NEW – Pro Ball Shine: Verdict & Review…

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In snooker…

There is only one product that is well-known for cleaning snooker balls.

And that’s the Aramith Billiard Ball cleaner. SnookerZone reviewed that a few weeks ago. You can read that review, here.

Pro Ball Shine

However, a new product has just been launched onto the market called Pro Ball Shine, produced by a professional Welsh player Andrew Pagett, who won the Welsh Amateur Championship in 2005, and 2010. He was also a Crucible last 32 qualifier in 2010/11 season.

In brief conversation with PBS creator Andrew Pagett.

SnookerZone had a brief phone conversation with the creator of Pro Ball Shine Andrew Pagett about PBS and his upcoming appearance in the 2020 World Championship qualifiers.

Pagett, 38, got the idea for the cleaner when he was using the cleaning ball machine used by clubs and said the Aramith Ball cleaner was a cream that didn’t really work well with the machine. He then had the idea for a liquid-based solution based cleaner that could work well as a polish-cum-cleaner. The Pro Ball Shine product was born.

Pagett, who has just qualified back on the Main Tour, is also playing in next week’s World Championship qualifiers at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. He plays Kacper Filipiak in Round One and says he is looking forward to it.

Pagett, who has grown up with the likes of Mark Williams, said: “I’m a much better player than I was back then (when he qualified for The Crucible in 2011). I could pot them from anywhere. But now I can play safe.”

He added: “I’m looking forward to doing some damage.”

When snooker clubs returned, there were to be strict guidelines in place for keeping staff and customers safe.

This product is not just a ball cleaner, it also claims to kill 99.99% of bacteria secretly lurking on your balls, as stated by the website.

This, in the current times, is something that a lot of people will find useful as they will not only be cleaning the balls but also ridding them of any germs. Killing two birds with one stone.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, deep cleaning has been ramped up by ALL companies, and sales of sanitizer products have gone through the roof.

For snooker, in this new normal, deep cleaning of equipment will be more important than ever.

The big slogan on the PBS website, says: “Bring Your Balls Back to Life!” But does it?

SnookerZone took it for a test drive and was given the chance to review the product. The only thing we had to pay for was the postage of under a fiver to have it delivered first class.

Did SnookerZone like Pro Ball Shine?

Pro Ball Shine is a very simple product. But very well marketed. When we first uncovered the product, we liked the fact that it came in a simple bottle and is very easy to apply. In fact, there is not a lot to it, really.

The directions are simple to follow:

Shake the bottle well before use.
Spray a little of the solution over your ball
Leave it for thirty seconds to soak in
Rub well with a paper towel or “clean” cloth.
Then leave for a further few seconds to get air dry.

PBS is easier to apply than Aramith Billiard Ball Cleaner…

The brand name Aramith in snooker is well-known and well respected…

What SnookerZone liked about this product compared to the Aramith Billiard Ball cleaner though was the fact that it is a spray bottle. With the ABBC product, you have to “squeeze” the bottle for the cream-based solution to come out, and that can be a bit awkward, initially. It is also is difficult sometimes to control the right amount that comes out onto the ball.

But with the PBS, you can just spray on for quicker results.

Results…

When SnookerZone used it on a couple of snooker balls, the results were good. The balls seemed much fresher and less tired. Ironically, the balls also felt smoother as well.

PBS is not just for snooker balls…

We also had an old golf Ball lying around that was fading a little and looking “tired and worn”. After a little PBS TLC, the golf ball was glistening after.

PBS and pricing: How does it compare to Aramith cleaner. Worth it…?

So how does the PBS compare to ABBC? Well, at £12.99 a bottle for the piece of mind of knowing it kills germs and also cleans your balls, it’s a fair price. Although it’s slightly more expensive than ABBC, only by a quid or two, it has all the marks of a great product. It does the job AND fast.

The big question…

Finally, the million-dollar question. Would SnookerZone buy ABBC, or PBS? That’s easy. It would have to be Pro Ball Shine. Why? Because we prefer spray bottles as they are easier to apply. Don’t get us wrong, ABBC is a great product, but if you just want quick easy to apply solutions in a spray, then opt for the PBS.