Playing on certain tables

[Buuu147]

I have a question about playing on certain tables. It seems to me when i play on a table with nicer balls and cleaner felt, i am able to pot and control the cue ball better, my question is... what if i am playing on a table which isn't as nice. does it really effect my play? or am I just not playing as well as I should be?

I want to know if I am playing on crappier table shooting a straight shot would effect my shot?
and how would I know if I am playing on a table thats not balanced. sometimes I can see my balls curving, but I'm not sure if the table is doing that or I put a spin on it, etc.

[cueman]

Usually when you go to a club that has nice tables and are clean and the balls are good quality then conditions are much better to play in. The tables will probably be brushed and cleaned regularly and the tables will probably be level.

If the tables have a lot of chalk marks and a lot of hand or finger marks then it does affect the table and balls will move slightly if they go over a hand marks that are on the table. The cloth or felt as you put it, is a fine material that needs regular maintenance which means brushing and ironing. There is a nap on the cloth which runs down the table from baulk end to the black spot. When the table gets played on your hands leave a mark on the cloth and this builds up over the whole of the playing area. This can mean the nap running in several directions and this does affect the run of the balls as the roll over these marks. This could be what you are experiencing but shouldn't be confused with a table that is not level. Your own experience from playing will tell you this and the fact you asked this question means you have noticed this problem already.

[RaNeN]

Cueman has said it all. I would just like to add , The better the looks of the table you feel like playing better on it!

[MrRottweiler]

I just want to add that many clubs don't maintain the balls as they should and dirty and greasy balls will give much more kicks and the response will be useless. Always wipe each ball before a game and you will play better.

A good example is last night I was playing on my home table and was playing really badly and had no motivation. I hadn't cleaned the balls in a while and they were filthy so spent some time polishing and then drying them (never use polish on the cueball) I then knocked in a 96 total clearence and several 50+ after that. I discovered that I could use the reflection of the table lights in the polished balls to my advantage by using them as markers for where I wanted to hit.

Like in any sport good quality Snooker equipment is a must to play it well.

[missneworleans]

At last World Championship players were unhappy with tables certain, remember??

Sometimes in games I seen, the ball was going wide, or breaking

yea, the good certain and clean balls is very important thing

[MrRottweiler]

Also, at my local club I and many other players have a favourite table that I'll always choose. This isn't ideal though as professionals reccommend playing on many different tables to get used to their characteristics and improve your all round game.

[Buuu147]

I remember ronnie be upset at something awhile back, but I am not sure if it was... it could of been the tip he was playing with. I heard it bit the tip right off his cue after the winning his final frame match. Anyways, but as you guys have mention, It is probably always to have good equipement... I went to play at my local club yesterday and did fairly well for my standards.

Those are some really good advance to take notice upon.

[Snooker Rocks!]

But remember that a good play should be able to adapt.

[cueman]

But remember that a good play should be able to adapt.

True but then if you are used to really good conditions most of the time then its very difficult to adapt to playing in poor conditions when you aren't used to it.

Its like top football teams playing on perfect pitch and able to pass it around well and show what they can do, then getting them to play on a park field somewhere when the pitch is all bumpy and uneven, and can't pass the ball to team mate because the ball doesn't go where they expect it to.
Same thing applies on slow or uneven snooker tables, you can't play so well in those conditions although it is the same for both players. You should always look for the best conditions as it will enhance your game.

[belfast141]

Strange Tables

I think one of the biggest mistakes ppl can make nowadays is to play on the same table day-in day-out , i done it for years in a club and regret it now , I play in a different club at present and try to play on different tables as often as possible , the only way to improve and know your improving is to hit big breaks on any table in any club.

[cueman]

I think one of the biggest mistakes ppl can make nowadays is to play on the same table day-in day-out , i done it for years in a club and regret it now , I play in a different club at present and try to play on different tables as often as possible , the only way to improve and know your improving is to hit big breaks on any table in any club.

I can almost agree with that but I think you can also frustrate yourself because one day you can play on a table that runs fast, you could pick a table which is dead slow with unresponsive cushions and you can't string a together more than 5 pots.
What I think anyone should do is brush and iron the table you play on beforehand if possible. At least then the table should play relatively well although a heavy cloth with dead cushions is a struggle for any level of player.