Pocket size

[Leapfrog11]

Hi there

I have a table at home and i was wondering what size the pro pockets are. My table seems awful tight compared to the club pockets!!

[Terry Davidson]

Normally around 3.35" to 3.5" corner pockets) across the fall of the slate and the pocket opening cannot narrow after the fall of the slate. What you need is a set of templates to check properly. I have some drawings of pocket openings which I could email to you. My email is 'terrydavidson45(at)gmail(dot)com'

Terry

[Leapfrog11]

Thanks very much Terry I will let you know how I get on with the templates

[jarcher]

One of the most important things i've discovered is the slate drop is wrong.... this can dramatically affect how the pocket plays.

With regards to the templates.... if you can get access to a bandsaw, print out the template, spray mount it to the wood, then cut them out. I did this last week and now have a full set of templates for my table

IMG_3993.jpg

[Terry Davidson]

jarcher:

The problem with your solution is they won't show the undercut of the cushion. The IBSF templates are made to show that as are the B&SCC, but I've never seen the WPBSA ones.

The undercut plays a very important part in how the pockets play. For instance today I'm playing a tournament at a club where the undercut is wrong but the pocket opening is about right (Wiraka tables) however it's almost impossible to make a ball along the cushion because the wood of the cushion sticks out into the pocket opening (in other words the pocket sides are cut vertical, somewhat like the old billiards pockets).

Terry

[moglet]

.......but I've never seen the WPBSA ones.

The WPBSA templated pockets are NOT undercut, the cushion nose profile is maintained round the jaw.

[jarcher]

As Moglet rightly pointed out, there is no undercut on the wpbsa cushions, and have to say, with cushions cut accurately to these templates and with the slate adjusted to the correct drop, they are great to play on, more so with No.10 bed cloth and I'd recommend 6811 tournament for the cushions as it will last longer than No.10 on the cushions.

[Leapfrog11]

This is a pic of my pocket. The slate drop is the curve nearest to the pocket.

What do ye think lads?

[throtts]

What do ye think lads?

Not a lot because cannot see the pic..

[Leapfrog11]

I have the pic in my iphone but having trouble putting it up��

[jarcher]

LeapFrog11,

Hi mate, drop me an email with your pics to jarcher at me dot com.

I'm currently recovering a friends table who was complaining about his middle pockets being too tight. All of his cushions matched my templates perfectly, as did the slate for the corners, but the slate fall for his middles was way out, so I'm actually having to file the slate away so they match and will give him a fully wpbsa tournament spec table, and I have to say, I love it. Even though the pockets are tight, they are receptive and take the ball well, just like tv.

I'd highly recommend for anyone doing a table up to use these templates as your game would improve dramatically, and improve confidence knowing you we're making breaks on the same setup as the pros.

Sometimes a properly cut tight pocket is easier to pot into than bigger pockets btw

[Leapfrog11]

Thanks for the reply Jarcher,

I will send you on the pic if you could send me on your email

Regards

Ger

[jarcher]

Lol read the end of my first line in my last post

[Leapfrog11]

Lol its late d eyes are weary will do tomorrow

Cheers m8

[Terry Davidson]

I used the wrong terminology when I said 'undercut'. What I meant was what the pocket opening is shaped like underneath the nose of the cushion (I don't know the correct term).

I just played a tournament at a club yesterday with Wiraka tables where the shape of the pocket is almost straight down from the nose of the cushion and balls going into a corner pocket will hit both the nose of the cushion and the wood of the rail underneath the nose. Because of this the pocket opening narrowed after the fall of the slate. These tables played like crap. The only way to pot a ball along the top cushion was at dead weight.

The weird thing was the owner was told this by the table fitter who offered to fix the problem and the owner refused as he didn't want to pay the extra money for the labour even though having pockets which are shaped right and will take a ball would most likely increase his business.

So moglet or jarcher...what is the proper term for the area underneath the nose of the cushion? I am under the assumption it should slope from the nose down somewhere around 60degrees as opposed to virtually 90degrees as these tables were.

Terry