Can the table and balls be too clean?

Is it best to play on the cleanest, fastest table with the cleanest balls? Or is it preferable to have things a little more "sticky" so you can put more twist on kicks/banks and throw object balls more?

The reason I ask is that I keep my table and balls really clean - every day before playing I vacuum the table twice and wipe everything with a damp cloth (table, balls, even the insides of the pockets where chalk tends to collect).

I do this because I like it, and because I have a mild allergy to the chalk dust. I also think it makes things a little more consistent - fewer skids, for example.

But am I helping or hurting things? Is a too clean table like a table with too tight pockets - making it harder to play the game as it should be played? I'm not saying I notice any drawbacks; just asking...

pj
chgo

P.S. By the way, I don't do this every day just for the chalk dust I create. "The table" is really a table at my local pool room that's used by others too - I just use it first every day and the owner lets me use his vacuum on it (he vacuums the other tables weekly).

gulfportdoc said:

PJ, I have a similar situation: good, clean, dry equipment. My first thought is that the balls pocket easier because of the slide. But there is a tendency to overcut the OBs if one is used to dirty or damp pool balls. Also I think that the OBs slide more when banked off the rails. You can watch them skid on the dry cloth for a bit before they take the over spin.

There is quite a contrast here on the Gulf Coast-- between tables in good condition, and the local pool room where the tables are dirty and wet. Some guys can adjust quickly. I'm a little slower...

~Doc

Click to expand...

The table cant be too clean. But your bank roll could be to short.

I have always thought you should try to practice as close as possible to the conditions you will be playing. If you'll be in a lot of bars.... you get the point. Further, practice on tight pockets. That is all I have ever worried about. I notice the snooker players tend to get a ton of skids, and they are constantly cleaning the balls.