The worst cue-ball ever

[Wally_in_Cincy]

Last night in APA league we played at a nice venue. Roomy tavern, 3 Valley tables with nice cloth and all 3 were open for free pool. So far, so good.

I played first. On a couple of shots I noticed the cue ball rolling off slightly to the <font color="blue"> north</font color>. I suggested to my opponent that we should change tables for the next match. On another shot the CB rolled to a stop after doing a loop-de-loop almost like one of those "Crazy Cue Balls" (not quite that bad but very noticeable). I shot a slight cut on the 8-ball and the CB headed <font color="red"> south</font color> straight into the pocket. My teammates and I were laughing our asses off. We changed CB's for the next game and everything was fine.

Anybody ever seen one that bad? Didn't they have to replace a whole bunch of these CB's at the BCA in May?

[Fred Agnir]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Wally_in_Cincy:</font><hr> On another shot the CB rolled to a stop after doing a loop-de-loop almost like one of those "Crazy Cue Balls" ...Anybody ever seen one that bad? Didn't they have to replace a whole bunch of these CB's at the BCA in May? <hr /></blockquote>
They threw out something in the order of 50 cueballs of the 250 tables. That's an astounding number.

We were having problems at my home bar, and I told the owner (also on my team) about the out-of-balance balls. He said he never heard of such a thing. I proved it to him by rolling the object balls and the cueball. The object ball rolled dead straight. The cueball had a life of its own. So, he bought new balls.

Fast-forward a few weeks, and the bar owner was telling me how he found out that some cueballs are out-of-balance and that he bought new cueballs, and that everything is okie-dokie. Good thing he figured it all out, huh?

And for those that don't remember, this is what the inside of many newer "almost the same weight" bar cueballs look like. There's a metal coil spring in there:



Fred

[Wally_in_Cincy]

Hi Fred. I figured you would come out of hiding for this one [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

Believe me, that picture of yours was running thru my mind last night LOL. I told my captain "You wouldn't believe how these things are made. We'll bust one open some time" [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].

ok, later

[Kato]

Wally, last night in APA 9-ball we played with balls (cue ball included) that were so pitted there is no way to get a good rolls. Also, the Gandy (sp) tables are set up for extremely vertically challenged. Interestingly enough, the wooden triangle racks didn't work very well, SLUG RACKS FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!!

Kato~~~went in rated an SL/6 and pounded and SL/6 by 30 balls, I don't think my rating will stay there for long.

[mark wilson]

Wally, I am not surprised with anything that happens on a bar table. Dave Matlock chooses not to roll the cue ball but rather firm shots to minimize table or cue ball problems as you described. As a side note the next time you go to play place two stripped object balls frozen to the cushion with the cue ball in between them all frozen to the rail in a line. Using the triangle as a straight edge carefully place it on top of the balls and examine the relationship of ball height compared to one another. Frequently a worn cue ball will be smaller. This is caused from the abrassive effect of chalk wearing the cueball circumference down. A cueball in commercial use will lose about 3 thousandth's of an inch per month. At the end of a year the cue ball is smaller and lighter making draw easier and follow more difficult. Check several different cue balls and you will be surprised at the variations.

[Fred Agnir]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote mark wilson:</font><hr> Dave Matlock chooses not to roll the cue ball but rather firm shots to minimize table or cue ball problems as you described. <hr /></blockquote>
Unfortunately, the cueball has to slow down some time.

Fred

[mark wilson]

Fred, Didn't mean to mislead you, sometimes, rather than slow rolling the cue ball to minimize the amount of travel after contact with the object ball can be accomplished by using a firmer hit and appling stun, slide, or drag, spin.These are just variations of backspin amounts and are quite usefull for high-perfomance pool playing.

[snipershot]

One of those little annoying things that would drive me insane, I've yet to see a CB that rolled crooked, if I owned the place I would make sure I was the first to notice the CB problems and to replace it. It does sound good for a laugh though [img]/ccboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[Ralph S.]

Hey Snipershot, I cant beleive you've never seen a cb roll crooked. Please tell us that was just some humerous sarcism. LOL.
Ralph S.

[snipershot]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote Ralph S.:</font><hr> Hey Snipershot, I cant beleive you've never seen a cb roll crooked. Please tell us that was just some humerous sarcism. LOL.
Ralph S. <hr /></blockquote>

Ralph, I really haven't seen a crooked cue ball, I've seen wacky CB's that are supposed to roll in zig zags and things like that, I also haven't been playing pool for 10, 20, who knows how many years like alot of the other players around here. It's only a matter of time before I see one though, that I do know.