Big pockets

[Neil Taperell]

Hi Mate , Have you ever played on a Star Table? The pocket size is smaller than standard club tables .

I've never seen a club table tighter than Star [ Tournament ] Tables .

Terry , are you saying that the IBSF middle pockets are an inch smaller than those on the WPBSA Star Tables ?

[Terry Davidson]

Neil:

The WPBSA drawing I have are old and were for the BCE tables and the IBSF templates I have are also the first generation and they did change the middle pockets for their latest version.

I would say the WPBSA middle pockets would be maybe 1/2" larger than the present IBSF and also the fall of the slate would be further out into the table. It's still a difficult shot to pot the pink in the middle with pace on an IBSF templated table, even their newer templates but it can be done on a WPBSA middle pocket fairly easily.

Terry

[cazmac1]

The two guys I played at Upton Park had very poor Technic but the pockets on the tables in the main hall are like buckets. it was almost like playing pool for these guys also the balls were slightly smaller than the regulation balls.
When I played in the league a couple of years back I only lost two frames all season and this in part was down to my home table being so tight. It would make me laugh inside when they hit a ball and thought is was in only to looked confused as it rattled and stayed out. There is a balance to strike, too big a pocket and someone with less potting accuracy can suddenly look like a good player, too tight a pocket then no one can play. A pocket can be a great leveller

[vmax4steve]

Hi Mate , Have you ever played on a Star Table? The pocket size is smaller than standard club tables .

I've never seen a club table tighter than Star [ Tournament ] Tables .

Terry , are you saying that the IBSF middle pockets are an inch smaller than those on the WPBSA Star Tables ?

Pocket size has nothing to do with the table manufacturer. The table fitters either have a standard cushion rubber to fit that comes with the table or they have to fit the cushion rubbers to the template supplied by either the IBSF or the WPBSA, which we have heard from Terry are different.
Wonder why the WPBSA templates are not available to the public for their home tables ?
Could it be that they would be seen to be big if the public could use them ?

BTW there is only one Star table in our league, and though I haven't played on it others have told me that it is quite tight and balls do not go in hard off the knuckle like the ones on tv. So I would think that either standard cushion rubbers were used or fitted to an IBSF template.

[Neil Taperell]

Pocket size has nothing to do with the table manufacturer. The table fitters either have a standard cushion rubber to fit that comes with the table or they have to fit the cushion rubbers to the template supplied by either the IBSF or the WPBSA, which we have heard from Terry are different.
Wonder why the WPBSA templates are not available to the public for their home tables ?
Could it be that they would be seen to be big if the public could use them ?

BTW there is only one Star table in our league, and though I haven't played on it others have told me that it is quite tight and balls do not go in hard off the knuckle like the ones on tv. So I would think that either standard cushion rubbers were used or fitted to an IBSF template.

When i played on our Club Star table , it was very tight and as you say would not take a ball off the knuckle . But when it was re-clothed ....what a difference . Really played very well and virtually like the TV tables . A real pleasure to play on . So , i think it has alot to do with the cloth .