balls make falling on top of one another and I hate having to walk around the table pulling balls out. Spoils your rythm.
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I completely agree. I have an Olhausen with a rail return system and yes they get stuck now and then, but I still like it much better than drop pockets.
 
Lakewalker said:
I haven't played since I was a kid I am purchasing a Diamond Table. I like the look of the Professional table over the Pro-am.

The Professional is available with a ball return system and I'm often going to be playing by myself and think I'd like playing with the ball return.

I was wondering what people prefer playing on and what some advantages and disadvantages are with the ball return?

Thanks for any advice,

D
Click to expand...
Here's something to think about. Drop pockets are only going to last so long from attaching them, taking them apart, re-attaching them...everytime you have your table recovered. Chances are, even the same billiards technician recovering your table twice in a row, isn't going to re-attach the pockets exactly the same everytime. Leather drop pockets attach to the underside of the slate backer board. These backer boards today on most tables...are either MDF, or partical board! How many times do you think they can have the pockets attached to the backer boards, before the backer boards start crumbling? As far as I'm concerned, leather drop pockets have no place in a commercial environment, in a home, not so bad, depending on how often you'd have your table recovered. Ask yourself sometime, hmmm...if I had to ever replace my drop pockets, I wonder what that would cost? I believe Diamonds are about $400 for a set, without shipping! I know you said you don't care for the Diamond ProAm, but consider this...if you ever decided to sell your table 5 years down the road for what ever reason...which Diamond do you think would have a greater re-sale value...the Professional...or the ProAm? Besides that, the ProAm has the best ball return ever built on any pool table, and it's certainly the fastest, no chance of knicking the balls, and it is the table of the future, except...it's available now.

hmmm..."Just my Opinion"...that makes it the third time I've said that now;)

Glen
 
realkingcobra said:
Here's something to think about. Drop pockets are only going to last so long from attaching them, taking them apart, re-attaching them...everytime you have your table recovered. Chances are, even the same billiards technician recovering your table twice in a row, isn't going to re-attach the pockets exactly the same everytime. Leather drop pockets attach to the underside of the slate backer board. These backer boards today on most tables...are either MDF, or partical board! How many times do you think they can have the pockets attached to the backer boards, before the backer boards start crumbling? As far as I'm concerned, leather drop pockets have no place in a commercial environment, in a home, not so bad, depending on how often you'd have your table recovered. Ask yourself sometime, hmmm...if I had to ever replace my drop pockets, I wonder what that would cost? I believe Diamonds are about $400 for a set, without shipping! I know you said you don't care for the Diamond ProAm, but consider this...if you ever decided to sell your table 5 years down the road for what ever reason...which Diamond do you think would have a greater re-sale value...the Professional...or the ProAm? Besides that, the ProAm has the best ball return ever built on any pool table, and it's certainly the fastest, no chance of knicking the balls, and it is the table of the future, except...it's available now.

hmmm..."Just my Opinion"...that makes it the third time I've said that now;)

Glen
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Well I appreciate your "JMO"'s, especially given how rare they seem to be. Sometimes professionals I have dealt with don't help the lowly common person with their educated and experienced backed opinions. Hopefully whoever delivers my table from Diamond will have been trained by you! :)

Another reason other than aesthetics was it will be a basement installation and I think it would be fairly difficult to get a one piece slate down there.

Thanks for your opinions everybody, I just really want the ball return system and it seems popular as well,

D
 
Lakewalker said:
Well I appreciate your "JMO"'s, especially given how rare they seem to be. Sometimes professionals I have dealt with don't help the lowly common person with their educated and experienced backed opinions. Hopefully whoever delivers my table from Diamond will have been trained by you! :)

Another reason other than aesthetics was it will be a basement installation and I think it would be fairly difficult to get a one piece slate down there.

Thanks for your opinions everybody, I just really want the ball return system and it seems popular as well,

D
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Back up to the post I made about installing Diamond first ProAm 9ft with a 3 piece slate:D

Glen
 
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