when did tables go from 10 to 9 ft.? what were the circumstances?

garczar said:
More tables would fit and made it a little easier for average recreational players.
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thanks, I thought that'd be a motivating factor for the change
the 40s would be an interesting time to do it, straight pool still being "the game"
I wonder what the players then thought of the flip
 
evergruven said:
thanks, I thought that'd be a motivating factor for the change
the 40s would be an interesting time to do it, straight pool still being "the game"
I wonder what the players then thought of the flip
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Minnesota Fats, of all people, said they ruined the game when they went to nine footers.
 
evergruven said:
thanks, I thought that'd be a motivating factor for the change
the 40s would be an interesting time to do it, straight pool still being "the game"
I wonder what the players then thought of the flip
Click to expand...
I'm sure the top players weren't real fond of it. As time went by it became clear it was a good move. Even with 'The Hustler' i don't think there would have been as big a pool explosion in the 60's if 10ft's were still used.
 
I thought the change from 10’ to 9’ pool had its roots grounded in the 50’s.
I recall Brunswick promoting the gold crown line with crayon colors for cloth.
 
Bavafongoul said:
I thought the change from 10’ to 9’ pool had its roots grounded in the 50’s.
I recall Brunswick promoting the gold crown line with crayon colors for cloth.
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GC1 came out in '61 iirc. From what i've read the change-over started in 40's sometime and by mid-50's 9ft's were the accepted standard for pool.
 
I remember reading that Mosconi started out on 10 footers at a time when 9 footers were more common in the South. And when those players from the South came North to play him they were outclassed on the 10 footers.
 
KissedOut said:
I remember reading that Mosconi started out on 10 footers at a time when 9 footers were more common in the South. And when those players from the South came North to play him they were outclassed on the 10 footers.
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Mosconi played in his first WC in '33(placed 2nd btw). 10ft's were still common in most rooms then. Southern rooms may have had more 9ft's. IMO Crane's 309 on a 10ft. doen't get enough attention. He beat the record by 65 balls. Pretty sporty.
 
In the end as with everything, it all comes down to money. The recreation market produces what is wanted whether homes or commercial locations. Pool halls can put a lot of bar boxes in which is what is popular and it is much more profitable per sq foot. Most small markets cant support too many big tables. There arent too many people that could even put a 9 foot let alone 10 foot table. Even if they had room a 10 foot or in many cases even a 9 is not fun for a casual player. We had an 8 foot table growing up which was perfect. As an adult I ended up with 5x10s because that is what I want and my family has little interest other than 1 son.
 
It is hard to even find people that are willing to set up a 10 foot table even if it is in the room already. Mechanics are often afraid of them. I called 5 or 6 places before I got someone and the first guy could not set up the snooker rails. And this is in Denver!
 
There’s not many 10’ tables around. In the 80’s occasionally there would be some in pool rooms, most of those were American snooker tables. Saw a few converted into billiard tables.

It would be my guess the pool boom in the early 60’s is when the 9’ boxes took over 99%. Probably 20 years earlier there’s loads of old 9’ tables. 10’s are heavy and a pain to move etc.

I like 10’ snooker a lot more than 10’ pool to play. That’s just personal preference
 
What size tables were in all those post "The Hustler" pool rooms that Brunswick set up in the 1960s? Eight or nine feet?
 
According to Charlie Ursitti's records, the World Championship moved from 10' to 9' for the 1950 tournament. So:

Very, very early tournaments: various sizes
~1890 - 1949 10-foot
1950 - present 9-foot

The Palace and Cochran's in San Francisco had 10-foot pool tables until the 1970s. I played one pocket in Cochran's on a 10-foot with clay balls.

In the 1970s I played in a bar league. One of the bars -- it was way out in the sticks -- had only a single 10-foot table. o_O

One story I heard is that Brunswick -- which would have had the final say on table size for the championships -- moved to 9-foot tables to reduce Irving Crane's height advantage. Mosconi and Caras were considerably shorter than the "Deacon".
 
Story I heard in my youth was that Northern players favored 10' and Southern preferred 8'. Compromise, the mother of so many evils, produced the 9'. I am not vouching, just repeating,
 
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