Black Spots

[ryanah147]

Should Black spots be put on the cloth, or just Xs ?
If not, why not, and if yes, why yes.
The Baulkline, The `D`, and other ball positions on televised Snooker, and tables erected for exhibition matches are marked with the white pencil, this serves a dual purpose. One, the white is more visual, and Two, it means the cloth when removed from the table bed, the white pencil can be easily erased and the cloth sold off, and used again.
Tweetens have recently introduced a white spot... does this mean we are going to see white spots on our television screens?

[submarine]

Should Black spots be put on the cloth, or just Xs ?
If not, why not, and if yes, why yes.
The Baulkline, The `D`, and other ball positions on televised Snooker, and tables erected for exhibition matches are marked with the white pencil, this serves a dual purpose. One, the white is more visual, and Two, it means the cloth when removed from the table bed, the white pencil can be easily erased and the cloth sold off, and used again.
Tweetens have recently introduced a white spot... does this mean we are going to see white spots on our television screens?

It's all about personal preference whether you use spots or not. I use spots at home as this prevents holes getting worn in the cloth as people tend to bang balls down onto the spots as course of habit which nips the cloth between ball and slate (you have probably noticed a top referee will roll the ball onto the spot to prevent this, a good habit to learn). Don't think we will be seeing white spots on tv for the same reason.

[Geoff Large]

The cloth in a club normaly lasts for 2 years , without spots especialy the black spot a divot will apear and then a hole , to get the full life from the cloth use spots , there are smaller spots available from office supply shops , but black is hard to source , wilkinsons hardware shops do a small spot kit on there office stand , which has multi coloured spots on them , they do Green spots on that strip , and these look less intrusive , and can not be noticed too much to the eye .
always iron these spots on the cloth to get them to seat well .
If it is youre own table at home , then it is upto you if you have spots on or not as it is you who will be paying for a recover when the rest of the cloth has life left in it , but you have a hole where the black spot should be .
To seat ball on the spot , place coloured ball with one hand on spot , take the cue ball and just click it across the top of the coloured ball once , this is all that is required to seat a ball , do not bang bang bang a ball on a spot , this draws dust under the cloth to one point and a small mountain will apear under the spot , the ball will never sit on this .

Geoff

[The Statman]

Yes at a public snooker hall, of course all and sundry will be using the tables and that is why they use black spots – to prevent big craters appearing. On a professional table it is not necessary because the tables are treated properly – as mentioned above, a referee will place the ball a short distance away from the spot and then roll it to the correct position.

Even with the spots, slight divots can occur and very often these do not fall exactly on the spot. You then get people who place the ball and watch it roll off into the divot – and then they pick up the ball and bang it hard onto the spot from 6 inches above. Of course, from that distance at that speed, it cannot be done with any accuracy and they either deepen the existing hole or help start a new one.

As mentioned above, if a ball doesn't spot correctly, the thing to do is to hold it in the correct position and then give it a small tap with another ball. In fact, I hold it in place by putting my finger right on the top of the ball, and then tap my fingertip with another ball – that way, you will never hit it too hard, otherwise it will hurt!

[paulthorne147]

I used to look after the tables at I private members club I worked at. What I used to do is get the table recovered and have x's put on them at first. Then when a small dip appeared in the cloth I would then put on the black dots so that they would be flush to the playing surface.

The reason I did this was because over time with black spots on the cloth they would become raised. This meant that when you were trying to re-spot a colour it kept rolling off the spot.

How many people have been in the situation where your in amongst the balls and the black when re-spotted only just passes another ball into the corner and you stand there for five minutes every time you pot the black while your opponent is trying to get it back on the spot without it rolling off?

I now play at Chelmsford Snooker Club with Ali Carter and the boys and when we play on the match tables they only use x's. In most clubs black dots are there to increase the life span of the cloth where they do not get recovered as often.

Happy re-spotting

[cantpotforshíte]

I've never known any decent player who those spots don't really annoy .. I see if they are applied properly, they serve a purpose, but they never are, and this just leads to people banging balls on the spots more than they would otherwise. When they used to have them in my old club, they just ended up getting torn off when they lipped over, or when it was nigh well impossible to spot a ball.
The best way to extend the life of a cloth is to not have the stick on spots, but, if you see a player on another table banging the ball upon the spot .. pick up a spare ball and bang it against his head with similar force, and the same number of times.

[Geoff Large]

When you strike a ball against a ball sitting on a spot , downward force is almost the same as forward force , this is the main reason that a divot apears , it is not just the constant replaceing of the ball that is just part of the problem . The striking area of the ball is making contact with the cue ball , the bottom of the spotted ball ball is making contact with the spot ( or cloth if removed from the spot )

Those very small office supply spots are the thinest and smallest you can buy ,ok they are not meant for the billiard trade but they are the best to use to improve play rather than use the american large standard spots sold by many billiard outlets, and when applied they should be ironed on slowly going over the spot with the hot iron this helps to soften the sticky back and bond it to the cloth , replace every week by table maintenmence and there should be no lifting or curling of the spot . in fact they will last a very long time before you have to replace them , but at around £1.50p for over 300 spots they are very affordable .
unless you have the permission of the table owner of the billiard hall or club , do not take the spots off , they are there for a reason .
Remember those TV tables are recovered every 3 days for the pro's , spots are not required in that situation ONLY .
But you can say on a match night remove the spots then replace for normal use during the week . for normal play and practice , do not remove spots .

It is all down to maintenence , it is not that the spots are not put on properly in the first place , its that they should be changed on a regular basis by the club or halls Table cleaning staff , if you buy tyres for youre car you have to check the pressure weekly to maintain optimum life span of the tyre , the billiard cloth is no differant , you have to maintain those spots to prlong the life of the cloth .

Geoff

[The Statman]

I would add to this, that if you are playing on a table where the ball really won't spot correctly, and the exact position of the spot is crucial for, say, whether a ball will pot past it, or whether the spotted ball is available to a certain pocket, then I will, in consultation with the other player, arrange to position the ball as close as it will go, ensuring the same amount of leeway for whichever ball will only just pass (etc.) – not necessarily on the centre-line of the table.

This is not strictly within the rules, but is far fairer for all concerned.

For example, say the black is to be spotted, and has to be placed as near as its spot as possible because a red is partially covering the spot. It will not go close because it's on the downward slope of the divot. This means that the ball will only go (on the centre line of the table) so far from the red that the red is pottable – which it shouldn't be.

We would come to a mutually agreed point as to where to place the black, so that all balls are/aren't available just as they would have been if the black could be correctly positioned.

Another example: the black SHOULD be spottable and a red will pot past it, but the black rolls off to make the red unpottable. We would hold the black in place using a ball marker, then look to see how well available the red is – and then put the black in a position that allows the same margin for error.

This is not an ideal situation but I feel it's the fairest method – only to be used where the spot is very poor!

[ryanah147]

I agree with both Geoff and Statman on the explanations they gave, but with one little reservation insofar as getting the paper spots from a stationary supplier. I had the misfortune to do that about 2 months ago, and thank goodness it was only a stretch on a table cloth and not a new recover. I was running out of black spots and my daughter suggested using some of the spots they use in her office. The spots were 10mm in size and looked the business. After marking out the table with my Xs, I then fixed the spots, but the minute I ran the iron over them they left a streak. I removed the remaining spots and just left the Xs.
On tables that have had a lot of play, especially in Snooker centres and where a ball is used to `batter`the black spot, I have on manys an occasion been called in by the owner who will say to me that he thinks there is a hole in the slate. When the bedcloth is removed I will call him and show to him the compressed chalk mounds, not only under the black spot, but under the remaining spot positions as well. The chalk mounds are removed with a quick run over with sandpaper, and the cloth re-fitted again.
Due to the lightweight cloths which are used today, club owners tend not to get their cloths stretched, just let them run their 2 year course and get the table recovered again. Stretching a cloth not only disturbs the old spot positions, it also re-positions the track marks which form in the pocket openings, thus allowing the balls to enter the pockets running over new cloth. When the bedcloths are removed from the table they are shaken out by the fitters, brushed and sometimes vacuumed before fitted. This will add new extra life to the cloth, and also eliminate the problems with chalk mounds.

[inevermissblue]

White Spots.

The most affordable option (practically free) is to use sticky white labels which are used in offices. Then all you need to do is use a whole punch and try to make as many spots as possible per label. These spots when punched will be a diameter of approximately 6mm which when positioned will spot the ball perfectly as not all of the ball will be on the spot, but also in contact with the cloth, holding it in position.

A word of advise though. Try not to be tempted into replacing these weekly as they will discolour, as the adhesive on them is very strong and with continual replacement will gradually remove the cloth fibres leaving a bald spot! not a very nice sight! Then this coupled with good ball spotting practises will solve the problem.:snooker: :snooker: :snooker:

[ryanah147]

The most affordable option (practically free) is to use sticky white labels which are used in offices. Then all you need to do is use a whole punch and try to make as many spots as possible per label. These spots when punched will be a diameter of approximately 6mm which when positioned will spot the ball perfectly as not all of the ball will be on the spot, but also in contact with the cloth, holding it in position.

A word of advise though. Try not to be tempted into replacing these weekly as they will discolour, as the adhesive on them is very strong and with continual replacement will gradually remove the cloth fibres leaving a bald spot! not a very nice sight! Then this coupled with good ball spotting practises will solve the problem.:snooker: :snooker: :snooker:

After the incident with the black paper spots I would be very reluctant to use anything but the black silk spots. Once bitten, twice shy

[RGCirencester]

Why not get a spare piece of cloth and test the spots out before hand if worried a obout any particular brand.

[bongo]

How about these:
http://snookerstuff.com/accessories.html#38

[ryanah147]

How about these:
http://snookerstuff.com/accessories.html#38

Thanks Bongo but I have since got a large supply of spots from P&F
Ryanah147

[inevermissblue]

Thanks Bongo but I have since got a large supply of spots from P&F
Ryanah147

Those black spots recommended by Bongo are the same regular spots that are used up and down the uk and god knows where else. The problem with these is that their surface area is slightly greater than the entire contact area of a ball. This in time makes the ball roll off its spot as we've all had this happen to us more than once i'm sure.

The sticky address labels are by far the best solution to this problem because as i mentioned before, they are only about 6mm in diameter so thats just slightly less in surface area as the ball which helps keep it in place as its also supported by the cloth. However you must leave them there until they actually come off! as the adhesive is very strong indeed.

I URGE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO TRY THIS AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! THEY ARE FANTASTIC!!!