What You Need to Know About Pool Balls
A game of pool requires three main types of equipment; a pool table, cue sticks and pool balls. The quality of each of these equipments has a dramatic effect on the dynamics of the game. When trying to purchase pool balls, you would be offered a very wide range of pool ball sets made by many different manufacturers, making it quite difficult to choose a good set for a good price. This guide will tell you everything you need to look for while trying to purchase a set of pool balls.
Each game is different
Although most of the games played on a pool tableis generically labeled as “billiards”, a game of pool is very different from a game of snooker or carom billiards. In a game of 8 ball pool, we have eight balls with full color, called solids, and seven striped balls. The pool balls are larger than snooker balls, and the colors seen on snooker balls are different.
Pool balls
Pool balls are also called “billiard balls” in the US, as pool is extremely popular in the country. The 8-ball game is the most popular and iconic amongst pool table games, and it uses serially numbered balls from 1 to 8, and striped balls numbered 9 to 15. They are 2 1/4 inches in diameter and they weigh between five and a half to six pounds each.
Snooker and carom billiard balls
A game of snooker uses fifteen red balls and six additional balls of various colors. Each of the six colored balls have a unique point association and position over the pool table. The balls are 2 1/8 inches in diameter and they are generally stronger and harder than pool balls. Carom Billiards uses balls with a 2 7/16 inch diameter.
The material used to create pool balls have seen many changes over the years. Wood was the earliest raw material, followed many many others including bakelite, clay, crystallite, steel and even ivory. Today, the most popular material used for manufacturing pool balls is phenolic resin which is followed by various polymers like polyester.
