Blackball Tables
“Created by a Champion, for Champions…”
Blackball Tables is the brainchild of Ross McInnes, the ultimate 8 ball pool legend for over 30 years. Ross has followed the path of pool throughout his career and decided that it was time to be part of the creation of a quality pool table with the finishes that the players want and need.
Ross is quoted as saying “For over 20 years, since the Hazelgrove pool table left the market, I had been thinking of developing a pool table I could be proud to put my name to. In recent years I became so frustrated with the service and quality of the supplier I was using, I decided it was time to take action. My team chose to have the discussion with Paul Adams from Optima Pool, as we wanted our product to be the best version of my vision. Paul and his team at Optima have been involved in the manufacture of quality pool tables for over 30 years and they only use the finest quality materials. It was also important to us that the Blackball table was fully manufactured in the UK, not a cheap import from across the seas.
My main focus was to create a high quality table top with a superb playing surface at a competitive price for the everyday pool player. I wanted the table top to be secured all the way around so the cushions provided a uniform reaction and bounce. This has been achieved with the addition of extra table clips to hold the cushions down, a mammoth twelve on each table. We have also reduced pocketed ball bounce outs to a minimum. Add all of this with tighter pockets on the Blackball Elite table and you have one outstanding pool table, perfect for International and European standard pool. The decision was then made to make this quality product available to every standard of pool player by introducing the Club table to the range, all the benefits of the Elite with standard sized pockets.
The table top has been designed to perfection, but any table can look poor if the wrong cloth is put on it. Throughout my years of playing one cloth has stood out as the best of the best and that’s Hainsworth. Blackball Tables is delighted to confirm we have an agreement with A W Hainsworth and all our tables will have Hainsworth Match cloth fitted as standard.
Optima Pool are delighted to be involved in the project and Paul Adam, Managing Director had this to say; “Optima Pool are proud to be working with Ross and Michaela McInnes, both such respected and well know cue sports professionals. The pool table has been developed for the players by a multiple World Champion which has resulted in the ultimate competition pool table. Add to that the Hainsworth Match cloth and it’s a match made in heaven as the cloth is tightly woven and provides spectacular speed and cue ball control.
The day to day running of the business is headed up by Ross’s wife former Professional Snooker Referee, Michaela Tabb who was the first female to referee a World Snooker Championship Final.