What is the Best Cue Ball? We have the Red Measles, but let's hear your opinions.

[Bavafongoul]

I’ve tried them all and the new version Black Dot Measles Ball by Aramith plays the best so far.
The Predator Arcos cue ball seemed a little better than the Aramith Measles Ball for feedback.

The black design contrasts better on a white CB which is why the Black Dot rates better than red.
It also resists chalk marks really well and I play with BD chalk so imagine if you played with Taom.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Nine years ago, I wrote to Saluc customer service and asked about their cue ball specs. Their response is provided. Note the last sentence.

View attachment 656615

Are you sure the more recent version of the Pro cup Measle cue ball hasn’t been changed from the super pro aramith resin to the Duramith technology resin? There is definitely a difference between the older ones which held chalk marks much worse than the newer ones which stay much cleaner.

 

[Straightpool_99]

I like the blue circle.

I like that it doesn't have crap all over it, like dots, triangles, squares or huge logos. I like the way it reacts off balls and cushions. There is really no mystery to anything this ball does.

I'm used to the red measle ball, now, after having used it for 20 years, in tournaments and my own personal training set. I never liked it. If it disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it for a second.

People care about cue balls and ball sets for a reason. For instance, when I play snooker with the standard Aramith set, and switch to their better quality sets, instantly the cueball control improves. The ball jumps less, goes better through the object balls and is generally much more predictable. Breaks increase in size, noticeably.

 

[Sealegs50]

Are you sure the more recent version of the Pro cup Measle cue ball hasn’t been changed from the super pro aramith resin to the Duramith technology resin? There is definitely a difference between the older ones which held chalk marks much worse than the newer ones which stay much cleaner.

Contact Aramith and ask them. My information is nine years old. They responded pretty quickly.

Contact us | Aramith - The best billiard balls

www.aramith.com

 

[mrpiper]

All the talk about measles balls and feedback seems presumptuous to me. If a player is shooting head down, eye on object ball, tip placement where desired on cue ball, that player gets NO feedback from a measles pattern. If they do, they are not executing well because the eye should remain on the shot. Measles dancing are good for the OPPONENT or spectators to evaluate what you did. No value in self teaching that I have found. Thoughts?

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Another way to use a measles ball for training: I use a black sharpie to put a dot above one of the red dots on the measles ball. Then I put that measle where I want to hit the cue ball, e.g. center ball and low for a draw shot. Then I chalk my tip and aim at the measle. After hitting the shot, I examine the measle to see if my chalk mark is in the center of the measle.

Great idea for sure!

Yes, having a tip/ball target you can check afterward is a great learning tool - and you don't even need a specially marked cue ball to do it (see below).

You might want to order the Jim Rempe cue ball. It's marked permently so you won't have to draw a line on the cue ball.

You can use any ball with any mark on it (such as any object ball) - just orient the "cue ball" so its "mark" (like, say, part of the number on an OB) is where you want to hit it, and check the chalk mark afterward.

pj
chgo

 

[ChrisinNC]

Contact Aramith and ask them. My information is nine years old. They responded pretty quickly.

Contact us | Aramith - The best billiard balls

www.aramith.com

Not that important to me and not interested in spending who knows how long on the phone trying to reach the correct person to get a true answer, but my experience with the older Measle ball vs the newer version pretty much confirms my assumption.

Update - I did send an email question from the link you sent me – thanks. If I receive a response / answer to my question, I will post it!

 

[Sealegs50]

Not that important to me and not interested in spending who knows how long on the phone trying to reach the correct person to get a true answer, but my experience with the older Measle ball vs the newer version pretty much confirms my assumption.

Update - I did send an email question from the link you sent me – thanks. If I receive a response / answer to my question, I will post it!

That is good to hear. My cue balls get marked up pretty bad, but they are fairly old.

 

[VTtuna]

Just purchased the blue measle ball (diamond/ aramith collab). Haven’t hit a ball with it yet but it looks pretty sharp. I wanted black dot measle but it was sold out everywhere.

 

[Bavafongoul]

Just purchased the blue measle ball (diamond/ aramith collab). Haven’t hit a ball with it yet but it looks pretty sharp. I wanted black dot measle but it was sold out everywhere.

Try Seybert’s…….I purchased 3 black dot measles balls from them……one for me, 2 for my buddies.

 

[MrBouncy]

I'm thinking the measle balls we use must be the cheaper imitation. Today with the cue ball from the Dynasphere Bronze set, I could draw it twice as far, see it bend much more with over spin off the rail, etc. A much better cue ball, but I miss the measles to see the spin. I've ordered the blue dot Centennial cue ball and we'll see how it does. I could not find the black dot Aramith cue ball. I'm wondering if the Predator Arcos II cue ball might be great.

I keep some Dynaspheres for my travel set of balls, and a Arcos II cue ball with my sticks, and quite fond of the feel/interaction with that cue ball and the rest of the balls.

Now that they finally started shipping I have an Aramith Tournament Black cue ball but I've only used it so far with my traditional colors Tournament set.

If all you can find is the Predator cue ball or you prefer the triangle markings over the spots I think you will not be disappointed in how they work together.

A friend uses the Dynaspheres on his home table and for the longest time mostly uses a red-dot measles ball, where the finish seems to have worn on it some (possibly too frequent with the cleaner solution) and I seem to have much better results using the plain original cue ball at his house or injecting my own Predator cue ball when I visit.

 

[Bobkitty]

Try Seybert’s…….I purchased 3 black dot measles balls from them……one for me, 2 for my buddies.

They are out of stock now. But I did order one from Mannings Cues.

 

[VTtuna]

They are out of stock now. But I did order one from Mannings Cues.

Just did the same. Not familiar with that website so hopefully it shows up . Thanks for the insider info

 

[garczar]

Same person has started not one but two threads on this. Look, if they measure the same they will play the same for all intents-n-purposes. Any differences that MIGHT exist will be too small to measure/notice. Like i said, some folks WAAAAY overthink these tiny details. BTW, what's the best tip???????

 

[RacerX750]

I have noticed that with high English, I get more action and curve with the cue ball from the set Centennials. than the red measles. Now I've got a new set of Dynasphere Bronze and will be interested to notice the difference. However, there is a difference from cue balls on spin action. I'm curious why are the cue balls NOT the same?

Differences between cue balls exist, but your opponent has to play the same equipment as you, so adapt. Same goes for tables - cushions, cloth, pockets - they're all different.

 

[buckshotshoey]

All the talk about measles balls and feedback seems presumptuous to me. If a player is shooting head down, eye on object ball, tip placement where desired on cue ball, that player gets NO feedback from a measles pattern. If they do, they are not executing well because the eye should remain on the shot. Measles dancing are good for the OPPONENT or spectators to evaluate what you did. No value in self teaching that I have found. Thoughts?

I agree. The Measles ball was "Made For TV". That's it. It is the same ball as the Aramith Red Logo Super Pro.... which is what I prefer.

 

[buckshotshoey]

Same person has started not one but two threads on this. Look, if they measure the same they will play the same for all intents-n-purposes. Any differences that MIGHT exist will be too small to measure/notice. Like i said, some folks WAAAAY overthink these tiny details. BTW, what's the best tip???????

Agreed. When new, they all play close to the same. But as time goes on, the cheaper ones will succumb to micro scratches and abrasions much faster.

 

[Average Joes]

Are you sure the more recent version of the Pro cup Measle cue ball hasn’t been changed from the super pro aramith resin to the Duramith technology resin? There is definitely a difference between the older ones which held chalk marks much worse than the newer ones which stay much cleaner.

Yes, with 100% certainty on this. The red Pro Cup spotted ball that is sold seperately is NEVER Duramith.

There is a version of the red spotted ball that IS Duramith and that's the one that comes in the Tournament TV set.

I have spoken to Aramith on this in some detail, and they have confirmed that the Pro Cup spotted is never Duramith, and also that they have never put batches of the Tournament TV red spotted (i.e. Duramith) into Pro Cup packaging. The Pro Cup spotted cue ball is manufactured in batches to the exact same specification on each batch, and there is never any form of crossover.

So when you buy the Pro Cup spotted ball it is 100% definitely not Duramith, for what that's worth.

Duramith spotted cue balls are the black one from the Tournament Black Set, or the red one only from the Tournament TV set.

The only way to buy a Duramith spotted cue ball seperately is the Tournament Black one, which is available to buy seperately, but currently sold out pretty much everywhere (Aramith have advised they are planning to manufacture another batch). It is not possible (currently) to buy a Duramith red spotted ball seperately.

 

[ChrisinNC]

Yes, with 100% certainty on this. The red Pro Cup spotted ball that is sold seperately is NEVER Duramith.

There is a version of the red spotted ball that IS Duramith and that's the one that comes in the Tournament TV set.

I have spoken to Aramith on this in some detail, and they have confirmed that the Pro Cup spotted is never Duramith, and also that they have never put batches of the Tournament TV red spotted (i.e. Duramith) into Pro Cup packaging. The Pro Cup spotted cue ball is manufactured in batches to the exact same specification on each batch, and there is never any form of crossover.

So when you buy the Pro Cup spotted ball it is 100% definitely not Duramith, for what that's worth.

Duramith spotted cue balls are the black one from the Tournament Black Set, or the red one only from the Tournament TV set.

The only way to buy a Duramith spotted cue ball seperately is the Tournament Black one, which is available to buy seperately, but currently sold out pretty much everywhere (Aramith have advised they are planning to manufacture another batch). It is not possible (currently) to buy a Duramith red spotted ball seperately.

I just received an email back from Aramith regarding my question about the red Measle cue ball. Their response that was for some years now they have been using the Duramith technology for this ball, which is why the retention of chalk marks is much improved over the earlier versions of this ball.

This would appear to be in contradiction to your above post. I’m guessing that all pro cup cue Measle balls now use the Duramith Technology, regardless of whether they come in the single blister pack or with a set. The more recent ones I’ve ordered - both in the single blister pack and in a bulk box of 16 cue balls, have all been much improved - whiter and stay cleaner as opposed to the older ones.

 

[hang-the-9]

All the talk about measles balls and feedback seems presumptuous to me. If a player is shooting head down, eye on object ball, tip placement where desired on cue ball, that player gets NO feedback from a measles pattern. If they do, they are not executing well because the eye should remain on the shot. Measles dancing are good for the OPPONENT or spectators to evaluate what you did. No value in self teaching that I have found. Thoughts?

You can see the spin on it after you hit it, so yes the person shooting the shot can also see how the spin is going.