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JerseyBill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Have you ever noticed on the bed of the pool table. Parallel to the rails that there is a worn spot all around the table? I've been playing pool and noticed that over fifty years ago and always thought it was from a ball being cut down the rail in the same place that causes a worn spot like a grove almost under the rail.
Well, It's not from that. It's caused by a ball being hit into the rail and the rubber reverses the spin of the ball causing it to have a friction burn in the cloth. After awhile it happens in every spot on the table giving the appearance of being caused by a ball being shot down the rail. The proof is that there is no worn spot in front of the side pockets and the line into the corner isn't that of a ball going down the rail either. It's all from the ball reversing direction after being sent into the rail.
If anyone thinks this isn't true, please let me know, I"d love to hear your comments, but first look at a table and think about it.
Bill
 
that's what?!
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That's usually called the "rail groove" or maybe "gutter". On tables where they play a lot of smash breaks you can see a wider groove where a ball always hits the cushion at high speed on the break.

I don't think it is from friction burns as much as the ball being forced down into the cloth by the nose of the cushion (which is above the center of the ball).
 
While we're learning, Jersey, what is the correct name for the small diamonds, or sometimes circles, that are placed on the rail tops around the table? You have 20 seconds to come up with the right answer. :)
 
JerseyBill said:
If anyone thinks this isn't true, please let me know, I"d love to hear your comments, but first look at a table and think about it.
Bill
Click to expand...
What Bob Jewett said.

Also, if you're into mirror kick systems (especially short kicks or tickies), I recommend using the rail gutter as the mirror instead of the cushion nose. If you do some kind of mirror short ticky and find yourself overcutting , try using the rail gutter instead.

Freddie <~~~ knows the gutter
 
every day I learn something

I will go to bed a wiser man. I always wondered about that. Thanks.
Tommy
 
diamonds

Tramp Steamer said:
While we're learning, Jersey, what is the correct name for the small diamonds, or sometimes circles, that are placed on the rail tops around the table? You have 20 seconds to come up with the right answer. :)
Click to expand...

I give up,,don't know it?
please tell.
 
friction burns

Bob Jewett said:
That's usually called the "rail groove" or maybe "gutter". On tables where they play a lot of smash breaks you can see a wider groove where a ball always hits the cushion at high speed on the break.

I don't think it is from friction burns as much as the ball being forced down into the cloth by the nose of the cushion (which is above the center of the ball).
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but they are close to the same thing. I mean the ball is rolling in one direction and then is slammed down in a neutral or opposite direction. I'd like to see it on slow motion. At any rate, I always thought it was from a ball being cut down the rail...FIFTY YEARS of wrong thinking has to say a lot for how people think. And my i.q. isn't tiny...lol
 
That makes sense.

On a few tables, I have seen a much thicker, less defined, 'line' near a corner pocket.

Cushion height different there?

Extra wear from 9ball break? (both balls below 9ball?)

Anyone else seen this type of wear line near a corner side rail?

What could cause that wear pattern?

thanks
 
I'm glad someone told me this. I've had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about it! ;)
 
3RAILKICK said:
That makes sense.

On a few tables, I have seen a much thicker, less defined, 'line' near a corner pocket.

Cushion height different there?

Extra wear from 9ball break? (both balls below 9ball?)

Anyone else seen this type of wear line near a corner side rail?

What could cause that wear pattern?

thanks
Click to expand...

One Pocket table perhaps.
 
Back when there were a lot more rooms and a lot more action....
...you could walk into a strange room and sense whether good
players came there or not ( if the cloth wasn't brand new )

In retrospect, I think it was 'wear patterns' that gave this clue.
Good breakers mark the cloth much different; the line to the head ball
is more clearly defined.....and the mark the wing balls leave on the side
rails are deeper.
Bad players don't wear the cloth very much because of slow breaks.

One pocket players leave their spoor also with specific wear lines.
 
I had no idea, I thought the same thing... figured it was from years of rail cuts. Cheers for sharing that.
 
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