![]() ![]() Also, we wanted to keep the TDF system as simple as possible to use with as few measurements as possible, while still providing useful info. Many other factors (side pocket geometry, facing bevel or downward angle, cloth type and condition, cloth tightness and age, cloth cleanliness, ball conditions and cleanliness, pocket facing and shim properties, rail and cushion conditions, table levelness, temperature, humidity, etc.) play a role, but the three corner pocket measurements are the most important factors determining how tough a table plays over a wide range of conditions. Shelf depth isn’t as important as pocket size and facing angle, but it definitely has an effect.įor more rationale and justification, see “ Billiard University (BU) – Part IV: Table Difficulty” (BD, November, 2013).ĭoesn’t side pocket geometry and other factors like cloth and cushion conditions also affect a table’s toughness?.Pocket facing-angles and shelf depth are more important with smaller pockets (where the pocket points will be hit more often). ![]() For accurate shot makers, a table size increase does not increase overall difficulty very much, especially if the pockets are not very “tight.” For people who are not very accurate shot makers, both table size and pocket size make a huge difference, especially on bigger tables with “tighter” pockets.In other words, many balls can be easily pocketed, and making the pocket smaller does more to limit pocket cheating than cause misses. For many shots, especially with a better player, a significant portion of the pocket margin is available for pocket cheating.And for big pockets, an increase might have very little effect for most shots where the precision required is well within the limits for even a mediocre player. When the pockets are very small, further tightening has a much bigger effect since the precision required will be pushing the limits for even the best players.Pocket size is the most important attribute affecting pocket difficulty.On a smaller table, shot distances are generally shorter, and everything is easy to reach without a mechanical bridge but on a larger table, there is less “traffic” with position play and balls are less likely to cluster.Some of the factors that helped guide the adjustments include: Quite a few AZB users provided valuable input and feedback on the AZB TDF thread and Mark Finkelstein, Mike Page, and Bob Jewett were particularly helpful in sharing their experience and judgement. Many people provided input to guide these changes. However, adjustments were made based on anecdotal and empirical evidence for how tough a wide range of tables actual play. In particular, the analyses and data in TP 3.4 – Margin of error based on distance and cut angle, TP 3.6 – Effective target sizes for slow shots into a corner pocket at different angles, and pocket “size” and “center” resource page were good starting points. And for lots of examples for a wide range of tables, see the AZB TDF thread.Īll of the values and ranges for the individual TDF factors (TSF, PSF, PAF, PLF) were chosen very carefully based on how each factor affects the margin of error for a wide range of shots. And For more information, see: “ Billiard University (BU) – Part IV: Table Difficulty” (BD, November, 2013). See the TDF document for details and examples. An effective score, taking table difficulty into consideration, can be calculated with: The TDF can be used to adjust numbers from any scoring or rating system like the Billiard University Exams, “playing the ghost” drills, Hopkins Q Skills drill, or the Fargo rating drill or the FargoRate handicapping system. Example TDF ratings for a wide range of table sizes, types, and brands can be found in the AZB TDF thread. ![]() The TDF can also be calculated automatically from table and pocket measurements using the Excel TDF calculator spreadsheet (authored by Adam Bishop) or the mobile-friendly online tool (authored by “Isaac” on AZB). The total Table Difficulty Factor (TDF) is calculated by multiplying the four factors: See the Table Difficulty Factor (TDF) document to see how values for the following four factors are assigned:
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