East vs West Explained

Eastern Style Shuffleboards are painted green with white lines and have a grainy appearance. The roughness of the surface requires the disc to be shot briskly from end to end resulting in what is known as a "slow" court. 

Western Style Shuffleboards, on the other hand, are smooth, slick and shiny and can either be painted concrete or natural concrete with a variety of colored lines.

The disc does not have to be shot as hard to travel the same distance resulting in what is known as a "fast" court.

The speed at which a disc travels across the playing surface determines whether the court is "slow" or "fast." The time it takes for the disc to travel from kitchen to kitchen is measured in seconds. Whether the disc is pushed heavily, or pushed lightly is known as the "weight" of the shot in shuffleboard terminology.

It is easy for the novice shuffler to misunderstand the paradox of terms. A "slow" court refers to the short length of time the disc travels across the playing surface. A "fast" court means the disc takes longer to travel the same distance. In other words, it may take 4 to 5 seconds for the disc to travel from kitchen to kitchen on a "slow" court; while it could take 12 to 20 seconds for a disc to travel the same distance on a "fast" court.

It is the objective of Poly Glide's finishes to provide as much speed as a shuffler finds enjoyable to play the game, preferably pushing lightly. Ours are "fast" Western Style Shuffleboards.

The speed of a court can be controlled by how slick and smooth the surface can be maintained. By buffing and applying more finish, courts can be made faster. By not buffing, and not applying as much finish courts can be made slower. The trick is finding a suitable program to fit the needs of the shufflers at your facility.