The Best

[billinboston]

I read an article that was about how good Ronnie Allen was,and Jersey Red
commented that with plastic balls Ronnie Allen WAS THE BEST OF ALL TIME!
Can any of you guys clarify for me what he meant by that?

 

[philip guagliardo]

he probably meant that he was'nt the best with clay balls they used more in jersey red's day . ronnie is in the plastic balls era mostly . just a guess ! RTP

 

[gulfportdoc]

It seems to me that the old clay balls didn't allow such radical draw that the phenolic balls do. They were probably heavier than 6 ounces. As I recall, clay ball play lent itself more to follow shots. So if my memory serves me, the clay ball game required a slightly different style of play. Maybe Grady could chime in here. Or perhaps we could ask Bob Jewett.

Doc

 

[Grady]

I loved the clay balls, and while we're talking about it, tough old 5x10's with slow cloth like "Big Bertha" in Cochrun's. It was easier to draw the cue ball with clay balls while follow shots were about the same as plastic balls. Clay balls never skidded. What wasn't fun was what came in between...the dreaded composition balls. Mud or clay balls banked true which was a godsend for One Pocket.
The mud balls didn't look as pretty as their plastic counterparts and they chipped fairly easy.
Ronnie played great One Pocket on any equipment, guys. Remember, he won the 1962 tournament at Cochrun's with the different equipment.