Small CB vs big CB

Push&Pool

Push&Pool

Professional Banger
Silver Member
A few days ago I played one of my best friends, and one of my greatest pool rivals as well. I was looking forward to it as I enjoy the competition between us. He's a much better player overall, much more accurate and advanced in position play, so I always have to throw in my best shots and tactics to counter him.

We were playing on a table I'm not used to. It appeared to be a little bigger than the tables I usually play on, although that wasn't a problem. The actual bad part were smaller balls, and a CB quite smaller and two times lighter comparing to what I used my whole life. Even in my first few shots I noticed something was very wrong. My accuracy was terrible. I was missing everything not already hanging on pockets. The shots weren't even close to the pocket. Every now and then I would miscue like a complete beginner. I felt like I never played pool before. My friend, on the other hand, kept hitting everything and playing perfect position even on hardest shots. It resulted in me losing to my rival 5-0. I couldn't recall the last time I was defeated so easily.

Ashamed and pissed off, I went to the guy working in the room and asked him if he could replace the CB with a bigger one. He gave me the new ball without a problem, so I went to play my friend again. A new match, another 5 games. The change was drastic. From the first moment on my accuracy increased four to five times. I had the old feeling back, pocketing balls, gaining position when possible, playing safeties. It all came back to me in no time. My opponent still played excellent, at around 80% of his previous efficiency, but my own efficiency rose up like 400%. It was finally a fair fight, which I won 4-1.

The conclusion is that I play more or less ok as long as I use a big cue ball. I don't know why, but I can control its direction, speed and spin a lot easier. When using a smaller one it barely feels like pool, more like a game I know nothing about. My stance gets all messed up, cue angle feels strange, I can't aim properly and even my arm starts to hurt. I like to feel the mass of the CB when I stroke it, otherwise I can't shoot well. What's your opinion and experience with the small CB - big CB difference?
 
Was the CB matched with the ball set? If they were all small and light it shouldn't make that much difference. It should be easier to move around and speed control will have to be altered to compensate, but on the whole it should be too difficult to adjust.

If the CB was smaller than the ball set then the adjustment would have to be more drastic. If you look at the game of English pool it has a 1 7/8" CB, a whole 8th smaller than the OB's. Not to move off topic, but certain aiming methods don't work in English pool as they do in regular pool. But again, after hitting the first 5 shots thin for example, you should spend the next couple adjusting, then after than you should have it down to a tee.

I'm going out on a limb, but I would say the poor performance in the first match was all mental, letting the small light CB get into your thoughts too much. Then the next match with the big ball you say to yourself right, I'm used to playing with a CB like this, this shot is definitely going in and the CB is definitely taking this path. Its hard to get out of the first way of thinking, but if you can over come it you could play well with a pea sized CB :)
 
Wait, are you saying you are an unskilled bar banger who can only play mediocre pool when it is specific equipment you are used to? I'm shocked.

Shocked I tell ya.
 
Pidge said:
Was the CB matched with the ball set? If they were all small and light it shouldn't make that much difference. It should be easier to move around and speed control will have to be altered to compensate, but on the whole it should be too difficult to adjust.

If the CB was smaller than the ball set then the adjustment would have to be more drastic. If you look at the game of English pool it has a 1 7/8" CB, a whole 8th smaller than the OB's. Not to move off topic, but certain aiming methods don't work in English pool as they do in regular pool. But again, after hitting the first 5 shots thin for example, you should spend the next couple adjusting, then after than you should have it down to a tee.

I'm going out on a limb, but I would say the poor performance in the first match was all mental, letting the small light CB get into your thoughts too much. Then the next match with the big ball you say to yourself right, I'm used to playing with a CB like this, this shot is definitely going in and the CB is definitely taking this path. Its hard to get out of the first way of thinking, but if you can over come it you could play well with a pea sized CB :)
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The whole set of balls was smaller than usual, but the CB was even smaller and lighter than the rest. As someone who's used to bar boxes, where all the balls are bigger and the CB is heavier due to the ball return system, I found it impossible to overcome. Maybe it was partially psychological but I can assure you that I didn't think of the ball size as a problem until it became a problem. The big CB I requested was bigger than the other balls (bar box size and weight), but I felt no real difference between hitting and pocketing those balls and the balls of the same size when I play on bar boxes. I don't feel like the size difference between the CB and other balls matters to me that much, as long as the CB itself is large and heavy.
 
Just like these two H's --- h one is bigger, one is smaller.

(IMBSITW)
 
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mamics said:
Playing with anything other than a matched set of balls is just poo IMO.
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This!

Basically what you are saying is that if the CB isn't a cannon ball you can't play? my advice is get good with a matched set of balls, or atleast a CB that is the same size as the rest then you will know how to adjust to a smaller or larger CB and won't get a spanking from you most bitter rival :)
 
Pidge said:
This!

Basically what you are saying is that if the CB isn't a cannon ball you can't play? my advice is get good with a matched set of balls, or atleast a CB that is the same size as the rest then you will know how to adjust to a smaller or larger CB and won't get a spanking from you most bitter rival :)
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It's not me, it's the pool room which lacks matched balls. It's not like I have my own table, I play with what I can find. But I played again a few days ago using a smaller CB and I did just fine :)
 
QB 2 times lighter and smaller than other QBs? Were you using a ping pong ball for a QB? I am not sure that you can feel the weight difference between a Valley magnetic Q ball and a regular Aramith Q ball by hand, it requires a scale.
 
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