Shoot without diamonds?
- Thread starter Mr. Bond
- Start date
Does any one know the history of when and why diamond/dot markings were put on tables in the first place? I am curious.
I personally don't use the diamond systems because I am too lazy to remember the numbers and the simple math involved. Although I just got Jimmy Reid's video set and I noticed that he writes on the cover that there are some new diamond systems no one has ever seen before......maybe so, will let you all know in a week or so.
But I do find it curious why tables even have the sights at all? I guess I could crack the billiard encyclopedia but it's easy to ask here.
I personally don't use the diamond systems because I am too lazy to remember the numbers and the simple math involved. Although I just got Jimmy Reid's video set and I noticed that he writes on the cover that there are some new diamond systems no one has ever seen before......maybe so, will let you all know in a week or so.
But I do find it curious why tables even have the sights at all? I guess I could crack the billiard encyclopedia but it's easy to ask here.
Judd Trump - Without Diamonds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt128qAXrE4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPLuv4eQlo8
He shoots other shots pretty good too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzXnJzMJscg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqDkRr7C_F8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrNRqMOvY6M
diamonds aren't needed for simple 1 rail banks,,,,,,
And you wouldn't need them for going two rails.
And since tables run different for three rails ...
Those things must just be for decoration
They are there to confuse the bangers.
When trying to use the diamond system, are they to aim at the diamond or at the point on the rail in front of the diamond.?
Such are the secrets of pool.
Why wouldn't it work on a 4 1/2 x 9? As long as one leg of a triangle is twice as.long as the adjacent leg separated by a 90 degree angle the trigonometry functions are equal meaning the angles are the same
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
Phelan and Collender basically redesigned the entire (american) billiard table from the ground up. But from what I understand thus far, it was Phelan that suggested adding the aiming sites. My current guess would be some time between 1850 and about 1855.
{But then again, we copied most billiard trends from the French. So it wouldnt surprise me to find out that Phelan did too.}
However, whomever it was that invented the aiming sites was not considering "english" ("twist" or "side" as it was known) as a serious part of any game. In other words, the sites were added with the assumption that everyone would want to always shoot straight, flat, non-spinning balls.
But then....
From Championship Billiards Circa 1889
....the diamonds were abandoned?
...but we have diamond aiming "systems" everywhere today...
thats irony
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I use the diamonds often-it helps me to identify angles-furthermore i use systems. (pool and 3c)
The diamonds are there, so i use them. i, for myself would need for sure a bit time to live without them. There are several world class players in 3c who dont use systems. Blohmdahl also doesn t *count*. I was surprised after he told me this when i asked him about a system in the 90 s.
The diamonds are there, so i use them. i, for myself would need for sure a bit time to live without them. There are several world class players in 3c who dont use systems. Blohmdahl also doesn t *count*. I was surprised after he told me this when i asked him about a system in the 90 s.
In this image from Phelan's 1850 book; Billiards Without A Master, you can see that "aiming points" have been marked, evenly spaced, along the rails, although they do not appear to be 'diamonds' per say....
(I myself have never seen an earlier table illustration with aiming points marked on the rails)
A few short years later in 1856, Phelan filed for a cushion patent, and below is a table illustration from the patent record. You'll notice that the "diamond" shapes are now very obvious on the rail, but they appear to be oriented differently than today. (patent 14,290)
(I myself have never seen an earlier table illustration with aiming points marked on the rails)
A few short years later in 1856, Phelan filed for a cushion patent, and below is a table illustration from the patent record. You'll notice that the "diamond" shapes are now very obvious on the rail, but they appear to be oriented differently than today. (patent 14,290)
I perused (but did not read completely) The Billiard Encyclopedia (1st ed. ) and Hendricks' history, but did not see any mention of diamonds in either.
There is mention of rail spots at the upper end of the table in White's Practical Treatise (1807), but it is not clear that there are spots everywhere, like we have diamonds today.
Mingaud (1831, 2nd ed.) clearly does not show any diamonds.
Tillotson (1836) does not even show rails, so we might be safe to presume that there were no diamonds.
I don't have any other works until about 1880, by which time they are in the diagrams.
Mike Shamos has some history in his Illustrated Encyclopedia, under the entry for "diamond." He generally concurs with a date between 1850 and 1855.
There is mention of rail spots at the upper end of the table in White's Practical Treatise (1807), but it is not clear that there are spots everywhere, like we have diamonds today.
Mingaud (1831, 2nd ed.) clearly does not show any diamonds.
Tillotson (1836) does not even show rails, so we might be safe to presume that there were no diamonds.
I don't have any other works until about 1880, by which time they are in the diagrams.
Mike Shamos has some history in his Illustrated Encyclopedia, under the entry for "diamond." He generally concurs with a date between 1850 and 1855.
That's the way I am too, I only use the diamonds for reference points for a kick shot, if I had grew up in the hay day of 3-cushion maybe they would have been of much more value to me.
I think the trick shot players probally use them alot, diamonds are on the tables for a purpose so if you do use them your game should benefit from it.
David Harcrow