WPBA Buckets????

Big Perm

Big Perm

1pkt 14.1 8 Banks 9 10
Silver Member
Last night on ESPN, I had a chance to catch a bit of some tourney they played in San Diego....the action was good, level of play was high, and the coverage was pretty decent....lots of break and runs, including some incredible shotmaking.....only thing that seemed out of place were the pockets....they looked like buckets, much larger than I remember in previous events....

Granted, I could just be losing my vision :D, but it looked like the pockets were sizeable....and I'm not bagging on the ladies, their play is good as always, which is why I always watch when it's on....just surprised they played on what seemed to be large pockets...

Anyone else see this? Or are my eyes decieving me???

Thanks,

Jason
 
Most of the time, tv matches for the women are on buckets. Believe it. Go back through and watch all of the balls hitting on the first diamond running down the rail.
 
Hi Jason,

The pockets are forgiving on the WPBA tour. Also, since the felt is brand new, the pockets play larger as well. I can't remember exactly what size they are now. For a while, they changed to a different model Brunswick (the name escapes me) which had pro cut rails, making the pockets tighter. The event I went to with those tables, I noticed that the matches were taking a bit longer overall due to more shots being missed. It was during that time that we started seeing players other than Allison taking the higher finishes. I am not sure why the decision was made to move back to the larger pockets, but I would imagine for time constraints and the fact that it does not look good in the early rounds if the players are missing alot of shots.
 
Actually, in the San Diego Tournament the pockets were tight. Maybe not on the TV table because rattled pockets don't sell viewership. On all the other tables the pockets were a snug 4 1/2" (maybe even 4 7/16" and pushing rubber). There were lots of missed shot on the streaming table and the table in the background on the streaming. The TV folks have been known to dictate larger pockets for the TV table but I still believe they're tighter than the standard home table pockets. SJM, AZHousepro and Jay Helfert were actually there so they could tell you for certain.
 
They are playing on Brunswick Gold Crown V's. I wouldn't say that the tables are any more or less tight than a Diamond Pro model. The pockets are about 4.5".
 
I think buckets may be better for TV

I don't like to admit it; but when I watch pool on TV, and especially the WPBA matches, I am somewhat put off if there are lots of "misses", which would probably result in my switching channels. So I wouldn't doubt that someone decided to make the TV table one with buckets.
 
I noticed it big time from the overhead shots. What I noticed that the pocket shelf seemed almost not there. They may be tight but the pockets openings seemed very close to the rails.
 
I was at thtat event in 2007 and played with Allison in the Pro Am and those pockets were deffinately tight. And as for this year, the pockets were tight as well. Can't vouch for the TV tables I have only seem some of the streamed matches.
 
There are WPBA Players on here that could answer this question if they want to. I'm sure they know what size pockets they play on in opening rounds and the TV table. Come on ladies...give. Johnnyt
 
This is not accurate. The tables were tight at WPBA San Diego, although it is true that the TV table always plays slightly easier than those used during the week. I'm told that this is, at least in part, attributable to the huge amount of heat given off by the many bright lights used by ESPN, creating dry conditions and rails that play on the soft side.

I was at Derby City and I was at WPBA San Diego, in each case for the length of the event. Anyone who thinks the equipment at Derby City was tougher than at WPBA San Diego is mistaken.

In his thread on WPBA San Diego, Jay Helfert wrote the following in his review of Monica's play:

jay helfert said:
She got out from spots where any other player would have played safe, including most men. ;)
I particularly liked the game where she jumped the two and three in back to back, and still had a super tough run out. Those long combinations were mind boggling as well. They both screamed SAFETY and she shot them in anyway. Bravo Monica!

By the way, these were not buckets they were playing on. They were very tough Gold Crown V's with tight 4.5" pockets. You had to hit it in the hole or it was not going.
Click to expand...

... so Jay seems to agree.
 
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Let me offer further clarity.....Kim made a combo on the nine on a long shot, but got a little careless and hit the rail at about a 20 degree angle near the point and scratched.....it was that shot, specifically, which made me think the pockets were large.....seemed like a lot of room in the hole.....

Again, not trying to take away from the players, they were both incredible, and I saw the three shots Monica made, all in a row, that Jay mentioned and they were great shots on a bar table with 6 inch pockets, much less on a big table in a big event.....she played top shelf...

I'm just saying, the pockets looked like 5" corners and they usually look smaller....or maybe I am just getting old :D
 
crawfish said:
Most of the time, tv matches for the women are on buckets. Believe it. Go back through and watch all of the balls hitting on the first diamond running down the rail.
Click to expand...

i remember watching a tv match kelly fisher played in and the pockets looked pretty unforgiving
 
Big Perm said:
Let me offer further clarity.....Kim made a combo on the nine on a long shot, but got a little careless and hit the rail at about a 20 degree angle near the point and scratched.....it was that shot, specifically, which made me think the pockets were large.....seemed like a lot of room in the hole.....

Again, not trying to take away from the players, they were both incredible, and I saw the three shots Monica made, all in a row, that Jay mentioned and they were great shots on a bar table with 6 inch pockets, much less on a big table in a big event.....she played top shelf...

I'm just saying, the pockets looked like 5" corners and they usually look smaller....or maybe I am just getting old :D
Click to expand...

actually i've scratched like that on really tight tables. it's all about speed
 
Tbeaux said:
Here is a vid link for ya Big Perm. Nice close up veiw near the end and all the spec and info ya need http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcudNVfnxX0
Click to expand...

The man from Brunswick in that video said the pocket openings had been reduced to 4-1/2" but the shelf looked to be their old standard depth of 1-3/8". If they have stayed with the same pocket angle that they've used in the past, it would give them a throat opening of 3-3/8".

So the pocket rating on these new GC-V Tour Editions should be around 11.05, on the high side of Extra Tough. Still not nearly as tough as a Diamond.

Roger
 
The tables are the Gold Crown Tournament editions....with the pro cut rails and slightly tighter pockets.
They aren't quad shimmed but they are definitely tighter than buckets.
 
Pockets are 4.5". Play snug as well. It is the same table we play all week in the tourn. No new cloth either. It is pretty broken in by Sunday and playing well. Able to take spin better. However my table at home has 4", anyone like to try it out? I'm looking for some "practice". M<+
 
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