Pocket size for beginners

[Shockerz]

Our tables are the old billiard tables but has the pockets opened to standard with templates (I think 3 1/2 inch?) and this appeased all the members in the 1980's.

Nowadays we have two teams that play on table 2 which are in the lower division and they have been moaning for years that the pockets aren't right (which means they aren't good enough and don't want to put the work in to improve), this this has been raised annually.

I folded in the end and had that table enlarged so they are now like buckets. The worst players play on this table and the better players play on the 1st table so both sets of people now enjoy their games and the lesser players are actually now happier as they pot more (as there is more margin for error).

What happens when they play away? Well one of the teams is bottom of the league the the other one is in the bottom half.

The other table? The two top teams are join top in division one.

I agree if you just play for enjoyment and realistically don't focus on improvement techniques then use the buckets but for any one serious I cannot see masking the truth is the answer.

We played on a really old billiard table the other day and it was clear how many of us didn't pot the ball in the middle and you can't hit it at 100mph off the jaw as it isn't cut that way!

[itsnoteasy]

This thread is about beginners, folk with no technique, or limited technique I'm guessing. Surely playing on these old style billiard tables would wreck them? I don't know what the right size is to make everyone happy, it's probably best to do what Shockerz did and have different size pockets on different tables and folk can graduate to the tighter tables as and when they feel right.

[Shockerz]

This thread is about beginners, folk with no technique, or limited technique I'm guessing. Surely playing on these old style billiard tables would wreck them? I don't know what the right size is to make everyone happy, it's probably best to do what Shockerz did and have different size pockets on different tables and folk can graduate to the tighter tables as and when they feel right.

As a balance, this is possibly the happiest everyone has been with the choice of tables as a whole.

The moans at the moment are around rests being too light so I guess at that point that's close to meeting their needs.

[markz]

As a balance, this is possibly the happiest everyone has been with the choice of tables as a whole.

The moans at the moment are around rests being too light so I guess at that point that's close to meeting their needs.

Snooker players moaning? Never! Lol

[Leo]

This thread is about beginners, folk with no technique, or limited technique I'm guessing. Surely playing on these old style billiard tables would wreck them? I don't know what the right size is to make everyone happy, it's probably best to do what Shockerz did and have different size pockets on different tables and folk can graduate to the tighter tables as and when they feel right.

It is, people who're beginning to play, those who want to gain a bit of confidence etc or lesser players so to speak. No one on this forum except Chappy play on 3.15" pockets . The majority of us play on 3.5"

[Shockerz]

Snooker players moaning? Never! Lol

I always find a good stuffing gives them something to moan about, especially when you mutter that's the worst I hit the ball this year as you walk away.

[itsnoteasy]

Shockerz have you had new players come in, start on the big bags ,get hooked a bit and move over to the other table?
I went the otherway round in a way ,started out on the tightest table, just by accident as it was out the way in the corner, but moved to the 3 1/2 inch tables as they got recovered and were really nice to play on for a while.

[Shockerz]

Shockerz have you had new players come in, start on the big bags ,get hooked a bit and move over to the other table?
I went the otherway round in a way ,started out on the tightest table, just by accident as it was out the way in the corner, but moved to the 3 1/2 inch tables as they got recovered and were really nice to play on for a while.

It's funny really as the tighter table has turned into the number 1 table so as players get better they feel the need to play on this one (don't forget though, I said the tighter table is now standard;
since the 80's (3.5)); the one with the buckets has had the angles changed to be even more receptive!

As I said, originally they were both billiard tables with the really tight pockets so not quite the same scenario as billiard sizes vs 3.5.

Every now and again I and others play on table 2 as the other ones busy and it's nice to get bigger breaks but I'm always looking for feedback on if I'm cueing straight; you certainly get more confidence with big pockets.

It stands to reason you will pot more on a table with bigger pockets if you are not exactly straight; if you pot equally the same on both tables then you are either potting the ball right in the middle or missing by a lot so the additional size doesn't come into it. If it's bigger it's bigger.

[Shockerz]

One thing I didn't mention was that we have 2 clubs who only have old billiard tables that I can barely get 3 fingers in the pockets.

Their players are more than tactical (and there are 8 teams) as they have ruled out playing a lot of shots as they become high risk. One of their betters players practices some 14 miles away as he enjoys the standard type pockets as he can play the full range of shots and the players are more aggressive in their style of play.

When we play there we naturally become more conservative. It does make you think a little when you have a black just off the cushion 4ft from the pocket; do I hit it dead weight, stun it, play it safe? It does make a difference.

Saw one black rolled along the bottom cushion a little over dead weight last year and rattle, it makes you think and twinge a little when playing for a team!

[Shockerz]

Tight pockets and slow cloths, now there's a debate..........

[Ramon]

[QUOTE=Shockerz;865932]Tight pockets and slow cloths, now there's a debate..........[/QUOTE]

haha, looks like u enjoy . that's nice. it's a interesting debate anyway.

Well , believe it or not, these errors that you mentioned in your post, after a while gonna be your second nature if you do'nt do sum about it. It's gonna be a bad habit and stays with you for the rest of your life.
What if i told you, i know a player who played on those match tables with tight pockets. after a while, he changed his club and they had only tables with large pockets. His cue action and his level was dramatically changed. He could'nt play well any more. in the first few weeks was too easy to play on those tables cuz he could afford a few mistakes ( errors )in his cueaction. He did'nt focus anymore as he did when he played on those match tables (an that happened subconsciously ). strange story , i know.
No one said, you do'nt have to play the game with those club tables.
As we already know, Not every club in each country has match tables. and not everyone has money to buy his own table.
If you go to the club and there re those tables with large pockets, just play the game, nothing wrong with it.
There are also people who are less serious about this game. those people visit the club to pott a few balls and enjoy.
but personally, I do agree with j6 and Chappy . looking to the pockets for solutions and improve is not the answer to player's mistakes and problems.
Also those peaple from world snooker who decided about the size of those pockets, have more experience comperd to us, imo.
I'm gonna open a bottle of wine and wish you all a prosperous 2016 .
no worrys, everything gonna be okey .

[Leo]

[QUOTE=Ramon;865933]

Tight pockets and slow cloths, now there's a debate..........[/QUOTE]

haha, looks like u enjoy . that's nice. it's a interesting debate anyway.

Well , believe it or not, these errors that you mentioned in your post, after a while gonna be your second nature if you do'nt do sum about it. It's gonna be a bad habit and stays with you for the rest of your life.
What if i told you, i know a player who played on those match tables with tight pockets. after a while, he changed his club and they had only tables with large pockets. His cue action and his level was dramatically changed. He could'nt play well any more. in the first few weeks was too easy to play on those tables cuz he could afford a few mistakes ( errors )in his cueaction. He did'nt focus anymore as he did when he played on those match tables (an that happened subconsciously ). strange story , i know.
No one said, you do'nt have to play the game with those club tables.
As we already know, Not every club in each country has match tables. and not everyone has money to buy his own table.
If you go to the club and there re those tables with large pockets, just play the game, nothing wrong with it.
There are also people who are less serious about this game. those people visit the club to pott a few balls and enjoy.
but personally, I do agree with j6 and Chappy . looking to the pockets for solutions and improve is not the answer to player's mistakes and problems.
Also those peaple from world snooker who decided about the size of those pockets, have more experience comperd to us, imo.
I'm gonna open a bottle of wine and wish you all a prosperous 2016 .
no worrys, everything gonna be okey .

Your player you know is full of tripe Ramon,

[barrywhite]

I'm with Leo 3.5'' is plenty. Personally I think 3.25'' is ideal, especially for break building practice around the pink and black. You can take the increased accuracy to other clubs and screw balls into the middle with confidence because you've played on a tighter table. But the breaks will be smaller even for good and very good players. There's a table I know where the Trump shot down the rail cannot be played into a 3.25 at pace. A pot down the rail has to be played at near drop pace to pot the ball. That's a pain but the table wasn't built a hundred years ago for Trump.

However, for Beginners, 3.5'' is fine, 3.75'' the absolute limit I can swallow. If they're missing by a bit with those pockets, what you gonna do, increase to 4'', then 5'' if they still can't hit 50s? The whole point of being a beginner in snooker is that you hit 16s, then 20s, then 30s a year down the line, then 50s, then tons, etc. It's supposed to take: Time + Dedication + Love = Snooker!

We don't need to change the tables too much, we need to change the couch kids a lot! UK kids need to take some lessons off their Chinese breathren and get off their fat beep beep beep! Parents could do more, but they're SKY/lager/wino muppets so where is the hope for a country that dreams of getting rich quick, getting famous quick, with less and less effort?

Do you think the FA will make goals wider because less kids are playing? LOL!

[Ramon]

[QUOTE=Leo;865934]

Your player you know is full of tripe Ramon,

that could be one of the possibilities , indeed.
btw, you do'nt have to change ur post so fast .You may be abit upset about my posts.
i do'nt mind.
Have a nice 2016.

[Leo]

[QUOTE=Ramon;865937]

that could be one of the possibilities , indeed.
btw, you do'nt have to change ur post so fast .You may be abit upset about my posts.
i do'nt mind.
Have a nice 2016.

And you Ramon. I'm going to spend a lot of 2016 over on the Darts forum.