Transition and speed

KREE8TIV

Member
I started out years ago playing with my dad on a 9 footer that was in the basement ( and a pink aluminum cue from Sears or Montgomery Wards that we all shared ) .
Watched televised matches to learn and practice . We had a lot of fun and could play okay . After moving away from home I didn't play much through the years ,I wasn't into going to a bar and playing , maybe if a friend had a table I would play there .
Now of all places we have an 8 foot Olhausen table at my work in a breakroom . So I got back into playing and am able to beat everyone I play here at work ( I am also blessed with the ability of being ambidextrous and can beat them playing left handed ) . I wanted more of a challenge so I joined a league . Challenge I got , not only from playing higher skilled players but the tables being smaller and sooooo fast compared to the table I play daily is difficult to adjust to .
I go from running out , or great ball control on the Olhausen to choking and playing so poorly on a Diamond bar table . I can't seem to account for how fast the little tables play , I watched Willie Mosconi make a five rail bank , and then 6 balls with one shot on T.V. when I was a kid , I worked at it until I could do these shots on my dads table and on the table at work . But the diamond tables ( bar tables ) I am everywhere but consistent , and I'm pretty sure a person could figure out a 9 rail bank on one of these little diamonds . Not as versatile as I thought I would be
Really have learned a lot from reading all the good info from everyone here , Watching the UP Louisiana Open has been a great learning experience , I will practice my touch and speed shots
Thanks for reading , I posted something 😁
 
i use this video game analogy. Some people think they are really good playing in game by themselves. But when they start playing online against other players they really see how bad they suck. Works for pool as well.
The old saying goes there's always someone better!
 
Yeah I love having a table, over the years I mostly used it to work on problems I had during a match over and over. Sometimes I couldn’t sleep and I’d just go downstairs at 3 or 4 in the morning and work on stuff till I got tired.
 
Yeah I love having a table, over the years I mostly used it to work on problems I had during a match over and over. Sometimes I couldn’t sleep and I’d just go downstairs at 3 or 4 in the morning and work on stuff till I got tired.
I just got my 9ft a couple weeks ago and we move into our new build on the 22nd. Being retired it'll be my job to go hit balls every day lol. I'm not sure if you can hear the balls breaking or clacking when upstairs. I'll find out soon enough
 
... and a pink aluminum cue from Sears or Montgomery Wards ...
I remember playing with one of those. It seemed horrible but maybe that was just the sound.
... Now of all places we have an 8 foot Olhausen table at my work in a breakroom... on a Diamond bar table . I can't seem to account for how fast the little tables play ...
It's possible that the breakroom table has thick, fuzzy cloth. If your game has adjusted to that, the faster cloth used in most poolhalls and many bars is going to be a challenge. Try to find a place to practice that has the fast conditions if you want to do better in league.
 
It's interesting how much I've learned by watching videos , reading , but really surprised how much seeing good players in person seems so different . And really I have to try to not get myself so worked up when playing , I get super anxious and shaky being around so many people ( to me seems like a lot ) . Will put in way more time on the league tables and try to get my nerves under control
Thanks !
 
I have a hard transition going from my home table-9’ Brunswick with 860hr to the bar tables-7’ with championship. They are smaller and have faster cloth. After switching back and forth enough you’ll get the hang of it. Going from slow to fast is usually more difficult than fast to slower cloth. Even now. if I practice on mine for a month straight and then go to the bar it takes probably a good hour to really get my shot speed calibrated.
 
The difference in table speed off the rails between an Olhausen and a Diamond is very extreme. It is near impossible to bounce between both tables and to maintain cue ball control on the Diamond table- Best to stay with one table or the other or it will drive you crazy.
Pocket configuration on an Olhausen is also completely different than a Diamond table. You must avoid hitting an Olhausen pocket FACING with any speed above slow/medium or it will rebound out- Diamond deep shelf pockets demand more pure pocketing right at the pocket opening.
 
I have found that my 8 foot table with Simonis 760 plays at the same "speed" as the 6½ foot table at the bar with old-style felt.

What I mean by this is that If I put x amount of energy into the ball on my 8 foot table as I put on the 6.5 foot table the ball rolls the same number of diamonds.
 
I started out years ago playing with my dad on a 9 footer that was in the basement ( and a pink aluminum cue from Sears or Montgomery Wards that we all shared ) .
Watched televised matches to learn and practice . We had a lot of fun and could play okay . After moving away from home I didn't play much through the years ,I wasn't into going to a bar and playing , maybe if a friend had a table I would play there .
Now of all places we have an 8 foot Olhausen table at my work in a breakroom . So I got back into playing and am able to beat everyone I play here at work ( I am also blessed with the ability of being ambidextrous and can beat them playing left handed ) . I wanted more of a challenge so I joined a league . Challenge I got , not only from playing higher skilled players but the tables being smaller and sooooo fast compared to the table I play daily is difficult to adjust to .
I go from running out , or great ball control on the Olhausen to choking and playing so poorly on a Diamond bar table . I can't seem to account for how fast the little tables play , I watched Willie Mosconi make a five rail bank , and then 6 balls with one shot on T.V. when I was a kid , I worked at it until I could do these shots on my dads table and on the table at work . But the diamond tables ( bar tables ) I am everywhere but consistent , and I'm pretty sure a person could figure out a 9 rail bank on one of these little diamonds . Not as versatile as I thought I would be
Really have learned a lot from reading all the good info from everyone here , Watching the UP Louisiana Open has been a great learning experience , I will practice my touch and speed shots
Thanks for reading , I posted something 😁

I actually have experience with this EXACT scenario. The difference is, I played for almost two decades and was fairly proficient, I then took 14 years off. When I moved back to Boise after my divorce I got a job and imagine that, they had an 8' table in the break-room. It was cheap home table with crappy nappy cloth - and it was red cloth! Since I just got back into it I didn't notice too much, most of the bar's I played at years before had thick cloth so I was used to it. After a while I could start telling the difference between the new tables in bars (I was playing league) and that work table. Not only was the cloth ridiculously slow on the work table but the rails were magical, I swear the ball came off them faster than then went in. Combine those two and it was nearly impossible to come off a rail and get accurate shape if you had to hit it with any speed. Any real practice only ended in frustration and eventually, I stopped trying to practice on that table and only banged balls around. I worked on my stroke and hitting center pocket and didn't worry too much about the leave.

I suggest you start figuring out exactly why it sucks and adjust your expectations and only work on things that aren't affected by the issue - i.e. I mainly just worked on my stroke and aim, didn't worry about leave. I will also add, it wasn't necessarily the cloth that bothered me, I love playing on old shitty bar boxes with crappy felt, it's what I grew up on, it was the rails and the complete inconsistency.
 
It's interesting how much I've learned by watching videos , reading , but really surprised how much seeing good players in person seems so different . And really I have to try to not get myself so worked up when playing , I get super anxious and shaky being around so many people ( to me seems like a lot ) . Will put in way more time on the league tables and try to get my nerves under control
Thanks !
Good players is a dry ass bunch for sure. It's like hurry up and take your time.
 
Alright,.... since no-one said it, I will,..........
Go LOWER on your CB on the faster tables.
Not draw, just lower.
Doing so gives you a bit more control until you get used to the faster table speed. Not my idea; I learned that from watching a friend warmup in a tourney we were playing.
 
Back
Top