Why?!? Why?!? Why?!?

[shooter72283]

What is it that makes one table seem so incredibly different from the next? Yes, I know all the easy answers, but here is the scenario:
I usually play on Diamond tables with 860 cloth, not sure of the brand. At that PH I am rated an 8. I play quite a bit on other tables at other PHs, mostly old Brunswicks, and do just fine. Tonight I went out of town to a tourney at a PH I'd never been to. They had Olhausens with Simonis 860 and good (not sure of brand, probably Aramith Pro) balls. For the life of me I couldn't get the roll of these tables. The balls very noticeably seemed to "glide" rather than "roll". I know that the Diamonds I usually play on are very tight tables and don't give up a whole lot. The Olhausens had pockets like buckets but felt just as tight, if not tighter, than my usual Diamonds. I did horribly in the tourney (out in the second round) playing against guys who I could have beat the pants off of anywhere else. Can anyone explain this phenomenon? Another thing that really bothered me was that they have a break and run contest before the tourney. There are three drawings for three different attempts. All you have to do is make a ball on the break and then each ball sunk after pays out a certain amount. My ticket got drawn for the 3rd and final attempt, with a run being worth $800. In the two tries before me, neither guy sunk on the break. I racked the balls myself and broke as well as I possibly could have. Two balls slow-rolled towards the corner pockets and then just stopped at the lip of the pocket, as if there was something there to stop them. I had an easy run on at least six balls! This contest was not done on one of the tables that was used for the tourney. Is it just me, or do I smell a rat?

[dg-in-centralpa]

While I'm no expert, I've noticed that tables will play differently depending on how new is the cloth, do the rails have dead spots, humidity in the PH, how dirty is the cloth, etc. These things do make a difference.

DG - just my 2c

[shooter72283]

Thanks DG, but those sorts of things were the easy answers I said I already knew. I guess what I was really trying to ask was if anyone else ever goes somewhere where they aren't as comfortable as they are at their hometown PH, and you begin to make comparisons. I have found that this usually leads to bad results. I went back tonight and played in a rated 9-ball tourney. While last night was an unrated 10-ball race to 2 (a horrible format IMO), tonight was a rated race to 7 format. They don't do APA ratings, so the owner (who was watching me shoot last night) decided that he would rate me at a five for tonight. I explained to him that I was WAY off my game last night and that I didn't think it fair that I be given that rating (I think sandbagging is for the weak and scared), but he persisted. I won the tourney ($60 +my $15 entry fee, whoop-dee-doo) with the score of the final between me and a guy who they rated as an 8 being 7-2. He said next week I go in as a 6.5, guess I gotta win another tourney to get my rating up to what it should be!

[Chris Cass]

Hi Shooter,

Are these 9 fts or bar boxes?

Regards,

C.C.

[shooter72283]

They are 9' Olhausens, I wish I could find a place around here with some good, short barboxes. I haven't played on one of those since I started improving my game. It would be nice to see how many racks I could run when I don't have to peer down the loooooooooong green. Once I turn 21 in July, I think it's about time to go to the bar and win some free drinks!

[Wally_in_Cincy]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote shooter72283:</font><hr>
....I usually play on Diamond tables with 860 cloth, not sure of the brand. .... I play quite a bit on other tables at other PHs, mostly old Brunswicks.....

<hr /></blockquote>

I'm no expert so this advice is worth what you're paying for it.

If you are going to be traveling to tourneys, try to play on as many different tables as possible. From the quote above it looks like you are already doing this to some degree.

The more different types of tables you play on the easier it will be to adjust. If you play on the same exact table every day that's fine and you will play really well on that particular table but once you are removed from your comfort zone you will have problems.

[woody_968]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote shooter72283:</font><hr> The balls very noticeably seemed to "glide" rather than "roll". <hr /></blockquote>

Playing on different tables helps, but from the sounds of the above quote you may also try to get some practice time in with pool balls that have just been cleaned. When the balls are clean and newly waxed they will tend to skid more. Many times this can be noticed the most when you hit a bank shot, the ball can look like it skids forever when comming off the rail.

Dont feel bad though, everyone that calls them selves a real poolplayer has had the experience of thinking they are playing well, going to a new place, and leaving with the idea that now they cant make a ball /ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[tateuts]

I have a fast slippery Olhausen at home with 860. Although it is always difficult to adjust to radically different equipment, I find it much easier for me to go from my fast slippery table to a slower sticky table than vice-versa. If I get used to a slow table at a room and go home to practice, I am amazed at how fast and slippery my own table is.

When you're playing on an unfamiliar table, you might want to check your pattern play and make sure you're using all the pockets. When you're on strange equipment and the rails are playing funny, sometimes it's better to shoot downtable and at the sides more with minimal cueball movement than trying to jockey the cue ball everywhere. When I'm on strange equipment, I try to leave myself a lot of room for error until I adjust to the rail angles and speed. I try to avoid being too cute with shape until I have a pretty good feel for the table.

Chris