Will 4 inches pockets be the future of US pool, bar box and big table?

I've tried watching Ch.8b and i find it be very boring to watch. Don't ever see it getting real big outside of Asia. Tough? Yeah. Fun? From i've watched, no.
Chinese 8 Ball comes from Texas Express and is Ambassadored from England. What this has to do with anything, Is that I have watched in the Joy Cup World Masters that the top players from all countries on earth come to compete. Even after practicing on the Joy tables still cannot beat these young players... if you are an 8 ball player and love and watch then I don't see how you could get board... Watch the ability of some young players like Zhang Kupeng then apply this to the game in competition and see if I am wrong... I hope someday you can enjoy... Guy
 
Your right Sir, thats what Gandy's so popular back when they were everywhere they had big pockets so every level of player could make balls and show off for their friends and thats what makes the game fun. I relate big pockets to the APA ranking system, it gives the ball bangers a chance to win even against a higher skill player.

For the Pro's or the Fargo rated over 640, have at it!
And ever player on a Gandy has to play call pocket 8 ball , very important a must... Regular players big pockets i hope...
 
I think the Matchroom events will mostly continue to use 4" pockets, but other tournaments/money matches/pool halls will not adopt them to the point that they are considered standard in the near future.

4" pockets have advantages and disadvantages. It's entertaining to watch pros struggle and know that they could miss at any moment. It makes the skill standard of the game seem higher. But it also kills other sources of entertainment by necessitating greater focus and preparation on the part of players at the expense of their rhythm, confidence and creativity. Sometimes, it's entertaining to watch someone fly around the table stringing racks and putting a big stroke on the ball when they feel like it, and shrinking the pockets discourages that.

But here's the main problem. Tighter pockets breed more deliberate players, more misses and more safety play, all of which slow down the overall progression of a match. Therefore, televised events will need to include shorter races to compensate for that time. Shorter races are more subject to "inequitable" outcomes--just look at Lo Ho Sum's notoriously choppy run to a 2nd-place finish at this past weekend's Masters.

My opinion is that there should be one or two major tournaments per year played on 5" pockets with a winner-breaks format and significantly longer races. I think the standard of entertainment in those matches would be very high and I think there would be fewer silly upsets.
I see young Sum is not a top Chinese player and did not adjust well to the tables... In time to come watch him... Guy
 
IMHO, making pool more interesting to the masses and accommodating the wishes of the hardcore AZB players are mutually exclusive. Precision cuts with deftly applied english are beautiful to watch for the AZB crowd, but to the casually interested viewer, somewhat sterile and clinical. What shot will The Magician be forever known? The Z shot. What did Mizerak do to sell Lite beer in 70s? The Wow factor is missing these days. I already see pros missing banks that they shouldn't and I understand why those shots are taken as a last resort. So maybe the Wow factor is already a relic of a bygone era in the pro game. But there is a lot of hand wringing about the lack of popularity of pool in the U.S. and making it appear more sterile than it already is isn't going to help.
A Big Yes...
 
if it was filler, he does that kind of stuff, takes his extension on the money ball etc. not really a slow player. some say he does it because he's arrogant, some say he's just nervous. i don't know which, but his game does have a tangible nerve to it, alongside of very straight shooting.
Young Josh Filler never put him on a table he can see with a 20 second time clock... Guy
 
That would be nuts. Even snooker has "club tables" with bigger pockets than match tables. Otherwise it would be years before casual people could make an actual break on the table.
This sums it up.

Pool needs a professional spec, no argument there.

Club, tables though, you need the easier tables to get people in and coin operated owners to make money.

No problem having both.
 
Back
Top