Pool Table Cloth or Felt

September 19th, 2008

Pool table cloth, also known as felt, has been around since the beginning of pool in the 1500 or 1600s.  The cloth used during that time was a woven wool cloth.  The green color was chosen at the time to imitate the green of the lawn.  They didn’t know it back then, but the human eye has a higher sensitivity to the color green.  This prevents eyestrain when looking at it for extended periods of time.  This is the reason green is the favorite color of pool tables.  Iwan Simonis Company began making cloth for pool tables 200 years ago.  Today they are the most famous pool cloth maker in the industry.

The worsted wool or a blend of wool and nylon pool cloth is used on the majority of pool tables.  The maker of this cloth is Iwan Simonis Company.  Usually it is well known the faster the cloth the faster it will wear out.

The small 7 foot or bar size pool tables usually are covered in a durable and slower cloth.  The favorite choice for this is the Championship Mercury Ultra Table Cloth.  This is the same cloth used at the majority of the national amateur tournaments, which includes the APA, VNEA and BCA.

The cloth you might want for your home pool table of 8 or 9 feet is the Velocity Pro Worsted Billiard Cloth.  This cloth is made with very high wool content and is considered to be a faster cloth, but will no fuzzy or pilling of the fabric.

A professional installer can install the cloth on your pool table or you can save yourself some money by doing the job yourself.  You can find kits on the market, which will help you, install the cloth yourself.

After you have replaced the cloth of your pool table, sooner or later you will see some white marks appearing on the new cloth.  You might wonder if you purchased a less than quality material.  That is not the case.

It is normal for the cloth on your pool table to show evidence of the wear and tear from normal use.  It is the friction of the cue ball, which actually causes the marks on your pool cloth.  They are more likely to be seen after an excellent break shot.  During a really good break shot the cue balls reach an average speed of 25-30 mph.  The friction of the cue ball created as it travels across the cloth can reach temperatures of 250 degrees Celsius.  When the cue strikes, the ball can reach up to 450 degrees from the momentary friction.  It is the friction, which causes the burn marks on the pool cloth.

The burn marks in the billiard cloth will soon look like track lines, especially from the commonly used break spot.  You’ll probably see three break spots one in center, one to the left and one to the right because these are the most common break spots.  Breaking from the side rail will force a player to shoot downward to hit the ball.  This will push the ball into the cloth more, which will produce a mark.  With several hundred shots made from the same spot the cloth will be severely worn.

The marks are actually burn marks caused by the friction of the cue ball on the billiard cloth.   Some types of cloth will show wear more than others.  If these marks are showing with every shot you make, you could be hitting the ball too hard or with your stick at too high of an angle.   You might need to reevaluate the how you are shooting and make the correct adjustments.

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Necessary Pool Table Accessories

September 19th, 2008

Pool has in the past been a game for royalty, and after you have had a chance to look at the price of some of the necessities in order to play the game in your own home.  You will know why.  Pool may not be the most expensive game you can get involved with, but it is without a doubt going to take some money to get into the game for you to play in your own home.  You could probably use the size of rooms the houses or castles where royalty lives in order to have the space you need to have a pool table in your home.

The pool table alone is expensive enough, but you have to have certain accessories in order to play the game.   You will need such items as felt for the playing surface, coverings to protect the table when not in use, sticks in order to play the game, chalk is a must to play the game, balls another must, and racks another must have in order to play the game.

The cloth also known as the felt is a must when playing the game.  You need a covering for the playing surface.  You will not have the control of the ball without a cover, because the ball and surface together will react differently without the cloth.  The cloth gives the ball friction and without the needed friction the ball will never stop until it reaches a wall.  There are various different colors available for the cloth covering the playing area, but green is still the favorite of all the colors.  The durability and quality of the cloth will depend mainly on the texture of the cloth.  The balls will move differently if the table is not covered with a high quality cloth.

You will need a pool rack if you are going to have sticks for your guests to use.  You will be able to find a wall mounted version or a floor rack.  This are usually made of wood such as oak, mahogany, and maple just to name a few.  Some of the more expensive racks will have a place where you can store the balls.

You will have a hard time playing a game of pool without a set of balls.  The balls are made of a plastic resin composite, which has been hardened by the heat.  The balls are made to be resistant to chipping and cracking.  A decent set will probably cost you around $100.  The cue ball may be extra.  So you might want to expect to pay for the cue ball separate.

Chalk is another must if you are going to play the game of pool.  You can also get holders for the chalk.  The pool cues must be chalked before every shot.

Then you will need a rack for the balls.  As you know you will rack the balls on the table prior to the first shot of the game.  They will come in the shape of a triangle, which is to rack the game of 8 ball and a diamond, which is to rack the game of 9 ball.  Balls can be racked without a rack, but it is difficult to get the balls tight and to keep them together.  It is not recommended to play a game without a rack for the balls.  You can find them made from plastic or you can find them made from wood.  The wood racks are the rack most preferred by most of the players.

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How Proper Lighting Can Affect Your Pool Game

April 15th, 2008

Have you ever tried to play a game of pool in insufficient lighting?  You probably notice that the pool table lights make a difference in your ability to judge angles and directions, making it more difficult to pick that perfect pocket with the ease of a professional.  The way that lighting reflects on and around pool tables and causes shadows to fall can really change your game, making it necessary to be even more careful to achieve accuracy with your shot.

As you use particular pool tables with lighting you are used to over and over, you can become accustomed to the way the light falls on the pool cue and the table, making it possible for you to create your own handicap in that particular location.  However, because all pool tables have different lighting surrounding them, this self correction is not going to work in all applications.  Something that can help you is to adjust your stance by using different pool cues that place you at a different angle to the table, aiding you in not shadowing the area of play more than necessary.

While the leveling of pool tables can be extremely important to fair play and predicting the angle at which the ball will roll, the lighting can play tricks on you as well.  It is incredibly important to have proper pool table lights that, while providing a certain billiards atmosphere, also allow a clear view and judgment of angles.  Pool is a game of geometry, and you can’t possibly have fair play without the ability to gauge angles and geometric patterns.  Lighting plays an important part in this ability.

Pool cues are designed to help you measure these angles, but with lighting providing odd shadows and disturbances to the natural designs of the table, it renders the length and straight line of the pool cue virtually useless.  You need enough light to see what you are doing, with a direct lighting scheme, preferably providing light from directly above the table to avoid sidelong shadows that are distorted and distracting.

Mood lighting can come from all angles, but sufficient lighting is required from above to illuminate the pool tables in a manner that sets up a game of fair play.  By creating the perfect lighting scheme, you offer yourself and your friends a more competitive environment that can incorporate fun into your life and fair play into your game.

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