I played in a tournament on a 9 foot billiard table. i usually play on a 6.5 ft table,why was my game so off ?

Question

are the pockets smaller?how do i get better,i played like a true begginner!!!!! help

Answer 1

Because you have to adjust your game for the size of the table.  You are not used to very long shots so you likely were missing what you thought were easy shots that you make all the time on a 6.5 ft table.  Just takes a few practice games to get the feel of the larger table.  I play in some tournaments on small tables and usually play on 9 ft tables so I go to bars with small tables and practice before tournaments to see what it is like to play on that size table.

Answer 2

9' tables are harder to shoot on because of the added distance, your shoot making has to be more precise.



The best way to improve your game is to keep playing on the 9' tables.

Answer 3

yes there is more table but it may be because your stroke is not that staight or developed(no offense). My forte is the 8 foot table but i have no problem playing on 9 or other tables... the key is to have a perfect stroke meaning no side wobbles and follow through and of course sight the ball well and you should have minimal problems switching tables....  

Answer 4

The reason is clearly the extra distance is throwing you off mentally. You would have to get a feel for the table to correctly get the shots and speed down. I suggest showing up a couple hours before the tournament and practice. I practice 2 hours everyday.

p.s. In pro tournaments and in some high end pool rooms the pockets are triple shimmed. Which makes it almost imposible to cheat the pocket. I had to do the same thing on my 9 ft at home.

Answer 5

Pool tables are 6x3, 8x4, 9x 41/2 if you played on a 5 1/5 your angles will be off.  

Answer 6

the pockets are smaller, and there is more felt to cover..i.e.  on bank shots, the distance to and from the  rail is greater, therefore english effects a shot alot more than on a smaller table

Answer 7

first of all it was a tournament. until you have played in a few of them and are confident in yourself you probably were a little nervous. i used to get that way when i first entered tournaments. second, no the pockets arent smaller, BUT you will find tables that do have tighter pockets than others. sometimes corner pockets and sometimes they are a little flaired out so if you rattle the ball it comes out of the pocket instead of rattling and going down. 9 foot tables seem very big when you first play on them but once you play on it for a little while you will get used to it and you wont like the smaller tables, that is unless you wanna play on baby tables forever.

Answer 8

Probably because you're not good at all.

Answer 9

Tracy M has the right answer!

I've been playin on big tables & little bar room tables for years.

If you want to be good and have the versitility to be good on both extremes you have to practice on big tables more than little ones.

And no the  pockets only seem smaller, just because the terrain is bigger.

The best place to practice on big tables is in a casino, you usually don't have to pay for each game because these tables are traditional normal billiard tables (no coin slides to pay for a game).

Though I've run across a few casinos that have a coin slide pool tables in the billiard room. Just coz they're cheap !!(#&$^#@'s.

After playing on a big table for a while, shootin on a tiny table is way easy, though its really difficult to make the cue ball jump over other balls. Thats a trick that is easy only on a tiny table.

Take care & good shootin!!

p.s. try not to rip the felt too often in the casino billiard room, there are cameras in there too. I've been 86'd from one or two, but not permanently, mainly coz I was too tipsy to play properly.

it doesn't help when drinks are free in some casinos. As long as you're gaming or doing something in some casinos, drinks are complimentary. Its too easy to get poopfaced. so be careful.

Answer 10

Hi Pablo-

When you're used to playing on only 'bar boxes' or 'pub tables' and you step up to a 9' table, it's only natural that it's going to appear and feel like a football field. Jumping into a tournament on a playing surface-size that you're unfamiliar with, you will be unprepared. The result is that you lose your nerve, your confidence, and ultimately your game.

It's not so much that your game is off, as you wondered......it's that you're unprepared and unpracticed.

I highly suggest that you practice playing pool on 9' tables a LOT more. Throwing yourself into a tournament is not the time for practice, as I'm sure you know.

By practicing on 9' tables, you can work on refining your stroke, while getting a feel for the surface, the size, the angles, and needed adjustments. Your stroke will only get better and more controlled with your determination, concentration, and execution.

As you put more and more time into your 9' game, you'll be in control of your game and your confidence level will build as a result.

Keep playing 9' pool !!! By the time you get back to the 6 or 7 foot tables, they will look like miniature tables and you'll really blow the field away!

Practicing on 9' tables is GREAT for your game, even if you prefer to compete only on 6-7' tables.

Never jump into a tournament on a different size or style (snooker) table and expect to come out on top. It's not a crime to play a tournament on a big table when you're unfamiliar with the size. It's silly however, to expect to feel confident and play great when you've never even practiced on these surfaces.

The key to success on 9' foot tables, is PRACTICING on that surface for hours, if not years!

Keep on strokin'. I admire your tenacity to play and compete. A smart player will practice good habits and play PREPARED.

Good luck, pool player -

LAG