transition from 8' to 9' table

[berlowmj]

I have been judiciously performing drills on my 8' table in the basement & decided to try the 9' table at Bank Shot Billiards in Louisville while my wife was at a meeting. Although I felt that the improvements in my stroke remained consistent, I found that I was missing a higher percentage of long shots to one of the corners.

I'm assuming that it was just the greater distance. The cloth had just been replaced too.

Any deeper insights appreciated.

 

[Hail Mary Shot]

not really. it is more of a psychological factor. a straight in shot in an 8 footer is the same straight in shot in a 9 footer. the ball does not curve, only your judgement. proper calculation is the key. correct math does not change the answer. we are not talking about permutation here.

 

[ScottW]

not really. it is more of a psychological factor. a straight in shot in an 8 footer is the same straight in shot in a 9 footer. the ball does not curve, only your judgement. proper calculation is the key. correct math does not change the answer. we are not talking about permutation here.

I agree. The table is the same ratio, width:length. The only real difference is the distance.

If you're just barely missing shots you were making before, I would call it the distance - that you're used to having a slightly larger fudge-factor with a slightly smaller table. Add that extra few inches, and what would slide past the corner of a pocket on your eight-footer will now connect with the corner just enough to rattle out.

If you're able to pocket balls dead center of the pockets on your eight-footer, you should be able to do the same on a nine-footer.

Also, what are the pocket sizes of your home eight-footer and the nine-footer you were playing on? That could be a huge factor as well.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

It's one of two things:

You're not stroking straight and you think you are (the distance is magnifying your error) or...

You think you're hitting center-ball and you're not (you're deflecting the cb).

Line up the exact same long straight-in shot. Shoot it 20 times. Pay attention to how you miss it. If you're missing left/right randomly, you have a lot of problems. If you miss the same way all the time...

Left: Move your tip a hair more right than you think is correct for center-ball
Right: Move your tip a hair more left than you think is correct for center-ball

A lot of times your perception is throwing you off. Fine tuning is not required on smaller tables.

 

[mullyman]

I don't really have a comment one way or the other about the problem you were facing but I do gotta ask about Bank Shot Billiards. I remember seeing them in Billiards Digest or P&B quite a few years back as one of the fresh new rooms that had recently opened. How is it these days? Just looking at the photos in the magazine back then really made me want to go and play there.
MULLY

 

[berlowmj]

Bank Shot Billiards

I don't really have a comment one way or the other about the problem you were facing but I do gotta ask about Bank Shot Billiards. I remember seeing them in Billiards Digest or P&B quite a few years back as one of the fresh new rooms that had recently opened. How is it these days? Just looking at the photos in the magazine back then really made me want to go and play there.
MULLY

Tables are well maintained, music is quiet, staff & customers are nice, off street parking convenient. No waiting for tables. Beer only so nobody gets drunk & obnoxious.

 

[mullyman]

Tables are well maintained, music is quiet, staff & customers are nice, off street parking convenient. No waiting for tables. Beer only so nobody gets drunk & obnoxious.

Cool. I'm living in Japan now but I'm originally from Cincinnati. Next time I'm home I may take the trip down there.
MULLY

 

[berlowmj]

These comments are all helpful. Psycholgy is an issue. As in bullseye shooting, I guess its better to have consistent errors & my misses have caught the right corner. Thank you all!!!