When you find a pool hall in your area, there's no reason to come fully equipped with your own balls and cues. You just have to bring your desire to learn and your love of the game — a little pinch of confidence wouldn't hurt either. Poolrooms and bars are always supplied with the necessary accessories.

An Educated Eye

As you get better at your game, check out a few pool halls in your area and decide where you feel most comfortable. In addition to the atmosphere, you should be looking at quality. Check out the state of the tables first and then examine the quality of the object balls. What are you looking for? They all look the same to you, you say? Well, the difference is in the age of the ball and the material of which it's made. Look closely. Remember, while it's easy to bring your own cue and chalk, you are at the mercy of the poolroom for the quality of the table and the balls provided by the establishment. Bringing your own balls would be cumbersome and awkward, and you wouldn't want yours to get mixed up with those belonging to the house anyway. The more informed you are about the equipment, the easier it will be to determine how well you are actually playing the game. You can be as skilled as you want to be, but if the equipment isn't up to par, it will hinder your ability.

Chances are, when you first get going, you're not really going to notice things like the thickness of the cloth or the smoothness of the balls; you'll be worried about aiming at the cue ball, how you stand, and whether or not you'll be able to pocket a ball. But if you turn on a professional tournament, you'll see the difference straight away. All the billiard tools have an impact on the state of your game, but watch those object balls — their flaws may not be as obvious as those of other pieces of equipment.

Phenolic Resin

A ball made of 100 percent phenolic resin is the best quality you can buy. This means that the balls are made of one material from core to surface. The colors are cast to perfection and the number imprints will not fade away. If you play these balls on a fast cloth, the balls will glide as though skimming on silk. Be prepared for a very fast game when using this quality ball on a fast cloth. Some professionals aren't really crazy about playing this way. They prefer to have a bit more control of their hits, so if they use phenolic resin balls, they may prefer to play on a slower cloth.

Most billiard clubs will use a medium-grade quality ball — not necessarily 100 percent phenolic resin, but a combination of strong plastic and a phenolic resin surface.

Polyester

If you're just starting out, there's nothing wrong with buying polyester object balls. When you are first learning, you won't benefit from the advantages of the higher-quality phenolic resin balls, in most cases. There is a slight advantage to polyester; it will allow for a slower game, giving you time to practice all the other things you need to learn before you start making those expert strikes. You can always invest in the more expensive balls when you're ready. It's better to start slowly and work your way up.

Polyester balls will dent with a lot of play. The dents may not be visible upon first glance, but look closer; if the set is a few years old and has received a great deal of play, you'll be able to see the imperfections. This will be especially obvious in the cue ball and the number 1 ball (the two balls that are struck the most on the table).

Once you play with both types of ball, you'll be able to pick out a polyester ball from a phenolic resin ball in a heartbeat.

The important things to notice in the quality of object balls: color consistency, smoothness, and size consistency.

With proper care, a set of polyester balls can last from ten to fifteen years, while a set of phenolic resin balls can last up to forty years.