Tight Pockets For 1P?

[Jim Pengra]

Does anyone have any thoughts about using tighter pockets for 1P? I was playing pool on a snooker table the other night and liked the extra degree of difficulty. No...wasn't playing one pocket. That game would be near impossible on a snooker table. But I'm thinking about tightening the pockets on my home table. Its a 9' Brunswick. What's the best way? New pockets or shims? Grateful for any suggestions. Jim

 

[NH Steve]

Does anyone have any thoughts about using tighter pockets for 1P? I was playing pool on a snooker table the other night and liked the extra degree of difficulty. No...wasn't playing one pocket. That game would be near impossible on a snooker table. But I'm thinking about tightening the pockets on my home table. Its a 9' Brunswick. What's the best way? New pockets or shims? Grateful for any suggestions. Jim

New pockets don't do it, because the opening is really created by the way the ends of the rail frame each cheek of the pocket, not the pocket itself. You can tighten one of two ways. The easiest being to shim. You probably already know most of this, but all rail ends actually have one pocket facing shim to finish the end of the cushion, but you can add one or two extra layers to shrink the pockets, but more than double shims creates kind of a dead spot at the the very tip of the rail. Triple shimmed is nice and tight, but messes up the pocket point, imho. The high end way is to swap to slightly longer rails. The other isue with shimming alone is that it does not adjust the angle of the pocket opening. Greg Sullivan likes to really point out how important the proper angle is, and how it changes as the pockets get tighter. New rails also solve that problem.

 

[gulfportdoc]

Pocket width

Pocket width

My personal preference for pocket width in one-pocket is to have them allow two balls to fit between the points. I believe that would make them ever so slightly tighter than 4-1/2 inches, since the cushion facings are actually a little taller than 1/2 the height of the balls.

I prefer the pro-cut Diamond pocket angle. And the shelf should be deep, but not so deep to where a full ball can rest on the shelf sitting past the points.

In my view, super tight pockets (I've seen them down to 4") completely change the nature of the game; but yet loose pockets will pretty much allow any ball to drop that is aimed at them, thereby compromising much of the strategy game.

Doc

 

[hemicudas]

Does anyone have any thoughts about using tighter pockets for 1P? I was playing pool on a snooker table the other night and liked the extra degree of difficulty. No...wasn't playing one pocket. That game would be near impossible on a snooker table. But I'm thinking about tightening the pockets on my home table. Its a 9' Brunswick. What's the best way? New pockets or shims? Grateful for any suggestions. Jim

Years ago we used to have wonderful partners one pocket games on a 5X10 snooker table. We would flip for partners every game. Yes, it changes the game a lot. Shots you wouldn't think of leaving on a pool table you can leave on the snooker table. If a guy is left frozen on the top rail nothing is automatic. We even played a few times with pool ball on the snooker table. Try running 8 and out there.

 

[One Pocket Ghost]

My personal preference for pocket width in one-pocket is to have them allow two balls to fit between the points. I believe that would make them ever so slightly tighter than 4-1/2 inches, since the cushion facings are actually a little taller than 1/2 the height of the balls.


In my view, super tight pockets (I've seen them down to 4") completely change the nature of the game; but yet loose pockets will pretty much allow any ball to drop that is aimed at them, thereby compromising much of the strategy game.

Doc

This ultimately is a personal choice thing, but I myself agree completely with Doc on his choice of specs, as well as his reasons for them.......Some might like those overly tight 4" - 4-1/8" pockets, but you know, especially on your home table, it's also fun to run more balls, so I think 4-1/2" pockets are the perfect choice - not too big, and not too tight.

 

[Jim Pengra]

Thanks guys. I knew I could count on you. My pockets are 5". Too sloppy. Going to get new rails to make the pockets 4 1/2". Cost shouldn't too bad if I can salvage the Tour Edition cloth covering the rails now. Had an interesting discussion with a co-worker yesterday about my dilemma. He's a competition pistol shooter (and a bar box owner). He asked why on earth would I want to make my table harder. LOL. I asked him if he would become a better competition pistol shooter if he practiced cowboy reenactment shooting. He laughed and understood. But that discussion belongs on another forum board.

 

[gulfportdoc]

Thanks guys. I knew I could count on you. My pockets are 5". Too sloppy. Going to get new rails to make the pockets 4 1/2". Cost shouldn't too bad if I can salvage the Tour Edition cloth covering the rails now. Had an interesting discussion with a co-worker yesterday about my dilemma. He's a competition pistol shooter (and a bar box owner). He asked why on earth would I want to make my table harder. LOL. I asked him if he would become a better competition pistol shooter if he practiced cowboy reenactment shooting. He laughed and understood. But that discussion belongs on another forum board.

Jim, I think you're going to love your table when you get those new rails installed. Tell your friend that pool has a game similar to cowboy reenactment and quick draw contests. It's called 9-ball...

Doc

 

[Jim Pengra]

Doc, that was the funniest line I have read so far on this forum board. I'll be sure to tell him. I LMAO. Jim

 

[Fatboy]

Doc, that was the funniest line I have read so far on this forum board. I'll be sure to tell him. I LMAO. Jim

i'm a life long shooter(guns and pool) and that is funny.

I love to sweat 1P, but its not my favorite game to play, however I like 4" pockets when I do play because its fun to take balls out of tight pockets.

 

[jazznpool]

I agree with you on this Doc. Super tight (4 to 4-1/4") pockets are too restrictive and take too much pocketing and position possibilities away for one pocket (and other games too). 4-3/8 to 4-1/2" pockets seem to me to be the most fair and fun. I haven't played one pocket on a table with large pockets since the 80's!

Martin

My personal preference for pocket width in one-pocket is to have them allow two balls to fit between the points. I believe that would make them ever so slightly tighter than 4-1/2 inches, since the cushion facings are actually a little taller than 1/2 the height of the balls.

I prefer the pro-cut Diamond pocket angle. And the shelf should be deep, but not so deep to where a full ball can rest on the shelf sitting past the points.

In my view, super tight pockets (I've seen them down to 4") completely change the nature of the game; but yet loose pockets will pretty much allow any ball to drop that is aimed at them, thereby compromising much of the strategy game.

Doc

 

[Daniel Sheets]

re railing brunswick 9' my self?

re railing brunswick 9' my self?

i am going to attempt to re rail my table.no fear! when i order the rails will they cut them to my specifications,4" pockets,pro cut diamond angle and cover them with simonis 860? does the adhesive matter? whats the best rails too buy? does shims matter,quallity wise?......do you feel this is a job for a pro? or afairly easy job...help! thank you dan sheets

 

[newfosgatesucks]

Go to O'reilly's. Ask for a HD Truck mud flap. There are two thicknesses of rubber on it.

At 5 inches, you can use the thicker portion. The flap will cost a whopping 10 bucks. Cut the rubber to fit your pockets. The other alternative is like 4 shims on each side, which makes the points play like Doo-Doo. (at 15 bucks PER SET x4!!!) Or getting all new rails, installing them, using a rubber knife and refacing each one using a pocket jig.

All in all, the cheapest way out of this is actually the best in the long run, I discovered this trick in 2006-and the facings from the mat are intact at each recover.

Use rubber or contact cement and wait til it is real sticky to put it on, rough side in. Blow two staples or nails into the wood, LOWER than the height where a ball contacts. That trick alone is pretty useful. If you lay them out where they go, apply glue to each, then apply glue to the rail/wood in the pocket facing itself, start back at the first one you glued and it is about ready. In case you are wondering, do away with your old facings, this material does not require a facing, it is a bound backed double layer industrial strength compound, good to go for commercial use on 6 tables for over 5 years now!!

You should have roughly 4-1/4 inch pockets when you are done. You will need new rail cloth.

Thanks guys. I knew I could count on you. My pockets are 5". Too sloppy. Going to get new rails to make the pockets 4 1/2". Cost shouldn't too bad if I can salvage the Tour Edition cloth covering the rails now. Had an interesting discussion with a co-worker yesterday about my dilemma. He's a competition pistol shooter (and a bar box owner). He asked why on earth would I want to make my table harder. LOL. I asked him if he would become a better competition pistol shooter if he practiced cowboy reenactment shooting. He laughed and understood. But that discussion belongs on another forum board.

 

[newfosgatesucks]

And if you are putting new rails on anyway, the k-66 profile works well on the gold crown, giving it that "Hug" that the Diamond lacks on a 3-rail around the table position shot, where the cueball snags off the third rail.

The rails have to be cut in, You have a little bit of a problem, as the wood backing on the rail is already enlarged for the 5 inch buckets - and will require larger thicker shims(re-first post).

Also note that tighter pockets generally have a different angled opening(tight angle) than buckets(wide angle). And also, the gold Crown has a tendency to want to have the facing SQUARE to the slate - which is BAD. You have to have inward lean, making an acute angle at the pocket facing, otherwise a ball with top english will climb the pocket and can jump the table.

Hope I helped,
J.K.<---Has been through many a GC and DOzens of other tables being tightened.

i am going to attempt to re rail my table.no fear! when i order the rails will they cut them to my specifications,4" pockets,pro cut diamond angle and cover them with simonis 860? does the adhesive matter? whats the best rails too buy? does shims matter,quallity wise?......do you feel this is a job for a pro? or a fairly easy job...help! thank you dan sheets

 

[newfosgatesucks]

And FWIW if you like a faster Table put the rail rubber approx. 1/32 below the corner it glues to, if you like it a little slower, go 1/32 high.

 

[Scrzbill]

As far as tight pockets for one pocket, I prefer the 5" pocket for my side and the 4" pocket for my opponent. This in addition to my normal Dippy spot of 18-4. Other than that, if a ball goes off the table, it's a foul.

 

[demonrho]

I thought everybody likes tight holes as opposed to sloppy ones.

 

[newfosgatesucks]

As long as you have six pockets to shoot at you'll be fine.

I thought everybody likes tight holes as opppossed to sloppy ones.

 

[Artie Bodendorfer]

As long as you have six pockets to shoot at you'll be fine.[/QUOTE

If I gave my opinion I would say 5 inch pockets for tournements. And 4inch pockets for gambling. People love scoreing.

And the more scoring the more audence. People love seeing a lot off balls made.

The public is not for gambling games. Like the old sweathers. Tight pockets will bring the dog out in people.

And with big pockets the tournements will be more exciting. and Especialy Women need big pockets.

You dont want them too look bad. Gambling is a different animal. And women if they want too gamble they can play on 4 inch pockets too.

But begger pockets are better for the audence. And that is what I would do if I has a tournement.

And big pockets id worse for deffense. I dont even no if they no why they are doing what they are with the tables.