Coral tour chanpionchip

[vmax]

No one mentions Reardon, six world titles and didn't turn pro until he was 35 and way past his peak because there was no professional game back then.
We tend to forget these monsters of the game in the 60's and 70's who paved the way for Steve Davis and co to follow. How good were they when they were young ?

BTW mine is Alex Higgins because he played with so much flair, panache and side all the time, and that's why he wasn't consistant.
When he beat Davis in the UK after being 7-0 down he said after the match that he simply wanted to prove that if he wanted to grind out a result he could do it, he simpy chose not to. A flawed character with a technique to match he had no right to make the shots and breaks that he did and that's why he was loved by the public who saw those flaws in themselves so Alex was doing it for them as well as himself.

I wonder how many of the modern players would cope with a change to heavier balls, tighter pockets and a heavier cloth, coffin shade lighting and thick cigarette smoke hanging over the table.

[Ronnie's tip]

No one mentions Reardon, six world titles and didn't turn pro until he was 35 and way past his peak because there was no professional game back then.
We tend to forget these monsters of the game in the 60's and 70's who paved the way for Steve Davis and co to follow. How good were they when they were young ?

BTW mine is Alex Higgins because he played with so much flair, panache and side all the time, and that's why he wasn't consistant.
When he beat Davis in the UK after being 7-0 down he said after the match that he simply wanted to prove that if he wanted to grind out a result he could do it, he simpy chose not to. A flawed character with a technique to match he had no right to make the shots and breaks that he did and that's why he was loved by the public who saw those flaws in themselves so Alex was doing it for them as well as himself.

I wonder how many of the modern players would cope with a change to heavier balls, tighter pockets and a heavier cloth, coffin shade lighting and thick cigarette smoke hanging over the table.

Isn't it a fact that the pockets have become tighter after that era?

[jonny66]

Isn't it a fact that the pockets have become tighter after that era?

The only table in the world that has tight pockets is the table vmax plays on, according to vmax.

[Odrl]

I can imagine how terrible this was for you. But soon you will be able to see the match on youtube.

I just read in you profile that you are from Slowenia! I live only 15 km away from the boarder in Hungary. Every two or three months I drive to Lendava for shopping at Lidl. Everytime I think: When will the Hungarians see how far behind they are concerning the development of their country? Seems like they don't care or like they are not interested...
If you visit me, you can play snooker free! Check my photo album.

Thank you. :smile: I don't think I've actually ever been to Hungary, at least not as an adult. I don't like to travel a lot, but I did make a decision to try to be more adventurous this year, so who knows... I definitely suck at snooker though, that much I do know. :smile:

Sorry for the late reply, they only fixed my connection this morning, so I literally missed all the snooker over the weekend. :frown:

Is it worth watching the second SF and the final? I don't usually watch matches I already know the result of, but I might make an exception in this case if the snooker was good. :smile:

[Mark187187]

For me, knowing the results, I wouldn't watch the final. The best snooker was probably Ronnie's performance in the second session against Judd (can't remember if that was the first or second semi), and definitely worth a watch.

[arsalanjami]

Ronnie/Judd...Ronnie/Neil
another good match was Neil vs Judd in the last tournament when Neil came back at him hard. what a match.

[Ronnie's tip]

The latter parts of Robertson vs Selby as well, though it was more due to the tension which is lost when you know the score.

[vmax]

Isn't it a fact that the pockets have become tighter after that era?

Where do you get your facts, I played in that era, still do as the table I play on was made in the 1950's, the pockets are the same and I use my own super crystalate balls.

The only table in the world that has tight pockets is the table vmax plays on, according to vmax.

Not everyone has the luxury of playing on bucket pocket club tables or pro tables using the more generous pocket templates of world snooker. The table I play on was won by the club in 1958 when they took the national club championship, and though it's beast of a thing to play on it takes pride of place in the clubs match room.
There's no name on it but the pockets are nothing like the ones most of you are used to, a 50 break on it is rare for if a ball is anywhere near a cushion then it has to go dead centre of the pocket for balls will not deflect in off the jaws, even the black off its spot is tough if you're playing with power.

I quote Geoff Large who said that certain tables have a cut of pocket that throws the ball across the pocket rather than into it, this table is one of them. The other three tables in the club are nothing like it but the rooms they are in are too confined and you have to shuffle into your stance from close to the wall or you're up against another table in too many places.

If you haven't played on such a table then you really have no opinion, ask anyone in north devon who's a player and they will tell you the match table of the Barnstaple Liberal Club is a bitch. The police social club is worse but thankfully they no longer play in the league, Ilfracombe Liberal Club is also a bitch of a table, a very old and very ornate bitch, I must take some pictures some time.

[Ronnie's tip]

Where do you get your facts, I played in that era, still do as the table I play on was made in the 1950's, the pockets are the same and I use my own super crystalate balls.
.

I'm only going by what i've heard Neal Foulds, Steve Savis, Jimmy White etc say on tv. They've all said plenty of times they've tightened up the pockets compared to the 80s. I don't know anything from personal experience.

[Zelig]

I have recently seen live the table used in the last "champion of champions" - it came straight to the club after the final - and the pockets are the smallest I have ever seen. The only comparable ones are those I have seen on the Star table of an Academy for pros. I suspect from these experiences that pockets are smaller now than before, but finding out the truth shouldn't be difficult (and I bet some TSF members have seen some World Tour tables as well... ?)

[mikee]

Prior to 1982 the pockets were big and I'm not sure there was much regulation then, (check out steve davis 147 1981 you tube ) the pockets were massive .BCE Wesbury tables were the first real TV tables ,the middles were quite big with a very strange cut slate fall ,almost pointed at the middle .1990 /91 season the pockets were tightend up ,I'm pretty sure that they have stayed much the same since .

[jonny66]

Where do you get your facts, I played in that era, still do as the table I play on was made in the 1950's, the pockets are the same and I use my own super crystalate balls.



Not everyone has the luxury of playing on bucket pocket club tables or pro tables using the more generous pocket templates of world snooker. The table I play on was won by the club in 1958 when they took the national club championship, and though it's beast of a thing to play on it takes pride of place in the clubs match room.
There's no name on it but the pockets are nothing like the ones most of you are used to, a 50 break on it is rare for if a ball is anywhere near a cushion then it has to go dead centre of the pocket for balls will not deflect in off the jaws, even the black off its spot is tough if you're playing with power.

I quote Geoff Large who said that certain tables have a cut of pocket that throws the ball across the pocket rather than into it, this table is one of them. The other three tables in the club are nothing like it but the rooms they are in are too confined and you have to shuffle into your stance from close to the wall or you're up against another table in too many places.

If you haven't played on such a table then you really have no opinion, ask anyone in north devon who's a player and they will tell you the match table of the Barnstaple Liberal Club is a bitch. The police social club is worse but thankfully they no longer play in the league, Ilfracombe Liberal Club is also a bitch of a table, a very old and very ornate bitch, I must take some pictures some time.

I play on the table that was used for the 1976 (I think) Pot Black championship, it's not buckets but I've seen tighter tables. Keith Davis has made a nice job of cutting the pocket rubbers to make it a little more forgiving, but the rubber is old and worn and it spits balls back out. I've played on American pool buckets that spit balls out.

[Billy]

You know it's weird. Back when I used to play, nearly all my shots were spat back out. The balls never got within three-inches of the pockets so I'm not sure it counts. Still frustrating, though.

[vmax]

I'm only going by what i've heard Neal Foulds, Steve Savis, Jimmy White etc say on tv. They've all said plenty of times they've tightened up the pockets compared to the 80s. I don't know anything from personal experience.

There was a uniformity of sorts on pocket sizes from the 80's onwards as regards to new tables, the three snooker clubs that opened in Barnstaple in the 80's all had new easy potting tables but terrible cheap aramith balls. One of them had the table used in a pro final in their match room and that was the easiest of the lot, Bill Werbenuik was mentioned in the blurb as being in that final so it must have been this one

and pots that went in then off the jaws still go in now so I don't notice any difference, they've always been bigger than ours.

Tables from long ago had pockets according to company specs so varied a lot and I'm afraid we have one of the tightest. Like I said the other three tables in the club aren't as tight but haven't enough room around them to play properly.