Which template should I use?

[itsnoteasy]

Ha! not exactly buckets then lol, that's still incredibly tight. I'm used to playing on 89( 3 1/2) ! No wonder pros knock mahoosive breaks in on club tables, it must feel like a nine ball pocket.

[Neil Taperell]

Mine was 82 mm which was tightest I had measured, got mine to 84/85 which is kinda standard but feels big after Wat it was.

Fraser , how does that help your game if you open the pockets up on your practice table . Do you find it harder when you then play under match conditions ? , where as you say , the pockets are tighter . Or does it not have much effect as the balls slide in on a new cloth ?

[frazz]

To be honest my table now is round about the match template which is 85, mine was too tight to begin with. I have measured some scottish pro's tables at 89mm which is very big

[Terry Davidson]

I have my table at 85mm and when I put the Precision cloth on I did notice a difference when it was new. Even after it was in use for awhile my table was still playable. I now have a fairly new 6811 on the table and now that it's worn in a bit there does seem to be a difference.

Also, I have played on various Star tables and like Fraser I have noticed a difference with them. Some are at 82mm or so and are a real bitch to play on whereas some are are at 85mm and seem to play OK no matter what the age of the cloth is.

I agree that new cloths will make a table play easier. My recommendation would be to go to 85mm or even 86/87 depending on your skill level.

[itsnoteasy]

85 mm is template as far as I know 3 1/3 inch, our club pockets are 3 1/2 inches or 89 mm. So your table is set to template Terry? I thought you had it opened up to four inches which is 102 mm,for your older students.

[Terry Davidson]

85 mm is template as far as I know 3 1/3 inch, our club pockets are 3 1/2 inches or 89 mm. So your table is set to template Terry? I thought you had it opened up to four inches which is 102 mm,for your older students.

I don't know where you got the idea I had my pockets set at 4". I had a set of IBSF templates which were 83mm and I had the table fitter add another 2 mm for 85, however I did the middle pockets myself and screwed it up so they are over-sized. With a decent cloth on the table it plays well at 85mm and I can pot balls at speed along the cushions. I used the template drawing I have to check and they are just about bang on with the WPBSA drawings.

I have played on the Shender tables at the Corner Bank which I believe are at 83mm and with a worn and slow cloth (Hainsworth Match) you cannot pot a ball along the cushion with any speed at all. It tends to get to you when around the black as you have to ensure you have enough angle on a red near the cushion to play at moderate pace and still come off the cushion with the cueball to get on the black (and then you have to hit it perfect). That adds an extra dimension you have to think about when playing on tight and slow tables, which I don't think adds to the confidence.

I would rather have the option of being able to play a ball along the cushion with any pace at all and looking at the TV tables with their new cloths I can see the pros playing balls along the cushion with pace all the time. Put that same table in a club with a worn cloth and those shots cannot be made.

[itsnoteasy]

Sorry Terry I just had it in my mind you had said that's what you had done it was to help the older students, maybe I have it mixed up with when you were telling Les to open his up to four inches, when he was struggling.