Why tournament blue?

livemusic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It seems that most tv matches are played on tournament blue color cloth. Why is that your favorite to play on if it is and if it isn't, why do you prefer something else?
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
I have heard that T-blue is easiest on our eyes for eye strain and it helps to see the edges of the balls better. I use it on my tables and have for years. I could go back to green but don't.
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have heard that T-blue is easiest on our eyes for eye strain and it helps to see the edges of the balls better. I use it on my tables and have for years. I could go back to green but don't.


What color is easier on the eyes?
We see green with ease because of how light reaches our eyes; the human eye translates waves of light into color.


Some scientists and researchers also believe that because our eyes are at the peak of their perception to detect the wavelengths corresponding with the color green, the shade may calm us down.

With less strain to perceive the colors, our nervous system can relax when perceiving the tone.

This sedative quality of green may explain why there is so much of it in hospitals, schools and work environments. Historically, actors and actresses would recess to green rooms after so much time looking into bright lights on stage, though modern “green rooms” are rarely painted green.
 
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Greg M

Active member
I prefer green because it's what I'm used to on English tables. However, I really wouldn't be opposed to a blue napped cloth. It looks fantastic with the Pro Cup balls.
 

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
I tried to read that but I have been fighting a winter storm for a couple of days and have not slept much. A few of the words in that link caused eye strain and hurt my noggen. I will check it out tomorrowtime. o_O
 

Nikrnic

Member
I always liked and used the gold (not tan) simonis cloth on my Gold Crown lll at home.
That's always been my favorite and the easiest on my eyes, it seemed to make the balls stand out more clear as well. I wanted to use it on the tables at our family owned room but got outvoted for the traditional green.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 
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TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
It seems that most tv matches are played on tournament blue color cloth. Why is that your favorite to play on if it is and if it isn't, why do you prefer something else?
Tournament blue is by far the most popular choice for tables now. Blue is the new green. I vastly prefer the look.
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
I always liked and used the gold simonis cloth on my Gold Crown lll at home.
That's always been my favorite and the easiest on my eyes, it seemed to make the balls stand out more clear as well. I wanted to use it on the tables at our family owned room but got outvoted for the traditional green.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Tan does not enough contrast with the ball edges for me. I prefer a darker color, although the advantage of tan chalk is quite good.
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I always liked and used the gold simonis cloth on my Gold Crown lll at home.
That's always been my favorite and the easiest on my eyes, it seemed to make the balls stand out more clear as well. I wanted to use it on the tables at our family owned room but got outvoted for the traditional green.


Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Green rules!
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tan does not enough contrast with the ball edges for me. I prefer a darker color, although the advantage of tan chalk is quite good.
The biggest issue with tan/camel cloth in a pool room is too many people with their own personal blue chalk use it on the tan/camel cloth. The blue chalk marks look awful in no time, and are very hard to remove. Otherwise, it may have been my favorite color to play on.
 

zy112

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like playing on blue cloth best, but my home table is a light tan and I enjoy it too just doesn’t have that pool hall vibe (which is why the compromise was made to tan cloth :) )
 

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
Blue is a bit lighter color than tournament green, so the colors of the balls show up a bit better. That is, if you focus on a spot on the object ball.

Me, makes no difference. I picture a path to the object ball, and a path to the pocket. So the color of the cloth doesn't really matter.

All the best,
WW
 

cjr3559

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tournament Blue is fine, and the modern Aramith TV and Black sets look best on the blue, but I prefer the classic green cloth and ball colors.

Alternate shades of green and blue are ok, camel/tan comes in 3rd, gray 4th.

Red, orange, black, purple, pink, and anything with patterns is brutal. These must be produced strictly for high-end applications and interior designers.
 

289FIA

Active member
It seems that most tv matches are played on tournament blue color cloth. Why is that your favorite to play on if it is and if it isn't, why do you prefer something else?
Apparently started due to the way color TV's filtered the Simonis tournament green that Diamond used on their tournament tables .. the green showed as a light blue to TV viewers .. and Diamond started to have people requesting the "blue" cloth. So they worked with Simonis to produce it .. and it is as easy on the eyes to play on as green .. and has become a very popular cloth .. all due to TV. Research was done on various colors to determine the optimal colors for minimizing eye strain and reducing shadows. Apparently the light grey is one of the best, with pale gold, tournament blue, and tournament green right behind. Was interesting to read that Willy Mosconi would ONLY play on light gold covered tables later in his career due to him being able to see the balls better on that color cloth.
 

RickLafayette

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
From what I understand, if you take a black and white photograph of Tournament Blue and Tournament Green, they will be the exact same shade. Ability to see balls clearer wouldn't be so much of a factor because of this. I replaced my green cloth last year with Simonis 860 and I much prefer the blue cloth (my opinion). An added bonus is the absence of chalk marks even though I am meticulous about keeping my cloth clean.
 

mattb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Apparently started due to the way color TV's filtered the Simonis tournament green that Diamond used on their tournament tables .. the green showed as a light blue to TV viewers .. and Diamond started to have people requesting the "blue" cloth. So they worked with Simonis to produce it .. and it is as easy on the eyes to play on as green .. and has become a very popular cloth .. all due to TV. Research was done on various colors to determine the optimal colors for minimizing eye strain and reducing shadows. Apparently the light grey is one of the best, with pale gold, tournament blue, and tournament green right behind. Was interesting to read that Willy Mosconi would ONLY play on light gold covered tables later in his career due to him being able to see the balls better on that color cloth.
Greg Sullivan from Diamond told me he actually paid a company to look into the best color for cloth and they came up with blue for several reasons from eyesight to TV. From there he had Simonis make and the rest is history.

I used to install tables many moons ago and I put in everything from red, black to purple. The one oddity that stuck with me was orange. It wasn’t bad to play on actually the few game i played. Not sure how it would hold up and how you would like it over time. I still love green for a pool table but I am old school. The club and my home table are blue just because that is now the norm.
 
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