Why Do Pros Play on New Cloth???

B

BasementDweller

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Who doesn't love walking up to a freshly covered table and then hitting some balls on it?

It's a great experience and there's nothing like it really. But if I had my choice I would much rather compete on a table where the cloth has already been broken in. A table where the balls are no longer sliding and the rails are all playing true (don't ask me to define true).

I guess it just strikes me as a bit odd that pros have to play on tables that will play significantly different between the start of the event and the end of it.

Is it just me?

Is there any cloth out there that doesn't need to be "broken" in?

The cloth and the rails on most tournament tables are fast enough to begin with, and then you add the fact that they are playing on fresh cloth and it just gets ridiculous. As much as I'm enjoying the Mosconi Cup I can't help but notice it's almost entirely a finesse game due to the table conditions. I have only seen a couple of shots that I would even consider to be stroke shots.

Oh well....it does make it interesting I suppose.
 
BasementDweller said:
Who doesn't love walking up to a freshly covered table and then hitting some balls on it?

It's a great experience and there's nothing like it really. But if I had my choice I would much rather compete on a table where the cloth has already been broken in. A table where the balls are no longer sliding and the rails are all playing true (don't ask me to define true).

I guess it just strikes me as a bit odd that pros have to play on tables that will play significantly different between the start of the event and the end of it.

Is it just me?

Is there any cloth out there that doesn't need to be "broken" in?

The cloth and the rails on most tournament tables are fast enough to begin with, and then you add the fact that they are playing on fresh cloth and it just gets ridiculous. As much as I'm enjoying the Mosconi Cup I can't help but notice it's almost entirely a finesse game due to the table conditions. I have only seen a couple of shots that I would even consider to be stroke shots.

Oh well....it does make it interesting I suppose.
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There is not much choice. It's a table setup just for that event and using old cloth wont work well unless you use a one peice slate, keep the cloth on it and re-use the same tables in the events.

To sum up, use same tables for all the tournaments and keep the stored in one place with one peice slates or use new cloth.

I'm not a mechanic but I have heard quite often that re-using cloth that's been setup already is not the best idea.

As to your first semi-rhetorical question, I'd like to hit some balls on new cloth but I don't want to play any matches on it unless it was for fun banging balls around. For a tournament I want the cloth and rails broken in for a month or so with light to medium use. And not stretched too tight as that will cause it to play "like glass" for a lot longer.
 
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What I really don't like is new balls....
...they play inconsistent as they break in.

New cloth is predictable ...new balls aren't.
 
I think that because the pros get a lot of experience on new cloth they tend to have an advantage against the lower players in some events who have more limited experience under those conditions.

The Diamond one-piece slate tables are sometimes used for multiple events without recovering. The table is transported without removing the cloth. It is really dangerous to transport a 3-piece slate table assembled because the slates tend to work against each other and the seams can be damaged.

One tournament situation where there is a chance to break in the cloth is when there are qualification rounds at the venue prior to the main competition. Then you might get a few days of play/wear before the big pros show up.
 
i believe the reason for using new cloth is so no player can have a real or perceived advantage by having played on a "used" table. by using new cloth the equipment is neutral to all whether the some players like or dislike the slick and fast table with springy rails. i personally enjoy playing on new cloth because it punishes the player who make mistakes and/or gets out of line. of course when these situations raise their "head"; excellent shotmaking will save your bacon if it is a part of ones game.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I think that because the pros get a lot of experience on new cloth they tend to have an advantage against the lower players in some events who have more limited experience under those conditions.

The Diamond one-piece slate tables are sometimes used for multiple events without recovering. The table is transported without removing the cloth. It is really dangerous to transport a 3-piece slate table assembled because the slates tend to work against each other and the seams can be damaged.

One tournament situation where there is a chance to break in the cloth is when there are qualification rounds at the venue prior to the main competition. Then you might get a few days of play/wear before the big pros show up.
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I agree with everything Bob says here but also wanted to add that consistency is important to tournament players. As someone who has done a little travel competing in some regional events, it's really frustrating to go from buckets to 4" pockets; from new cloth to a rug.

As well, the cloth companies are often involved in the tours. Companies like Simonis will offer host rooms a deal on cloth. This means, if your room has 20 tables and none of them have been reclothed in a year and you're due (over due), you can host a tournament and recloth your entire room. The discount is significant enough to almost warrant the loss in revenue in hosting.
 
For special events like the Mosconi Cup and other single table events like the Challenge of Champions I would think at the very least the table manufacturers (together with the installers) could figure out a way to have the TV tables setup with rail cloth that is broken in. I don't think the trouble is ever really with the bed cloth but just the rails.

I'm certain it would be a logistical nightmare to try and do this for huge tournaments but with those bigger tournaments I think the tables get broke it much quicker because they are constantly being played on.
 
Every major tournament I'm aware of has been on brand new cloth. Why would anyone want pros to play on month used cloth, with break lines and burn spots all over it on the TV?

Pros know how to play on brand new cloth just fine. They play on it every single tournament.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Every major tournament I'm aware of has been on brand new cloth. Why would anyone want pros to play on month used cloth, with break lines and burn spots all over it on the TV?

Pros know how to play on brand new cloth just fine. They play on it every single tournament.
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This. The table and cloth manufacturers do not want their tables to look worn and ragged on tv. Besides venues like the one of the Mosconi cup probably cost a fortune to rent, so it is understandable that they don't want to rent it for 2 extra days just to break in the cloth. While it is possible to take the cloth off and put it back on there is no guarantee that it will be perfect again. Besides, like some have allready pointed out, pros are used to playing on new cloth. At least that way it will be consistent from venue to venue.
 
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