Getting home table re-clothed

ChicagoFats

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I have a 9 foot diamond with "stock" pockets.
I am going to get it recovered.
Would you recommend going to the 4 1/8th pockets for someone that only plays one pocket or is it good to have pockets to shoot in?
Table is rarely used in general, but wwyd?
 

cincy_kid

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Nov 23, 2015
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Cincinnati, OH
I have a 9 foot diamond with "stock" pockets.
I am going to get it recovered.
Would you recommend going to the 4 1/8th pockets for someone that only plays one pocket or is it good to have pockets to shoot in?
Table is rarely used in general, but wwyd?

If it were mine, I like standard, same as the derby uses but that's just me!
 

12squared

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Fort Collins, CO
For what it's worth, I keep my GC pockets stock because I don't practice very often and use the table for entertaining from time to time. I don't want to torture our guests. LOL. However, I do have some pocket reducers just in case.

However, if you plan on matching up often with tough players at your home, screw the guests tighten the pockets. Hahaha
 

Hardmix

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Fats my home table is 4 1/4 and I think that is a good compromise leaning towards tighter, but no too tight. You can comfortably play/practice other games, rotation, 14.1, banks etc...

That said, I play regularly on a 4 1/8 and it is perfect for 1P but not much else IMO.
 

ChicagoFats

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For what it's worth, I keep my GC pockets stock because I don't practice very often and use the table for entertaining from time to time. I don't want to torture our guests. LOL. However, I do have some pocket reducers just in case.

However, if you plan on matching up often with tough players at your home, screw the guests tighten the pockets. Hahaha

What kind of reducers do you have and do you feel they are good enough to use for gambling or just practice?
 

ChicagoFats

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Fats my home table is 4 1/4 and I think that is a good compromise leaning towards tighter, but no too tight. You can comfortably play/practice other games, rotation, 14.1, banks etc...

That said, I play regularly on a 4 1/8 and it is perfect for 1P but not much else IMO.

We know you can shoot a rocket through a key hole....
 

Miller

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I have a 9 foot diamond with "stock" pockets.
I am going to get it recovered.
Would you recommend going to the 4 1/8th pockets for someone that only plays one pocket or is it good to have pockets to shoot in?
Table is rarely used in general, but wwyd?

glad you asked this, been wondering the same thing myself - gonna tear my table down after DCC to get new carpet installed....

Fats my home table is 4 1/4 and I think that is a good compromise leaning towards tighter, but no too tight. You can comfortably play/practice other games, rotation, 14.1, banks etc...

That said, I play regularly on a 4 1/8 and it is perfect for 1P but not much else IMO.

ben, did you purchase the rails from diamond like this or have the stock rails shimmed at the pocket facings at some point?
 

Hardmix

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Cumming Ga
glad you asked this, been wondering the same thing myself - gonna tear my table down after DCC to get new carpet installed....



ben, did you purchase the rails from diamond like this or have the stock rails shimmed at the pocket facings at some point?

Dustin I had Diamond extend the rails.
 

beatle

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if you have standard pockets its a lot more fun to play on. that is part of having a home table. plus with too tight pockets you cant use pocket play for position. and in many games getting position by cheating pockets is most important.

if all you want to do is improve ball making then maybe it pays to make them super tight. but even with wide pockets you can still shoot the ball into the center of the pocket.
 

12squared

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Fort Collins, CO
What kind of reducers do you have and do you feel they are good enough to use for gambling or just practice?

They are older pocket reducers that are not made any longer. They only reduce the 4 corner pockets and are a single piece of leather that acts similar to adding shims to a pocket. Remind me and next week I will take pictures for you. They are the best I found at the time by far.

I have gambled cheap with putting one in my pocket only as a spot.
 

Miller

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if you have standard pockets its a lot more fun to play on. that is part of having a home table. plus with too tight pockets you cant use pocket play for position. and in many games getting position by cheating pockets is most important.

if all you want to do is improve ball making then maybe it pays to make them super tight. but even with wide pockets you can still shoot the ball into the center of the pocket.

no shit sherlock....errr….zephyr....:D

i think the premise of the inquiry is at what point can you make a table tight enough to be as challenging as possible without fundamentally changing the game.....icbw

personally, 1/4" like ben has done sounds reasonable, and i plan to be in contact with diamond how to go about it.....

;)
 

beatle

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to each his own. but for me 41/4 pockets make all shots needing to be precise. that means you cant play much position to cheat a pocket. that is part of the game.

plus many 3 cushion shots are now layups or not shoot able because they are too hard to make. kiss shots are out unless they are simple.

if you are so good you are running out all the time in one pocket then sure the pockets are too big even for fun.

ill stick with 4 1/2
 

Miller

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to each his own. but for me 41/4 pockets make all shots needing to be precise. that means you cant play much position to cheat a pocket. that is part of the game.

plus many 3 cushion shots are now layups or not shoot able because they are too hard to make. kiss shots are out unless they are simple.

if you are so good you are running out all the time in one pocket then sure the pockets are too big even for fun.

ill stick with 4 1/2

thanks....point taken. and no, running out all the time is not something that is burdensome for me...lol....:eek:
 

youngstown

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Getting home table re-clothed

I would probably only tighten two of the pockets, leave the rest standard. I once tightened all my pockets to 3.75 and I couldn’t beat the 5ball ghost in a race to 15, not once in several years. But I was a straight shooting freak...who eventually didn’t enjoy practicing much.
 

cincy_kid

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Well I learned something, I thought standard stock was 4 1/4..

so at the derby this past year, the pockets were 4 1/2?
 

jtompilot

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New Orleans
Well I learned something, I thought standard stock was 4 1/4..

so at the derby this past year, the pockets were 4 1/2?

Yea Derby is 4 1/2.

Clifton Billiards, Sandcastle Billiards, and a few others have 3 7/8 corners, That’s just stupid tight. I regularly play on 4 1/8 so it’s the norm for me. When I play on a 4 1/2” pocket I’ll go for way more shots than I normally would, I’ll push the offense end of it.

If I were to buy a new Diamond I’d probably get 4 1/4 from the factory. If I have to extend the rails I’d go with 4 1/8 for a practice table.
 

cincy_kid

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Yea Derby is 4 1/2.

Clifton Billiards, Sandcastle Billiards, and a few others have 3 7/8 corners, That’s just stupid tight. I regularly play on 4 1/8 so it’s the norm for me. When I play on a 4 1/2” pocket I’ll go for way more shots than I normally would, I’ll push the offense end of it.

If I were to buy a new Diamond I’d probably get 4 1/4 from the factory. If I have to extend the rails I’d go with 4 1/8 for a practice table.

Thanks Jim!

Yea for you good shot makers I can see that. For me, I would probably be good at 4 1/2 and if I decide to tighten go to 4 1/4. :)

3 7/8 yikes!
 
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