What table to buy

Andy70

Andy70

Registered
I,m sure this question has been asked many times before but I'm going to ask again. First of all a little background. I would consider myself a solid "B" player, not bad but definitely have a lot of room for improvement. I currently have a 7ft olhausen table in my house, which I have no issue with. I play quite a bit on it and also have a friend that owns a gold crown 9ft that we play on occasionally when we are both available. I play in a league in town and we play on 7ft valley tables. In the state of ND 99% of any competitive pool is played on the bar tables.
I'm in the process of building a new home and have room for either size table and looking for input. I think the table I have will be sold with the home and would be in the market for a different one. I have considered a valley for the simple fact that they are what we play on most of the time but about a week ago I was introduced to the game of 14.1 on my buddies table and loved it. I wish I could have both but that will never happen. What do you think? Also what brand do you think? Diamond? Gold Crown? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
 
get a 9' box, since your building a home make sure to build out enuff space for it, the more the better. best of luck, :smile:
 
Buy a 9' Diamond. If you practice on it and become proficient at pocketing balls on it, the pockets on those 7' Valley Bar Boxes will look like 5 gallon buckets. Further, if you ever decide to compete in some higher level tournaments where you may be playing on 9' Diamonds, you'd be somewhat prepared.
 
nobcitypool said:
Buy a 9' Diamond. If you practice on it and become proficient at pocketing balls on it, the pockets on those 7' Valley Bar Boxes will look like 5 gallon buckets. Further, if you ever decide to compete in some higher level tournaments where you may be playing on 9' Diamonds, you'd be somewhat prepared.
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thats right, exactly why a 9' box is necessary. pocketing balls is a joke on the 7' box.
 
Are all the pockets on Diamond tables the same between models and years?If I buy a pro-am is it the same as a professional? Thanks again
 
I love my 9' Diamond Pro and wouldn't trade it for any other table (except a newer Diamond). They are simply the best IMO. Of all the tables in all the pool halls I frequent, this Diamond is the toughest, but most consistent table I play on. The closest pool hall with Diamonds is 75 miles away, and I've never been there.

Glen (RealKingCobra) posted once about the details of the pocket facings and angles, and implied that if you miss a ball on a (properly configured) Diamond, it was your fault. In other words, the pocket geometry didn't cause you to miss. It was just an inaccurate shot. After thousands of shots on my Diamond and hours of video analysis, I agree 100%. I'm sure there are other tables that also play well, but I've never experienced one as "fair" as the Diamond.

I feel like my shotmaking benefits drastically from having a 9' Diamond at home. On the other hand, when I do play on the (non-Diamond) BB's or GC's, I do have to account for some differences because their pockets react differently to balls that hit the facing, especially in the side pockets. Obviously, playing shape and breaking out clusters is also different between 7' and 9'.

For ME, the benefit from practicing primarily on the Diamond overcomes the difficulty of adjusting to different brands or sizes.

In other words, I believe that a 9' Diamond will help you become a better overall pool player, but I wouldn't argue with the statement that a 7' Valley would help you win more local matches.

Have you considered a 7' Diamond?

-Blake
 
I have, It's another option I need to consider. Is there anything I should know about the diamond tables as far as repair type situations? There is no diamond dealer anywhere around that I am aware of. I have researched them to some extent and am curious about the leveling system. Is it hard to set one up? I have a feeling that if I call the local pool table sales business they wouldn't be very willing and not sure able if there is an issue with the table.
 
Andy70 said:
I have, It's another option I need to consider.
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I agree, but I'd still push you to get the 9'. :)

Is there anything I should know about the diamond tables as far as repair type situations? There is no diamond dealer anywhere around that I am aware of. I have researched them to some extent and am curious about the leveling system. Is it hard to set one up? I have a feeling that if I call the local pool table sales business they wouldn't be very willing and not sure able if there is an issue with the table.
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I've never had any issues with mine. When I moved, I just called Brian at Diamond and he helped me find someone to move my table, no problem. This wasn't a full breakdown or recover or repair, though, just a simple move. I don't know much about the newer leveling system, but others will chime in.

You probably wouldn't want to just call the nearest local dealer anyway. You can just post here on AZB, or call Diamond, and you will have no problem finding a high-quality table mechanic who is experienced with Diamond tables. Don't let that be a factor in your decision.

-Blake
 
Thanks again for the input. I didnt figure there would be much of an issue, obviously they are a great product or they wouldn't be around like they are. Not to get off the subject to far but Im also curious about the simonis cloth that most diamonds have on them. I know it is a very nice cloth. Does it play about the same as the mercury ultra cloth that all the tables are covered in around here as far as speed. Im aware of the quality differences but just wondering about speed.
 
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