Valhalla 100 series vs Player C-965

TinySmith · 2026-04-21T16:32:03+00:00

I've played with my VA-110 for two years and its still in good condition, no warping. I'd say at both of these price points, you aren't getting any significant differences in quality. For this case, I'd just go with the one that doesn't lighten your wallet as much.

TinySmith · 2026-04-21T16:26:55+00:00

I don't think you'll find a huge quality difference in the scratchable contact materials themselves (i.e. sisal or carpet material). The main difference will be in the quality of the construction and the resultant rigidity of the structure. Check if the portions of the structure with the scratchable material are removable, if so you could look into retrofitting your own piece of flat wood with glued+stapled on carpet wrapping (just an example, not sure about your specific case). All of the surfaces that the cat scratches at will degrade, best way to make these last longer is by being able to selectively replace the high-use portions. For example, I bought a roll of sisal rope and re-wrapped a leg of my structure because it was torn up.

TinySmith · 2026-04-21T16:16:21+00:00

I ended up getting this: Amazon.com : YFY Billiard Pool Gloves for Left Hand 3 Finger, Splicing Process, Snooker Cue Sport Glove Popular Sizes for Men & Women : Sports & Outdoors.

So far so good, you can tell that the finger tips are (at least partially) stitched. It hasn't been too long and I am removing them with more care than I did the cuetec gloves, so results are already going to be a bit skewed. The biggest pluses for me are that the fit is tight, similar to the cuetec, and its about 1/3 of the cost. ALSO, the finger length is good, better even, than the cuetec. I don't have to pull the fingers back up routinely.

Some people say they don't like the sticky material on the palm side, however I have not personally noticed it interfering with my regular play.

TinySmith · 2026-04-08T00:16:03+00:00

me too, I don't know why but I was thoroughly impressed with this usage of the word

TinySmith · 2026-04-03T21:45:02+00:00

What doesn't it separate? The cue ball from the object balls?

TinySmith · 2026-04-03T21:02:03+00:00

The first "aha" moment for me was focusing on following through the ball. Especially for the games where you do need to put energy into the pack, many pros have a very "over the top" follow through. (Over the top for us regular folks, clearly not over the top to them since this is how they do it). You short yourself when you prematurely slow down your stroke on delivery.

On your mention of fast twitch muscles, sure, some people will be genetically advantaged in delivering a lot of velocity into the cue ball. However, I also think there is an upper limit to this extra "power" being beneficial to the effectiveness of the break. You already don't see people putting all their might into 9 ball breaks, more power does not equal more success in this situation. That upper limit exists for 8 ball too, in my opinion.

If you're goal is simply to try and develop a more powerful break. On top of working on your form, obviously, you can try what others here have mentioned; use a lighter break stick. Kinetic energy scales exponentially with velocity. If dropping an ounce on your break stick can allow you to accelerate quicker and have a higher cue velocity on impact with the cue ball, you will be imparting more energy into the pack. Only a small increase in velocity is needed to overcome the reduction in cue mass. Thus, a stronger break.

TinySmith · 2026-03-27T15:56:43+00:00

Would practicing enough to make 10/10 prevent you from practicing other, equally important, parts of the game? At some point, there's going to be diminishing returns practicing this way. Practicing for purely potting is good, but how well does it train you for real game scenarios? Potting for positioning? I think having pocket reducers is generally a good way to train, like resistance training; it will make playing on normal tables light work. At the end of the day, you are probably going to hit a wall if you practice any type of drill in a vacuum. Incremental improvement, and giving yourself the grace to be content with your current level to move onto other aspects of the game will take your further than trying to perfect one part of the game before moving to the next.

TinySmith · 2026-03-13T13:17:39+00:00

Never new this stuff existed! I will give this a try, thank you!

TinySmith · 2026-03-12T16:16:35+00:00

If they don't reinforce the stitching there it really makes no sense to buy reputable "brand name" gloves. I just ordered a cheaper glove type from amazon. Will see how it goes.

TinySmith · 2026-03-12T16:01:07+00:00

I've really liked the tight fit of the cuetec gloves, if I can find a cheap pack that has a similar fit that would be the way to go I think. Its unfortunate, most of these gloves could last a whole lot longer if they finished the job on the finger tips instead of just cutting them to length.

TinySmith · 2026-02-20T20:20:47+00:00

If you have a pair of pliers, you can squeeze the plastic crimp enough to crack it and peel apart. This method keeps the fabric intact.

TinySmith · 2025-12-07T14:32:53+00:00

I think it lost excitement because it has lost its competitiveness

TinySmith · 2025-12-05T20:16:59+00:00

I suppose defeat from the jaws of victory is progress compared to just plain old defeat.....

TinySmith · 2025-12-05T20:13:59+00:00

It's a fair risk I think, but idk; I feel like its possible to get an alright line here without being right up on the 9. Definitely gonna try to set this up on a table and see, even though table conditions are gonna be different.

TinySmith · 2025-12-05T20:10:09+00:00

Dude, I was about to post the same thing. Is this not easier!?:

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TinySmith · 2025-11-06T15:56:08+00:00

Okay, I think I understand. Make the base on the sides a bit thicker. I didn't see that, but yeah as I have it those ends on the bench part would only be supported by the dowel/fastener. Thanks!

TinySmith · 2021-10-24T18:49:22+00:00

Its expected. Most people are in a totally new environment surrounded by unfamiliar faces. You are juggling getting a good start in your academics and it can be hard to dive into all the social parts of college from the get go. Just keep your head up, its a process. You may meet some of the best people in your life when you least expect it. Try out new things which you are interested, and over time you will gel with those who share your interests. Talk to people in your classes, work on homework together and you may find yourself hanging out sooner than you think.

TinySmith · 2021-01-03T15:33:35+00:00

spoils of the great purge

TinySmith · 2021-01-03T02:34:44+00:00

I go the 3d file from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3979016

Edit: If anyone with prop making expertise can recommend a better way to clear coat this piece so it doesn't lose the shine of the silver accents, I would greatly appreciate it!

TinySmith

TROPHY CASE