Standard Size 57.2mm Resin Billiard and Pool Ball Set

Three sets in common use. American pool uses 57.2 mm (2.25 in) balls. British pub pool uses 50.8 mm (2 in). Snooker uses 52.5 mm. They are not interchangeable - the pockets, the rack and the table are all built around one size, and a set of the wrong balls will not rack or pot properly.

Because they wear. Every impact and every roll across cloth abrades the surface microscopically, and over years a ball goes slightly out of round and loses its polish. An out-of-round ball rolls off line on a slow shot, which players usually blame on the table. Chips and cracks are the obvious reason; going out of round is the invisible one.

Warm water with a little mild soap, a soft cloth, then dry them thoroughly. Do it more often than you think - the blue film that builds up on balls is chalk, and chalk on a ball transfers to the cloth and wears it. Never use solvents, which attack resin and dull the finish permanently.

Considerably, because it is struck by the cue every single shot and hits every other ball. On a well-used table the cue ball is often visibly duller and slightly smaller than the object balls long before they need replacing, which is why cue balls are sold separately.

Because a cue tip on a ball is a low-friction contact, and without chalk it slips. A miscue - where the tip skids off the ball instead of gripping - is almost always a chalk problem rather than a technique one. Chalk before every shot where you are not hitting dead centre, and brush it on rather than grinding it into the tip.

Brush it in one direction, from the baulk end down the table, with a proper table brush - never a household one. Iron it occasionally if you have the right iron. Keep drinks off it, and keep the table out of direct sun, because UV fades cloth unevenly and you cannot undo it.

Considerably. Slate is fine, but the cloth absorbs moisture and plays slow and heavy when damp, and a wooden frame can swell and shift, which puts a table out of level. Keep the room ventilated, keep the table away from open windows and rain ingress, and use a cover. A dehumidifier makes a real difference in a coastal house.

Yes. We deliver across Dar es Salaam and send nationwide to Arusha, Moshi, Mwanza, Dodoma, Zanzibar and beyond by courier. A table is a heavy two-person item, so tell us when you order and we will arrange the right transport and talk through access.