Speed Cloth

[Dave Walton]

Hi all, I'm looking for your opinions on speed/synthetic knapless cloth being used on British pool tables? More and more venues are having it fitted in my local league, Personally I hate the stuff as the balls skid too much and don't react the same as on a knapped cloth, aswell as highlighting every roll on the table. So what's your opinions on playing on speed cloth?

[TexasTrev]

I love them but every time a board around here gets one everybody goes nuts and it gets changed back.
I think about 90% of pool players just cant handle them because it really shows what standard of player you actually are and most dont like being shown up.

Imagine the carnage if a snooker table had one fitted lol.

[Dave Walton]

I love them but every time a board around here gets one everybody goes nuts and it gets changed back.
I think about 90% of pool players just cant handle them because it really shows what standard of player you actually are and most dont like being shown up.

Imagine the carnage if a snooker table had one fitted lol.

Interesting point of view Trev, what do you love about them though?

[Dave Walton]

They used speed cloth for the power snooker event and the players all seemed to hate it

[Kieran m]

Speed cloths would be great if pubs could keep tables level. Especially since pool uses a much lighter white.

[Dave Walton]

Speed cloths would be great if pubs could keep tables level. Especially since pool uses a much lighter white.

That's part of the problem though imo , the lighter balls skid too much on speed cloth, I've played on Hainsworth Precision and its lightening quick but the balls still react properly, its not so much the pace I don't like, rather how the balls react and the way it seems to emphasize every roll

[rdsalt]

Our team table is an old superleague table fitted with a blue napless cloth and we use pro cup balls. We have had napless cloths the last few times it has been recovered and they have lasted pretty well. It is lighting fast especially when new but our players love it. You very rarely get a poor break and the balls tend to split well. You can play almost any shot as the table is so fast you can move the cue ball a long way even from a small angle. It is hard to play snookers though as you have to be so precise. Its a great table to play on, good potting table but the pockets are not buckets. As you say the table has to be set up well as any rolls on the table are magnified by the speed of the cloth and it has to be brushed regular as any debris on the cloth can make the ball move off line. It is a good advantage for us as the home team as other teams are not used to the speed and sometimes struggle with it.

[DeanH]

That's part of the problem though imo , the lighter balls skid too much on speed cloth, I've played on Hainsworth Precision and its lightening quick but the balls still react properly

+1

we recently had the cloth changed on our league table from a speed cloth to standard club cloth (carpet)
the landlord decided it was the best cloth, he likes it - he paid for it so...
anyway, I loved the speed cloth as I am more of a touch player and had great fun playing on it to great success
when the landlord mentioned he was going to get the cloth changed we asked about Hainsworth Precision or Match, but...
so now we brush-iron, brush-iron and for about two frames it is "ok" but quickly reverts back to shag-pile

[TexasTrev]

Interesting point of view Trev, what do you love about them though?

I like the way you can pot half the table off the break sometimes if you really catch one!
seriously though i like the fact that i feel i have a massive advantage over a less skillful player(not in any way trying to be big headed)
I know the average league player is going to seriously struggle with the pace of the table and wont be able to keep control of the cue ball
You just have to get used to playing very deft control shots and they become very managable tables to play on,this is the style that suits my pool game best so thats why i like them.
its just like break building on a super fast snooker table,keeping control of the white.e.g. the Star tables at Whitley which i play on regularly.
I wish there were more of them round here!

[rdsalt]

That's part of the problem though imo , the lighter balls skid too much on speed cloth, I've played on Hainsworth Precision and its lightening quick but the balls still react properly, its not so much the pace I don't like, rather how the balls react and the way it seems to emphasize every roll

The pro cup balls maybe help here slightly as they are heavier than normal Aramith premiers.

[Dave Walton]

That's part of the problem though imo , the lighter balls skid too much on speed cloth, I've played on Hainsworth Precision and its lightening quick but the balls still react properly

+1

we recently had the cloth changed on our league table from a speed cloth to standard club cloth (carpet)
the landlord decided it was the best cloth, he likes it - he paid for it so...
anyway, I loved the speed cloth as I am more of a touch player and had great fun playing on it to great success
when the landlord mentioned he was going to get the cloth changed we asked about Hainsworth Precision or Match, but...
so now we brush-iron, brush-iron and for about two frames it is "ok" but quickly reverts back to shag-pile

The precision is great, match is good too, a fast table is great when its level, as you say you have more control as you aren't hitting the balls so hard

[Dave Walton]

Our team table is an old superleague table fitted with a blue napless cloth and we use pro cup balls. We have had napless cloths the last few times it has been recovered and they have lasted pretty well. It is lighting fast especially when new but our players love it. You very rarely get a poor break and the balls tend to split well. You can play almost any shot as the table is so fast you can move the cue ball a long way even from a small angle. It is hard to play snookers though as you have to be so precise. Its a great table to play on, good potting table but the pockets are not buckets. As you say the table has to be set up well as any rolls on the table are magnified by the speed of the cloth and it has to be brushed regular as any debris on the cloth can make the ball move off line. It is a good advantage for us as the home team as other teams are not used to the speed and sometimes struggle with it.

I agree 100% it can be a huge advantage to a home team who are used to it, problem then is away games lol

[Dave Walton]

Interesting point of view Trev, what do you love about them though?

I like the way you can pot half the table off the break sometimes if you really catch one!
seriously though i like the fact that i feel i have a massive advantage over a less skillful player(not in any way trying to be big headed)
I know the average league player is going to seriously struggle with the pace of the table and wont be able to keep control of the cue ball
You just have to get used to playing very deft control shots and they become very managable tables to play on,this is the style that suits my pool game best so thats why i like them.
its just like break building on a super fast snooker table,keeping control of the white.e.g. the Star tables at Whitley which i play on regularly.
I wish there were more of them round here!

Its the way the balls react on it that bothers me, not the pace mate

[Dave Walton]

[/QUOTE] The pro cup balls maybe help here slightly as they are heavier than normal Aramith premiers.[/QUOTE]
Possibly yeah

[pottr]

Speed cloths - Harder wearing, less maintenance... These are the only benefits and there are no other redeeming qualities.

Pro Cup Balls - Quite simply have ruined pool for me. I think they are popular coz they allow pool players with poor technique to play shots with side and screw... you don't need to hit the ball well at all to get them spinning.

Both are a backwards step for the game.