Questions About Cue Balls
- Thread starter Hustler85
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> I've seen the oversized ball in a "mud" ball form sure. It almost never is though. What is commonly referred to as a "mud' ball is "cheap" looking even when new,and VERY dull,nothing like a new Valley or Dynamo ball. It has either a magnetic slug or other metal weight in it.
The old-school Dynamo or Valley cue balls are totally playable,even with the slug in it. Those are slick,and nowhere near as heavy as the "mud". They used to have a solid red dot.
There is a much newer type of cue ball that should be avoided if at all possible,and it has a green Aramith logo on it. It's not weighted as heavy as the mud ball,but not typical either,and is dull when new,and man it gets nasty FAST,with no effective way to clean it. I see them on bar tables locally. Another one to avoid is a cream-colored ball with a black lightning bolt. Tommy D.
The old-school Dynamo or Valley cue balls are totally playable,even with the slug in it. Those are slick,and nowhere near as heavy as the "mud". They used to have a solid red dot.
There is a much newer type of cue ball that should be avoided if at all possible,and it has a green Aramith logo on it. It's not weighted as heavy as the mud ball,but not typical either,and is dull when new,and man it gets nasty FAST,with no effective way to clean it. I see them on bar tables locally. Another one to avoid is a cream-colored ball with a black lightning bolt. Tommy D.
Oversize does not necessarily mean "Mud Ball". The mud ball is normally an off white color, almost grayish. If your oversized cue ball is a cream color than it's not a mud ball, however it is still no fun to shoot with. Unless you have a table with high rails, that cue ball is going to be doing a lot of jumping off of them.
I take it this is an old coin operated bar box? If so, and you have access to the side, as in you can take the door panel off of the table and have easy access to the balls, or maybe I'm completely wrong and this is a drop pocket table. Either way, go get either a "Measle" cue ball, or a red circle cue ball. Personally I prefer the red circle, but do most of my playing with a "Measle" cue ball now. If you're not sure what a "Measle" cue ball looks like, you can't miss it. It's the cue ball with red dots all over it.
If you are not using the vending function just use a normal size cueball. The cue will just return with the rest of the balls. Most people hate the oversize ball and most mnfrs. have gone to normal size cballs.
No, it's not. The "mud ball" is grayish, more porous, heavier and normally the same diameter as the object balls.
Use a regular cueball. But, if you really want to use the big ball, keeping it clean helps.
Fred
best advice is not to play with it
Angles are slightly different when hitting a smaller ball with a bigger ball, enough reason not to use it unless the big ball is used where you gamble or compete. The way to play with it is to use a lot of follow when playing position and remember it is an 800 pound gorilla when compared to the other balls. That little bit larger size translates to substantially more mass and the balls interact quite a bit differently than when the two balls have roughly the same mass.
Hu
Angles are slightly different when hitting a smaller ball with a bigger ball, enough reason not to use it unless the big ball is used where you gamble or compete. The way to play with it is to use a lot of follow when playing position and remember it is an 800 pound gorilla when compared to the other balls. That little bit larger size translates to substantially more mass and the balls interact quite a bit differently than when the two balls have roughly the same mass.
Hu
Sweet Marissa
www.Bella-Muse.com
I'd buy a set of Centennials, or if you can't afford a whole set, Pool Dawg sells cue balls: http://billiards.pooldawg.com/search?w=cue+ball&asug=&x=0&y=0
It is of my opinion that this ball mentioned here is actually LIGHTER than the object balls on most Valley/Dynamo tables. I have no actual proof, but I have seen this ball jump into the air on a lot of shots and have witnessed MANY breaks where this cue ball is jumped off of the table completely. But......you can draw the heck out of it :wink:!!!
Maniac
Maniac:
The reason why that jumping happens is NOT because the cue ball is lighter than that object balls. Hu hit the nail on the head; it has to do with that "grapefruit" cue ball's exact center being higher than the object balls' exact center. In other words, the object balls are acting as a "ramp" for the grapefruit cue ball to climb up onto. To exaggerate the analogy a bit to help clarify the point, think of a skateboard's wheel hitting a marble (with noone standing on the skateboard -- just push it down the sidewalk with a marble resting on the ground in the way of one of the wheels). The skateboard's wheel is obviously larger than the marble -- its exact center is higher than the marble's exact center. The skateboard's wheel will hop up over the marble. If you push the skateboard fast enough, the skateboard will flip over upside down.
Hope that helps,
-Sean
I get your analogy here but the cue ball in question, the one with the green Aramith logo on it, without having done any "real" scientific research on it, I believe it to be of the same outside dimensions as the object balls on most Valley/Dynamo tables and not of the "grapefruit" type you mentioned in your post. Now I'm not gonna get a digital scale or take my dial calipers to the bar/poolhall with me as this is just not that important to me, but the green Aramith logo cue ball does indeed act differently than other cue balls without APPEARING to be any larger or smaller than the other balls on the table.
Maniac
The oversize ball is 2 3/8 in as the regular balls are 2 1/4. It also weighs 6.6 oz as the regular balls weigh about 5.9.
Since the ball is larger it will affect cut shots as you will under cut them due to both the weight and size difference. It will also make rail shots harder as you will always be driving the object ball into the rail. The closer the object ball is to the pocket the less effect it will have as the margin of error is less. That is one reason that those BB had larger pockets. It had to compensate for the error.
Get a regulation CB and don't ruin your game with that bowling ball.
The mud ball is the same size as the other balls but weighs about the same as the over size ball, about 6.6 oz.
Since the ball is larger it will affect cut shots as you will under cut them due to both the weight and size difference. It will also make rail shots harder as you will always be driving the object ball into the rail. The closer the object ball is to the pocket the less effect it will have as the margin of error is less. That is one reason that those BB had larger pockets. It had to compensate for the error.
Get a regulation CB and don't ruin your game with that bowling ball.
The mud ball is the same size as the other balls but weighs about the same as the over size ball, about 6.6 oz.
If you want to use the cue ball return feature get the green logo magnetic foil ball. It is the same weight as the object balls. It will react better and slow roll straighter than the cat-eye plug magnetic balls which often have the weight off center.
If your table is a very old barbox it might not be set up for any magnetic ball.
You should then open the side door and get yourself a red circle.
The big ball should only be used if that is what they have in the bars where you play.
If your table is a very old barbox it might not be set up for any magnetic ball.
You should then open the side door and get yourself a red circle.
The big ball should only be used if that is what they have in the bars where you play.
RD3P
Banned
my advise is to aquire all the different cueballs you can....Green squiggle(aramith valley), red Dot, Blue dot, Mudball, plugball, bowlingball, Extra Crooked rolling crappy bartable ball,
the red dot and blue dot are the best cueballs but they might not work with the ball return the Green squiggle Aramith seems to be the most common in bars(taverns) with newer equip it plays quite a bit different than a reddot buts not that bad.....
the bowling ball that you described is the worst thou...there are a few different sizes and weights ive came across too..hard to get used to them... .
the red dot and blue dot are the best cueballs but they might not work with the ball return the Green squiggle Aramith seems to be the most common in bars(taverns) with newer equip it plays quite a bit different than a reddot buts not that bad.....
the bowling ball that you described is the worst thou...there are a few different sizes and weights ive came across too..hard to get used to them... .
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There are only 2 cue balls I can't stand:
Oversized and mud balls.
I have found, however, I am able to control the mud ball better since my stroke has improved. But that is hit or miss. It just sucks having to play position using only middle or top spin.
Every other cue ball I have not had a problem with.
Oversized and mud balls.
I have found, however, I am able to control the mud ball better since my stroke has improved. But that is hit or miss. It just sucks having to play position using only middle or top spin.
Every other cue ball I have not had a problem with.
I am pretty sure you are referring to CIRCLE
When you say dot that makes it confusing as there are red and blue dot cue balls. Some even very heavy to work in OLDER Dynamo tables.
RD3P
Banned
there are so many different cueballs anymore i dont even know what im playing with halve the time. They need to standardize it and make One official Cueball i have most of them in my collection thou....and do practice with wichever one will be used in leauge or tourney. thats all im saying is to collect them and use them when necessary.
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