If you have ever switched from playing pool to playing billiards, you will know how strange it feels to play with a smaller set of balls and how it affects your game! Different cue sports have different size and weight standards for their balls. The pool is no different; at professional levels, consistent size and weight of balls are incredibly important. So, how much does a set of pool balls weigh?
A set of 16 pool balls weighs between 88oz. – 96oz. This pool ball set comprises seven solid color balls, seven striped balls, one black ball, and one cue ball. The individual weight of each ball should be between 5.5oz – 6.0oz. Balls may wear and become lighter over time.
Pool associations worldwide adhere to the standard weight and sizing of pool balls. Even though there is a standard set weight, and one set of pool balls should consistently weigh the same as another set, this is not always the case. Keep reading for all the information on a set of pool ball’s weight, manufacture and why there are sometimes variances.
How Much Should A Single Pool Ball Weigh?
The World Pool-Billiard Association specifies that the weight of a pool ball should be in the range of 5.5oz.-6.0oz. (160g-170g) per ball. All the balls in the set should weigh the same with the least variation possible, including the cue ball.
A set of pool balls consists of sixteen balls:
- Seven solid color balls (numbered 1 to 7)
- Seven alternating white and color “striped” balls (numbered 9 to 15)
- One solid black ball (numbered 8), and
- One white or off-white cue ball (no number, but sometimes marked with black dots)
These sixteen balls should weigh between 88oz to 96oz. when weighed as a set. An allowance of 0.05oz. is made for individual weight variation in balls.
This is the standard weight per ball set for international and professional-level pool tournaments. Still, at lower levels or in informal settings, the weight of a set of pool balls may differ from this.
Why Do Individual Pool Balls Differ In Weight In A Set?
Even at an international and professional level, there is a 0.5oz. the variation allowed in the weight of each ball. Top-end manufacturers will guarantee the smallest variation in weight across the set. However, there are still small variations in each ball’s weight in the set.
Differences in individual weights of each pool ball in a set could be because of three reasons:
- Manufacturing irregularities,
- Wear and tear on individual balls, or
- Irregular replacement of balls in a set
All pool ball manufacturers aim to produce balls that are between 5.5oz. to 6.0oz. in weight. Balls weighing less or more than this will not pass quality control and should be discarded from a set of pool balls. The best pool ball manufacturers will aim for the highest levels of consistency and the lowest percentage of fluctuation in weight across a set of pool balls.
For the following reasons, a set of pool balls may not all weigh the same. A set of pool balls will then weigh slightly more or less than another set.
Do All New Pool Balls Weigh The Same?
As consistent as a manufacturer gets with the production of pool balls, it will always be almost impossible to produce a set of sixteen balls that each weigh exactly the same.
Several factors contribute to weight fluctuations in individual pool balls. Temperature fluctuations in materials during manufacture, the temperature of machinery at the time of production, wear of the machines, and varying quality of materials are why one pool ball will weigh slightly more or less than another in the same set.
Do Pool Balls Wear And Lose Weight?
Another reason one pool ball in a set in use may differ in weight from others is because of wear and tear on the ball. The cue ball consistently receives the most friction, kinetic impact, and contact with the tip of the pool cue (with abrasive chalk added to this). Over time the ball may lose a small amount of weight from these impacts, frictions, and abrasions.
Similarly, the black 8 ball is played more often than others in the set and receives more friction o the felt top than others, causing a small loss of weight over time.
An exception to this high-end pool ball manufacturer like the Sulac Aramith range of pool balls that are finished with an extra hard transparent vitrification layer that stops wear, chips, and scratches. Computerized controls ensure each ball has the same weight and dimensions.
Are All Pool Balls In A Set The Same?
At pool halls and other informal places where the the pool is played for recreation, lost or damaged balls are usually replaced with a single pool ball rather than switching out the whole set. Because of this, new balls are placed in a set of older, worn balls.
Heavily used balls will lose small amounts of weight over time, so the new balls placed into the set of old pool balls will weigh more because they have had less wear and tear.
Does What A Pool Ball Is Made Of Affect Its Weight?
What a pool ball is made of will affect its weight. Because the dimensions of a pool ball are also set at regulation size, the material it is made from may be lighter or heavier. Most pool balls are made from high-quality phenolic resins. This resin gives the most consistent and accurate weight reading.
In the past, pool balls were made from wood, clay, ox bone, or ivory, and antique or very old sets of pool balls may not adhere to modern weight and dimension standards. Some modern balls are manufactured from polyester resins and clear acrylics.
These other materials will not only affect play but may also vary slightly in weight or size.
Why Is The Cue Ball Sometimes A Different Size?
In some instances, you may notice that the cue ball is visibly different in size from the other pool balls in the set. This is because of the pool table mechanics rather than as a standard for play.
Coin-operated pool tables need a means of returning the cue ball while keeping the other balls under the table. One way to return the cue ball is to make the cue ball slightly different in size from the other pool balls so that it will fit through a special slot and return to the player. The other balls will not fit through their slot and stay under the table. In this case, the cue pool ball will be a different weight.
In these cases, a set of pool balls will weigh more or less than 88oz. to 96oz. because of the different weight of the cue ball.
Conclusion
A standard set of pool balls will all be exactly the same size and weight, and the complete set of 16 pool balls should weigh between 88oz. – 96oz. The individual weight of each ball should be between 5.5oz – 6.0oz. A 0.5oz allowance is made because manufacturing techniques may cause some balls to be a slightly different weight, and balls lose weight over time from friction and wear. Sometimes the cue ball is smaller and lighter, causing the total weight of the set of pool balls to be reduced.
