Table Preference Poll

What do you prefer, ball return or drop pockets?

  • Drop Pockets

    Votes: 98 51.0%

  • Ball Return

    Votes: 94 49.0%
  • Total voters
    192
subdude1974 said:
Was reading a thread just a minute ago and thought it might be interesting to see what a majority prefer. Drop pockets or ball return? I myself hate ball returns. Chalk always falls into the table and then balls get stuck and you have to poke around in the table or drop balls numerous tiimes down every pocket to get that 1 ball out. When I do buy a table it will be a GC with drop pockets.
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Not an issue with a Diamond. Ball return so fast that you can't grab a scratch out of the pocket. It just sucks the balls down. Chalk cubes are pushed out of the way and work their way down to the ball return.

Ball return makes it easier when you are playing solo, but it really doesn't matter to me either way. I own a ballreturn table so I voted that way and tied it up again at 48 - 48.


:cool:
 
Gandy 9 foot, simonis 860, drop pockets, and a 1 pocket player with more money than sense :)
 
I guess I'd lean a tad toward ball return, but only a very slight tad. :) I have a GC in my basement with drop pockets. The table had returns but funny as it may seem they were just too loud being under the bedroom, so I changed them to DP.

I enjoy two games. Straight pool and One Pocket. Returns are best for straight pool, but drop pockets are fine for one pocket so long as you have the good ones that hold 8 balls. It actually makes it easier than always remembering to put your balls up, and even in straight pool your opponent gets up to rack and he takes care of the two lower pockets while you are usually walking up to behing the headstring, so you can roll the other balls to him. It's no big deal either way to me.
 
We're all knotted up at 53-53! I had no idea drop pockets would be so popular on this poll.
 
3andstop said:
I guess I'd lean a tad toward ball return, but only a very slight tad. :) I have a GC in my basement with drop pockets. The table had returns but funny as it may seem they were just too loud being under the bedroom, so I changed them to DP.

I enjoy two games. Straight pool and One Pocket. Returns are best for straight pool, but drop pockets are fine for one pocket so long as you have the good ones that hold 8 balls. It actually makes it easier than always remembering to put your balls up, and even in straight pool your opponent gets up to rack and he takes care of the two lower pockets while you are usually walking up to behing the headstring, so you can roll the other balls to him. It's no big deal either way to me.
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i bet you could find some thick rubber to line the rails with and padding for the shelf the balls fall into. might actually be fun to do!
 
I knd of had an idea it would be like this. Split right down the middle. I play on Diamonds with ball return and often problems arise. Balls stuck and they also get dirty real quick. As far as getting balls out of the pocket. I actually liked the fact I had to pull the balls out of the pocket. I never lost count of how many balls I have. And you NEVER will run into the argument of who made a ball or someone trying to count a ball that wnet into another pocket. For instance, I played a guy that while he was shooting made a ball in his pocket and came around the table and made a ball in the side pocket in the same shot. Then after shooting the next shot tried to put that ball in his rack. Just easier to keep things straight.
 
54-54! Why am I not surprised. I'll play on either one and be happy, as long as it's a good table. A little more work gathering and racking balls on a drop pocket table, but less hassle and fewer complications. Drop pockets don't break or get messed up like ball returns can. One piece of chalk can really F things up. No problems like that with drop pockets.

P.S. A fast acting ball return system is a thing of beauty! A slow one is not much fun. :(
 
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Drop pockets for me..its just so much easier..and cleaner..and

easy on the ears..less mechanics the better..i have a 9 ft

Olhausen Pro and the rubber pockets are great..just wipe them out

and they hold 6 balls good..since i too am a one hole player and pratice

is easier for all around banks when you pull the balls from different

holes you play more areas on the table..and yes..i need the excersize

as well..SA
 
jay helfert said:
54-54! Why am I not surprised. I'll play on either one and be happy, as long as it's a good table. A little more work gathering and racking balls on a drop pocket table, but less hassle and fewer complications. Drop pockets don't break or get messed up like ball returns can. One piece of chalk can really F things up. No problems like that with drop pockets.

P.S. A fast acting ball return system is a thing of beauty! A slow one is not much fun. :(
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I think it's mostly a matter of what game you prefer. If you're an 8, 9 or 10 ball player, you'd probably prefer the ball return, one pocket, banks etc. the drop pockets are much better and easier to keep track of who's ball it is, score wise.
 
I voted for ball returns but for me it actually depends on the type of table. I currently have a Gold Crown 4 with a ball return and I love it. I think the Gold Crown line looks better with a ball return system, too, but maybe that is because this was they way I saw them when I was younger and that stuck with me over the years. I have played on Gold Crowns with drop pockets and they play really nice but to me it just looks like something is missing if there is not ball return box.

Now, I have had two furniture-style tables in my lifetime. One was an 8' Brunswick Dakota model and the other was a 9' A.E. Schmidt Colossus model. Both of those were leather drop pocket tables and I like the look of those, too. I even like the 'click' sound that the balls make when they drop into the leather pockets and hit the wooden part at the bottom.
 
Looks to be double hill, so I suggest we run this back.
Here is how the issue stood in October 2010:

  • Drop Pockets Votes: 65 or 50.8%​

  • Ball Return Votes: 63 or 49.2%​

Been near 15 years, and One Pocket has come on a great deal in the meantime. It might be interesting to see if our preferences are affected by whether we are talking tables in pool halls or home rooms. What y'all got to say? Please vote, provide your opinions, and explain your reasoning.
 
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I want both, pockets where the bottom slides open if you want ball return or leave them closed if you want drop pockets. Electronically activated or manual lever under apron, it’s 2025 why do we have to have it one way or the other?
 
tim913 said:
I want both, pockets where the bottom slides open if you want ball return or leave them closed if you want drop pockets. Electronically activated or manual lever under apron, it’s 2025 why do we have to have it one way or the other?
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Brunswick is doing this on the Gold Crown 9.
 
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I've owned both. While I owned the drop pocket table, I found myself wishing I had a ball return so I can repeat shots without having to go empty a pocket. Now that I have a ball return, I now miss the sound of the drop pockets. Instead of accepting my own insatiableness, I voted for the ball return as that's what I have now.
 
I prefer ball return .. I’m lazy and it’s pain to collect balls doing drills. I see no reason having drop pockets on a 9 foot gold crown. I do enjoy playing on a table with the classic leather drop pockets. Something about the sound of the ball dropping in is satisfying but the sound of balls dropping in plastic drop pockets sounds cheap to me 😂
 
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