Kicks off the baulk colour spots

[cazmac1]

I notice for some time now on many of the tables in our club that when i get to the baulk colours I get massive kicks robbing me of some big breaks. This don't make sense to me as these should be the least potting balls so should play better off there spots than say the pink or black but this is not the case.
Can anyone give me a reason why this should happen and has anyone eles experienced this.

[perpetualboredom]

I notice for some time now on many of the tables in our club that when i get to the baulk colours I get massive kicks robbing me of some big breaks. This don't make sense to me as these should be the least potting balls so should play better off there spots than say the pink or black but this is not the case.
Can anyone give me a reason why this should happen and has anyone eles experienced this.

You pot them later on in the frame, so more chalk on the cue ball?

[cazmac1]

Its an idea, but I think its more to do with the indentation in the cloth. Its the same when pacticing the colour off the spots.

[blackballgame]

One of the table's in my club the slate by the Baulk Line sit's a bit high'er than the again'st the blue spot which i noticed when i play'ed a red to the yellow pocket and it jumped on the baulk line

And on a few other's i believe it's the same thing because the baulk color's can't sit on the Baulk Line, they move forward about 5mm

[hotpot]

I can think of two reasons . If they are the larger spots then sometimes the balls roll off the edge and then sometimes bounce a bit off the spot .

And if its like our club especiall the blue spot there is actually an indentation there where people have been banging the balls on the spots instead of rolling then on .

I hate playing long blues off the spot as i know they are going to bounce , especially with any pace .

The best spots i,ve seen are the small ones , their roughly half the size of normal ones and the balls spot much easier withount rolling off .

[lennon11]

"And if its like our club especiall the blue spot there is actually an indentation there where people have been banging the balls on the spots instead of rolling then on "


i think this is the most likley reason.

[cazmac1]

I too think banging the balls down on the spots is the reason for the dents in the cloth. But the point I'm making is that the black ball spot also has a dent in it but rarely kicks/jump. If the black jumped/ kicked like the baulk colours you would not be able to play on the table. I can only assume that as the black is potted over and over again into the black pockets that there must be some kind of path to the pocket worn into the cloth not visible to naked eye. Or it could be that the baulk colours are sitting on the there spots for longer so settle in to the spot or even stick in some way causing greater resistance when hit.

[hotpot]

Good question , another explanation could be that the black spot has worn flatter because its used so much , where the baulk colours are not .

Balls do jump off spots because they are not entirely flush with the surface . But the black , pink may well be worn flusher .

I bet the spots used Today Have,nt changed much since they first came out , i dont see why they cant make them like tracing paper thin , sure this would help .

[cazmac1]

Has anyone notice that if you have a dent on the spot and then try your very best to put the sticky spot exactly over the hole/dent, the ball still wants to role off.
I'm sure that I've seen spots that have a felt like texture on them yet I don't seem to be able to find these any where, has any body seen these?

[hotpot]

Caz have a look for the small spots i,ve only seen them on one table and the balls spot and dont roll at all .

[cazmac1]

Caz have a look for the small spots i,ve only seen them on one table and the balls spot and dont roll at all .

I'm using small white sticky spots at the moment.
I've also notice that if you go up close to the spot and push the cloth it will go down. This means that the cloth has a dent in both sides of the cloth an air pocket if you like, I think this it what causes a lot of the problems, it' might actually be better to use a larger spot with a small dot marked within it this might strengthen the area around the spot. "Maybe". The thing is I have to do something as the table is getting bad now and I can't see Riley’s re-clothing for a while, although I think I'll start putting some small pressure on the manager

[DWOT]

I'm using small white sticky spots at the moment.
I've also notice that if you go up close to the spot and push the cloth it will go down. This means that the cloth has a dent in both sides of the cloth an air pocket if you like, I think this it what causes a lot of the problems, it' might actually be better to use a larger spot with a small dot marked within it this might strengthen the area around the spot. "Maybe". The thing is I have to do something as the table is getting bad now and I can't see Riley’s re-clothing for a while, although I think I'll start putting some small pressure on the manager

If it's anything like the table I play on then the actual slate itself is in need of filling next time it gets reclothed, due to numpties banging the balls onto the spots rather then rolling them on.

[Geoff Large]

If it's anything like the table I play on then the actual slate itself is in need of filling next time it gets reclothed, due to numpties banging the balls onto the spots rather then rolling them on.

when recovering tables I find this , a Ball that is banged on it's spot will leave a Mountain of compacted dust , NOT A DENT in the slate so NO need for filling .
you find this on badly maintained tables that have not been cleaned too often , the chalk dust that finds its way through the weave , is vibrated along under the cloth towards the banging of the spot , as more and more chalk dust is attracted towards the spot it can go no where else so the banging starts to compact dust under the spot area , building a small mountain so to speak , as a white ball is pocketed it is always put back in the Baulk D , an area where the lower colours are , you rechalk youre tip to break off again , and more chalk gets deposited on the cloth to work it's way through under the cloth .
this happens under EVERY SPOT , not just the lower colour baulk spots .
a stetch half way through the cloths life and the fitter can clean the slate of chalk residue , shake the cloth outside to get even more dust out and refit .
this should cure the balls from kicking and jumping .

UNLESS you have worn too much of a divot in the Cloth where the spot sits ,

The slate will not have a divot worn in .in over 36 years of fitting I have never seen a divot in the slate worn in by banging balls on the spots , but have seen divots in cloth that have worn right through to the slate .

but with softer chinese slate that is being produced now , it may be a possibilty to see worn slate , but I have never seen it . Iv'e seen sagging bowed slates , and damaged slate that has been caused by a fitter dropping it , but never worn out slate due to balls banging on spots .

[Geoff Large]

Casmac1 , I noticed you said that the Snooker club will not recover but you will put pressure on the manager ?

Now I have no reason to tell porkys about these type of clubs but these are my findings .

may I remind anyone that a certain brand of Snooker club buisness is nothing to do with a certain manufacturer branding of table's , it was sold many years ago to just a leisure operator and sold again since then , they work on margins that mean , they will not pay over a certain amount for cloth they tell you where to get the cloth from and then pay VERY LOW money to have it fitted in the main by cowboys not fully trained billiard fitters , the Table would have to be almost worn through to the slate if not allready , before it is considered for recovering .


I have worked in clubs with low budgets either due to them being tight or because membership has fallen and they need to save money , but they allways pay for some maintanace on an ongoing basis , not wait until it is impossible to play the game on the table .

Next time you go into a club ( ANY CLUB ) check to see how many broken rails pockets , or worn out nets and leathers there are , or worn through to the slate cloths in the slate fall area .
also how much crap is under the cushion run area .
are the tables ironed and brushed regular .
You will find that a club that has regular work like stretching and cleaning slates and sewing replacement pockets on when required , is a busy club and will not have a problem with the spot area and balls jumping , those that ignore maintanance in the name of higher profit margins will eventualy go out of buisness by closeing more and more outlets down .

sounds familiar does it not ?

[Acrowot]

Two of the tables where I play were recovered a few weeks ago. I was chatting to the fitter about the spot not working very well and thought that there were dents in the cloth through balls being banged on them. He told me what Geoff has just pointed out and as he took the cloth off, showed me where the dust had made a little mound under the spots and gone very hard indeed. He cleaned it off with sand paper.

The tables do not have spots on them, just small white crosses. They do not get cleaned very well and the man that cleans them does the brushing in a semi circular way and even uses a vacuum cleaner at times..Nobody dares to ask for the tables to be cleaned more often either. He is a big man and does not like to be questioned. I would like to show him the way to brush the tables, but dare not do it .... lol.

These tables are very slow, yet the heating is very warm. It takes a lot of doing to make the balls move any distance without smashing them as hard as you can at times.

Hope this does not get back to this club or my name will be mud!
:snooker: