[IROCK]

My friend got a new table this year. I played on it for the first time last night. Man, the pockets were brutal. The hardest parts were trying to cheat the pockets or trying to drive the cue ball off the rail on a weak angle shot. It makes you really respect what the pros do with these kind of pockets. Yet I have seen some pro matches that the balls hit half way down the rail and still go in. Is there such a thing as too tight of pockets and too loose of pockets?

[MitchAlsup]

About 6 weeks ago, I got a new pool table. For the first couple of weeks, the pockets seemed rather normal (neither tight nor particularly loose), then as the bumper broke in, and after some adjustments ot the rails for squareness and rattle-freeness, the pockets tightened up. In my case, I suspect that I just got use to the pockets and maybe lowered my aiming precision and the pockets started to reject shots due to some kind of aiming error creaping into my game.

On my table, if the OB starts within 1" of the short rail and touches the short rail it has no chance of being potted unless you hit/roll the OB at pocket speed (i.e. dead slow). So, I changed my aiming points and now aim at the cheek of the pocket, avoiding the rail at great cost.

Now, over on the bar box I also play, there is enough of a grove near the rail, such that, a ball can strike the rail at a shallow angle, and be pulled back to the rail due to gravity if the ball is struck softly enough. This table has 135 degree corner pockets and will accept a rail shot at any and every speed almost never ratling a ball back ontothe table.

Yes a pocket can be too tight or too loose. For a home table, a pocket can be too tight if it makes you want to avoid playinig on the table (i.e. give up the game). For a tourneyment table a pocket can be too loose; and require insufficient skill leading to luck playing a major part it who might win or loose. To a first order (the last 1/8th of an inch) tables can be adjusted by a table mechanic to tighten or loosten up the pockets a little. When time come around to change the cloth, one can loosen or tighten up the pockets to any desired specification--this is a job for the 5% of the top table mechanics. You want the pockets at a particular spec AND you want all of the pockets to play the same. Amateaur TMs are capable of adjusting and shimming the pockets, but look for a pro (table mechanic) if you want to alter much beyond the easy 1/8 inch adjustment.

[IROCK]

Good post. If my buddies pockets tighten up anymore, it will be like shooting snooker.(lol)