Cueing at the Speed of Sound

[Cannonball]

Yeah I understand that . What he said was " it would eliminate kicks overnight " .... No... It would show where a players has not Cued it well but it would not stop balls from physically kicking lol ....

Looks like I can read after all

Maybe if he had said " it would show when a ball was missed by throw instead of a kick "

Applause for not kicking! lol

I do like the polka dot ball and it's standard in pool (note to self: don't mention pool CB, whatever you do!) and it really shows what the player is up to, provides some good slo-mo replays as well. It should be standard in snooker. Mr BS is right in this regard, we can be a bit fuddy-duddy.

Ok, the boring bit: "Not so. If aramith balls kick more due to the cloth used on billiards tables, and aramith hold monopoly, changing the cloth could be the answer. Measles balls show where a player has struck the cue ball, which would eliminate 90% of "kicks" overnight, as we could all instantly see it was a poorly struck shot, and not a bad contact."

I understand Mr BS here, what he means is that the kicks would be eliminated in the pundits' and our eyes in the sense that we'd see they weren't kicks at all, just bad cueing (when the mumps ball is used in conjunction with a superior cloth such as the Precision Pro). Though his sentence is poorly worded and ambiguous, implying what you understood to be bogus, i.e. a mumps ball itself would magically eliminate 90% of kicks no matter who or how it was struck.

W.r.t. the mumps ball. It is whiter than a regular TC/1g, the travel is smoother and purer and it does kick less IME. Don't ask me why, because it makes no sense given they're the same material. That's just how it rolls!

[vmax4steve]

The measles cue ball, what about us ordinary joe's down the club, what do we have to do ? stare at the cue ball all the time. It will prove nothing as unwanted side on the cue ball simply makes you miss the pot, not get a bad contact. You can hear the bad contact when you get one, you can see the result; I don't hear this sound when I play a shot with side, get on board, it's the phenolic resin that isn't fit for purpose, SC balls and nylon resin balls don't kick for no reason like the PR balls do.

[Cannonball]

The measles cue ball, what about us ordinary joe's down the club, what do we have to do ? stare at the cue ball all the time. It will prove nothing as unwanted side on the cue ball simply makes you miss the pot, not get a bad contact. You can hear the bad contact when you get one, you can see the result; I don't hear this sound when I play a shot with side, get on board, it's the phenolic resin that isn't fit for purpose, SC balls and nylon resin balls don't kick for no reason like the PR balls do.

Steve, get with it man. You can pick up a mumps balls for £12 on ebay. It's hardly expensive. But you're right, you can hear a bad contact which brings us back to cueing at the speed of sound, a nice sound. As for tv, it would be instructive for both the viewer/player to see what the pros do right and wrong; that's learning.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

The measles cue ball, what about us ordinary joe's down the club, what do we have to do ? stare at the cue ball all the time. It will prove nothing as unwanted side on the cue ball simply makes you miss the pot, not get a bad contact. You can hear the bad contact when you get one, you can see the result; I don't hear this sound when I play a shot with side, get on board, it's the phenolic resin that isn't fit for purpose, SC balls and nylon resin balls don't kick for no reason like the PR balls do.

Players don't always know when they've applied unwanted side, even pros. Furthermore, our eyes and brains adapt automatically when our fundamentals are a little off - it is not uncommon at all to butcher shots left, right and centre, and still make them. This makes no sense given side spin adds 1. Deflection, 2. Swerve (potentially) and 3. Spin Induced throw.

A measles ball is an instant health check on how you are cueing - not to mention being way, way cooler. On which point, i remember all the wailing and gnashing of teeth when they were first introduced for league nights, people had a fit. Not one will go back now, several years down the line. Change is a funny thing: no one likes the idea of it; no one will ever go back (new coke being the exception that proves the rule).

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

Applause for not kicking! lol

I do like the polka dot ball and it's standard in pool (note to self: don't mention pool CB, whatever you do!) and it really shows what the player is up to, provides some good slo-mo replays as well. It should be standard in snooker. Mr BS is right in this regard, we can be a bit fuddy-duddy.

Ok, the boring bit: "Not so. If aramith balls kick more due to the cloth used on billiards tables, and aramith hold monopoly, changing the cloth could be the answer. Measles balls show where a player has struck the cue ball, which would eliminate 90% of "kicks" overnight, as we could all instantly see it was a poorly struck shot, and not a bad contact."

I understand Mr BS here, what he means is that the kicks would be eliminated in the pundits' and our eyes in the sense that we'd see they weren't kicks at all, just bad cueing (when the mumps ball is used in conjunction with a superior cloth such as the Precision Pro). Though his sentence is poorly worded and ambiguous, implying what you understood to be bogus, i.e. a mumps ball itself would magically eliminate 90% of kicks no matter who or how it was struck.

W.r.t. the mumps ball. It is whiter than a regular TC/1g, the travel is smoother and purer and it does kick less IME. Don't ask me why, because it makes no sense given they're the same material. That's just how it rolls!

My dear boy, my sentence was not poorly worded or ambiguous. It was, as ever, supoib. Not my fault so many cannot follow narrative.

[Cannonball]

My dear boy, my sentence was not poorly worded or ambiguous. It was, as ever, supoib. Not my fault so many cannot follow narrative.

I await the return of Byrom to have a think and then a word on this whole matter of the king of the mountains cue ball. If he thinks it's a goer, he can start one of his infamous petitions to WS. I'd be in favour.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

I await the return of Byrom to have a think and then a word on this whole matter of the king of the mountains cue ball. If he thinks it's a goer, he can start one of his infamous petitions to WS. I'd be in favour.

Now i KNOW you are trolling.

[Cannonball]

I've owned the king of the mountains 1g for about 3yrs now. Why wouldn't I be in favour? The polka dot ball would be a great way for viewers and players to understand the mechanics of throw.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

I've owned the king of the mountains 1g for about 3yrs now. Why wouldn't I be in favour? The polka dot ball would be a great way for viewers and players to understand the mechanics of throw.

Lol. Fish on Friday, not Tuesday.

[vmax4steve]

Players don't always know when they've applied unwanted side, even pros. Furthermore, our eyes and brains adapt automatically when our fundamentals are a little off - it is not uncommon at all to butcher shots left, right and centre, and still make them. This makes no sense given side spin adds 1. Deflection, 2. Swerve (potentially) and 3. Spin Induced throw.

Instead of arguing with me, get yourself an old set of SC balls and give them a go and see and hear the difference. I'm not making this up you know, I've nothing to gain from it. Snooker from 1973 to around 1990 used SC balls on well napped cloths with no table heaters and this problem didn't exist to anywhere near the extent it does now, there's a cold, hard logic to this that everyones seems to be missing.

"But I don't get many bad contacts" I hear some of you say, No ! you're wrong, you do but you don't recognise them, you're so used to the way these PR balls behave as it's all you've ever known.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

Instead of arguing with me, get yourself an old set of SC balls and give them a go and see and hear the difference. I'm not making this up you know, I've nothing to gain from it. Snooker from 1973 to around 1990 used SC balls on well napped cloths with no table heaters and this problem didn't exist to anywhere near the extent it does now, there's a cold, hard logic to this that everyones seems to be missing.

"But I don't get many bad contacts" I hear some of you say, No ! you're wrong, you do but you don't recognise them, you're so used to the way these PR balls behave as it's all you've ever known.

Who's arguing? It is a fact many players shout "kick!" when they've miss hit a shot, with either ball.

But I'm still not convinced. PR balls don't kick like crazy on pool tables and I really don't see the cloth making that much of a difference. Anyone know if C8B tables use the same cloth as snooker tables? If they do, it would be interesting to see how many kicks they get in comparison.

[Cannonball]

BYROM! We have an emergency on level 9. Come in Byrom, come in...................................

[Terry Davidson]

Who's arguing? It is a fact many players shout "kick!" when they've miss hit a shot, with either ball.

But I'm still not convinced. PR balls don't kick like crazy on pool tables and I really don't see the cloth making that much of a difference. Anyone know if C8B tables use the same cloth as snooker tables? If they do, it would be interesting to see how many kicks they get in comparison.

The answer is pool cloths have NO nap. In addition I agree with vmax here, I can remember playing with both the Vitalite balls and the SC balls and a kick was a very rare thing and believe me I have enough experience to know when I get a kick.

I should also add on my own table with a 6811 cloth, clean 1G balls and no heaters I still get tons of kicks. I happen to have a set of nearly-new Vitalite balls here and I have tried them on my table and experienced no kicks although the balls are much lighter than the 1Gs.

It might also be the fact that pool balls are bigger and heavier than snooker balls and have less tendency to 'climb' the object ball or bounce when screw is applied.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

The answer is pool cloths have NO nap. In addition I agree with vmax here, I can remember playing with both the Vitalite balls and the SC balls and a kick was a very rare thing and believe me I have enough experience to know when I get a kick.

I should also add on my own table with a 6811 cloth, clean 1G balls and no heaters I still get tons of kicks. I happen to have a set of nearly-new Vitalite balls here and I have tried them on my table and experienced no kicks although the balls are much lighter than the 1Gs.

It might also be the fact that pool balls are bigger and heavier than snooker balls and have less tendency to 'climb' the object ball or bounce when screw is applied.

What about English pool? Same compound, but much smaller and lighter balls. They should be bouncing all over the place by your reckoning. Yet few kicks...

What is so different about a napped cloth? Why should a napped cloth kick more than an unnapped cloth? I would like to see some rigorous scientific experimentation before i believe it because, at the moment, i ain't buying it. Sounds like 2+2=87 to me.

[vmax4steve]

What about English pool? Same compound, but much smaller and lighter balls. They should be bouncing all over the place by your reckoning. Yet few kicks...

What is so different about a napped cloth? Why should a napped cloth kick more than an unnapped cloth? I would like to see some rigorous scientific experimentation before i believe it because, at the moment, i ain't buying it. Sounds like 2+2=87 to me.

Nap gives a resistance to the ball rolling, like playing football in long grass, the more resistance to the ball rolling and any friction between the balls on contact is magnified. English pool on coin operated tables the cue ball is smaller, maybe this is why it doesn't climb the object ball as readily and kicks and bad contacts aren't as easily identifiable, but they're happening all the same.

Terry is another on this forum who is over fifty and remembers the SC snooker balls, very few kicks and bad contacts, and if he says the lighter Vitalite balls don't kick either then weight isn't the problem so it must be the material.