Pocket Issue's.....

[syed18616]

Hi,

i am new to this forums but i have been playing snooker from past 8 years now. Love the game except that i live in US and there are not that many great place to improve my game. I live in Houston Texas and the Club that we have here got a Riley Table. The table have some issues like if you play a fast shot on the centre pockets the ball jumps back out on the table, and on the long pockets i have seen it come out of the pocket and off the table too. any ideas how we can get this issue fixed....again this is a full size snooker table...

[syed18616]

one more thing this is a 15 year old table.....but in good shape, new cloth....but old cushions and old leather on the pockets......

[bongo]

I would say that the only way you could get it fixed would be to get a table fitter out. That may be difficult considering you live in the US as I doubt there will be many snooker table fitters about. It's not something you can do yourself I'd say.

[bongo]

one more thing this is a 15 year old table.....but in good shape, new cloth....but old cushions and old leather on the pockets......

Balls bouncing out of middle pockets when played very hard is not uncommon with your type of table. I think even the professional tables were a little like that back then. I am not sure how bad it is on your table, obviously if it happens a lot then something is not right. There is a good table fitter on this forum, Geoff Large, who will probably be able to give you some advice.

[syed18616]

thanks for the respond... yes its true we dont realy have many experts here but as i stated that the leather on the pocket rails is prety old and also is tearing off.... do you thing that migh be a reason.....?

[barracuda911]

Sounds like the pocket plates are a bit low at the back. Probably been leaned on over time and bent downwards. See if you can bend them back up a little. BUT be careful doing this...you don't want to snap them.

[Terry Davidson]

geoff has just taken of for a week of work in Essex but I would wait for him to respond as he knows what he's talking about.

I suspect the pocket backing have dropped down and need to be raised as has been mentioned here, and be very careful if you try it. Rather that trying to bend them back you might want to try putting a small brass wedge under each side pin of the pocket to solidly prop it up.

Terry

[Geoff Large]

there could be a few reason as to why the ball is bouncing back onto the table and also off the table .

First centre pocket plate , not too many centre pockets can take a ball at speed without bounce back , even some steel plated cushioned tables with plates set further back will do it .
the more angled down wards the plate , the better chance that the ball deflects back off the plate down the fall rather than on the ridge of the fall , causing two things , bounce back of ball onto table , and pocket fall wear .
If you look at the template question on this forum with the picture's that slasher has provided , look at the Riley steel blocks cushioned centre pocket , can you see where the Ball is causing damage to the end of the wood capping , over time this will become very unsightley , BUT it is a common fault with steel block tables .

In my opinion steel block centre pockets are worse for wear than any standard cushion .
on not just the cushion cloth wear , but also the slate fall area .

Corner pocket's with ball bouncing upwards is prob caused by low rubber at the point of impact , or low pocket plates at the rear of the pocket .

the best pocket plates I have seen are off the Thurston Jubilee table , these being scooped at the back to take the ball directly downwards , and also they have alarge mass area of brass , also they have the largest leathers that i have ever fitted to a pocket plate .
Todays modern ( since the 1990s ) match table's pocket plates are changing in design , but if you compare them to the thurston jubilee you will find that , they are getting very close to the jubilee's pocket design of the 1970s . in not just mass of broad bow , but in scoop downward defection also .